Rights category Police and detention
When are the police allowed to ask me to show my identity papers?
The police and other ‘authorities’ are allowed to ask for identity certificates ‘if this can reasonably be assumed to be required for performing their duties’. Authorities are almost all people who have supervising responsibilities. Checks tend to be held in cases of fare dodging, illegal employment and at football stadiums.
If you have no identity certificate, a ‘reasonable suspicion of illegal residence’ may arise. In these cases the police are allowed to ask you to show your residence permit. The fact that someone does not speak Dutch or has no identity certificate is not enough reason in itself for a reasonable suspicion of illegal residence.