Municipal or provincial administrative charges

Do you need to purchase a service or product, such as a permit, from a municipal or a provincial authority in the Netherlands? Most often, you have to pay administrative charges (leges).

Administrative charges

The charges differ between municipalities or between provinces. The amount they charge depends on the administrative costs made by the authority. The administrative charges cannot be higher than the total administrative costs, but it can be less. You need to pay administrative charges when applying for a permit, for example:

• Market permit
• Market trader’s permit
• Terrace permit
• Street performer’s permit
• Encroachments on or above public land (precariobelasting)
• Building permit

Administrative charges by-law

Municipal and provincial authorities are required to publish a municipal or provincial administrative charges by-law (legesverordening) in which they explain:

• What activities are subject to administrative charges
• The rates the authority charges for these activities
• The principles upon which the authority bases their administrative charges

Consult the by-laws on the website of your municipal or provincial authority for your local rates (in Dutch), or you can search for the entire published administrative charges by-law on Government.nl (in Dutch).