You have the right to receive information from the government. Under the Open Government Act (Wet open overheid, WOO), everyone can submit a request to RIVM to release public information. However, there are a number of requirements that the request must meet.

Requirements for WOO requests

The best way to submit a request is in writing, but you can also do this orally.

Your WOO request must meet the following requirements:

  1. The request must give as many details as possible about what kind of information you are asking for.
  2. This information must be written down in documents.
  3. RIVM must actually have this information.

If your request is too vague, you will be asked to clarify it. RIVM will not process your request until it has received this clarification from you.

WOO decision

RIVM will respond to your request with a WOO decision. It may decide to make the information that you have requested available to the public, but it may also decide to make it only partially available to the public or not at all. The decision will always explain why certain information is not being made available to the public.

Public for everyone

If information is made available to the public following a WOO decision, that information will be public for everyone – not just for you. The WOO decisions and the information made available to the public will be listed at Rijksoverheid.nl. Obviously, your personal details will not be made public.

WOO requests submitted to RIVM will be processed by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport

RIVM is an independent part of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. The Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport will make decisions about WOO requests submitted to RIVM. The Ministry has set up a special WOO unit for this.

Where can I submit a WOO request?

You can submit your WOO request to the WOO unit of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. This way, your request will be processed as quickly as possible.

Please submit your WOO request to:

Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
To the attention of the WOO unit, Legislation and Legal Affairs Department
PO Box 20350
2500 EJ The Hague

NB: please submit WOO requests about COVID-19 to:

Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
To the attention of the WOO unit, Information Policy Department
PO Box 20350
2500 EJ The Hague


Or to: _dienstpostbuswoo-corona-ondersteuning@minvws.nl

Documents about COVID-19 will be made available to the public at WOBCovid19.Rijksoverheid.nl.