DigiD Machtigen: handling official matters for a relative

When an older family member does not read Dutch or finds digital services hard, it is often their children who take care of their taxes, toeslagen and dealings with the municipality. The method people reach for most often is to share the DigiD username and password. Under the DigiD terms of use, however, login details may not be shared with anyone else. If a mistake or an incorrect statement turns up in something done this way, the body assumes the DigiD holder did it, and the responsibility is theirs.

There is an official arrangement for exactly this need: the machtigingauthorisation · Permission for someone else to act on your behalf. The person helping logs in with their own DigiD, and the system records both who is acting and on whose behalf.

How DigiD Machtigenthe DigiD authorisation system works

There are two parties: the person giving the authorisation (volmachtgeverperson giving the authorisation) and the authorised representative (gemachtigdeauthorised representative). The representative needs a DigiD of their own.

1. Requesting the authorisation. At machtigen.digid.nl you choose which service of which body the authorisation is for. The request can be made even if the person giving the authorisation has no DigiD.
2. The code is sent. The machtigingscodeauthorisation code · The code sent by post to activate the authorisation is sent by post to the home address of the person giving the authorisation and arrives within a few working days.
3. Activation. The representative logs in at machtigen.digid.nl with their own DigiD and enters the code from the letter together with the BSNcitizen service number of the person giving the authorisation.
4. Acting. On the website of the body concerned, the representative uses an option such as "Inloggen voor iemand anderslog in for someone else" to log in with their own DigiD but on behalf of the other person. At the Belastingdienst this option is offered through Mijn Belastingdienst.

Sending the code only to the address of the person giving the authorisation is a security measure: it prevents anyone from obtaining an authorisation in that person's name without them knowing.

Scope and duration

• Each authorisation covers a single service. At the Belastingdienst, for example, an authorisation for the income tax return does not cover toeslagen. More than one service needs more than one authorisation; they can be requested at the same time.
• The duration is limited. A period of validity is chosen when the authorisation is given, for example one day or one year. Each body sets the longest period it allows for its own services.
• An authorisation can always be withdrawn. The person who gave it can end it at machtigen.digid.nl with the "Machtigingauthorisation · Permission for someone else to act on your behalf intrekkenwithdraw" option. From that moment the representative can no longer act in that matter.

When the period ends, the authorisation expires on its own. For tasks that come round every year, such as the tax return, a new authorisation may be needed each year.

Bodies that offer no digital authorisation

Not every body is connected to DigiD Machtigenthe DigiD authorisation system. When someone else needs to write an objection or speak to the body, most bodies ask for a written authorisation (schriftelijke machtigingwritten authorisation). Some provide a ready-made form for it; where there is no form, a short letter is enough. A written authorisation usually contains:

• the name, address and date of birth of the person giving the authorisation,
• the name and address of the representative,
• the matter or file the authorisation is for (with the body's reference number),
• the date and the signature of the person giving the authorisation.

Bodies sometimes also ask for a copy of the identity document of the person giving the authorisation. When you send a copy of an ID, you can use the Rijksoverheid's KopieID app to hide the BSNcitizen service number and the photo and to write on the copy what it is being given for.

Authorising a business

Authorising a business, such as a tax adviser or an accountancy firm, also goes through DigiD Machtigenthe DigiD authorisation system. The business logs in with eHerkenninglogin system for businesses, the system built for companies, instead of DigiD. The procedure is the same: the code is sent to the person giving the authorisation, and the business cannot act on their behalf until that code has been passed on.

Long-term support: bewind, mentorschapguardianship for personal matters and curatelefull guardianship

If a relative is unable to manage their own affairs for a long time, because of illness, dementia or serious debt for example, separate authorisations may not be enough. In that case an application is made to the kantonrechtersubdistrict judge, and the judge can order one of the following measures:

Measure	What it covers
beschermingsbewindprotective administration of finances	Financial matters: bills, debts, bank accounts.
mentorschapguardianship for personal matters	Personal matters: care, treatment, where the person lives.
curatelefull guardianship	Both. It is the most far-reaching measure; the person can no longer perform many legal acts themselves.

Family members can be appointed as bewindvoerder or mentor. The application can be made by the person themselves or by their family; the decision lies with the judge. An authorisation can be withdrawn at any time, whereas these measures can only be lifted by a new decision of the judge.

Wording about authorisation in letters

In letters from bodies, authorisation usually comes up in wording similar to this:

• "Wilt u dat iemand anders deze zaken voor u regelt? Dan heeft u een machtigingauthorisation · Permission for someone else to act on your behalf nodig." If you want someone else to handle these matters, you need an authorisation.
• "Wij hebben uw machtigingauthorisation · Permission for someone else to act on your behalf ontvangen." The authorisation has reached the body and is being processed.
• "De machtigingauthorisation · Permission for someone else to act on your behalf is verlopen." The authorisation has expired; a new one needs to be requested.

If you receive a letter with a machtigingscodeauthorisation code · The code sent by post to activate the authorisation you were not expecting, do not share the code with anyone and contact the DigiD Helpdesk. The letter means that someone has requested an authorisation in your name.

Letrin's role in this process

If you keep track of a relative's letters, Letrin can also give the explanation in their language. The letter is scanned once, and the explanation can be requested in a second language as well. The second language uses one credit; the explanation of the same letter is kept in each language and you can switch between them.

If you need to write to a body on your relative's behalf, Letrin prepares a draft reply in formal Dutch. You need to add yourself the fact that the authorisation is enclosed.

Letrin never asks for DigiD details at any stage. Logging in to official systems always stays in your hands or those of the legal representative.

Check it against the paper

Which bodies accept an authorisation for which services, and the longest period allowed, can change over time; you will find the current information at machtigen.digid.nl and on the website of the body concerned. Juridisch Loket gives free information about bewind and mentorschapguardianship for personal matters.