A Proof of Residence (also known as PoR) is an official document that confirms your place of residence for a specific period at a specific location. This is important for paperwork and legal purposes. Government agencies, banks, and other organisations often request it to verify your identity and address.
Why do we ask for a PoR?
The significance of a Proof of Residence arises from the need for reliable information in various transactions and procedures. The document prevents fraud and abuse by verifying that the information you provide matches your living situation. While we don't assume the worst, this is the procedure we must follow to ensure safety for everyone.
It's important to emphasise that these procedures are standard for all customers and not explicitly targeted at you. We take your privacy seriously and treat you no differently than other customers.
What are examples of these documents?
Examples of Proof of Residence documents include:
Gas/water/electricity bills
Bank statements (Excluding Neobanks such as Revolut, N26, Bunq and Wise)*
Rental or mortgage agreements
Landline telephone or cable TV bills (mobile bills not accepted)
Letters from government agencies
*We do not accept Bank Statements for Jurisdiction changes
These documents are not accepted as Proof of Residence:
Mobile phone bills
Magazines
Purchase receipts
Packages received in the mail
Documents of other individuals you live with (such as your parents)
What are the requirements for these documents?
The requirements for these documents are:
The document must display your residential address and full name
The document must display the date
The document should be in good condition and readable
The document should not be older than 3 months
Letters should be fully photographed/scanned (All corners visible)
What if I live at home and don't have any bills in my name?
Verifying your identity and residence might be more challenging if you live at home and don't have bills in your name.
Here are some options you can consider:
Use a government letter: If you've received government-related documents like tax returns, identification documents, or benefit papers with your address on them, these can serve as evidence.
Use a letter from an institution: You might have received letters from organizations like insurance companies, utility providers, or telecom companies. These letters can also be used as proof of your address.
Declaration of residence: If you live with someone else, like your parents, that person can create a declaration of residence to confirm that you live at that address. This can serve as supplementary evidence.
Residence statement: Some municipalities offer a residence statement that can be used as proof of address registration.
Can my data be deleted?
Based on Dutch legal obligations arising from the AMLD (Anti-Money Laundering Directive) and SW (Sanctions Act), we cannot delete any data obtained during the onboarding process or your customer relationship.
We understand this might not be the answer you were hoping for, but we hope you understand that we are legally obligated to retain your documents. This is required by Dutch regulators and De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB).
Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act (AMLD), certain institutions must conduct client due diligence and store customer information. This can include making a copy of your ID or other customer details. As this is a legal requirement, retaining your personal data does not violate the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR allows the processing of personal data when legally required. Thus, the AMLD provides a clear purpose (to comply with the law) and a legal basis for processing personal data under the AMLD.
AMLD (Anti-Money Laundering Directive) = Wwft(Wet ter voorkoming van witwassen en financieren van terrorisme)
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation = AVG (Algemene verordening gegevensbescherming)