Scroll to top
Request Consultation

Bodyguard Hire in The Hague

Police-vetted close protection in The Hague. Specialist CPO cover for international court delegates, embassy principals, and corporate visitors to the legal capital.

The Hague is a city with a security environment that is simultaneously low-risk by Dutch and European general standards and specifically complex for a narrow but significant category of visitor. The FCDO Netherlands 2024 advisory rates the country at low overall risk, but the AIVD annual report 2023 specifically documents foreign state intelligence operations targeting the city’s international organisations, making The Hague one of the few European cities where counter-intelligence awareness is a practical CPO brief element rather than a theoretical inclusion. The WPBR licensing framework and Bibob screening requirements apply as throughout the Netherlands, with the additional coordination dimension of the Dienst Bewaking en Beveiliging for court-adjacent principals.

The dual character of The Hague’s CPO demand reflects its dual economic identity: an international legal and diplomatic capital, and the headquarters city for Shell NV and a cluster of financial and government institutions. These two principal categories require somewhat different operational approaches, though both benefit from the city’s well-developed diplomatic security infrastructure and from the direct presence of the British and US Embassies within the city limits.

For broader context on the city and complementary security services, see our The Hague city page and security drivers in The Hague.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Principals with a formal role in ICC or ICJ proceedings may fall within the scope of the Dutch Diplomatic Security Service (Dienst Bewaking en Beveiliging, DBB) protection arrangements. Commercial CPO providers operating in The Hague on behalf of court-adjacent principals should establish whether DBB protection applies and coordinate operational protocols accordingly. The AIVD 2023 report specifically documents foreign state actor intelligence operations targeting international court personnel; this informs the threat assessment and CPO posture for principals in this category.

Yes. The AIVD (Dutch domestic intelligence service) annual report 2023 specifically identifies foreign state actors conducting intelligence operations targeting The Hague’s international organisations, including the ICC, OPCW, and Europol. Several documented incidents involving foreign intelligence operatives have been reported in Dutch media and in AIVD publications. This threat is not theoretical and is relevant to the threat assessment for principals involved in international proceedings or working within international organisations in the city.

Hotel Des Indes (Lange Voorhout 54) is the standard choice for high-profile court-related principals due to its location directly opposite the International Court of Justice and its established relationship with international legal and diplomatic visitors. The hotel has historical HNWI and diplomatic experience and is within walking distance of the Peace Palace, Bezuidenhout, and the major law firms serving international proceedings. Radisson Blu Palace Hotel and the Steigenberger Kurhaus (for Scheveningen-based stays) are alternatives offering different proximity-to-institution tradeoffs.

Shell NV’s global headquarters is at Carel van Bylandtlaan 30 in The Hague, and senior Shell executives visiting from international operations typically require a discreet plain-clothes CPO arrangement: an executive vehicle with an experienced driver and a single or paired CPO team. The Shell campus has its own corporate security function; commercial CPO teams coordinate access arrangements with Shell corporate security in advance. Transfer security between Schiphol, The Hague hotel, and the Shell HQ is the standard CPO brief for Shell global management visits.

The British Embassy at Lange Voorhout 10 is one of the very few UK embassies to be located within the same city as an executive CPO engagement in the Netherlands. This means consular response times for British nationals requiring emergency assistance, document replacement, or evacuation coordination are substantially faster in The Hague than elsewhere in the country. The embassy is within 1km of the International Court, Hotel Des Indes, and the Bezuidenhout business district, making it a practical resource rather than a distant administrative contact.
Get in Touch

Request a Consultation

Describe your security requirements below. All enquiries are confidential and handled by licensed consultants.

Confidential. Your details are never shared with third parties.