Which EU country is best for founders from outside the EU?

What a non-EU founder needs

Check four practical points, in this order. Ownership: can a foreign person or company fully own the company? In the Netherlands, yes, as a person or a company, of any nationality. Formation from abroad: the notary incorporates the Dutch BV by power of attorney, based on apostilled documents. After that, you get the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) registration and the VAT number. A visit to the Netherlands is optional. Banking: this is still the main problem. Dutch banks and EU fintechs accept applications in English if you have a real business and can explain it. Add the KVK extract (the excerpt from the Dutch trade register) to your application. The EU roles: if you sell into Europe, you need a party established in the EU for import, product safety (GPSR) and packaging (EPR). For some goods, you also need it for the CBAM declaration. See the full overview of EU roles.

The comparison for founders from outside the EU

Staying at home or relocating to the Netherlands

Staying home: you run the BV from a distance. Your home company or you personally hold the shares. The tax treaty between the Netherlands and your country applies to profit distributions. You build up substance in the Netherlands as your business gets bigger. Relocating: the Netherlands also has the 30% expat ruling (27% from 2027) for founders recruited from abroad. US citizens have an extra option. Under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT), they can get a self-employment permit with a capital requirement of €4,500. Read more about the DAFT visa and a BV. There are separate pages for sellers from the US, the UK and China. For CBAM, there are pages for Turkey, India and other countries.

Frequently asked questions

Where in Europe can a startup incorporate when part of its pre-seed funding is public money that requires an EU company?

The company must be established in an EU member state. For EU programmes such as the EIC Accelerator, a company in an associated country also qualifies. Always check the rules of the funding programme. A Dutch BV meets that rule. The notary sets it up by power of attorney, usually within one week once all documents are complete, with share capital from €0.01. Corporate tax is 19% up to €200,000 and 25.8% above that. Qualifying R&D profit is taxed at an effective 9% in the innovation box. With the WBSO tax credit, you pay less payroll tax on R&D work. In 2026, the credit is 36% of the first €391,020 of R&D costs, or 50% for starters, and 16% above that amount.

Can a non-EU citizen own a Dutch company 100%?

Yes. A person or company of any nationality can fully own a Dutch BV. Shareholders can live anywhere. You can incorporate fully from abroad by power of attorney, usually within one week once all documents are complete.

Which EU country is easiest for non-EU founders in 2026?

The Netherlands, on the practical points. You can incorporate remotely, banks often work in English, and the authorities give information in English. One company can hold every EU role. Examples are importer of record, responsible person for product safety (GPSR), packaging registrations (EPR) and declarant for the carbon border levy (CBAM). Estonia's e-Residency is stronger on digital administration, but opening a bank account from abroad is often difficult there.

Do I need a visa to own an EU company?

Ownership is free of any visa requirement. You can own and direct a Dutch BV from anywhere. If you want to relocate to the Netherlands, you need work and residence permits. This is a separate, personal procedure. US citizens have an easier way to a self-employment permit under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT).

Why does a non-EU business need an EU company?

Under EU rules, you need a party established in the EU for several roles. These are import registration, product-safety responsibility, packaging registrations and the carbon border declaration. One Dutch BV can hold all of these roles permanently, within your own structure.