Municipal personal records database: audits and other activities

Every municipal authority in the Netherlands has a municipal personal records database (gemeentelijke basisadministratie, GBA). The GBA database contains personal records on everyone who currently lives or who once lived in the municipality. This data is not accessible to the general public.

Audit of the personal records in the GBA database

Every three years, municipalities are required to appoint a company to audit the accuracy of the personal records in their GBA database. The company chosen must be designated by the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) as a company permitted to conduct this periodic audit.

Technical and administrative work in the GBA database

A municipal authority can contract a company to perform technical and/or administrative work in the database subject to prior approval by the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK).

Requirements to be met by the company

The law sets certain requirements to be met by companies that perform technical/administrative work in the GBA database. The companies and their employees are subject to a duty of confidentiality, for example. The employees must also have a Certificate of Good Conduct (Verklaring omtrent het gedrag, VOG). The work to be performed is specified in a written agreement.

Online application procedure via Message Box

You can also request approval to (regularly) perform work in the GBA database online using Message Box. You must submit your application to the Personal Records and Travel Documents Database Agency (Agentschap Basisadministratie Persoonsgegevens en Reisdocumenten, BPR).