Visitor Terms and Conditions

Article 1 – Definitions

In these terms and conditions, the following definitions apply:

  1. Visitor: A natural person who is not acting in the course of their profession or business and enters into an agreement with De Nieuwe Kerk for the purpose of obtaining access to an Event;
  2. Event: An organized event, such as an exhibition or event of a musical, cultural, sporting, and/or recreational nature, for which De Nieuwe Kerk sells tickets;
  3. De Nieuwe Kerk: The legal entity that offers products, (access to) digital content, and/or services to Visitors, operating under the name Nationale Stichting De Nieuwe Kerk and registered under the Dutch Chamber of Commerce number 41199682;
  4. Church Building: The spaces open to the public in, on, and around the building of De Nieuwe Kerk;
  5. Security: Employees/officials of a private security company hired by De Nieuwe Kerk, recognizable by a V emblem;
  6. Entry Ticket: A (printed) ticket that grants the Visitor access to an Event in the Church Building during regular opening hours;
  7. Grounds: The designated area in which or on which the Event takes place;
  8. Access Pass: A (printed) entry ticket (with or without a discount card) or a similar document (such as a written invitation, voucher, or Friends pass) that grants the Visitor access to one or more areas in the Church Building;
  9. Website: The website of De Nieuwe Kerk, accessible via www.nieuwekerk.nl;
  10. Prohibited Items: Items as mentioned in article 3.7.

Article 2 – Applicability

  1. These terms and conditions apply to all Visitors to the Church Building, including T Nieuwe Kafé, the Eggertzaal, Kerkmeesterskamer, Domineeskamer, all facilities such as toilets and halls, offices, workspaces, and meeting rooms.
  2. These terms and conditions also apply to all natural persons engaged by De Nieuwe Kerk in the context of its objectives, even if these persons are employees of a contractor or supplier who provides services or goods in the Church Building, or another legal entity. That legal entity is responsible for ensuring that these terms and conditions are followed by every employee or contractor engaged by the legal entity.
  3. Any deviation from these terms and conditions is only valid if expressly agreed upon in writing.

Article 3 – Access

  1. The Visitor is only entitled to enter the Event in the Church Building upon presentation of a valid Access Pass.
  2. Access with an Entry Ticket is only permitted during the time period stated on the Entry Ticket. The Visitor will be denied (further) access to the Church Building if De Nieuwe Kerk determines that:
    • The Visitor is under the influence of alcohol, narcotics, or equivalent substances;
    • The Visitor is disturbing the peace or intends to disturb the peace.
  3. Entry Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the box office in the Church Building.
  4. De Nieuwe Kerk reserves the right to set a maximum number of available Entry Tickets.
  5. De Nieuwe Kerk reserves the right to set a maximum number of Entry Tickets to be ordered.
  6. De Nieuwe Kerk reserves the right to subject every Visitor and their luggage to an access control. In this context, the Visitor may be asked to cooperate with the inspection of bags and similar items by or on behalf of the Security and/or staff of De Nieuwe Kerk.
  7. The following items (hereinafter: ‘Prohibited Items’) may not be brought into the Church Building:
    • Rifles, firearms, and shooting weapons;
    • Pointed and/or sharp weapons and sharp objects;
    • Blunt objects that could cause injury;
    • Explosive and flammable substances;
    • Chemical and toxic substances;
    • Bottles or small bottles containing liquid;
  8. If De Nieuwe Kerk finds Prohibited Items during the access control or during the Visitor’s stay in the Church Building, De Nieuwe Kerk will confiscate those items. If the Visitor refuses to hand over the Prohibited Items, access to the Church Building will be denied, and the Visitor will not be entitled to a refund of the Entry Ticket.
  9. For safety reasons, the Visitor must be identifiable.
  10. The use of skates, skateboards, and other vehicles in any form is prohibited, except for vehicles used to support Visitors with a disability.
  11. De Nieuwe Kerk reserves the right to refuse access to the Event or remove persons from the Event for reasons of public safety (including demonstrations or protests, crowdsurfing, or moshing), failure to comply with legal measures aimed at protecting the health or safety of Visitors (such as, but not limited to, preventing the spread of Covid-19), unacceptable behavior that could cause damage, inconvenience, or injury, or violation of the house rules. These Visitors will not be entitled to a refund.

Article 4 – Stay

  1. The Visitor enters De Nieuwe Kerk and the Church Building at their own risk. De Nieuwe Kerk cannot be held responsible for any damage, including hearing, vision, or other physical harm resulting from attending the Event.
  2. De Nieuwe Kerk is not liable for the content or execution of the Event program, such as the length or duration of the program. De Nieuwe Kerk is also not liable for changes to the program.
  3. A ticket grants access to an Event at De Nieuwe Kerk, as described on or with the ticket information.
  4. The Visitor is obliged to follow the instructions given by staff of De Nieuwe Kerk who are clearly identifiable. If, in the judgment of the staff, the Visitor acts in any way contrary to these Visitor Terms and Conditions or fails to follow given instructions and directions, further access to the Church Building may be denied. In such cases, De Nieuwe Kerk is not obligated to compensate any damages or to refund the Entry Ticket. De Nieuwe Kerk may also decide to deny access to the Church Building for a specified or unspecified period if the violation of the provisions in the Visitor Terms and Conditions or instructions given by the staff is of such a nature that temporary or permanent denial of access is justified in the judgment of De Nieuwe Kerk. Such a decision will be communicated to the Visitor in writing, if possible.
  5. In addition to what is mentioned in article 3.2 and article 4.4, De Nieuwe Kerk is entitled to deny the Visitor access to the Church Building for a specified or unspecified period if:
    • The Visitor has damaged one or more objects during a previous visit to the Church Building or to other museums due to fault, gross negligence, and/or intent;
    • De Nieuwe Kerk has justified reasons to fear that the Visitor will cause damage to one or more objects. The decision to deny access will be communicated to the Visitor without delay, if possible in writing.
  6. Children under 12 years of age may only visit the grounds when accompanied by an adult.
  7. Visitors may bring bags and suitcases no larger than A4 size into the Church Building. Larger handbags, umbrellas, and backpacks can be left in the cloakroom or lockers. Luggage and other items are not allowed in the Church Building.
  8. The Visitor is liable for any damage they cause to the Church Building and the objects displayed therein.
  9. There is surveillance within the Church Building. Surveillance footage is stored for a reasonable period, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation. If De Nieuwe Kerk deems it necessary, the footage will be made available to the police.
  10. In case of emergencies, as determined by De Nieuwe Kerk, De Nieuwe Kerk is entitled to close the doors and guide the Visitors out one by one. The Visitor may be asked to cooperate with the inspection of bags and other items by or on behalf of De Nieuwe Kerk. De Nieuwe Kerk may request the Visitor to provide an ID before leaving the Church Building if they refuse to cooperate with the inspection.
  11. De Nieuwe Kerk may have third parties take photos and film reports in the Church Building. This material may be used for publicity purposes on the website, in brochures, etc. If the Visitor objects to the publication of image material in which they are recognizable, they can inform De Nieuwe Kerk. De Nieuwe Kerk will make reasonable efforts to prevent further publication of the material.
  12. De Nieuwe Kerk always follows the regulations required or imposed by the government, such as wearing a face mask. The Visitor is required to comply with these regulations during their visit to the Church Building.

Article 5 – House Rules

  1. De Nieuwe Kerk may set a minimum age for access to the Event. De Nieuwe Kerk recommends a minimum age of 16 years for visiting the Event without the accompaniment of an adult.
  2. Visitors will not:
    • Touch displayed objects, the pulpit, or the choir screen; parents, teachers, and other supervisors must strictly ensure that the minors, individuals, or groups they accompany do not touch the displayed objects, pulpit, or choir screen;
    • Place objects and/or materials against the furniture (including, but not limited to, the pulpit and church pews);
    • Drill, nail, glue, screw, or nail into the furniture or walls of the Church Building;
    • Offer goods or services of any kind for sale to third parties or provide them for free;
    • Disturb other Visitors, including but not limited to blocking their view of displayed objects or causing noise disturbances;
    • Bring pets, except for guide dogs;
    • Smoke or vape;
    • Eat or drink, except in T Nieuwe Kafé; food and drink bottles may not be brought into the exhibition areas;
    • Take photos, videos, or films using lamps, drones, flash equipment, and/or tripods (including selfie sticks) unless the Visitor has received prior written permission from De Nieuwe Kerk;
    • Draw or paint without prior permission from De Nieuwe Kerk regarding the materials to be used.
  3. Parents/guardians, teachers, and other supervisors are always responsible for and accountable for the behavior of the minors, individuals, or groups they accompany.

Article 6 – Purchase of Entry tickets

  1. Entry Tickets can be purchased in advance via www.nieuwekerk.nl. The agreement between the purchaser and De Nieuwe Kerk is concluded when De Nieuwe Kerk sends a booking confirmation to the purchaser by email.
  2. Payments for online purchases must be made via one of the payment modules (including iDeal) as offered from time to time by De Nieuwe Kerk’s payment provider. The general terms and conditions of the respective bank and payment module apply to the payment.
  3. Online purchased tickets do not need to be printed to be scanned upon entry. They can also be scanned from mobile phones.
  4. De Nieuwe Kerk is not obliged to refund an unused Entry Ticket.
  5. The following circumstances will never give rise to any obligation to refund paid amounts or compensate for damages by De Nieuwe Kerk to the Visitor:
    • (Partial) closure of the Church Building, including partial closure due to the setup or dismantling of exhibitions;
    • Adjustments to the regular opening hours due to company emergency drills or, in the case of an emergency, a full or partial evacuation deemed necessary by De Nieuwe Kerk;
    • Disturbance or discomfort caused by other Visitors, such as noise disturbances, inappropriate behavior (including molestation), or theft;
    • Damage caused by other Visitors;
    • Disturbance or discomfort caused by maintenance work, including, but not limited to, construction or reorganization of spaces;
    • Disturbance or discomfort caused by the malfunctioning of facilities in the Church Building;
    • Denial of access to the Church Building;
    • Loss or theft of the access pass or Entry Ticket.

Article 8 – Liability

  1. The Visitor’s stay in the Church Building, as well as use of the facilities, is entirely at the Visitor’s own risk.
  2. De Nieuwe Kerk is not liable for damage and/or personal injury unless there is demonstrable gross negligence or intent by De Nieuwe Kerk.
  3. De Nieuwe Kerk is not liable for theft, loss, or damage to the Visitor’s property left in the cloakroom or in lockers.
  4. Liability for other damage than damage to the Visitor’s tangible property and personal injury is excluded, including any form of consequential damage, lost profits or wages, and missed savings.
  5. De Nieuwe Kerk’s liability is limited to the amount of the Entry Ticket for the Visitor at the time of the event causing the damage. If and when De Nieuwe Kerk is insured for the respective event, the liability will be limited to the amount paid out under the liability insurance. This is subject to the terms and conditions specified in the insurance policy.

Article 9 – Force Majeure

  1. If circumstances arise that cannot be attributed to De Nieuwe Kerk, this constitutes force majeure. Force majeure is considered any foreseeable or unforeseeable circumstance that makes the execution of the agreement by De Nieuwe Kerk so difficult that, temporarily or permanently, the execution of the agreement becomes impossible or burdensome.
  2. Such circumstances also include situations involving persons, services, or institutions that De Nieuwe Kerk wishes to engage in performing the agreement with the Visitor, as well as anything that is considered force majeure or a suspensive or dissolving condition for those persons, services, or institutions, or attributable failure on their part.

Article 10 – Cancellation

  1. De Nieuwe Kerk may decide (but is not obliged) to cancel or move an Event (or part of an Event), for example, due to force majeure, illness and/or cancellation by the artist(s), insufficient ticket sales, strikes, fire, bad weather conditions, epidemics, and imposed government measures that affect the content and/or scope of the Event.
  2. If De Nieuwe Kerk opts for rescheduling, the date and/or time of the service (e.g., the Event date) will be moved, and the Visitor retains a valid ticket. If the Visitor does not wish to use their ticket on the new date or time, De Nieuwe Kerk will offer the Visitor the opportunity to request a refund within a certain period. The Visitor will receive an email concerning this.
  3. If De Nieuwe Kerk opts for cancellation, it will refund the Visitor the paid amount for the ticket upon request.
  4. If an Event must be canceled after it has started, De Nieuwe Kerk will determine the amount of the refund. De Nieuwe Kerk is not liable for any (other) damage incurred by the Visitor due to the cancellation of the Event.

Article 11 – Complaints Procedure

  1. In the event of complaints, the Visitor can notify De Nieuwe Kerk via email at klachten@nieuwekerk.nl.
  2. Complaints submitted to De Nieuwe Kerk will be answered within 14 days from the date of receipt. If a complaint requires a longer processing time, De Nieuwe Kerk will respond within 14 days with an acknowledgment and an indication of when the Visitor can expect a more detailed response.

Article 12 – Additional Provisions

  1. Dutch law applies exclusively to agreements between De Nieuwe Kerk and the Visitor that are governed by these general terms and conditions. Any disputes that cannot be resolved through mutual agreement will be submitted exclusively to the competent court in Amsterdam, unless De Nieuwe Kerk chooses another competent court.

Stichting Personeel De Nieuwe Kerk en H’ART Museum
Postbus 3438
1001 AE Amsterdam
www.nieuwekerk.nl
mail@nieuwekerk.nl
+31 (0)20 626 81 68

Version; 4 March 2025