There are several jobs for which you need to apply for a Certificate of Conduct. All those jobs and companies require a VOG for different reasons. Sometimes you need a CoC because it is stipulated by law. This is usually applicable to the entire industry. For example, a Certificate of Conduct (VOG) is required if you work in child care. It does not matter what position you have. Everyone working in the child care industry is required to apply for a VOG (CoC), because that is the law.

In addition to childcare, there are other industries requiring a VOG by law. However, there are also plenty of organizations and companies that decide on their own that you must apply for a VOG (CoC) before you start working for them. Employers have the right to do so. They may decide whether or not they require a Certificate of Conduct from you. After all, they must be able to determine whether they want to hire you. A VOG (CoC) application is a useful tool for that purpose.

Due to the new privacy law, your employer must justify why they need a Certificate of Conduct from you. This may be related to specific responsibilities you may have in your position, such as those involving finances. It may also be because you are responsible for caring for certain vulnerable groups in our society, for example. And there are many other reasons why you might be required to provide a VOG (CoC).

A criminal background check will show if you have a criminal record. The person or company requesting your criminal background check will then receive a list of all the criminal offenses you have committed. These are criminal offenses committed in the Netherlands, as well as abroad. For some people, that is quite a list.

The good news, though, is that offenses can also be removed from your criminal record. Once the review period has expired, they will no longer appear on your criminal background check. Therefore, having a criminal record in the past does not automatically mean you will have one in the future.

Are you unsure whether or not you have a criminal record? If so, you can request one from the Ministry of Justice and pick it up at the court where you live.

Such a comprehensive criminal background check is simply necessary for certain jobs. You can also think of this check as an international certificate of good conduct, since it also includes all offenses committed abroad. Such screening measures are implemented, for example, by companies that work extensively with employees from abroad or with Dutch nationals who have lived abroad for a long time.

A Certificate of Conduct is a declaration that you must apply for in the Netherlands in order to qualify for certain jobs. After all, we are all responsible for society. So we must ensure that those who cannot protect themselves are still protected.

A Certificate of Conduct (VOG) helps with that. This certificate indicates that, at the time of issuance, the person did not represent a danger to the position he or she will be filling. “Danger” can be understood in the broadest sense of the word.
For example, in the case of a taxi driver, the focus is naturally on whether you have committed any speeding violations. For a position involving large sums of money or valuable goods, a theft conviction can carry significant weight and may prevent you from receiving a VOG.

In jobs where you primarily interact with vulnerable groups, you are required to have a Certificate of Conduct (VOG). This is stipulated by law. A taxi driver is a good example of this, as are positions in childcare and long-term care. We need to protect them, but also our own colleagues. So, you are actually applying for a VOG in the interest of others.

For certain jobs in the Netherlands, it is mandatory to be able to present a VOG. This requirement is stipulated by law for those jobs. In most cases, the mandatory VOG applies not to a specific job, but to an entire industry.

As a society, we want to protect vulnerable groups. These include children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. They need to be protected because they cannot always protect themselves. A Certificate of Conduct is intended to ensure that, as an employer and coworker, you know that an employee is trustworthy.

The jobs for which a VOG is required involve vulnerable groups that we as a society want to protect. For example, a VOG is required by law for positions in childcare and long-term care, taxi drivers and child care providers, among others. This requirement applies to all positions, whether you are an employee, an intern, a volunteer, or a self-employed individual.

How long a VOG is valid depends on the work you will be doing and, primarily, on the industry. There is no single validity period that applies in all cases. In most cases, you can expect a validity period of between 2 and 6 months. The validity period is therefore not specified anywhere in the law, but is determined by your employer.

During that period, you could technically reuse your VOG. However, in practice, things work a bit differently. You could only reuse your VOG if you are applying for a different position within the same company. That position must also require the same screening profile.

If all of those conditions are met, your VOG will still be valid for 2–6 months. Otherwise, a VOG is unfortunately primarily for one-time use. That number of months is determined because a VOG application is a snapshot in time. You may be eligible today, but things could be very different tomorrow or next week. That is why a line has to be drawn somewhere. A 6-month validity period is therefore uncommon, but it does exist. Ultimately, the employer decides how long your Certificate of Conduct (VOG) must be valid before they actually hire you.

The cheapest Certificate of Conduct is an online CoC. You have to pay € 33,85 for the application process. The costs are in most cases for you, because it is your Certificate of Conduct and your responsibility to have one. The responsibility is not for the company you will be working for. However, they are usually involved in the application process. At most companies, the application form is made available to you online. Most of the form is already filled out for you. It is up to you to fill in the rest of your information and review it before you actually submit the form.

By submitting the form, you will pay for the costs of € 33,85. At some companies you can submit a claim to have the costs reimbursed afterwards. That is only the case for very few companies. In many cases, the costs will be yours and will remain yours. That is why it is all the more important to carefully check the information before you submit your application form. If there are errors in the form, those errors will also appear on your VOG. And incorrect information or spelling errors automatically result in an invalid VOG.

You can retrieve your Certificate of Conduct in 1-4 weeks from your Message Box. You can only apply for an online VOG if you already have a DigiD in the Netherlands. To do so, you must, for example, be registered in the Personal Records Database and therefore have a permanent residential and mailing address in the Netherlands.

It is not a fixed rule that, as an expat, you must apply for a VOG in the Netherlands. It totally depends on the job you are taking on. Unlike someone who moves to the Netherlands for a job, as an expat you already have a job. Often, you are temporarily assigned to another office or location. So you are still working for the same company, but you are coming to work in the Netherlands for a while because you are needed here.

In most cases, you would not need a VOG, since you would be working for the same international employer. However, the Dutch office may require all its employees to apply for a VOG. In that case, as an expat, you will have no choice but to do the same. Depending on how urgently they need you and when you arrive, you may be able to start working right away until your Certificate of Conduct arrives in the mail.

There are no specific VOGs for expats. As an expat, you should apply for the VOG required by the Dutch office. Always make sure to clarify which screening profile applies to you. Often, they will already fill out part of the application form for you. It is up to you to check all the information and actually submit the VOG application. Please contact your international employer to discuss the costs. It is quite possible that the office in your home country will reimburse you for the costs, since it is not always the employee’s choice to live abroad for a few months.

Applying for a VOG (Code of Conduct in English) is rather simple. As a Dutch citizen it is very easy and quick to apply for your VOG. As someone who still lives abroad it is a bit different. At least both applying processes are online and your application will be directly sent to Justis, the government agency that is the only one authorized to issue a Certificate of Conduct (VOG).

As a Dutch citizen it takes you no longer than half an hour to apply for your VOG. It is very common that the company that requires a VOG for you will provide you with the registration form online. You can access it in your Message Box. Much of the information will already be filled in by your new employer. It is up to you to fill in any missing information and double-check all the details. A single spelling mistake could really cost you your VOG.

Are you applying from your home country? Then you need a Certificate of Conduct as a non-resident, since you do not live in the Netherlands yet. You will have to fill in this form, which is unfortunately in Dutch. Your new employer need to sign the PDF as well, before you can hand in the document. Send the PDF-file, accompanied by a copy of your passport or ID-card via e-mail to vog.np.rni@justis.nl. Make sure you have paid for the procedure in advance by transferring 41.35 euros to Justis using the following account number NL31 INGB 0705 0054 53 in the name of Min. van Justitie en Veiligheid 605/ JUSTIS COVOG te Den Haag stating your name, as the applicant.

Include the proof of your payment also in the e-mai you are sending to Justis, otherwise your application cannot be processed.

First of all, you need to know what a VOG is. A VOG better known as a Certificate of Conduct is a certificate that a company may ask you for when you start working there. A VOG is a certificate you receive after successfully passing the screening process. Different screening profiles may apply to different jobs. In practice, this means that you need a different screening profile for different jobs. For example, you might pass the screening for one job but not for the other, because the screening criteria differ.

The screening is and remains a snapshot. Nevertheless, we in the Netherlands continue to require a Certificate of Conduct (VOG). After all, we want to protect our vulnerable society as best we can. Even though it is a snapshot, people are at least being screened, and that is always better than nothing.

Often, you do not have to worry at all about applying for a VOG in the Netherlands. Of course, you are nervous, because there is usually something important at stake. A job provides your income. And often, there is a specific job you want to work at. In that case, there is a lot at stake for you, because everything depends on that VOG.

Still, most people do not need to worry. If you do not have a criminal record, you will always automatically receive a VOG. Of course, you will still have to go through the screening process, and it will take just as long. But you do not have to be worried, because a VOG is always guaranteed.

First it is very important where you currently live. Do you live in the Netherlands already? Or even for a couple of years now? Then it is easier to apply for your Certificate of Conduct. If you already live here, we can assume that you have a valid DigiD, which you need for your application.

In many cases, your new employer will prepare a Certificate of Conduct for you. You will receive the application in your government Message Box, where you can continue filling out and reviewing the form. Your employer has usually already filled out part of it. That does not automatically mean the information is correct. Always double-check the details a few times before proceeding to the next step in the process. An application with errors will result in a CoC with errors. And a CoC with errors—even if they are just spelling mistakes—means it is unfortunately invalid.

Once the form is complete and verified, you can finalize the application by paying the fee. Your CoC application will then be automatically forwarded to Justis. You can also apply for a CoC yourself at any time by clicking the button below. This is often done for freelance positions that require a Certificate of Conduct. Besides, it is not just for a job that you might need a Certificate of Conduct. Sometimes it is for other personal matters. Think of membership in a shooting club, for example.

Without a DigiD it is still possible to apply for a CoC, but it is a little bit harder, because the procedure is different and takes more time. The shorter way is still applying for your Certificate of Conduct online and therefore you do need a valid DigiD. Always let your new employer know that you do not have a DigiD. This is because they will then have to use a paper-based procedure. You will need to submit the completed documents along with a copy of your ID card or passport to the municipality where you live in the Netherlands. This may be a different municipality than the one where you will be working.