How to check if an escort agency in Amsterdam is legal

Anyone searching for an escort in Amsterdam on Google will get hundreds of results. Websites that look alike, women who look alike, and prices that vary widely. What most visitors don’t realise is that some of these providers operate without a licence. That’s not just their problem, but yours too. In this article, we explain how the licensing system in Amsterdam works, how you can check for yourself whether an agency is legal, and what signs to look out for to spot an unreliable provider.

Why a licence matters

Sex work is legal in the Netherlands, but not licence-free. Within the municipality of Amsterdam, prostitution is only legal within businesses that hold a licence. In Amsterdam, an escort agency requires an operating licence. The application is processed by the municipality of Amsterdam.

You don’t get that licence just like that. The municipality sets out the following requirements, amongst others:

• A Bibob check. This is an integrity check into the operator’s background and business plans, intended to prevent criminals from obtaining a licence.

• Everyone must be 21 years of age or older. This applies to the owner, the manager and the sex workers.

• Written employment agreements. The conditions under which the women work must be set out in writing, and they must receive a signed copy. They must also be able to determine their own working hours in a reasonable manner.

• Verifiable records. The business records for the past three months must be available on the premises for inspectors and investigating officers.

  
  

And it doesn’t stop at the application. The local authority and the police regularly inspect licensed businesses. Since 2016, Amsterdam has had a dedicated, specialised team for this purpose: the Licences, Supervision and Enforcement in Prostitution team. We have gone through this entire process and are still subject to inspections. Our licence number is ASD 1043GR/ESC612.

For you as a client, this means three things. There is a verifiable business behind the website, not an anonymous number that will have disappeared by tomorrow. The authorities are keeping an eye on things, which reduces the risk of abuse. And the ladies demonstrably work under established, monitored conditions.

Step 1: find the licence number

A licensed escort agency displays its licence number on the website, usually in the footer. Our number is at the bottom of every page. If there is no number anywhere, that is a significant clue. After all, there is absolutely no reason to conceal a valid number.

Please note: stating a number is not the same as having a valid number. Hence step 2.

Step 2: verify with the local council

There is no public online register where you can look up an escort licence with a single click. However, you can check in two ways:

1. Call Amsterdam City Council on the general number 14 020 and ask whether the agency with this licence number holds a valid operating licence for an escort business. The council has a specialist prostitution team that oversees this.

2. Search the official announcements on officielebekendmakingen.nl (overheid.nl). Sometimes decisions or announcements regarding licences can be found via officiëlebekendmakingen.nl. The most direct way to check remains enquiring with the Amsterdam City Council.

This may sound like a lot of effort for a night of fun. But consider what is at stake: you are giving a stranger access to your home or hotel room and you are paying in cash. A quick phone call beforehand is therefore no luxury. To be honest, we would like to see more clients doing this. It helps to reduce unlicensed and unreliable services

Step 3: recognise the signs of an unreliable provider

After years in this industry, we know the patterns of unlicensed providers. These are the most common:

Prices that are too good to be true. An escort who comes to your home or hotel costs money: the lady, the driver, the receptionist who takes your booking. With us, that’s €180 per hour, all-inclusive. Providers advertising well below that price recoup the difference elsewhere. For example, through additional charges on the spot, a different lady to the one in the photo, or a service that simply never turns up after a deposit has been paid.

Remote prepayment. A licensed agency does not ask for a deposit via gift cards, cryptocurrency or payment requests before anyone is even on their way. Anyone who does ask for this is, in almost all cases, a scammer whom you will never hear from again after payment. With us, you only pay upon the lady’s arrival.

Photos popping up everywhere. Do the reverse image search: save a photo and search for it via Google Images or TinEye. Is the same lady also listed with agencies in Dubai, London and Berlin? Then you’re looking at stolen or stock material. Our photos are genuine and recently updated. What you see on the profile page is who will be at your door.

No telephone contact. A provider who only communicates via a contact form or an anonymous chat channel does not want to be found. We are available 24 hours a day by phone and via WhatsApp.

What you can expect from a legitimate agency

A licence is the minimum requirement, not the end goal. A professional agency also offers: a fixed, pre-agreed price with no surprises on the day, a chauffeur who drops the lady off and picks her up again, discretion in hotels (our escorts never identify themselves as such at reception), and ladies who work in this industry voluntarily and have done so for some time. Do you have any doubts during the booking conversation? Ask for clarification. A reputable agency will answer every question; a rogue provider will become impatient.

In Amsterdam, a client may receive a sex worker at their own home or in a hotel room they have booked, provided this is arranged through a licensed escort agency or via a fully independent escort without third-party involvement. Sex workers are not permitted to receive clients from a hotel room or home as if it were their workplace.

Frequently asked questions

Is booking an escort a criminal offence for me as a client? No. Booking an escort through a licensed agency is legal in the Netherlands. However, a bill has been before parliament for some time (the Sex Work Regulation Act) that aims to make clients of unlicensed sex workers liable to prosecution. Whether and when this law will come into force is uncertain. The law has not yet been introduced, but it does demonstrate that the government is placing greater emphasis on the distinction between licensed and unlicensed services. Furthermore, the following already applies: anyone who uses the services of a sex worker whilst knowing or having serious grounds to suspect that that person is a victim of human trafficking is liable to prosecution. For this reason too, the licensed channel – with municipal supervision and regulated working conditions – is the safe choice.

Can I check anonymously whether an agency has a licence? Yes. Call the Amsterdam City Council on 14 020; you do not need to say who you are or why you are asking. You can, of course, also search the official notices on overheid.nl completely anonymously.

What should I do if I come across an illegal provider? You can report this to the City of Amsterdam (14 020), to the police on 0900-8844, or completely anonymously via Report Crime Anonymously (0800-7000). If you suspect that someone is working under duress, always report it – even if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can do so via the anonymous reporting service.

Escort Amsterdam 1 is a licensed escort agency (licence number ASD 1043GR/ESC612, City of Amsterdam). Questions about this article or about a booking? Call or WhatsApp us on +31 6 2656 9628 – we are available day and night.