MyDSI

DSI Certification FAQ

Questions and answers about DSI Certification

We’re happy to help you!

The process of choosing or changing a certification can raise many questions for both professionals and employers. We have therefore created this DSI Certification FAQ page to offer you as a professional or employer practical tips on how to find your way in the DSI Certification process. 

Manual Request of a Certification

For professionals
Applying for a certification in MijnDSI by professionals

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Manual MijnDSI Employer Portal

For employers
User manual about the employer portal in MyDSI

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Links to the Frequently Asked Questions

DSI Certification – General questions
DSI Certification – Employer’s questions
DSI Continuing Professional Education program – PV 2021
MijnDSI FAQ – General questions
MijnDSI FAQ – Certification

Can’t find the answer to your question?

If you cannot find your question in the FAQ page, or you need personal advice about requesting a specific certification, please feel free to contact us by mail at: certificering@dsi.nl or call us at 020-6201274. We would be happy to help you!


 

DSI Certification – General questions

Certification - General

  • How does DSI monitor fair and honest operations?

    DSI’s procedures are recorded in the Administrative Organisation and Internal Management Measures document. An accountant monitors DSI’s compliance with these procedures and provides a report of his or her findings to both the board and the AFM, as per the terms of the covenant between DSI and AFM.

  • Can I be listed in more than one register?

    You can be included in more than one register if you meet certain job profile and admission requirements. An overview of the various DSI registers and their conditions can be found here.

  • I am not an employee. Can I still request certification?

    Absolutely. You can request certification as a self-employed professional, temporary worker or contractor, franchisee, or employee of an institution that is affiliated with a DSI participant’s AFM license.

  • If I terminate my certification/passive registration, how long will my diplomas remain valid?

    Your diplomas will remain valid for as long as you meet the current requirements for the register in which you were certified. You can also maintain your professional expertise, even if you are no longer DSI-certified, for example by participating in the periodic tests for your certification. Check the DSI website regularly for new information. If you missed the periodic test, you can always take it again later, because the tests are always updated together with the relevant examinations.

  • How should I prepare for my examinations?

    DSI only accredits examinations. You are entirely free to choose the best way to prepare for the exams. Ask your employer and/or educational institution which training options are available to you.

  • Who is eligible to serve as a supervisor?

    The European Securities & Markets Authority (ESMA), the organisation that drafted the ESMA Guidelines, determines who is eligible to serve as a supervisor. Only those employees who possess suitable qualifications and experience, as stipulated in the ESMA Guidelines, may act as supervisors of Candidate Certified Professionals (professionals who do not yet meet all of the Guideline criteria) within an organisation. The employee may not work under supervision for longer than 4 years. For more information, please refer to the ESMA Guidelines and the AFM.

  • How is the work experience of a full-time/part-time employee calculated?

    The Financial Markets Authority requires Certified Professionals to have the equivalent of 12 months of relevant fulltime work experience.

    Based on this criteria, DSI has drawn up the following requirement for DSI certification:
    During a 12-month period (fulltime equivalent) over the past five years, the Certified professional has spent a substantial portion of his/her time on register-related activities, whether in the current position or in previous positions.

    That means the required work experience for a part-time position must be proportional to 12 months of fulltime employment.

  • Why does my current employer need to sign for 12 months of fulltime work experience if I acquired it at another employer?

    DSI expects employers to pay close attention to their employees’ work history when hiring new employees. To that end, DSI asks employers to state whether the employee meets the 12-month requirement in writing as part of the Employer’s Statement.

  • Which different certification categories are there?

    DSI differentiates between three general categories of certifications that professionals can obtain: Retail, Institutional and Specialist.

    • DSI Retail: professionals listed in one of the retail registers have contact with non-professional investment clients. They offer advice or information to private clients regarding an investment product, and work at a financial institution or asset management firm.
    • DSI Institutional: professionals listed in one of the institutional registers have contact with professional investment clients. They offer advice or information to institutional clients, such as pension funds, regarding an investment product, and work at a financial institution or asset management firm.
    • DSI Specialist: professionals who wish to prove that they are up to date about the latest developments and requirements in the field of professional knowledge and expertise may choose to be listed in one of the specialist registers. These specialist professionals include investment analysts, compliance professionals and security brokers.

DSI Certification – Employer’s questions

Certification - Employer

  • Is DSI certification obligatory?

    DSI was founded at the initiative of the financial sector in order to give form to the sector’s self-regulation activities. There is no legal requirement to be affiliated with or certified by DSI. However, financial firms do have a legal obligation to guarantee fair and honest operations. DSI helps in this by promoting and monitoring the expertise and integrity of financial professionals. DSI has signed a covenant with the supervisory body, the Financial Markets Authority (AFM). Many financial firms require their investment specialists to be registered with DSI.

  • What is the added value of registration and participation in DSI for my company?

    With your DSI certification, you show clients, prospects and the supervisory body that your organisation places a high value on the integrity and expertise of your employees. Moreover, doing so contributes to the legal requirement to guarantee fair and honest operations. It also shows that your fully-certified employees meet the required European ESMA Guidelines, which are enforced by the AF

  • How does DSI differentiate itself from other similar organisations?

    DSI stands for impartial, serious self-regulation. DSI’s approach is characterised by a system that promotes and certifies the integrity and expertise of financial professionals on one hand, and that also intervenes when necessary on the other.

    Every DSI-certified professional has been exhaustively screened, has the relevant education and work experience, has completed the training necessary to deal with integrity-related dilemmas, and is periodically reviewed on their integrity and expertise. Moreover, DSI-certified professionals commit to abide by the Code of Conduct. And when they violate the Code of Conduct, they can be held accountable by ethics enforcement agencies. This ‘closed system’ enables consumers, employers and supervisory bodies to trust that the certified professionals meet the strictest standards placed by the sector.

  • How does DSI monitor fair and honest operations?

    DSI’s procedures are recorded in the Administrative Organisation and Internal Management Measures document. An accountant monitors DSI’s compliance with these procedures and provides a report of his or her findings to both the board and the AFM, as per the terms of the covenant between DSI and AFM.

  • We have merged with another organisation, or we have split into two organisations. How can I inform DSI of that fact?

    When a firm merges or splits, a copy of the notary deed must be sent to DSI.  Your DSI-certified employees can then be registered under the name of the new organisation, as long as it is also affiliated with DSI.

  • My employees do not have an employment contract with my organisation. Are they still eligible for certification?

    The employees may request certification as a self-employed professional, temporary worker or contractor, franchisee, or employee of an institution that is affiliated with a DSI participant’s AFM license.

  • Which criteria must my employees meet to be eligible for certification?

    This page provides an overview of the general criteria for certification, such as the educational and experience requirements, etc. Our certifications page lists the requirements for each register in greater detail.

    This page features our General Regulations and appendix to the General Regulations explaining the minimum requirements and the DSI-accredited examinations.

  • As an employee’s current employer, why must I sign for 12 months of fulltime work experience if they only recently joined my organisation?

    DSI expects employers to pay close attention to their employees’ work history when hiring new employees. To that end, DSI asks you as an employer to state whether the employee meets the 12-month requirement in writing as part of the Employer’s Statement.

DSI Continuing Professional Education program – PV 2021

DSI Continuing Professional Education Program - PV 2023

DSI Continuing Professional Education program – PV 2021

MijnDSI FAQ – General questions

MijnDSI General

  • I can’t log in to MijnDSI using my current user name and password. What should I do?

    We are aware of this problem. The cause may be that you have more than one role, for example because you are the contact person for multiple business units and/or you are both a contact person for your employer and a DSI certified professional.

    Fortunately, we can re-set your password for you and/or add your double role to your profile, so that you can switch between your different roles in the future.

    If this situation applies to you, please notify your relations manager Nana Asante via n.asante@dsi.nl, with reference to ‘re-set password for certification participant’. Please include the following details in your e-mail:

    • Your first and last name
    • Your DSI certification registration number, if applicable
    • Your company name
    • Your job title

    We will process your request as quickly as possible, and we will notify you once we have re-set your login details.

  • I am trying to log in to MijnDSI.nl, but it isn’t working. What should I do?

    There is a new URL for MijnDSI. Instead of trying www.mijndsi.nl, enter www.mijn.dsi.nl for direct access.

  • I can’t log in to MijnDSI with my current details. What should I do?

    We’re sorry to hear that you can’t log in using your current user name and password. Fortunately, we can re-set them for you.

    In the login screen, click on ‘I can’t log in’ under ‘User Name and Password’. Enter your e-mail address, and we will send you an e-mail with a link to change your password.

  • I still don’t have a MijnDSI account. How can I create an account?

    If you do not have a MijnDSI account, you can create one by clicking on ‘I don’t have an account’ in the MijnDSI portal.

  • When I upload a document in MijnDSI, it won’t let me continue. What should I do?

    The new MijnDSI requires sharp images to correctly verify the authenticity of documents. If you cannot upload your document, try taking a sharper photo of the image and upload it again. Please note: the maximum file size is 5 MB.

    Are you still having trouble uploading a document?

    If it is for a screening request, please contact our Screening Officers via screening@dsi.nl or call 020-620 12 47.

    If it is for a certification request, please contact our Certification Officers via certificering@dsi.nl or call 020-620 12 47.

  • I want to enter changes in MijnDSI via my tablet or smartphone, but it’s not working. What should I do?

    Unfortunately, MijnDSI is only accessible via a desktop or laptop at the moment. In the future, we will add the option to enter changes in MijnDSI via mobile devices as well. Until then, we ask that you enter any changes via a desktop or laptop.

  • When I look at my account, I can’t see any information. Something’s wrong. What should I do?

    At the bottom of the screen, you will see the name of your employer. Double-click on this link to view your request.

    Don’t see this link? MijnDSI is optimised for the Firefox and Chrome browsers, and does not work as well in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. If you use Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge, then try logging in via Chrome. This may correct the problems with your account.

    If your account is still empty, please contact our helpdesk via info@mijndsi.nl or call 020 620 12 74.

MijnDSI FAQ – Certification

MijnDSI Certification - Other Questions

MijnDSI Certification - Public Register

  • My certification in the Public Register is incorrect. How can I change it?

    Our DSI assistants can manually correct your registration in our back office system. Simply send an e- mail with your request to certificering@dsi.nl, along with the following information:

    • Your first and last name
    • Your DSI registration number
    • Which DSI register you are registered in

    We will process your request and send you a reply as quickly as possible. Please note that the waiting time might be a bit longer than you are accustomed to.

  • I have changed employers, and now I would like to update my certification in MijnDSI. But my employer is not visible, and I cannot change it. What should I do?

    Some certifications are not correctly displayed in the new MijnDSI environment at the moment. We are aware of this problem, and are hard at work on a solution. Once we have solved the problem in the Public Register, we will post a notification on this page.

    If the matter is urgent, and you need an answer within one working week, then the DSI assistants can manually correct your registration in our back office system.

    Simply send an e-mail with your request to certificering@dsi.nl, along with the following information:

    • Your first and last name
    • Your DSI registration number
    • Which DSI register you are registered in

    We will process your request and send you a reply as quickly as possible. Please note that the waiting time might be a bit longer than you are accustomed to.

  • I am DSI-certified, but I can’t find my name in the register. Why is that?

    Our DSI assistants can manually correct your registration in our back office system. Simply send an e- mail with your request to certificering@dsi.nl, along with the following information:

    • Your first and last name
    • Your DSI registration number
    • Which DSI register you are registered in

    We will process your request and send you a reply as quickly as possible.

  • I can’t see my employer’s name next to my certification in the Public Register. Why is that?

    Some certifications are not correctly displayed in the new MijnDSI environment at the moment. We are aware of this problem, and are hard at work on a solution. Once we have solved the problem in the Public Register, we will post a notification on this page.

    If the matter is urgent, and you need an answer within one working week, then the DSI assistants can manually correct your registration in our back office system.

    Simply send an e-mail with your request to certificering@dsi.nl, along with the following information:

    • Your first and last name
    • Your DSI registration number
    • Which DSI register you are registered in

    We will process your request and send you a reply as quickly as possible. Please note that the waiting time might be a bit longer than you are accustomed to.