The United Kingdom and the Netherlands at a glance
- Stamp
- Apostille, Hague Convention in force for United Kingdom since 24 January 1965
- Issued by
- Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Legalisation Office (Milton Keynes)
- Language
- English, accepted as it is
- Register
- Companies House (online)
- Tax treaty
- Signed 2008, in force 2010 (Rijksoverheid, 1 October 2026)
- EU trade
- Trade and Cooperation Agreement, 2021
- In the Netherlands
- 2,355 companies controlled from the United Kingdom in 2024, 1,920 in 2021 (+22.7%), about 126,000 jobs, €181.5 billion turnover, 11.8% of all 19,995 foreign-controlled companies (CBS, 9 October 2026)
- Moving here
- Residence permit needed
Documents from the United Kingdom
Passport copy, certified by a notary in the United Kingdom.
Proof of address in the United Kingdom, at most three months old.
Power of attorney. Sign the power of attorney before a UK notary public. A certification by a solicitor is accepted for some documents, but a notary is safer for use abroad.
Ownership statement, one page from us.
The apostille. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Legalisation Office (Milton Keynes). By post, the apostille costs £45 per document and takes about 10 working days. Registered agents use the business counter for next-day service.
Official page: https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised
Good to know. Documents issued and signed by Companies House can be apostilled directly. A plain printout, a power of attorney or a board resolution must first be certified by a UK notary or solicitor. The persons with significant control in the UK register can differ from the real owners (UBOs) under the Dutch test.
If a company from the United Kingdom becomes a shareholder
Register extract, at most three months old: Companies House. The Certificate of Incorporation, the current officers and the persons with significant control are free online. Order certified copies for the Dutch notary. A notary or the company secretary draws up a Certificate of Incumbency (a signed list of who manages and owns the company). Plus articles, signing authority and ownership chart.
Trade between the United Kingdom and the EU
In 2024, the United Kingdom was the second-biggest trading partner of the European Union (EU), after the United States, with a share of 13.1%. In 2025, EU goods exports to the United Kingdom were worth €345.4 billion and imports €158.6 billion.
The EU's main goods exports to the United Kingdom are led by machinery and appliances, transport equipment and chemical products. Its main imports are led by machinery and appliances, mineral products and chemical products.
In 2024, EU services exports to the United Kingdom were worth €308.5 billion and imports €248.6 billion. Foreign direct investment stocks showed a surplus of €584.8 billion in the EU's favour in 2024.
The United Kingdom left the EU on 31 January 2020. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement between them entered into force on 1 May 2021, with zero tariffs and zero quotas on all goods that comply with the rules of origin.
Import duties: Access2Markets.
Sources: European Commission [1].
Your next step from the United Kingdom
Get free first advice Your own document list · How a Dutch BV is set up