What is being assessed

The question is whether your business serves an essential interest of the Dutch economy. In practice that means the product or service you offer is new for this country. The Enterprise Agency advises on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the immigration service decides.

The three areas

  1. Personal experience. Your background, education and track record as an entrepreneur.
  2. Business plan. The plan itself, with the financial substantiation behind it.
  3. Added value for the Netherlands. What the country gains: innovation, jobs, investment.

The two ways to pass

Each area gets a score. You pass with at least 30 points in every area. You can also pass with 45 points for personal experience and 45 points for the business plan. This second way helps founders with a strong track record whose value for the Dutch economy is harder to show.

Who skips the test

Three groups are assessed differently:

  • Holders of Turkish citizenship, described in the simpler process for Turkish business owners.
  • People who have long-term resident status in another European Union country.
  • People practising an independent profession, such as medical specialists and artists, whose cases are assessed with advice from other ministries.

American and Japanese citizens follow their own treaty rules. See three friendship treaties compared.

The rest of the requirements

  • Registration in the trade register of the Chamber of Commerce.
  • Any professional permits your line of work requires.
  • Income that your business plan shows to be realistic.
  • If you work as a freelancer, you have one or more assignments here.

The permit

Valid for a maximum of two years and renewable. Self-employed work is allowed; paid employment alongside it needs a work permit from that employer. Family members may work freely. After five years of work, free access to the labour market follows, and permanent residence becomes available.

You can set up the company by power of attorney, from any country. This usually happens within one week once all documents are complete. See setting up a BV in the Netherlands from abroad.

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.