# Close Protection in The Hague, Netherlands

Canonical page: https://closeprotectionhire.com/cities/the-hague/

Close protection in The Hague, Netherlands. International court and diplomatic security, ICC and UN principal protection, and WPBR-licensed close protection teams.


## Threats

- **Targeted Threat to International Court Personnel**: The Hague is home to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Court (ICC), OPCW, Europol, and Eurojust. Personnel involved in high-profile cases can face threat from state actors or parties to proceedings. FCDO Netherlands (2024) rates the Netherlands as low risk overall, but the international justice cluster creates specific risk profiles for certain principals.
- **Petty Crime**: FCDO Netherlands (2024) notes pickpocketing at busy public locations. In The Hague this affects Centraal Station, the Binckhorst area, and the Scheveningen seafront during summer months. Tourist numbers at Scheveningen beach resort are high in July and August.
- **Protest Activity**: Demonstrations targeting international institutions are periodic. Anti-ICC and pro-specific-nation protests have occurred near the Peace Palace and ICC buildings (documented in Dutch media 2022-2024). FCDO (2024) advises avoiding demonstrations. Route planning should account for protest activity around international organisation buildings.
- **Espionage and Surveillance**: The Hague's concentration of intelligence-related judicial and law enforcement bodies makes it a target for state-sponsored intelligence gathering. The AIVD (Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service) annual report (2023) documents foreign state actors operating in the Netherlands, with particular focus on activities near international organisations and the diplomatic quarter.

## 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:

- Benoordenhout: Residential embassy and diplomatic district; low crime, well-managed, suitable for protected accommodation.
- Bezuidenhout: Business and diplomatic district near Centraal Station; lower risk than the station immediate vicinity.

Elevated-risk areas:

- Centraal Station area: Pickpocketing and opportunistic theft typical of major European rail hubs; standard counter-theft measures required.
- Binckhorst: Formerly industrial transitional district; some crime; route planning should avoid this area after dark.

## Emergency contacts

- Emergency Services: 112
- Police (non-emergency): 0900 8844
- Ambulance: 112
- Fire Brigade: 112
- British Embassy The Hague: +31 70 427 0427
- US Embassy The Hague: +31 70 310 2209

## Warnings

- FCDO Netherlands (2024) rates the Netherlands as low risk for most visitors; however, principals connected to ICC or ICJ proceedings should seek a tailored threat assessment given the specific risk environment.
- AIVD annual report (2023) warns of foreign state intelligence activity targeting the Netherlands, particularly around international organisations and the diplomatic quarter in The Hague.
- FCDO Netherlands (2024) advises avoiding demonstrations; protests outside international organisation buildings in The Hague can occur with limited notice and may attract counter-protesters.