Identity document in the case of purchase, rent or sale

Collecting online orders

Do you collect an online order from a shop or collection point? Then the employee there is not allowed to make a copy of your identity document, such as your passport or identity card.

Does the employee want to check if you are actually the person who bought the product? Then the employee may ask you for proof of purchase, such as the email with the order confirmation.

If necessary, the employee may also ask you to show your identity document. When doing so, the employee is allowed to register the document number and type of your identity document.

Applying for a mobile phone subscription

Do you apply for a subscription for a mobile phone? Then the telecom provider is allowed to make a copy of your identity document, such as your passport or identity card. In any case, your citizen service number (BSN) and your passport photo must be blocked in this document.

A (blocked) copy of your identity document is intended for proving in hindsight who has taken out the telephone subscription and for combating identity fraud.

Renting a car or taking a test drive with a car

Do you rent a car? Or do you take a test drive? Then the car rental company or the car dealer is allowed to make a copy of your identity document, such as your passport or identity card, on the following conditions:

• Making a copy is necessary for the purpose. The purpose for car (rental) companies is the option to report to the police if there is a suspicion of theft of their car.
• In any case, the car rental company or the car dealer will block your BSN and passport photo when making the copy.
• The car rental company or car dealer ensures proper protection of the copies made.
• The car rental company or car dealer returns the copy to you or destroys the copy as soon as you have safely returned the car.
   

Combating vehicle crime

In order to combat vehicle crime, the association of motor car, garage and allied trades BOVAG, the Foundation for Tackling Vehicle Crime and the Public Prosecution Office have made agreements. One of these agreements is that car rental companies and car dealers are permitted to make a blocked copy of someone's identity document. When doing so, they are obliged to adhere to the conditions mentioned above.

Selling items to a trader

Do you sell a bicycle, mobile phone, gold or copper to a trader? Then the trader is not allowed to make a copy of your identity document, such as your passport or identity card. The trader is obliged, though, to note down some data of you in the buyer's register. Sometimes, the trader also has to copy some data from your identity document in the buyer's register.

Buyer's register

Traders in certain goods, such as bicycles or jewellery, are obliged to keep a buyer's register. In this register, they note down data about the items they purchase and the persons who sell them. The trader will note down the following data of you in the buyer's register:

• a description of the goods;
• the date of purchase;
• the purchase price;
• your name and address.

Compulsory identification for the copper trade

Do you receive payment in cash for copper, copper cable or copper alloys? Then the compulsory identification for the copper trade applies. This means that you must show a valid identity document. The trader will then note down:

• the document number of your identity document;
• the type of identity document;
• in the case of a foreign identity document: the country of origin.

Purchasing or renting through an estate agent

Do you want to buy or rent an immovable property, such as a house, retail space or office building? And are you doing this through a selling agent or a letting agent? The Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Prevention) Act (Dutch abbreviation: Wwft) stipulates that:

•  the selling agent is required by law to establish your identity; 
• the letting agent is required by law to establish your identity is the rent is 10,000 euro or more per month. 
   

Is your estate agent obliged to establish your identity? Then your estate agent is allowed to make a copy of your identity document, such as your passport or identity card, to prove that this obligation has been met. Your estate agent is allowed to ask for a 'clean' (unedited) copy of your identity document. This means that you:

• are not allowed to write anything on the copy;
• are not allowed to render data illegible on the copy (such as your passport photo), except your citizen service number (BSN);
• are not allowed to affix a watermark in the copy.
   

Only with an unedited copy will your estate agent be able to verify the genuineness of your identity document. And in this way establish your identity. 
Does the copy have a watermark, for example? Then it will not always be possible to establish the genuineness of the identity document. And in that case, your estate agent will not be able to meet the statutory obligation. That is why your estate agent is allowed to ask you for or make an unedited copy.
You are allowed to block your BSN on the copy, because the estate agent is not allowed to process the BSN. If you provide a digital copy yourself, you can use the KopieID app of the Dutch central government for this purpose. You can also render your BSN illegible on a paper copy yourself.

Duty of care of the letting agent (screening of tenants)

Do you want to rent a house, retail space or office building through a letting agent, who acts as an intermediary between you and the party letting the building (the owner)? Then the estate agent has a duty of care in respect of this party. 
The duty of care means that your letting agent has to investigate and assess whether you, as a potential tenant (prospective tenant), are able to meet all obligations from the tenancy agreement. This is also called a screening. 

As part of the screening, the estate agent verifies your identity. This means that you have to show your identity document. The estate agent is not allowed to make or ask for a copy, scan or photo of your identity document. This is only allowed if the rent is 10,000 euro or more per month. 
When screening you as a prospective tenant, the estate agent is allowed to ask other data from you as well, such as data on your income.

Buying alcohol, games or films

You have to be aged 18 or over to be permitted to buy alcohol. A minimum age also applies for some games and films. This means that you will have to be old enough if you:

•  want to buy alcohol in a shop;
• want to order alcohol in a cafe;
• want to buy a game or film for which a minimum age applies;
• want to see such a film in a cinema.

Does an employee of a shop, cafe or cinema doubt if you are old enough? Then the employee is allowed to ask you to show your identity document, such as your passport or identity card. In that case, the employee is not allowed to copy data from your identity document or make a copy of your identity document.
Are you clearly older or younger than the minimum age? Then the employee does not need to check you identity document.