Embassy security protects diplomatic missions, ambassadors, consulates and international organisations. It covers guarding the perimeter, close protection for the ambassador, screening visitors and securing events, all within the rules of the Vienna Convention. Mission Support provides embassy and diplomatic security across the Netherlands and knows the diplomatic community in The Hague well. One point of contact, 24/7.
Diplomatic work asks for a different kind of security. Staff need deeper vetting, procedures have to hold up across several jurisdictions, and officers follow the host country's protocol rather than their own habits.
We provide guarding for embassies and diplomatic missions, armed and unarmed teams on a framework or project basis, and risk and threat assessments that actually shape the deployment instead of sitting in a drawer.
Receptions, state visits and official functions get the same care. We coordinate with host-country services, support principals on both sides of the perimeter and document the engagement well enough to stand up to an audit.
- Embassy and Diplomatic-Mission Guarding
- Armed and Unarmed Security Personnel (framework / project)
- Security Risk and Threat Assessment
- Premium Event Protection (private and corporate)
What is embassy security?
Embassy security is the protection of diplomatic premises, staff and principals under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The legal setting is what sets it apart from commercial work. The host country must protect diplomatic premises, but the mission itself decides who comes in and how its internal security is run.
In practice it combines guards at the perimeter and entrances, close protection for the ambassador and senior staff, security for receptions and official functions, and a threat and risk assessment that is reviewed at fixed moments.
The Netherlands hosts more than 150 diplomatic missions, one of the highest concentrations in Europe. Add The Hague's role as a seat of international law and the threat picture becomes complex. That calls for a specialist, not a general guarding contractor.
When is specialist diplomatic security required?
What a mission needs depends on the mission, the country it represents and the current threat picture. Missions of countries involved in armed conflict, under sanctions or targeted by hostile intelligence services need a consistently higher level of protection. Lower-risk missions can often run a lighter setup and scale up for specific events.
Typical events are state visits, national day receptions, high-profile arrivals and departures, and periods of political tension at home. We provide extra capacity for these under framework agreements that set response times, team sizes and escalation steps in advance.
Every diplomatic engagement starts with a threat assessment. We look at the current measures, compare them with the actual risk and give a ranked list of recommendations. You don't have to act on all of them at once. The assessment is there to support budget and staffing decisions.
Our approach to diplomatic mission security
We know the protocols, sensitivities and legal limits of diplomatic work. Our people understand the difference between working inside and outside the mission perimeter, the rules for contact with host-country authorities, and what is expected when working alongside the Dienst Bewaken en Beveiligen (DBB) of the Dutch National Police.
We do not subcontract diplomatic assignments. Every officer at an embassy or diplomatic residence works directly under Mission Support command, is vetted to the right level and is briefed on the mission's own protocol before the first shift. Procedures stay the same from one shift to the next.
For diplomatic clients we prefer a framework agreement. It sets the baseline, the triggers for escalation, the extra capacity and the prices in advance. When something happens, the response is immediate and already approved, with no new procurement round under pressure.
- Embassies & consulates
- Diplomatic missions
- Ambassadorial residences
- International organisations
Frequently asked questions
What does embassy security include?
Can Mission Support provide armed security for embassies?
How does diplomatic security differ from regular security?
Do you work with the Dutch National Police on diplomatic security?
What is a diplomatic security threat assessment?
Does Mission Support provide security for ambassadorial residences?
Which types of organisations does Mission Support provide diplomatic security for?
How quickly can Mission Support mobilise embassy security?
Talk to a specialist about this service
We will respond within one business day. Initial conversations are confidential and without obligation.
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