VOG Requirement for Employees Working with Travel Documents

In the past, it has been shown that criminals managed to obtain Dutch passports from various municipalities. Corrupt employees provided passports on demand in exchange for money. With such a passport, a criminal can, for example, cross the border and continue criminal activities beyond the reach of police and justice. This undermines trust in the Dutch travel document and creates unsafe situations.

“There is no place for fraud and corruption within the government,” says State Secretary Eddie van Marum. “Citizens must be able to trust that a passport or identity card is issued safely and carefully. By regularly screening employees who perform this work, we reduce the chance of misuse and increase the safety of our employees and society.”

A VOG is an official certificate that a citizen can apply for. It shows that the applicant has not committed any criminal offenses that pose a risk for the position. The VOG obligation will apply to employees with a permanent or temporary contract, including hired personnel, involved in the application and issuance of travel documents. Municipalities and public bodies have the duty of care to screen each employee at the start of employment and then every 2 years again. The biennial repetition also reveals any problems during the employment period.

The annual costs for the VOG obligation will be compensated through the fee system: the national part of the fees will be lowered so that applicants for a travel document, municipalities, and public bodies will not pay more.

The proposed amendment will be open for consultation from Tuesday, December 16, 2025, until February 2026. Everyone can respond to the proposal. After that, the proposal will be further processed. The amendment is expected to take effect on January 1, 2027. Municipalities and public bodies will then have 1 year to comply with the new obligation.