F-gas personal certificate: categories and exam
The F-gas personal certificate is proof that a technician can work safely and without leaks on installations with refrigerant. Since 29 March 2026, exam bodies only issue certificates under BRL 200 version 2.0, in six categories: A1, A2, B, C, D and E. A new certificate is valid for 7 years. Old F-gas certificates expire by 12 March 2029 at the latest, according to the Informatiepunt Leefomgeving (IPLO) (Dutch environmental information point) .
The new classification follows from the F-gassenverordening (EU) 2024/573 (EU F-gas Regulation). F-gases and natural refrigerants now sit in one system. If you work for clients, your employer (or you as a sole trader, zzp’er) also needs a BRL 100 company certificate. You can check your certificate in the Centraal Register Techniek (Central Technical Register) .
The category depends on two things: which refrigerant you work with (F-gases and hydrocarbons, CO2 or ammonia) and how much refrigerant is in the installation.
The categories of the F-gas personal certificate
This table sets the six categories side by side, with the old certificates they replace.
| Category | Refrigerant | Quantity | Work | Replaces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | F-gases and hydrocarbons (such as propane) | All quantities | Installation, maintenance, repair, leak check, recovery | F-gases category I plus ACK-K or VVAKK-ACB B1/B2 |
| A2 | F-gases and hydrocarbons | Under 3 kg (6 kg for labelled hermetically sealed systems) | As A1, for smaller systems | F-gases category I or II plus ACK-K or VVAKK-ACB B1/B2/B3 |
| B | CO2 | All quantities | All work on CO2 installations | ACK-C or VVAKK-ACB C1/C2 |
| C | Ammonia (NH3) | All quantities | All work on ammonia installations | ACK-A or VVAKK-ACB A1 |
| D | F-gases | Under 3 kg (6 kg hermetic) | Recovery only, no installation or maintenance | F-gases category III |
| E | F-gases | Not limited | Leak check only, without opening the circuit | F-gases category IV |
Source: IPLO, requirements for natural persons . Mobile air conditioning in cars, SF6 in switchgear and extinguishing gases fall under separate arrangements.
Which category do you need?
Most technicians end up at A1 or A2. A few examples from practice:
| Who | Work | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Air conditioning technician | Installs split air conditioners with 1 to 2.5 kg R32 in homes and offices | A2 |
| Heat pump installer | Installs split heat pumps and monoblocks with propane, repairs circuits | A2, or A1 for larger installations |
| Refrigeration technician | Maintains supermarket refrigeration with 30 kg R449A | A1 |
| Refrigeration technician, distribution centre | Works on CO2 installations | B (plus A1 if he also works on F-gas systems) |
| Technician, meat processor | Maintains the ammonia cooling | C |
| Employee, waste processor | Recovers refrigerant from scrapped air conditioners under 3 kg | D |
| Inspector | Checks installations for leaks without opening them | E |
Not sure between A1 and A2? Look at the largest installation you work on. If it contains 3 kg or more (and it is not a labelled hermetically sealed system up to 6 kg), you need A1. For heat pumps, the trade-off is worked out at certificate needed to install a heat pump.
The exam for the F-gas personal certificate
You get the certificate by passing an exam at a recognised exam body. A course is not mandatory, but the exam is. The exams are the same nationwide: they come from the Gemeenschappelijke Examencommissie CerVaKo (joint CerVaKo examination committee). For how the process works, read the step-by-step guide to getting the certificate. For what a course does and does not give you, see course or training.
At Koninklijke PBNA (Dutch examination body), the A1 and A2 exams consist of two parts:
| Part | Content |
|---|---|
| Theory | 60 minutes, 40 multiple-choice questions, digital, with a provisional result straight away |
| Practice | Safety and handling, inspection, and brazing and assembly |
For the practical exam, you bring, among other things, anti-static safety shoes, anti-static work clothing with long sleeves and your own gauge set. Other exam bodies may set up the practical part differently, but the requirements come from the same BRL 200.
Where do you take the exam?
Ondernemersplein (Dutch government business portal) lists these recognised exam bodies:
| Exam body | Scope |
|---|---|
| STEK | Stationary refrigeration and mobile equipment |
| STE Examenbureau | Stationary refrigeration and mobile equipment |
| Koninklijke PBNA | Stationary refrigeration |
| IBKI | Mobile air conditioning |
| Bepect | Medium and high voltage switchgear (SF6) |
| CIBV | Fire extinguishing installations |
The exams for CO2 (B) and ammonia (C) became available later than A1 and A2, because the question bank was more complex. They have been taken since 1 July 2026. Prices per exam are on costs of BRL 100 and personal certificate.
How long is the F-gas personal certificate valid?
A new certificate in categories A1 to E is valid for 7 years. After that, you must recertify with a refresher course or a new test. This is new: under the old rules, an F-gas certificate was valid for life.
Do you still have an old certificate? Then it remains valid until 12 March 2029 at the latest. This is the overview:
| What you have now | What you need | By |
|---|---|---|
| F-gases category I | A1 (via supplementary exam) | 12 March 2029 |
| F-gases category II | A2 (via supplementary exam) | 12 March 2029 |
| F-gases category III | D | 12 March 2029 |
| F-gases category IV | E | 12 March 2029 |
| No certificate | Full exam in the right category | Before you work on the circuit |
With an old certificate, you do not have to redo everything. At PBNA, category 1 exempts you from the inspection and from brazing and assembly in the A1 supplementary exam. Category 2 exempts you from brazing and assembly in the A2 supplementary exam.
Do not wait until 2029. Every technician in the Netherlands with an old certificate has to meet the same date. Exam places are expected to fill up in the final months.
Does a foreign F-gas certificate count?
A personal certificate from another EU country is also valid in the Netherlands. It is not converted or registered, but you must be able to show it at an inspection. The Netherlands may ask for a translation into another official EU language. A certificate from outside the EU only counts if there is a treaty with the Netherlands and the level is equivalent.
What does the inspector or client check?
The Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) (Netherlands Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate) checks whether technicians hold a valid certificate. A client can check it themselves in the Centraal Register Techniek (Central Technical Register) by name or certificate number. A BRL 100 auditor asks for the list of technicians with their category and expiry date. For how to check a certificate in general, read checking a certificate. For the steps in the register itself, see checking an F-gas certificate in the CRT.
Common mistakes with the personal certificate
- Thinking an old certificate is valid for life. That was the case, but it expires by 12 March 2029 at the latest.
- Taking A2 while working on larger systems. If a non-hermetic system contains 3 kg or more, you need A1.
- Forgetting that propane is now covered. Anyone who works on a propane heat pump also needs a certificate.
- Only holding a personal certificate as a sole trader. If you work for clients, you also need BRL 100.