The schedule
| Phase | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement and intake | Start | Document checklist issued, name check, notary instructed, articles drafted |
| Documents and legalisation | Next | Apostille or consular legalisation, sworn translations, power of attorney executed, address agreement in place |
| Notarial deed | Usually within one week once all documents are complete | Deed passed; registration with the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) and of the ultimate beneficial owner (UBO), usually the same day |
| Tax registrations | Week 2–4 | Corporate income tax and VAT (value-added tax) numbers issued by the tax administration |
| Banking | Week 4–8 | The bank decides on the application. An account at a regulated electronic money institution can be active from week one. |
The company is a legal entity once the deed is passed. From that day it can sign contracts, hire staff and send invoices. With the registrations after that, you get the numbers you need for tax filing and for getting paid.
What happens in parallel
You save time by doing four tasks at the same time. You start legalisation on the first day, and it continues in the background. The notary drafts the articles of association while the documents are on their way. You sign with an address provider for the registered address in the same week, because the notary needs the address before the deed. You prepare the banking file during the wait, so you can submit the application as soon as the KVK number is issued.
Plan the bank account early: see what Dutch banks check for a business account and which documents you need.
Owners who take these steps one after another need several weeks more for the same result.
The two things that cause delay
Legalisation is always the slowest step. An apostille in a convention country takes days. Consular legalisation outside the convention takes weeks and differs per embassy or consulate. A foreign authority decides the timing, so the whole schedule depends on it. Start legalisation before anything else to save the most time.
Expired documents are the second reason for delay. Corporate extracts and proof of address are valid for a limited time, often one to three months. A document that was recent when the registry issued it can be too old by the date of the deed. Ordering and legalising it again then costs another week or more. You prevent this by counting back from the planned date of the deed. See the full document list for what to order and when.
The banking timeline
Only the bank decides how long an account application takes. For a well-prepared file, the bank usually answers within weeks. In such a file, you show a clear business model, a source of funds that the bank can check and a real address. With a thin file, the bank can take months or refuse, and then you apply again at another bank. You can also open an account at a regulated electronic money institution (EMI) at the same time. The company can then make and receive payments from the first week, and you depend less on the bank timeline.
When you need the company fast
Some companies have a fixed deadline, such as a tender, a carrier agreement, a marketplace requirement or a supplier who needs an EU counterparty. They should start legalisation even before the engagement is final. You can speed up all other steps with extra attention. Legalisation depends on a foreign authority, so its speed is outside your control.
For more on incorporating from outside the Netherlands, including the director and shareholder questions, see company formation from abroad.
You can arrange the notary, the KVK registration and the VAT number from abroad. See setting up a BV in the Netherlands.
Useful links
See also BV Incorporation Costs 2026 and Notary Fees for BV Incorporation.