If you want to compete in an official KNHS competition for the first time, you need a startpas. Riders often call it a "startbewijs," but the KNHS only recognizes one document: the startpas, and it belongs to you and your horse together. Applying isn't difficult, but the steps follow a fixed order: first become a member, then register your horse, then apply for the startpas.
What a Startpas Actually Is
Three terms are often confused with each other:
- Membership — your affiliation with the KNHS (the Dutch equestrian federation, in full the Koninklijke Nederlandse Hippische Sportfederatie). You arrange this through an affiliated club, an FNRS riding school, or as an individual member. Without membership, you can't apply for a startpas.
- Startpas — the competition document for dressage, show jumping, and eventing. The startpas is tied to the combination: it belongs to the combination of one rider and one horse or pony and carries its own combination number. One startpas covers all three disciplines, so you don't apply per discipline.
- Startlicentie — the counterpart of the startpas for driving, endurance, and vaulting.
For recreational riding, trail rides, or lessons at the riding school, you don't need any of this. The startpas is purely for those who take part in competitions. If you only want to ride in the entry class BB (or Impuls), there's a separate BB-startpas, which you apply for free through MijnKNHS.
What You Need Before You Apply
Before the application can go through, three things need to be in order:
- KNHS membership. Most riders join through a nearby club — a riding club, pony club, or riding school. If you ride at an FNRS riding school, membership can also run through that. There's also an individual membership without a club.
- A registered horse or pony. Your horse must be known to the KNHS; registration runs through the chip number or UELN number from the horse passport. Ask at your stable or your instructor whether the horse is already registered — often it is.
- A choice of discipline and level. If you're just starting out, you'll usually compete in the lowest class: class B or the entry level of your discipline. Which class you actually start in is covered in the guide Dutch Competition Classes Explained.
There are also two requirements that sit outside the application itself. For the rider, a minimum age applies: for horses, the year you turn eleven; pony riders may start younger and can ride ponies through the year of their eighteenth birthday. The precise limits per discipline are set out in the discipline regulations. And for the horse, a vaccination requirement applies (influenza): a primary course plus an annual booster. The exact schedule is set out in the KNHS regulations; check it well ahead of your first start, since an expired vaccination record means you won't be allowed to compete.
Applying Step by Step
The application runs digitally through the KNHS itself. The interface and the exact buttons change from time to time, so these are the steps in broad outline:
- Become a member, or check your membership. If you're not yet a member, arrange that first through a club, an FNRS riding school, or as an individual member. Membership is the condition for all the following steps.
- Create an account on MijnKNHS. This is the online environment where you manage your details, membership, and competition matters.
- Link your horse. Look up the horse by its chip or UELN number; if it isn't registered yet, sort that out first.
- Apply for the startpas for the combination. You choose a duration: a day, a month, or twelve months. A day pass suits a one-off start; riding a full season is cheaper with a year pass.
- Pay. The application is handled digitally. Still, arrange it at least a week ahead — a missing horse registration or vaccination takes longer to sort out than the application itself.
For the exact, current procedure, knhs.nl is always the source. The steps above are meant to help you find your way, not to replace the KNHS website.
What It Costs (2026 Rates)
The amounts below come from the KNHS 2026 rate list and change every year.
| Item | 2026 Rate |
|---|---|
| KNHS membership | €33.25 per year |
| Club dues | varies widely, often €50–€150 per year (estimate) |
| Startpas, horse, twelve months (first pass) | €152.00 |
| Startpas, pony, twelve months (first pass) | €117.00 |
| Month pass | €41.50 |
| Day pass | €24.75 |
If you ride multiple horses, each additional year pass costs a bit less than the first. On top of that come the costs of the competitions themselves: entry fees, travel, and transport. An overview of what an active competition year costs is in Horse Riding Costs in the Netherlands.
Multiple Horses or Disciplines
Because the startpas belongs to the combination, it works like this:
- If you ride two horses, you apply for a separate startpas for each combination; each combination has its own points tally.
- If you ride dressage and show jumping with the same horse, one startpas is enough. Only driving, endurance, or vaulting adds a separate startlicentie.
- If you buy a horse that has already competed, you don't automatically start in class B: the new combination is placed in the highest class that both you and the horse have already reached. Check this before you enter.
- If you accumulate enough winstpunten (promotion points), you move up to the next class; how that works is covered in How KNHS Promotion Points Work.
Common Mistakes
A few things beginners often misjudge:
- Thinking "startbewijs" and "startpas" are two documents. It's one document: the startpas. Membership is the condition, the startpas the approval to compete; you need both.
- Applying for a separate pass per discipline. One startpas covers dressage, show jumping, and eventing.
- Forgetting to check the vaccination. An expired influenza vaccination simply means no start, however well prepared you are otherwise.
- Assuming an FNRS rider certificate is the same thing. The rider certificates from FNRS-recognized riding schools are useful qualifications for recreational riding and trail rides, but they are not a substitute for a KNHS startpas at official competitions. See The Dutch Ruiterbewijs.
In Short
Join the KNHS first, make sure your horse is registered and its vaccinations are in order, and then apply for a startpas through MijnKNHS for the combination of you and your horse. One pass covers dressage, show jumping, and eventing; choose a day, month, or year pass. The exact rates and the current procedure are always available at knhs.nl. Once that's arranged, check What to Bring to the Competition and Dutch Competition Classes Explained to prepare for your first competition.
Belgium works differently: there, you apply for a competition license (often called a startkaart) through your club at Paardensport Vlaanderen — see Getting a Competition License in Belgium.
Sources (verified September 2, 2026): KNHS — What is a startpas? · KNHS — Startpas for dressage, show jumping, and eventing · KNHS 2026 Rate List
See also: KNHS Membership, Startpas and Startlicentie: The Difference · Dutch Competition Classes Explained · How KNHS Promotion Points Work