Company formation in the Netherlands for non‑residents
Dutch company law places shareholders and directors anywhere in the world. The formation runs fully remote, the business language is English, and one BV carries your access to the entire EU market. This is what a non-resident founder needs to know in 2026.
The remote route
Every Dutch BV is incorporated by a civil-law notary, and that step runs remotely in two ways: video identification with the notary, or a power of attorney with apostille signed in your own country. KVK registration (€85.15) and the tax numbers follow automatically. The step-by-step version stands on setting up a BV in the Netherlands; the guided route on the BV incorporation page.
What the Netherlands asks of you
Remarkably little on paper: a passport, a registered office address in the Netherlands, and share capital from €0.01. What deserves real attention sits one level deeper: where the company is genuinely managed. A BV run from the Netherlands is taxed there — 19% corporate tax up to €200,000 profit, 25,8% above — and enjoys the treaty network. A BV managed entirely from abroad invites questions from two tax authorities at once. The checklist that answers this stands in the Dutch substance guide.
Banking as a non-resident
The bank file decides your timeline more than the incorporation does. Banks verify the company (KVK extract, deed, UBO list), the people behind it, and the business itself: what you sell, who pays, from which countries. Foreign ownership invites extra questions by design — a complete file answers them before they are asked. What banks check, and which ones onboard fully digitally, stands in the business bank account guide.
Why non-residents choose the Netherlands
One address answers the EU’s presence requirements — the packaging rules, the product-safety “responsible person”, the import position. Add the Article 23 licence (import VAT moves from the border to the tax return), an economy that works in English, and the holding layer that receives dividends and exit proceeds tax-free under the participation exemption — and the BV becomes the standard EU vehicle for founders from the US, the UK, Asia and the Gulf. The owner’s own numbers — salary and dividend — stand in the DGA salary guide and the dividend tax guide.
After formation
The company then needs to stay in order from a distance: shareholder resolutions, UBO filings, annual accounts, a registered office that handles the post. That ongoing layer — built for owners who live abroad — stands on corporate and secretarial services, with the full formation picture on the company formation overview.
Frequently asked questions
Can a non-resident own and direct a Dutch BV?
Yes. Dutch law places shareholders and directors anywhere in the world. The incorporation runs fully remote through video identification or a power of attorney with apostille.
Do I need to visit the Netherlands to form a company?
The notarial route runs entirely remote. Some banks onboard fully digitally as well; others invite the director once for identification — worth checking before choosing a bank.
Where is a foreign-owned BV taxed?
A BV that is genuinely managed from the Netherlands is taxed there: 19% corporate tax up to €200,000 profit, 25,8% above. Where the board actually decides matters — this is the substance question every non-resident structure should answer on paper.
Can a non-resident open a Dutch business bank account?
Yes, with a well-prepared KYC file: KVK extract, deed, UBO list, director identification and a clear business profile. Foreign ownership invites extra questions by design; a complete file keeps the timeline in days.