Have you become a victim of, for example, theft, threats, assault, online fraud or vandalism in Eindhoven? Reporting the incident to the police (in Dutch: ‘aangifte doen’) is often an important first step. Yet not everyone knows exactly how this works, where to go, or what happens after the report has been filed. In this blog, we set out the process clearly and in line with Dutch law.
What does it mean to file a police report?
Filing a police report (‘aangifte’) means informing the police that, in your view, a criminal offence has been committed. Under Dutch law, anyone who has knowledge of a criminal offence is entitled to file a report, not only the victim (Article 161 of the Dutch Code of Criminal Procedure, Wetboek van Strafvordering). Filing a report is therefore broader than a purely personal complaint: witnesses or third parties may also do so.
Report (‘aangifte’) or notification (‘melding’): what is the difference?
In practice, the Dutch terms ‘aangifte’ (report) and ‘melding’ (notification) are often used interchangeably, even though they carry a different legal meaning.
A notification (melding) is a signal to the police that something is or has been going on, for example a suspicious situation, nuisance, or an incident about which you do not (yet) wish to give a formal, recorded statement. A notification is not registered as a report in an official record and has no independent legal status under the Code of Criminal Procedure.
A report (aangifte) is more formal: it is a statement recorded by an investigating officer, after which the reporting party is in principle given a copy of the report or of the official record (Article 163(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure). The Dutch Supreme Court (Hoge Raad) has confirmed that a report has independent legal significance and that even a report that is later withdrawn remains, legally speaking, a report (ECLI:NL:HR:2018:2245). A report is, moreover, often the first step towards investigation and prosecution.
If you want your statement to be officially recorded and a criminal investigation to potentially follow, file a report. If you merely want to inform the police without the matter being formally taken up as a criminal case, a notification will often suffice. If you are unsure what is appropriate in your situation, say so at your first contact with the police, so that your information is processed in the right way.
How do you file a report: in person, in writing, or electronically
The law provides that a report can be filed orally or in writing with the competent officer, either in person or by proxy (Article 163(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure). For certain criminal offences, an electronic report is also permitted. Which route is suitable for you depends on the type of offence: for some offences you can file a report online, while for others a telephone appointment or a visit to the police station is required.
It is important to know that investigating officers are legally obliged to accept a report. They may not refuse a report or, without good reason, downgrade it to a mere notification. Afterwards, you are in principle given a copy of the report or of the official record (Article 163(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure).
When can you file an electronic report, and when must it be done differently?
Politie.nl applies a concrete decision tree per offence to determine whether an online report is permitted. Online reporting is intended for relatively minor, non-urgent property offences without direct danger, such as bicycle theft, pickpocketing, damage, online fraud, phishing, or theft from a car. The police allow this when all of the following conditions are met:
- no violence or threat was used against you or anyone else;
- it does not concern a burglary of a home, or of a shed, cellar storage unit or garage that is accessible from the home;
- the incident took place no more than a year ago;
- you have DigiD (the Dutch digital identity system), which is required to file an online report and to log in.
As soon as one of the following situations applies, the system closes off the online route and refers you to telephone contact or an appointment:
- violence or threats were used: the website then refers you to a personal appointment via 0900-8844;
- there has been a home burglary or an attempted burglary: the police will, in principle, visit you in person, and you must call to arrange this;
- theft from a shed, cellar storage unit or garage that is not accessible from the home is treated as a separate category, with its own form (‘Report of burglary of a cellar, shed or garage’), rather than the standard online theft report;
- the incident took place more than a year ago: personal contact is then required;
- in urgent cases, such as a crime in progress or immediate danger, you must always call 112, never file an online report;
- for serious matters such as sexual offences, sexual abuse, human trafficking or child abuse, an online reporting form is not offered as standard; because of the nature of the offence, the website refers you to personal or telephone contact.
In short, the rule of thumb applied by politie.nl is that online reporting is intended for non-violent, non-urgent, recent (less than a year old) offences without a home-burglary element. As soon as violence, a home, urgency or a serious offence is involved, the website automatically redirects you to telephone contact (0900-8844) or 112.
What to bring to your police report
The more concrete and complete your information, the better the police can assess your case. Consider bringing the following:
- the date, time and location of the incident;
- names or descriptions of those involved;
- photographs, screenshots or camera footage;
- messages, emails or bank statements;
- contact details of any witnesses;
- an overview of the damage or stolen property.
Where can you go in Eindhoven?
In an emergency or in case of immediate danger, always call 112. If there is no emergency, you can reach the police via 0900-8844. For a report by appointment or a visit to a police station, the following locations are available in Eindhoven, among others:
- Eindhoven Mathildelaan police station – Mathildelaan 4, Eindhoven
- Eindhoven Noord police station – Michelangelolaan 4, Eindhoven
- Eindhoven Zuid police station – Aalsterweg 290, Eindhoven
Please check the current opening hours in advance and whether an appointment is required, as this can differ per station and per type of offence.
What happens after you file a report?
Upon receipt, the report is forwarded without delay to the assistant public prosecutor or the public prosecutor (Article 156(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure). As soon as the public prosecutor becomes aware of the criminal offence, he initiates the necessary criminal investigation (Article 149 of the Code of Criminal Procedure). The Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie) then decides, as soon as possible, whether to proceed to prosecution, to issue a penalty order, or to refrain from prosecution on grounds of public interest (Article 167(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure).
The Dutch Supreme Court has confirmed that a report has independent legal significance and that a report withdrawn at a later stage remains, legally speaking, a report (ECLI:NL:HR:2018:2245). Moreover, the decision to prosecute lies with the Public Prosecution Service, not with the person who filed the report: the wish of the victim not to prosecute is not decisive in this respect, as the District Court of Noord-Nederland also held (ECLI:NL:RBNNE:2026:572).
Your rights as a victim
As a victim, you are entitled to information about the progress of your case. On request, you are informed, among other things, about the decision to refrain from a criminal investigation, the decision not to prosecute the offence, the date and location of the court hearing, and the final judgment (Article 51ac(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure). If the case is dismissed or no prosecution takes place, a directly interested party may lodge a written complaint with the Court of Appeal.
Note: a report must be truthful
Filing a report while knowing that the offence did not take place is itself a criminal offence. The Amsterdam District Court convicted someone who had ‘filed a report that a criminal offence had been committed, while knowing that this offence had not been committed’ (ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2024:6109). Always file a report based on what you have actually experienced or witnessed.
Need advice?
Are you unsure whether filing a report is worthwhile in your situation, or do you have questions about your rights as a victim, about the Public Prosecution Service’s decision to prosecute, or about a possible complaint procedure before the Court of Appeal? The lawyers at Law & More are happy to think along with you and to advise you on the steps to take.
