SVH offers a solution for expired Social Hygiene diplomas.
To operate a beverage-serving hospitality business, the SVH Social Hygiene Diploma is essential. Without this diploma, a Liquor and Catering Licence will not be issued. However, there are people working in hospitality businesses with diplomas that became invalid due to a change in the law in 2015. SVH (Stichting Vakbekwaamheid hospitality) offers these employees and entrepreneurs the opportunity to convert their old diplomas into the Updates SVH Social Hygiene Diploma. This can only be done with the correct documentation and until 1 May 2018, as this is the end of the transition period.
Since 2011, anyone wishing to apply for a Liquor and Catering Licence from the municipality must be registered in the Social Hygiene Register. This is a national register that includes everyone who meets the Social Hygiene requirements. Municipalities consult this register when issuing a Liquor and Catering Licence. If someone is not listed in the register, the Mayor cannot issue a Liquor and Catering Licence or register someone as a manager on the Liquor and Catering Licence of a beverage-serving business. Proof of registration in the register is provided by the so-called Statement of Insights and Understanding of Social Hygiene, issued by the National Examination Board of SVH (LEC-SVH).
Old diplomas expired in 2015
In mid-2015, State Secretary Martin van Rijn of Health, Welfare and Sport tightened the registration requirements in the Liquor and Catering Act. As a result, many people in the industry are still working without being listed in the register. They work as owners or managers based on old diplomas that previously allowed registration but no longer do. Often, these individuals already had a business or managerial position before the requirement to be in the register was introduced. For these people, a transition period has been agreed upon to prevent existing licences from potentially being revoked or everyone having to take an SVH Social Hygiene exam.
Transition period until 1 May 2018
For employees and entrepreneurs with now outdated diplomas, SVH offers the possibility to apply for the Updates SVH Social Hygiene Diploma based on their old diploma, so they can be properly registered in the Social Hygiene Register. This must be done before 1 May 2018, as the municipality may withdraw the Liquor and Catering Licence upon application for an extension or to open a new business. The correct documentation must also be provided so that SVH can determine whether an old diploma qualifies for the Updates SVH Social Hygiene Diploma.
More information regarding the procedure and the conditions under which certain old diplomas qualify can be found on the website http://www.svh.nl/nieuws/wijzigingsocialehygiene.
For applying for the Updates diploma, visit http://bit.ly/aanvraagSVHsh