Government & open data
Rijksoverheid.nl
Rijksoverheid.nl is the joint public-information portal of the Dutch ministries, editorially managed by the Ministry of General Affairs. It explains policy in plain language, organised by topic and by ministry, and also carries news, speeches and media texts. Since 28 April 2026 its role has narrowed: according to the site itself, most central-government documents — parliamentary papers and freedom-of-information requests among them — now appear “only on open.overheid.nl”. What remains here is mainly the explanation, no longer the complete document archive.
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What this source does not give you
Rijksoverheid.nl is public information, not a legal source: the binding text lives in the Staatsblad, the Staatscourant or on wetten.overheid.nl, and a summary here can lag behind an amendment. Documents published from 28 April 2026 onwards are also no longer here; the document overview holds only specific types (media texts, speeches and videos among them) plus material from before that date.
Frequently asked questions
- Why can I no longer find parliamentary papers and Woo decisions here?
- On its own documents page, Rijksoverheid.nl states that since 28 April 2026 most central-government documents, such as parliamentary papers and freedom-of-information requests, appear only on open.overheid.nl. The overview on Rijksoverheid.nl still holds specific document types — media texts, speeches and videos among them — plus everything published before that date. For a recent parliamentary paper or a Woo decision, open.overheid.nl is the address.
- Can I cite an explanation from Rijksoverheid.nl as legal support?
- No. The texts on Rijksoverheid.nl are public information issued by the ministries and carry no legal force of their own. They are useful to show how the government presents its own policy, or to get into a topic, but the norm itself comes from the statutory text on wetten.overheid.nl, from publication in the Staatsblad or Staatscourant, or — for implementation policy — from the policy rule issued by the implementing agency.
- How is the site organised and who runs it?
- The site is built around thirteen themes — including taxes, benefits and allowances; building and housing; climate, environment and nature; law, security and defence; government and democracy — supplemented by an A-Z of topics and by life events. Separate sections cover current affairs, the ministries and the government. The site’s structured data names the Ministry of General Affairs as the responsible organisation.
- When is Rijksoverheid.nl the right source, and when is one of the other portals?
- Use Rijksoverheid.nl to learn the government’s position, how a scheme is meant to work, or which ministry is responsible. For the underlying document itself — a ministerial letter, a decision memo, a Woo decision — open.overheid.nl is the place. For the work instruction or policy rule an implementing agency such as the immigration service or the social insurance bank actually decides by, you want puc.overheid.nl. Three portals, three levels: explanation, document, implementation norm.