In the Netherlands, there is only one official national statistics institute: Statistics Netherlands (CBS). For some CBS surveys, CBS interviewers visit homes. CBS always sends a letter in advance stating that an interviewer will come by. During these visits, CBS never asks for identification or data such as fingerprints or facial recognition.
CBS collects information on various topics to produce reliable statistics. These statistics provide a good picture of Dutch society. It is important that enough people participate in the surveys. Home interviewing is necessary for this.

Visit from an interviewer

CBS never visits without written notification. An official letter states which survey you are invited to participate in and how to do so. Only if CBS receives no response to letters or phone calls can a CBS interviewer come by. If no one is home during the visit, the interviewer leaves a card. This card states that an interviewer has visited and how to contact CBS to make an appointment.

Interviewer identification

CBS interviewers are always clearly identifiable. They can identify themselves with an official CBS badge with photo and employee number. Additionally, the interviewer carries information about the CBS survey. Our employees never ask for identification or data such as fingerprints or facial recognition.

Safety

CBS places great importance on the safety of both respondents and interviewers. Therefore, interviewers are carefully trained and follow clear safety guidelines. The safety, privacy, and comfort of voluntary participation of the respondent always come first. If you have questions about privacy, please visit www.cbs.nl/privacy.

If in doubt

If in doubt, you can always check whether the interviewer at the door is really from CBS. CBS is reachable on weekdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM via phone number (045) 570 64 00. Using the employee number on the interviewer’s badge, CBS can verify whether the interviewer is indeed from CBS. If the interviewer comes after 5:00 PM, it is possible to make an appointment for a later time so the verification can take place the next working day.