Declaration of Good Conduct can also be received digitally from May

All residents of the Netherlands can receive their Declaration of Good Conduct digitally from mid-May. To date, such documents are only available on paper. The digital version must, among other things, be faster to deliver and more sustainable.

The new system will be rolled out in phases from Wednesday, March 20, the central government announced on Tuesday. From then on, the first Dutch people can receive a digital Certificate of Good Conduct in the Message Box of MijnOverheid. The rollout is being done step by step to take into account the capabilities of the systems of Justis, the government organization that processes VOG applications. According to the current planning, all organizations can use a digital Certificate of Good Conduct no later than May 21, the national government reports.

Justis announces that the paper VOG will remain available in addition to the new digital variant. Both options have the same price, which is currently 33.85 euros. The digital variant must be able to be delivered faster, be more sustainable and easy to send digitally to an employer. Employers can check the authenticity of the digital Certificates of Good Conduct on a separate Justis website. Each digital Certificate of Good Conduct contains invisible digital security features, replacing the watermarks on the paper version.

The Declaration of Good Conduct is a statement showing that an employee's 'judicial past' does not constitute an objection to the fulfilling a specific task or function in society, such as a job or volunteer work. Employers can ask their staff for a Certificate of Good Conduct if, for example, they handle confidential data, vulnerable people, money or goods. In some sectors, such as childcare, a Certificate of Good Conduct is mandatory for employees.

A traditional paper VOG (left) next to a digital variant. Source: Justis