What happens during a search of your place of work or your apartment?

You have to let the police into your work premises if you work in an adult entertainment club with an operating licence, or in a micro-business.

The police aren’t allowed to just search your premises. They need a search warrant from the public prosecutor’s office.

This also applies to hotel rooms and business apartments, and workspaces in an adult entertainment club or micro-business.

The search warrant states the following:

• Date of the search.
• Reason for the search.
• Premises to be searched (place of residence or work).
• Signature from the public prosecutor’s office.

• You can ask to see the search warrant.
• You can refuse the police access to your premises if they don’t have a search warrant. The exception is access to rooms in an adult entertainment club or micro-business. The police are only allowed to search areas that are mentioned on the search warrant. This also applies to an adult entertainment club or micro-business.
• Police in plain clothes often pose as clients first, and are already in your home or work room when you find out who they are. In such cases, they usually don’t have a search warrant, and you can ask them to leave.
• If the police search your home or place of work without a warrant, this is illegal, and they won’t be allowed to use the evidence in court. If this happens to you, contact an advisory service.