Politiekeurmerk Veilig Wonen: what the Dutch police safety mark means for your locks
Politiekeurmerk Veilig Wonen (PKVW) is the Dutch police safety mark for homes: a certificate that a house or apartment meets a set of requirements for burglary resistance, covering locks, hinges, doors, windows, lighting and visibility, checked by an approved inspector.
You see the sticker on front doors across Amsterdam: a small shield with the words Politiekeurmerk Veilig Wonen. If you are new to the Netherlands, the name suggests the police have inspected the house. Not quite.
The mark is a national standard for how well a home resists burglary, and locks are the biggest part of it. This blog explains what it asks of your doors and windows and how it relates to the SKG stars on your lock.
What the mark actually certifies
Politiekeurmerk Veilig Wonen is awarded to a home, not to a product. An approved inspector checks the whole dwelling: the resistance of every outside door and reachable window, the quality of hinges and locks, lighting at the entrances, whether a burglar can hide out of sight, and whether the shared parts of a building are secured.
A home that meets every requirement receives the certificate and the sticker. New developments are often built to the standard; for an existing home it is something you apply for.
What it asks of your locks
- Every outside door needs hardware with at least two SKG stars: cylinder, security fitting and lock case as a matching set.
- Hinges must be protected so the door cannot be lifted or levered off from outside.
- Reachable windows need lockable handles or window locks of a certified level.
- Glass next to a lock must not allow someone to break a pane and reach the thumbturn.
- A letterbox in the door must not give access to the inside handle or to keys.
The mark takes the individual upgrades on the lock security page and turns them into one checklist for the whole home.
PKVW versus SKG: what is the difference?
SKG stars sit on a product: a cylinder, a plate, a handle. They tell you how long that product held out in a test. Politiekeurmerk Veilig Wonen sits on a home and tells you that all the products together, plus layout and lighting, meet the standard. You can have three star locks without the mark; you cannot have the mark without certified locks.
Why it matters even if you never apply
Most Amsterdam residents will never have their home formally inspected. The requirements are still the clearest description of what a well secured Dutch home looks like. Use them as a checklist: an unprotected cylinder on the front door, no security plate on the back door, a single catch on the souterrain window. Insurers and landlords often refer to the same requirements.
What we do
Locksmith Amsterdam fits locks, cylinders, plates and window hardware at the levels the mark requires, and tells you which of your doors and windows already meet it and which do not. We are not the inspector and do not issue the certificate.
We make sure the hardware is right, before an inspection or simply for the same level of security without the paperwork. Our lock replacement service and the other our locksmith services cover the hardware part of the list.
Frequently asked questions
What is Politiekeurmerk Veilig Wonen?
The Dutch police safety mark for homes: a certificate that a house or apartment meets national requirements for burglary resistance, including locks, hinges, windows and lighting.
Is it the same as SKG?
No. SKG stars are awarded to individual products after testing. Politiekeurmerk Veilig Wonen is awarded to a whole home that uses certified products and meets the other requirements.
What star rating do the locks need?
At least two SKG stars on every outside door, as a matching set of cylinder, fitting and lock case.
Does Locksmith Amsterdam issue the certificate?
No. The certificate is issued after an inspection by an approved inspector. We fit the hardware that meets the requirements.
Is it worth following the requirements without applying for the mark?
Yes. The list is the clearest description of a well secured Dutch home and works as a checklist for your own doors and windows.
Want your locks brought up to the level of the police safety mark? Call Locksmith Amsterdam on +31 (0)20 210 1986. We check every outside door and window and confirm the price before we start.
