The three routes
| Route | How it works | Fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh BV + transfer | Incorporate a new Dutch BV; move assets, contracts and clients into it; wind the old entity down or keep it dormant | Owner-managed businesses; the common case |
| Subsidiary or branch | The foreign company stays and opens a Dutch daughter (branch vs subsidiary) | Group structures; testing the market first |
| Formal migration | Cross-border seat transfer or conversion of the existing legal entity | Contracts or licences that must not restart; heavier and slower |
Most founders take the first route: a fresh BV incorporates remotely in one to three weeks via the standard process, and transferring a business you own to a company you own is a controlled, priceable operation. The transfer itself happens at real value — which is precisely where the departure side comes in.
The departure side: settle before you build
Your current country gets its say first. Many jurisdictions levy exit taxes when a company or its value leaves — on the entity, on you as shareholder, or both — alongside settling VAT positions, payroll and open filings. The values you declare at departure become your starting values in the Netherlands, so the two sides must be designed as one move, not improvised in sequence. Golden rule: map the exit before signing anything Dutch; the order of steps is where relocations are won or lost.
The arrival side: substance from day one
The Netherlands taxes what is genuinely here. A BV is Dutch for tax where it is effectively managed — decisions, administration, a real address — and after a relocation, your old country will look precisely at whether management truly moved. Build the evidence as you build the company: documented board decisions here, Dutch banking and bookkeeping, a genuine office or workspace. The standards are written out in substance requirements for a Dutch BV. What the arrival buys you: the 19% entry rate up to €200.000, EU market access with one OSS VAT return, and the treaty network.
Moving yourself and your people
If you relocate with the company, the personal layer runs in parallel: residence and registration, Dutch tax residency from the day your life moves, and — the headline benefit — the 30% ruling for employees recruited from abroad: part of salary untaxed (30% in 2026, 27% from 2027, maximum 60 months, with a salary threshold), available to a founder employed by their own BV under conditions and timing that must be arranged around the move — details in the 30% ruling guide. Bringing team members? Bringing staff to the Netherlands covers permits and payroll.
Tell us below what you run today, where it sits, and what should move — our team maps the two sides and the order with you, no obligation.
Would you like our team to take a look at your situation?
Tell us where you stand or what you’re planning. Our team replies with advice, free of any obligation.