Dutch American Friendship Treaty requirements
For the DAFT permit, you need to meet four conditions:
- US citizenship. The treaty is for American nationals. Family members get their own permits, tied to yours.
- A real business in the Netherlands, registered at the KVK. A Dutch BV (besloten vennootschap, the Dutch private limited company) or a sole proprietorship. Most founders choose the BV. The reasons are in sole proprietorship or BV.
- €4,500 of capital invested in that business, and kept there for as long as you hold the permit. With a BV, this is share capital plus reserves. The money is on the balance sheet, visible on the company’s bank account and confirmed in the books.
- Health insurance and a good record. The normal conditions for any residence permit.
The IND asks only for a modest investment and a real business. For other self-employment permits, the IND uses a business plan review, revenue thresholds and a points system. For a DAFT application, the IND skips all of these.
The €4,500 is a legal requirement and stays your own money
The capital requirement is the central condition of the treaty. The €4,500 is an investment in your own company. It stays in your company as your own capital, and it is separate from what you pay for the company setup.
You transfer the €4,500 to the bank account of the BV, and it appears on the balance sheet as equity. At renewal, the IND asks for proof that the equity still meets the requirement. You show this with the annual accounts and a balance sheet or income statement.
Need an IBAN for your Dutch company? Read the steps to a business bank account in the Netherlands.
If you spend the account down to zero, the renewal is at risk. If you keep the equity intact, the renewal is mainly a matter of documents.
The documents
For the application, you need a valid US passport. The KVK extract and the proof of the €4,500 come later. You arrange both within six months after the decision. Add a birth certificate with an apostille for your registration at the municipality, and the IND forms with the application fee. If your family applies with you, add the marriage certificate, also with an apostille.
The DAFT permit: up to two years at a time
First, file the DAFT application with the IND. After the decision, you have six months to set up the BV, register it at the KVK, open the business bank account and deposit the capital. You can set up the BV from abroad, usually within one week once all documents are complete (see Dutch BV incorporation).
The IND has 90 days to decide. While you wait, you may stay in the Netherlands. US citizens are exempt from the entry visa (MVV), and a residence sticker in your passport shows that you may wait here for the decision (IND, 2026).
The permit is valid for up to two years, also after an extension (IND, 2026). For the extension, the IND checks your annual accounts and a balance sheet or income statement, to see that the capital is still in your business. The IND decides on every extension, based on your situation.
Family
Your spouse and your children under 18 get family permits tied to yours. With this permit, your partner has free access to the Dutch labour market. Your partner may take any job or start their own business right away.
Timing your relocation
Americans may enter the Netherlands visa-free and do the whole setup after arrival. You file the application and wait for the decision in the Netherlands. After the decision, you register the business and deposit the capital within six months. Founders who have their documents ready file within three weeks of arrival. Plan for three months from your first flight to your residence card. In three months, you usually have enough time for all steps.
What DAFT costs, and the first-year budget
| Item | Amount (2026) | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Business capital | €4,500 | Your own money, as working capital in your company |
| Your Dutch company (BV) | From €2,950 excl. VAT | One-time: the full setup, with the notary deed and the KVK registration |
| IND application fee | See the IND fee list on the day you file | Per applicant; each family member pays the family fee |
| Annual accounts for the renewal | Priced per assignment | At renewal, the IND asks for the annual accounts and a balance sheet or income statement |
Every founder also has yearly costs. A BV has its own set of books and its own annual accounts each year. Bookkeeping for a BV therefore costs more than for a sole proprietorship. Add Dutch health insurance for each adult. Most of the difference in cost depends on whether you choose a sole proprietorship or BV.
What DAFT holders arrange next
Next, you arrange Dutch taxes as an entrepreneur, your US tax return as a US citizen, and Dutch health insurance from the start. If you work through your own BV, the rules for the salary of a director-shareholder apply. You can read more in the guide to the director-shareholder salary (DGA salary). For your company setup and what a US founder pays in the Netherlands, see the Dutch BV for US citizens.
The complete DAFT library
Eighteen guides, grouped by topic.
Getting the permit
Application step by step · Renewal after two years · From DAFT to permanent residence
Your company
Sole proprietorship or BV · Incorporating on the treaty · BV and holding · With an existing US LLC · Business bank account · What business qualifies · Remote workers
Taxes
Taxes for US citizens · The expat ruling
Living here
Health insurance and BSN · Bringing your family
The alternatives
DAFT or highly skilled migrant · DAFT or the startup visa · DAFT versus the other Dutch options · Three friendship treaties compared
How we help with DAFT: your application, your company, your books
- Your application. We arrange your DAFT application. An immigration lawyer from our network prepares it and files it with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). The lawyer bills you directly for that work.
- Your company and your books. We set up your Dutch company, register it at the KVK and keep the books. We also provide the company documents your application needs. Your balance sheet then shows the €4,500 at every renewal.
- The IND decides. The IND decides on the permit and on every extension.
- Your first year of Dutch taxes. You get a written plan for your salary, the holding question and your first tax returns, based on the 2026 figures.
Your Dutch company (BV) starts from €2,950 excl. VAT, and a holding with an operating company from €4,950 excl. VAT. Other work, such as the bookkeeping, has its own price, which you see first. Start with the document check to see which papers you need from the United States, or go straight to setting up the company.
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Last reviewed: October 2026.