Amsterdam tourist shops face permit requirement

Amsterdam wants to expand a permit requirement for tourist-focused businesses in the city centre.

The measure is meant to give the municipality more control over who opens and runs businesses in sensitive parts of the city. It is also meant to keep out rogue entrepreneurs and reduce risks linked to undermining.

In Dutch policy language, ondermijning means the mixing of legal business with criminal activity. This can include money laundering, hidden ownership or using normal looking shops as fronts.

The plan builds on a pilot that started in 2021 in parts of the old city centre, including Oude Hoogstraat, Nieuwe Hoogstraat, Damstraat and Oude Doelenstraat. The municipality now sees the trial as successful.

What a permit would do

A permit requirement means that entrepreneurs cannot simply open certain types of tourist business without extra screening. The city can check who is behind a company, how it is financed and whether there are risks linked to criminal networks.

The rule is not only about souvenirs. The city centre has many businesses aimed mainly at tourists and day visitors, including souvenir shops, fast food places, candy stores, mini markets and other visitor-focused retail.

For years, Amsterdam has tried to reduce the dominance of tourist-focused businesses in parts of the centre. Residents have complained that daily shops disappear, while streets fill with businesses aimed at short-stay visitors.

More control in the centre

The permit requirement is part of a wider strategy to make the centre more liveable. The city is also dealing with overcrowding, nuisance tourism, holiday rentals, guided tours, cruise tourism and cannabis-related visitor pressure.

The measure could make it harder for questionable businesses to enter the market. But it may also create extra administrative pressure for legitimate entrepreneurs.

The key question is how the city will define which businesses need a permit. If the rule is too narrow, it may miss the real problem. If it is too broad, it may affect many normal businesses.

Amsterdam’s challenge is to protect the city centre without turning it into a frozen museum or making business impossible.