Question 1

What is a Certificate of Conduct (COC)?

Accepted Answer

A COC is an official government document that demonstrates that a person's past behavior does not constitute an objection to performing a specific role. The COC is issued by Justis and is based on a screening of the Judicial Documentation System.

Question 2

When is a COC required?

Accepted Answer

A COC is required for positions where integrity is crucial, such as working with children (education, childcare), healthcare, financial sector, government, and security roles. Employers in these sectors are legally required to request a COC.

Question 3

How long is a COC valid?

Accepted Answer

A COC has no official validity period. The COC reflects the situation at the time of issue. Many employers apply an internal guideline of 3 to 6 months, but this is not a legal requirement. For certain positions, periodic re-screening may be required.

Question 4

What does Otentica check during a COC check?

Accepted Answer

Otentica verifies the authenticity of the COC document by checking for digital manipulations, font inconsistencies and other signs of forgery. Additionally, the data on the document is extracted and compared with the information provided by the candidate.

Question 5

Can Otentica handle the COC application for me?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in addition to COC verification, we also offer a fully automated COC application service. We automatically fill in the application form based on the job details and candidate information. The candidate only needs to confirm via DigiD and payment is processed automatically. After receipt of the COC, it is immediately verified by us.

Question 6

What are screening profiles?

Accepted Answer

Screening profiles determine which judicial data is considered in the COC application. There are different profiles for different roles, such as 'Education' for working with children or 'Finance' for positions with financial responsibility. The correct profile is determined by the nature of the role.

Question 7

How long does it take to obtain a COC?

Accepted Answer

A standard COC application takes an average of 1-4 days. An extended investigation may take longer. Otentica cannot accelerate the COC application process, but verifies submitted COC documents immediately upon upload.

Question 8

What if a COC application is rejected?

Accepted Answer

If a COC is refused, the applicant receives a preliminary refusal with the opportunity to submit a statement. After definitive refusal, there is the possibility of objection and appeal. Otentica reports when a candidate indicates they cannot provide a COC.

Question 9

Is the COC check GDPR compliant?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Otentica's COC check is fully GDPR compliant. COC documents are processed and stored encrypted. You determine the retention periods and candidates give explicit consent for the verification. We only process data necessary for the check.

Question 10

Can I request multiple COCs at once?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with our bulk request functionality you can start COC applications for large groups of candidates at once. This is ideal for seasonal work, new academic years or large recruitment campaigns. You upload a file with candidate data and Otentica automatically starts all applications.

Question 11

What happens when a COC expires or a reapplication is needed?

Accepted Answer

Otentica offers automatic reapplication. When a COC expires or a new COC is needed (for example, with periodic re-screening), the system can automatically start a new application. You set the conditions and we take care of the rest - completely hands-off.

COC integrity check

What is a COC check?

Let Otentica handle the COC application

How the COC application service works

See how COC certificates are verified

Authenticity checks

Why use COC check?

Integrity check

Document verification

Fast processing

Legally compliant

COC application service

Automatic reapplication

Bulk requests

How does the COC check work?

Upload COC

Authenticity check

Data extraction

Receive report

Frequently asked questions about COC verification

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