Setting up a BV in the Netherlands: company formation for non-residents
Your Dutch limited company (a BV), set up from your own country. You sign a power of attorney at home, and the notary in the Netherlands does the rest. From €2,950 excl. VAT, all-inclusive.
Doing business in or from the Netherlands, with Europe or the rest of the world? You get more than a Dutch company. You get the right structure to grow your business and your wealth, with the lowest possible tax burden.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Your company in the Netherlands
One package for the full setup. You sign a power of attorney in your own country. The notary in the Netherlands does the rest.
Swipe to see all four options →
Your Dutch BV
from €2,950
excl. VAT
- The notary deed, signed for you with a power of attorney
- Registration at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK)
- The identity check the law requires
- Registration of the owners in the register of ultimate owners (UBO register)
- Your tax number and VAT number
- The list of documents from your country, and how to legalise them (apostille)
- Advice on the setup that keeps your tax low from year one: one company or a holding, your first financial year and your salary
- Personal support during the setup and the start of your company
Holding and operating company
from €4,950
excl. VAT
Set up for growth of your company and your wealth.
- Two companies, set up together, with everything from the BV package for both
- You can pay profit to your holding tax-free (participation exemption)
- In your holding, you keep your profit apart from the risks of daily business, and you can invest it
- If you sell your operating company later, your holding receives the profit tax-free
What you can add
Made for your company. The price is in your proposal.
- Business bank account: the complete file your bank asks for
- eHerkenning: your login for the Dutch tax portal
- EORI number: your number for import and export
- Article 23 licence: you settle import VAT in your VAT return, so you keep that cash in your company
- One VAT return for all your online sales in the EU (One Stop Shop, OSS)
- Payroll tax number, so your company can pay you a salary
- A lower director salary, prepared and submitted to the tax authority
- The 30% ruling for you or your staff, when you relocate to the Netherlands
- Bookkeeping, VAT returns and annual accounts
- Licences and EU rules for your sector
Your first-year plan
Before you start trading, the team looks at everything you plan to do. You get a written plan, and the applications are filed for you. See the first-year plan →
- The registrations and licences your company needs
- Your salary, dividend and loans from your company in year one
- The tax schemes and deductions you are entitled to
- Your numbers for the first year: tax, salary and what you keep in your company
Your written proposal shows the exact amount before you decide. Owners from some countries need extra checks.
Want our team to have a look? →Free advice on your next step| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Minimum share capital | €0.01 |
| KVK registration | Done by the notary |
| Notary deed | One deed, signed for you by power of attorney |
| Tax on company profit | 19% up to €200,000 profit, 25.8% above |
| Director salary reference | €58,000 in 2026. The required amount depends on the facts of your situation. |
What is a Dutch BV?
A BV is a company with its own legal identity. One or more people or companies own its shares. Its Dutch name is besloten vennootschap. The company itself is normally liable for its debts. A director or shareholder can still be liable in some cases, for example after giving a personal guarantee.
You can use the company to sign contracts, hire staff and hold business assets. The tax result of a BV depends on your salary, your profit, the payments to shareholders and the country where you live.
Netherlands company formation cost: what the package includes
How much does it cost to set up a company in the Netherlands? With us, your Dutch BV costs from €2,950 excl. VAT. A holding with an operating company costs from €4,950 excl. VAT. Both prices are all-inclusive.
The company registration in the Netherlands is part of that cost. The notary files it with the Chamber of Commerce for you.
- The notary deed, signed for you with a power of attorney
- Registration at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK)
- The identity check the law requires
- Registration of the owners in the register of ultimate beneficial owners (UBO register)
- Set-up of your tax number and VAT number
- Your first year set up for low tax and for growth of your company and your wealth: one company or a holding, your first financial year and your salary
- The list of documents from your country, and how to legalise them
- Personal support during the setup and the start of your company
- Tell our team what your company will do and who owns it
- Choose the company name
- Sign the power of attorney in your own country
- Have your signature and passport copy legalised or apostilled
- Send the originals by courier
- Choose the business address for your company and sign that contract yourself
- Pay in the share capital when the bank account is ready. The legal minimum is €0.01
Your company may also need a customs number (EORI number), an Article 23 licence for import VAT, a payroll tax number or a licence for your sector. Our team can arrange each of them. Each one has its own price in your proposal.
Your first-year plan. Before you start trading, the team can review everything your company will do and every scheme it is entitled to, such as a lower director salary, the 30% ruling for staff from abroad and the Article 23 licence. You receive a written plan, and the applications you choose are filed for you. See the first-year plan →
Which option suits your situation?
You own a company abroad. It can own the Dutch company as a subsidiary. Start with company formation in Europe for your business.
You are starting a business yourself. Compare a company with running the business in your own name, known as a sole trader. Include salary, tax on dividends, yearly administration and your home-country rules.
You want to relocate your existing business or your home. Make a plan for both countries before you transfer assets or close the old business. Read relocating a business to the Netherlands.
You are an accountant or lawyer. See how we help with your client's Dutch company.
For a calculation based on Dutch personal tax, use the company or sole trader comparison. This comparison is for a person who lives in the Netherlands. If you live abroad, your tax position can be different.
How to set up a BV in the Netherlands, online from your own country
Can you register a company in the Netherlands online? Yes. A Dutch BV is set up through a civil-law notary, in person or online (Business.gov.nl, 2026). Our team prepares the file with you by email.
One step is on paper. You sign a power of attorney, have it legalised or apostilled, and send the original by courier. The incorporation is usually done within a week, once your documents are complete.
Choose your structure
Decide who will own the shares. This can be you, your existing company or a separate company that owns the operating business, called a holding company. Our team checks whether the extra company is useful for you. See holding structures.
We prepare the deed
A Dutch notary (notaris) writes the deed of incorporation (akte van oprichting). Our team prepares the file: your identity documents, the company name, the shares and the director you appoint. You check it. The deed is signed only after you agree.
Legalise and send the required documents
Our team confirms the checklist first. It includes identity papers and a form that names the people who own or control the company, directly or through other companies. This form is called the UBO declaration. Your documents get an official certificate for use abroad, called an apostille, or another legalisation process. Then you send the required originals by courier.
KVK registration
The notary registers the company with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce, called KVK. You receive the registration details. The required ownership information is also filed in the UBO register.
Tax numbers and bank account
Our team arranges your tax number and VAT number. When your activity needs them, the team also arranges the payroll tax number for staff and the customs number for imports (EORI number). For the bank, the team helps prepare the file. The tax office and the bank each carry out their own checks and make their own decision.
Your salary as director
A person who works for a company and owns a substantial share may fall under the director salary rules. The Dutch term is DGA. The 2026 reference amount is €58,000. The required salary can be higher or lower, depending on the facts. If you live abroad, you also need to check the tax treaty and your social insurance.
Overview of the steps
| Step | How it works |
|---|---|
| Notary by power of attorney (our advice) | From abroad with certified documents, the required apostille or legalisation, and originals by courier |
| Notary in person | You visit the notary in the Netherlands |
| KVK registration | Filed by the notary for you |
| Business bank account | The bank reviews a separate application and decides whether to accept it |
| Bookkeeping and annual accounts | Priced on your volume, in the written proposal |
When a holding company may help
A holding company owns shares in an operating company. It can help you keep business activities and assets apart, or prepare for a future sale. You also have extra administration. Tax exemptions have conditions. Our team checks whether the structure suits your situation. The holding with operating company package starts from €4,950 excl. VAT.
Corporate tax rates 2026
| Profit | Rate | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| Up to €200,000 | 19% | €38,000 at most |
| Above €200,000 | 25.8% | On the part above €200,000 |
| Innovation box | 9% | On qualifying innovation profit, subject to the entry rules |
Company formation and company registration in the Netherlands
The notary creates the company with a legal document called the deed of incorporation. The notary then registers the company in the Dutch Business Register. Tax registration and bank approval are separate steps.
What does company registration in the Netherlands cost? The registration at the KVK is part of the package from €2,950 excl. VAT, together with the notary deed.
For a company owned by your existing business, read the official guidance on Dutch branches and subsidiaries. For bank requirements, see the official guide to opening a Dutch business bank account.
Netherlands company formation for non-residents
Can a non-resident set up a company in the Netherlands? Yes. You can be the only shareholder and the only director of a Dutch BV while you live abroad. By law, a foreign passport and a home address abroad are fine. In practice, three things work differently:
- Identification. The notary checks your identity with a certified copy of your passport and a proof of address. An apostille or legalisation may be needed, depending on your country. You sign the power of attorney, and an employee of the notary's office signs the deed for you.
- Business address. The KVK register shows a Dutch business address for your company from the start. You choose the business address for your company and sign that contract yourself. KVK registers your company when it has business activity and a business address in the Netherlands. A desk or office that you rent on a permanent basis, for example in a business centre, can be that address. You choose how often you work there. A virtual office counts as your postal address (KVK, 2026).
- Bank and place of management. The bank checks the owners, business activity and source of funds. It decides whether to accept the account. Your tax in more than one country can depend on where the company is managed. Keep good records of the decisions you make. Ask an adviser in each country to check your position.
Our team coordinates the agreed notary file and registrations and helps prepare the bank file. The time needed depends on the country, the owners, the documents and the checks of each bank and authority.
Your Dutch company can take on several EU roles
Do you sell goods in the EU? Your own Dutch company can be your base for several EU duties at once. It can take on these four roles, for example:
- Importer at customs (importer of record). Your company imports the goods in its own name. It pays the import duty and keeps the customs records. See stock in the Netherlands.
- Responsible person for product safety. Since 13 December 2024, a consumer product sold in the EU needs a responsible economic operator in the EU: the manufacturer, the importer, an authorised representative or a fulfillment service provider (General Product Safety Regulation, GPSR). As an importer established in the EU, your Dutch company can take this role. See EU representative requirements.
- Applicant for the Article 23 licence. With this licence, your company reports import VAT in its VAT return, so you keep that cash in your company. A company established in the Netherlands applies itself. See the Article 23 licence.
- Authorised CBAM declarant. Since 1 January 2026, a company that imports more than 50 tonnes a year of iron, steel, aluminium, fertilisers or cement needs this status for the EU carbon border tax (CBAM). The declarant must be established in the EU, so your Dutch company can apply itself. See CBAM and your EU company.
Each role comes with legal duties, such as product safety and record keeping. A partner checks the technical file of your product before your company takes on the role, and our team arranges that check.
Need a warehouse, fulfillment, a customs broker or an EU representative? Our team finds the right partner with you. You see every price first and have one contact person on our team. See how the partner network works.
Setting up from your country
From abroad, you may need to have both your passport copy and your signatures on the notary's forms certified. Wait for our confirmed checklist before you arrange the apostille or legalisation. The notary needs the originals by courier. Read the guide for your country.
- From China
- From India
- From the United States
- From the United Kingdom
- From Germany
- From the UAE
- From Indonesia
- All countries →
For US founders: DAFT, the treaty and your documents
Some United States citizens can apply for a Dutch residence permit to run a business. This is possible under the Dutch American Friendship Treaty (DAFT). A company alone is insufficient for the permit. Read the residence guide for US citizens.
| Tax treaty between the United States and the Netherlands (1992, protocol 2004) | Rate |
|---|---|
| Dividend, private shareholder | 15% |
| Dividend, company shareholder with 10% or more of the voting stock | 5% |
| Dividend, parent company with 80% or more of the voting stock (conditions apply) | 0% |
| Interest and royalties | 0% |
Rates checked in July 2026 against the treaty text. The Dutch standard dividend withholding rate is 15%; the treaty rate applies when the conditions are met.
Documents from the United States: our team confirms which company papers, identity documents and signatures need certification. Wait for the notary's checklist before arranging certificates. US owners also need advice on US tax and reporting for a foreign company. See support for US founders.
Do you want to see your options first? Answer seven questions. You see the structure that suits you, what else you need, the documents from your country and the order of the steps. You receive the written proposal with the amounts by email. Your route in 60 seconds.
Gathering your documents? Read the complete checklist by nationality for the apostille or legalisation, and for what changes when a company owns the shares. You can also use the Document check. In under a minute, you see which documents you need from your country.
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
Continue with holding companies, bookkeeping and company records or entering the European market.
Selling goods in Europe? Compare three ways to sell in the EU, read about stock in the Netherlands or see company formation in Europe for your business.
Do you want to know how much of the profit you keep? Use the Dutch corporate and dividend tax calculator. You can calculate both taxes for a resident, a shareholder abroad or a parent company.
Read why the Netherlands is a good base for your company.
EU Inc is a new EU company form. The European Commission proposed it on 18 March 2026. The European Parliament and the Council are preparing their positions on it. Law firms expect the first incorporations from 2028. See EU Inc: wait, or set up a Dutch BV now.
Want our team to have a look? Tell us your plans and get free advice on your next step. Ask for free advice →