VCA for freelancers: personal certificate or company certificate?

As a freelancer (zzp’er, a self-employed sole trader) in construction, industry or technical services, sooner or later you will be asked: do you have VCA? What clients mean by this varies. Sometimes they want to see a personal diploma, and sometimes a company certificate. You cannot obtain the second as a freelancer.

VCA  has two tracks. The personal certificate (B-VCA or VOL-VCA) is a diploma that you obtain yourself by passing an exam. The company certificate certifies your organisation as a whole and is assessed by an accredited body . The SSVV  manages both.

Why can’t you get a company certificate as a freelancer?

The VCA company certificate is intended for companies that manage employees, temporary workers or subcontractors. The standard requires, among other things, the percentage of employees holding diplomas, toolbox meetings with attendance records, and a VGM policy approved by management.

As a freelancer without staff, you cannot meet any of these requirements. You have no employees to certify, no team for toolbox meetings, and the requirement for management involvement and a VGM organisational structure does not fit a one-person business. This is a structural limit, not a question of size.

What can you obtain as a freelancer?

As a freelancer, you can obtain a personal diploma. The most requested diplomas are:

When is B-VCA enough? If you work as an operative, such as a fitter, welder, painter or construction worker, and you do not supervise others, B-VCA is enough for most assignments.

When do you need VOL-VCA? If you work as a subcontractor and are responsible for part of the work, if you lead others on site, or if the client explicitly asks for it. VOL-VCA is increasingly requested, including from freelancers who work alone but act in a managerial role.

What do clients require in practice?

Clients do not always state their VCA requirement clearly. Here is what you will typically encounter:

• Large industrial clients almost always require a company certificate from their contractors. As a freelancer, you can then only work if you are hired by a VCA-certified company, not as a direct contracting party.
• Smaller clients and builders often accept a personal diploma. They want to know that you personally have the safety knowledge.
• As a subcontractor of a VCA-certified company, you are not the certified party yourself. The company that hires you is. They check that you hold a valid personal diploma and record you in their employee file.

Cost of a VCA diploma as a freelancer

The costs of a personal diploma are straightforward. You pay for the exam, possibly with a course added. More details on costs are on the costs and timeline page.

The diploma is valid for ten years. After that, you take the full exam again; there is no shortened refresher exam.

Freelancer with staff or a regular subcontractor

Have you grown as a freelancer and do you occasionally take someone on? Or do you work regularly with a fixed subcontractor? Then a company certificate may become worthwhile. Once you have staff, even if only temporarily, you can start the VCA process. Then read the step-by-step plan for companies.

More information

• Personal certificates – B-VCA and VOL-VCA explained
• Costs and timeline – Overview of all costs
• VCA levels – When is each level required?
• Step-by-step plan – If you still want a company certificate
• SSVV: VCA for individuals