Relocating Abroad & Your BV

Living and working in the Netherlands: all residence options

Updated: 17 August 2026 Holdwise editorial team verblijf overzicht hub

You have twelve options to live and work in the Netherlands. They are sorted by nationality, by what you plan to do here, and by whether you come alone or with a team. For each option, there is a full article with the next steps. Start with the group that describes you. At Holdwise, we keep this answer up to date and change it when the rules change.

Shorter options for some nationalities

Turkish business owners: exempt from the scoring test, and several other rules are less strict.
Japanese business owners: the trade treaty option, with an investment of €4,500.
All three treaties compared, including the treaty with the United States.
Turkish employees: the exemption from the approved employer requirement.

If you plan to run your own business

The scoring test: three areas, and the two ways to pass.
The start-up visa for new businesses: a mentor and an innovative idea.
From start-up visa to self-employed permit: the switch after twelve months.

If you plan to bring staff

Becoming an approved employer: the assessment, the timing and the value.
Salary levels in 2026: the three amounts and what counts towards them.
Two permits for skilled staff: which one suits a young company.
Transferring your own staff: the transfer way from a parent company.
What an approved employer must do, including the rule that changed in 2026.
Hiring before you are an approved employer: four workable options.

Before and after the application

The entry visa: who needs one and who applies directly.
Your partner and children: their right to work.
The year after graduating: the lower salary level that applies afterwards.
If your application is refused: the six weeks you have, and what to do in that time.
Five years to permanent residence: which years count towards a permanent permit.

Your company structure

With a permit, you may live here. How much of your income you keep depends on your company structure. Start with company first or permit first and the tax break for newcomers. Then find your own country in the series on company formation from abroad.

Do you want to set up a Dutch BV from abroad? See setting up a BV in the Netherlands for the costs, the steps and the timeline. We arrange the notary and the KVK registration for you.

Your company and your residence permit

We arrange both. We set up your company: the entity, the salary and the tax position. An immigration lawyer from our network prepares your residence application and files it with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). The lawyer follows the case law and the forms every week. We plan the company and the application together, so your company meets what the IND asks for.

Want the company and the permit arranged together? See how we work with immigration lawyers and other partners.

Free advice

Want our team to have a look?

We help you set up your business in the Netherlands: your company, your tax and your residence permit. Tell us where you stand or what you are planning. You get free advice on your next step.

Part of Doing Business in the Netherlands, the complete 2026 guide.

Frequently asked questions

Which path matches me? +

Start with your nationality. Turkish, Japanese and American citizens have shorter options. After that, decide whether you run your own business or work as an employee.

What do I arrange first, the permit or the company? +

It depends on your permit. For the business owner permit, you need a registered company first. With a treaty permit, you can register the company within six months after you get the permit.

Who handles the application itself? +

An immigration lawyer. We design the company structure, the salary and the tax position that go with the permit.