If your private security company is planning to provide armed security for merchant ships registered in the Netherlands sailing the Gulf of Aden you need a Private Maritime Security Company (PMSC) licence from the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT).
If you are a ship owner and want to employ security personnel for merchant ships registered in the Netherlands sailing the Gulf of Aden you must request permission from the Netherlands Coastguard for each voyage.
Before you apply for a PMSC licence
Please read this web page carefully before applying for a PMSC licence.
To complete the application, you must have either your head office in the European Union (EU) or the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), or a branch office in the Netherlands. If neither requirement is met, you cannot apply.
A full application will cost €17,220. This fee consists of €7,220 for stage 1 of the process and €10,000 for stages 2 and 3 combined. You may need to make additional expenditures in order to meet all requirements.
Processing your application takes 8 weeks. The ILT may extend this period by 12 weeks under conditions.
A PMSC licence is valid for 3 years and is renewable.
Certificate of incorporation (not older than 6 months)
Proof of ownership (ultimate beneficial owner, UBO)
Criminal record certificate for each management team member
Audit certificate
Maritime anti-piracy certificate from country of domicile (if held)
Retainer agreement drafted by a legal adviser
Insurance certificates
Certificate of membership of professional organisations such as ICoCA, SCEG (if available)
Overview of key suppliers of equipment such as Vessel-Based Armories (VBAs)
At least 3 recent client testimonials
Organisational structure overview
Top management’s job descriptions
A certificate or letter of good standing from the Chamber of Commerce where your company is established
A certificate or letter of good standing from your bank
UK Open General Trade Control Licence (OGTCL) for overseas territories (if applicable)
The ILT will notify you by email that it has received and will process your application, and will get back to you if any further information is needed.
After the ILT has assessed stage 1 as satisfactory, you will receive a confirmation email with additional instructions on how to continue your application. This involves providing follow-up information and attaching documentation regarding your:
Quality policy
Ethics policy
Health and safety policy (including temporary protocols such as regarding Covid-19)
Security and risk management policy
Recruitment and training policy
Arms policy (including storage, maintenance and disposal)
Key suppliers due diligence
Quality assurance process
Document control process
Continuous improvement process
Management review process
Internal auditing process
Incident reporting and investigation process
Crisis management plan
Root cause analysis procedure
Voyage procedures / instructions for PCASP
Internal/external communications (including embarkation and disembarkation forms for PCASP)
Complaints procedure
Whistleblowing procedure
Rules for the use of force
Emergency response plan
Human resources management
Recruitment standards
Recruitment directive to manning agencies (if applicable)
Initial training procedure (course syllabus/training directive to training agency)
Team Leader (TL) promotion policy
TL training procedure
Team Member (TM), TL and Team Medic annual refresher training matrix
Sighting
Procedures and policies for equipment and materials maintenance
Firearms licences or End User Certificates (EUCs)
The ILT will get back to you if any further information is needed.
It is recommended that you brief your Private Company Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) on the flag-specific procedures during stage 2. This will ensure that, after stage 3, the ILT can grant the permit immediately and you can deploy right away.
If the ILT has assessed stages 1 and 2 as satisfactory, you will be contacted for an appointment for a company audit at your business premises. This is to check how your company performs in comparison to the documentation you provided earlier.
