# Close Protection in Eindhoven, Netherlands Canonical page: https://closeprotectionhire.com/cities/eindhoven/ Close protection in Eindhoven, Netherlands. ASML and semiconductor sector security, WPBR-licensed operators for EIN airport and Dutch Design Week. ## Threats - **Corporate Espionage and State-Sponsored Targeting**: Eindhoven hosts ASML, the world's sole manufacturer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems, as well as NXP Semiconductors and the Philips Innovation Campus. The AIVD (Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst) annual report (2023) documents foreign state actors targeting Dutch semiconductor and high-technology firms. Executive visitors to these organisations should treat counter-surveillance as a standard precaution rather than an exceptional measure. - **Petty Crime**: FCDO Netherlands (2024) notes petty crime at public transport nodes. Eindhoven Centraal station and the Stratumseind entertainment district see elevated opportunistic theft, particularly during busy evening periods. The risk is lower than major Dutch cities but is not absent at transit points. - **Drug-Related Disorder**: Eindhoven's Stratumseind, one of the Netherlands' longest bar streets, generates weekend disorder documented in Dutch police (Politie) Zeeland-West-Brabant district data. This is not a business visitor area but is relevant to hotel selection; principals should be accommodated away from the Stratumseind corridor. - **Demonstrations**: FCDO Netherlands (2024) advises avoiding demonstrations. Agricultural and environmental protests in the Netherlands have disrupted transport routes with limited notice. Eindhoven Airport (EIN) has seen protest-related access disruption. Monitor the demonstration calendar before time-sensitive transfer planning. ## Regulations - **Licensing**: Security companies need a licence from the Minister of Justice and Security under the Wet particuliere beveiligingsorganisaties en recherchebureaus (Wpbr, 1997). Applications go through Justis, and a licence lasts up to 5 years before it must be renewed. Managers need consent from the Minister, and other staff need consent from the police chief (korpschef) before they start work. Ask any provider for its Wpbr licence before engagement. - **Firearms**: Weapons are governed by the Wet wapens en munitie (Weapons and Ammunition Act 1997). Carrying a firearm needs a carry permit (verlof tot dragen) from the police chief (korpschef), granted only where the applicant has a well-founded reason. The Wpbr, which licenses security companies, does not itself authorise anyone to carry a weapon. Ask any provider proposing armed cover for the carry permit of each officer. - **Foreign operators**: Under the Wpbr, a licence issued in another EU member state, or in a treaty state bound to the Netherlands, counts as a Dutch licence if it guarantees a professional level at least equal to the Dutch one. A licensed company with no establishment in the Netherlands needs the Minister's consent for each person it sends to work in the country, and equivalent declarations from those states are recognised on the same test. Sources, checked 2026-10-06: - [Wet particuliere beveiligingsorganisaties en recherchebureaus (wetten.overheid.nl)](https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0008973/2025-07-01) - [Wet wapens en munitie (wetten.overheid.nl)](https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0008804/2024-01-01) - [Ondernemersplein: licence for a private security organisation](https://ondernemersplein.overheid.nl/wetten-en-regels/vergunning-aanvragen-voor-een-particuliere-beveiligingsorganisatie-of-recherchebureau/) ## Zones Lower-risk areas: - Strijp-S: Repurposed Philips industrial campus; now a creative and tech district with well-managed public space, lower crime density, and proximity to design and innovation sector facilities. - Woensel-Noord business district: North of the city centre, good road access to the ASML campus; lower crime profile than the city centre, suitable for corporate meetings and extended stays. Elevated-risk areas: - Stratumseind: Entertainment and bar district; higher disorder and petty crime risk, particularly on weekend evenings; not suitable for principal accommodation. - Eindhoven Centraal: Standard station counter-theft awareness; pickpocketing documented during busy transit periods. ## Emergency contacts - Emergency (all services): 112 - Police non-emergency (Politie): 0900 8844 - British Embassy The Hague: +31 70 427 0427 - US Embassy The Hague: +31 70 310 2209 ## Warnings - AIVD annual report (2023) documents foreign state actors targeting Dutch semiconductor and technology firms; counter-surveillance awareness is appropriate for all executive visits to ASML, NXP, and Philips campus. - FCDO Netherlands (2024) advises avoiding demonstrations; agricultural and environmental protests have disrupted EIN airport access and regional transport routes with limited notice. - FCDO Netherlands (2024) notes petty crime at public transport nodes; counter-theft awareness required at Eindhoven Centraal during busy periods. - Nearest major hospital: Catharina Ziekenhuis, Michelangelolaan 2, Eindhoven; telephone +31 40 239 9111. ## Frequently asked questions ### Why does ASML matter for security planning in Eindhoven? ### What security is appropriate for Dutch Design Week visits? ### How does the Netherlands' WPBR framework govern operators in Eindhoven? ### Is Eindhoven a safe city for business travel? ### What are the transfer options to Eindhoven for international visitors?