Environmental permit
What is it?
For certain activities you need an environmental permit. For example if you want to build, rebuild, demolish or change something else.
Via omgevingsloket online (in Dutch only) you can check if you need a environmental permit. If it shows that you need one, you can reply for one right away.
How does it work?
You might need an environmental permit for the following:
- Building or renovating a building (such as a house)
- Demolishing a building that is part of the protected townscape
- The fireproof use of a building, premise or temporary structure
- Changing a municipal or provincial monument, or the renovation or demolishing of a monument
- The construction of a road
- Constructing an exit on the municipal or provincial road
- Installing an alarm system
- Creating and placing advertisement
- Cutting down trees
- Using a building or premise not according to the development plan (bestemmingsplan)
- Pollution of an area
- An occupancy permit, relating to the rules such as fire prevention (other rules are also applicable)
You can find more information about environmental regulations for businesses via the following link:
What should I do?
Discuss your plans with the municipality before carrying them out. This means that you will not be get any suprises.
Through “Omgevingsloket” you can do a check to see if you need a permit. As individual you can directly submit for the permit if you have a DigiD. It is also possible to download the form and print it out. If you are requesting a permit for a company, this is only possible online. For this you need eIdentity (eHerkenning in Dutch).
How long does it take?
Ordinary request
Within 8 weeks you will be notified if you will receive the environmental permit. It is possible that the municipality extends this period with 6 weeks. If the municipality does not decide in this period, you will receive the permit automatically (by operation of law). If you disagree with the decision of the municipality, you can object within 6 weeks after the decision was made.
Complicated request
For complex applications the decision period is 26 weeks. This period can also be extended with 6 weeks. If it is a complicated request you will not receive the permit by the operation of law.
The municipality will make a draft decision of your request. It is possible for anyone to response to this within 6 weeks. If you do not agree with the draft decision, you can inform the municipality of this in the 6 weeks period. You will automatically receive a message if you are granted the permit.
If you do not agree with the decision of the municipality, you can file an appeal to the court within 6 weeks. However this is only possible if you informed the municipality about your opinion on the draft decision.