Privacy statement
- Edited 23 January 2024
- 6 min
The Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (hereinafter ‘KVK’) provides information, recommendations, and support to entrepreneurs on running a business. Our statutory tasks are registering, informing, and advising entrepreneurs. When carrying out these tasks, we process personal data for different purposes. In this privacy statement, you will find out what data is involved, how we handle it, and how you can exercise your rights in relation to your personal data.
Direct links to
- What is personal data?
- What do we use your personal data for?
- Whose personal data does KVK process?
- With which third parties does KVK share my personal data?
- How do we ensure the security of your personal data?
- For how long will my data be stored?
- How can I exercise my privacy rights?
- Contact details
- About this privacy statement
Or download the (Dutch language only) pdf.
1. What is personal data?
Personal data is any data that reveals information about you or can be used to identify you as an individual. Examples of personal data are your name, contact details, and citizen service number (BSN). Information relating to a company may also be personal data, for example the KVK number of an eenmanszaak.
KVK does not process any special categories of personal data such as race, beliefs, or political preference. However, in carrying out our statutory tasks, we process certain more sensitive personal data, such as the BSN and administrative bans. All this is done only to the extent necessary under the law, and we delete this data when we no longer need it. We may also process details on birthplace and nationality for inclusion in UBO registers.
What is processing?
Processing covers all operations that can be carried out with personal data, including recording, collecting, sharing, combining, and destroying.
2. What do we use your personal data for?
Registering your company and its details is a statutory task of KVK, laid down in the Commercial Register Act. Find out what we use your personal data for.
We use your personal data
Registering your company is a statutory responsibility of KVK, laid down in the Business Register Act.
This data includes
- your name;
- address details;
- gender;
- date of birth;
- place and country of birth;
- citizen service number (BSN);
- email address;
- telephone number.
What we use this data for
If you register a company in the Business Register, we process some of your and your company’s data as part of our statutory responsibilities.
Your company, like all Dutch companies, must be registered in the Business Register. On the basis of your registration, you will be given a KVK number. This number is your unique entrepreneur ID, so that other entrepreneurs can check who they are dealing with and what business they can contact you for. Management of the Business Register is the statutory responsibility of KVK.
Some of the personal data in the Business Register is made public and provided to third parties upon request. More information can be found under the heading For providing data from the Business Register.
The Business Register contains the business addresses of companies and the private addresses of officers. The business address is public: it is the place where a company conducts its business, unless the business address is shielded upon request. The private address of officers is not public, except for the private address of the keeper of books and records. Besides officers, the UBOs of companies and other legal entities are also listed.
The Business Register is a public register. Management of the Business Register is the statutory responsibility of KVK. The register is intended for entrepreneurs wishing to find other entrepreneurs: to know whether the company with which they do business exists, to find new customers, or to get to know the market. This stimulates the economy.
This concerns the following data
- your name;
- date of birth;
- place of birth;
- business name (name of your company);
- your company’s address details;
- legal form;
- email address;
- telephone number.
What we use this data for
The vast majority of the data from the Business Register is used for public services. All public authorities, such as municipalities, provinces, and water boards, make use of the Business Register in carrying out their tasks. In addition, KVK provides data from the Business Register to private parties, in return for payment. See With which third parties does KVK share my personal data? for more information. These parties use this data for compliance purposes, legal certainty, or market analysis.
Recipients of data from the Business Register must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Telecommunications Act when using your data. This means that they cannot use your data for marketing or other purposes unconditionally. In almost all cases, anyone who uses your data must inform you that they are doing so.
KVK keeps a so-called ‘Non-Mailing Indicator’ and also provides it to persons or companies requesting your data. If you activate this Non-Mailing Indicator, all recipients of Business Register data are informed that you do not want to receive unsolicited post or an unsolicited visit to your home. Recipients of data from the Business Register must comply with this requirement.
If you are confronted with unwanted marketing on the basis of Business Register data, you can lodge a complaint with the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) for direct marketing by email, or the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP), for direct marketing by post or telephone, or any other unwanted use of your data.
European legislation obliges the Netherlands to have, manage, and register in a central place information on the Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) of companies and other legal entities incorporated in the Netherlands (hereinafter the 'UBO register'*). The UBO register is part of the Business Register.
The law stipulates which details of a UBO are registered (Commercial Registers Act 2007, article 15a). To give some examples:
- Name
- BSN (citizen service number, or fiscal identifcation number)
- Month and year of birth
- Date of birth
- Place of birth and nation of birth
- Nationality
- Nation of residence
- Residential address
- Type and size of the economic stake of the UBO
- Copies of documents that pertain to the details mentioned above.
A number of these details are only accessible to a limited group, defined by law. This concerns in any case the BSN, fiscal identification number, date, place, and nation of birth, the residential address and the document copies.
* See (in Dutch) for information on the processing of personal data for the purposes of the UBO register trusts and equivalent legal constructions.
For example, when you call or email us with a question. This is part of our statutory duty to provide information and advice to entrepreneurs.
This concerns the following data
- identification data;
- questions that you have asked;
- contact history (when there was contact, with which department, via which channel);
- information from a submitted complaint;
- email correspondence;
- contact details of your social media accounts (if we want to answer a question you have asked via social media).
What we use this data for
- To be able to answer questions you have asked, we register the original question, any clarifications, and the subsequent actions taken. We can also serve you better if we know what interactions have taken place earlier. If we have arranged an appointment with you, we will also record this.
- In the event of a complaint or complex question, information about the content is kept in order to ensure that your question is answered correctly. We also use this data to learn and to improve our service.
- We respond to questions and other expressions on social media.
To provide you with the best possible service, KVK continuously improves its products and services. For example, because we want to know what you think about our products and services and what can be improved next time. Your cooperation is always based on consent.
This concerns the following data
- identification data;
- questions that you have asked;
- contact history (when there was contact, with which department, via which channel);
- information from a submitted complaint;
- email address;
- email correspondence;
- contact details of your social media accounts.
We record the content of the contact you have had with us, for example, by recording telephone calls and chats. We also store and read cookies when visiting the website. More information can be found on our cookie page.
What we use this data for
- To better understand who uses our products, when they do so, and how often. With this information, we can make improvements so that our products better meet the needs of entrepreneurs.
- To gain a better understanding of our customer groups, which helps us to better identify who is relevant to our products.
- To measure and evaluate customer satisfaction by means of customer satisfaction surveys by email, to determine which of our services and products are valued and which ones need improvement.
This concerns the following data
- name of the entrepreneur;
- email address;
- telephone number;
- date of birth;
- gender;
- postal address and postcode of the company.
What we use this data for
- We would like to keep you informed about our products and services.
- If we do so by email, we always ask for your consent (opt-in).
- For example, you can register for our newsletter and emails.
- To make emails as relevant for you as possible, we ask you a few questions to get to know you better. We also link your KVK data, your favourite topics, and your preferences to your newsletter profile, so that we do not send you information on topics that do not interest you.
- Every email and newsletter you receive contains an option to unsubscribe.
- In some cases, we also approach you by post or telephone, for example to invite you to a seminar or event or to draw your attention to products or services that you have expressed an interest in.
- Whenever we approach you by post or telephone, we give you the option to opt out of this means of contact.
- We analyse your data to understand the needs of entrepreneurs and to tailor our services as much as possible.
Good to know
We will not use your email address for marketing purposes unless you have given us your consent. You can stop marketing by email, post, or telephone at any time using the method indicated in the communication. This information relates only to KVK’s own marketing. Third parties sometimes use data from the Business Register for marketing purposes. See the heading For providing data from the Business Register for more details.
This concerns the following data
- identification data (name, address, date of birth, etc.);
- identity documents;
- photos and camera recordings.
What we use this data for
- Visitors at the office or at an event organised by KVK will only be allowed access after registration, and should report to and identify themselves at the reception.
- Security cameras are situated at every KVK entrance, filming visitors.
This concerns the following data:
- IP address;
- details of visits to our websites (times of visits, pages viewed, keywords);
- devices used (PC, laptop, smartphone, tablet);
- personal data processed in cookies.
What we use this data for
- Your IP address is processed by default when visiting websites. KVK uses the IP address solely to allow you to participate in surveys (for example, testing a new website) and to participate in events.
- By monitoring visits to and use of the website, we can improve your user experience by making it easy to navigate between pages and, on the basis of your search behaviour, to better tailor the information displayed to your needs.
- By making sure that the website responds to the device used, all content (text, photos, video) is displayed in optimal form.
- In addition to your browsing behaviour on our website, cookies help customise the information provided. Cookies can also be used to store your personal preferences.
KVK places different types of cookies on your computer. Cookies are small text files placed on your computer by websites when you visit the site. Placing cookies may involve processing personal data if the information contained in a cookie can be traced back to a person, such as by using your IP address. We place cookies to make the website works properly, to carry out statistical analyses, and to be of better assistance to you.
For more information about the cookies we place, see our cookie page.
Data obtained from third parties
In some cases, KVK receives your personal data from third parties. For example, from the Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration) for the purposes of fraud research, from the Rechtspraak (Judicial System Netherlands) in case of an administrative ban or bankruptcy, or from the Basisregistratie Personen (Personal Records Database). These data are used to reduce the risk of incorrect or incomplete registrations, or of registrations of company names that already exist. Sometimes data are sent to us if an inaccuracy in the Business Register is reported via a feedback obligation.
3. Whose personal data does KVK process?
Different rules apply to registration in the Business Register and to informing customers about KVK products and services. In addition, KVK processes the personal data of website visitors to KVK.nl.
4. With which third parties does KVK share my personal data?
The Business Register is a crucial source of information for entrepreneurs. For example, they use it to check with whom they do business and to keep their client base up to date. This includes banks, insurers, telecommunication companies, energy companies, and business service providers. Information brokers supplying address files to third parties also use KVK data as a source of information.
All customers must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, the Telecommunications Act, and other laws and regulations when using Business Register data. Data users are personally responsible for this compliance. We inform data users about this in our terms of use, among other things.
Public authorities
All public authorities are connected to the Business Register. They are required to use the original data from the Business Register when performing their public duties. These include activities such as granting a licence or collecting taxes.
LEI register
LEI stands for Legal Entity Identifier. It is a worldwide unique 20-digit identifying code, based on ISO standard 17442. It is used for companies and legal entities that own or trade in certain financial products (shares, obligations, or derivatives).
The LEI covers important reference information. It enables a clear and unique identification of legal entities that take part in financial transactions. The LEI data can be divided into 2 levels: level 1, who is who; and level 2, who owns whom. Level 1 details are registration details of the entity, such as the legal name, KVK number, and the legal and head office address. Level 2 contains information about an entity's ownership structure, thus answering the question who owns whom. The purpose is to identify mother-daughter relations in the company structure.
International data transfers
In principle, your personal data will not be transferred to recipients in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA). If this does happen, we take appropriate measures, such as contractual arrangements, to ensure that your data is adequately protected. If you know that your data is being processed somewhere abroad, please notify KVK.
Open data and the Business Register
KVK has made datasets available as open data for reuse by third parties. The open datasets from the Business Register can be found on the government and on our website.
Personal data in the Business Register may be blocked in certain circumstances.
5. How do we ensure the security of your personal data?
KVK has put in place appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data from misuse and unlawful or unauthorised use. For example, we apply an access and security policy, while staff and third parties working with sensitive personal data must sign non-disclosure agreements.
Our staff handle processed personal data with the utmost care. To this end, our permanent staff swear an oath of office, while hired workers must sign a non-disclosure agreement. Only authorised staff have access to personal data, and only to the extent necessary for the performance of their tasks.
6. For how long will my data be stored?
KVK only keeps your personal data for the time necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
In doing so, KVK complies with the terms laid down in the Basis Selectiedocument Kamer van Koophandel as established and published in the Government Gazette (Staatscourant) on 23 June 2022. The Basis Selectiedocument is based on the documentation obligation laid down in the Archiefwet (Archives Act) 1995. In general, retention periods range from 1 to 10 years.
KVK only deviates from the term in the Basis Selectiedocument when this is necessary for proper compliance with the privacy act GDPR, or when a specific situation requires it. Business Register records are kept indefinitely. More information on retention periods for government archives can be found here: Government (in Dutch).
7. How can I exercise my privacy rights?
Find out here what rights you can exercise in regard to your personal data, and in which cases.
Do you want to assert one of these rights? Select the desired request and go to ‘Submit request’. You will receive a reply within 30 days of the date of receipt of your request.
Please note: these rights do not apply to personal data in the Business Register. If you want to view your data in the Business Register, you can do so through My eenmanszaak. Currently, this is only possible for sole proprietorships, but in time this option will be available for every registration.
Right of inspection
You have the right to get access from KVK to the personal data that KVK processes about you, by submitting a request for access to personal data.
Right to rectification
If your personal data is incorrect, you can request us to correct the data.
Right to erasure
In certain (in Dutch), you have the right to have your personal data (or part thereof) erased. For example, this applies when the personal data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was obtained, or when the data has been processed unlawfully.
Right to restriction of processing
In very exceptional cases, you have the right to have the processing of your personal data temporarily restricted. This applies in these cases:
- During the period KVK needs to check whether your report of inaccuracy of your data is correct.
- If the KVK no longer needs the data (and they must therefore be removed), but you indicate that you yourself still need the data for the establishment, exercise or substantiation of a legal claim.
- If you have objected to the processing by the KVK and are awaiting a decision on this.
- If the processing of data is unlawful, but you do not want your data to be deleted altogether (because you want to prevent your data from being processed again, for example, your data is on an opt-out list).
Right to object to processing
When KVK processes your data on the grounds of public interest or legitimate interest, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for information on KVK’s products and services.
8. Contact details of the Data Protection Office
KVK has appointed a Data Protection Officer, whom you can reach at fg@kvk.nl.
Submitting a complaint
If you have a complaint about KVK’s processing of your personal data, you can file a complaint with us by completing this (page in Dutch).
You can also file a report with the supervisory authority, the Dutch Data Protection (in Dutch).
If you have a complaint about the use of your personal data by a party other than KVK, we advise you to address that party and/or the Authority for Consumers and (for unsolicited email marketing, in Dutch) or the Dutch Data Protection (in Dutch), in case of postal or telephone marketing, or any other unwanted use of your data.
9. About this privacy statement
This is the privacy statement of the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce KVK (hereinafter ‘KVK’), registered in the Business Register with KVK under number 59581883, concerning KVK.nl website. This privacy statement concerns data processing by KVK.
This privacy statement was most recently amended on 5 January 2024.
KVK has drawn up this privacy statement on the basis of the current state of affairs. We constantly monitor relevant laws and regulations, on the basis of which we adjust the statement if necessary.