Start a business in the Netherlands

The six steps

1. Choose the legal form

   The BV (private limited) carries limited liability, shares and a fixed corporate tax rate; the sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak) is lighter and wins on deductions at modest profits. The comparison with numbers sits below.

2. Incorporate

   A BV comes into existence through a notarial deed — in person or remotely with a power of attorney and video identification. The notary files the KVK registration in the same flow; the full route with costs is on the BV incorporation page, and the company formation page holds the process end to end.

3. Register at the KVK

   The Chamber of Commerce lists the company in the trade register for a one-time fee of €85,15. The KVK number arrives within one to three working days; the KVK guide walks through every field.

4. Receive the tax numbers

   The tax authority issues the VAT identification and, for a BV, the corporate tax registration by post within about two weeks. The rates you will meet stand on the 2026 figures page.

5. Open the bank account

   Dutch and fintech banks onboard foreign-owned BVs at different speeds; the banking guide for foreign owners ranks the realistic options, and the banking page covers the setup we arrange.

6. Arrange residence where needed

   Owning and directing works from anywhere; living and working here physically asks for a permit outside the EU. The routes per situation follow below.

Choose your legal form

The turning point between the two main forms sits around €115,000 annual profit — earlier when part of the profit stays inside the company. American readers find the translation of the concepts in the Dutch LLC guide, and founders who plan to grow or sell set up the holding structure from day one.

Your situation

From the EU or EEA

Free establishment applies: the same route as Dutch residents, from the first KVK appointment onward. Remote incorporation keeps the whole process at a distance until you choose to move — German founders find the GmbH comparison and the 0% dividend route in starting from Germany. The same door opens from France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Poland and Bulgaria — each page carries the entity comparison, the dividend line and the apostille route for that country. The EEA opens the same door from Norway, with the AS comparison and the 0% treaty line.

From the United States

The DAFT treaty grants residence as an entrepreneur against €4,500 on the balance sheet of your Dutch company — the route American founders use most. The DAFT visa page covers conditions and renewal, and starting from the United States walks the whole route — DAFT, treaty table and documents — in one page.

From the United Kingdom

Post-Brexit the company side stays open: own and direct remotely, with the treaty keeping dividends at 0% for 10%+ corporate holdings. The route, the FCDO apostille and the BV–Ltd comparison stand in starting from the UK.

From India and Türkiye

Ownership and directorship work remotely from both countries, with residence as a separate route. Starting from India carries the 10% treaty rate — confirmed by the 2023 Nestlé ruling — and the MEA apostille; starting from Türkiye holds the 5% tier at 25%+ corporate holdings and the valilik apostille.

From Switzerland, Canada and the UAE

Three routes where the treaty lines reward precision. Starting from Switzerland carries establishment rights under the EU–Switzerland agreements and dividends at 0% for 10%+ corporate holdings; starting from Canada holds the 5% tier and the apostille route Canada opened in January 2024; starting from the UAE sets the treaty next to the Dutch low-tax list for 2026 — the page where structure design earns itself back first.

From Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan

Four Asian routes where the treaty lines and the 2026 customs reform meet. Starting from Hong Kong carries the 0% dividend line at 10%+ corporate holdings and the High Court apostille; starting from Taiwan runs on one of the few working tax arrangements between Taiwan and an EU member state; starting from South Korea holds the 10% tier at 25%+ holdings and the MOFA apostille; and starting from Japan carries the strongest line of the four — 0% dividends at 50%+ and 0% royalties. The goods side of all four — import deferment, customs 2026, marketplaces — stands on the EU market entry hub.

Four newer lanes complete the picture. Starting from Brazil runs on an apostille since 2016 and a Portuguese guide alongside; starting from Mexico carries the 5% qualifying dividend line of the 1993 treaty; starting from Vietnam lands EVFTA tariff preference through Rotterdam; and starting from Indonesia formalises the oldest trade lane of them all — with an apostille replacing the consular chain since 2022.

From outside the EU, US and UK

The company setup itself stays open: registering as a non-resident and setting up the BV from abroad work with a legalised power of attorney. Physical residence runs through the self-employment scheme or the startup visa; employees you recruit can qualify for the 30% ruling.

The costs in 2026

A complete first-year picture — deed, registration, accounting and the holding option — stands in the BV cost guide; every tax rate the company will meet is collected on the figures page. And once the company runs, running a Dutch BV holds the four tax streams and every filing deadline of the year.

This page describes the general route for 2026; what it means for your situation follows from a personal conversation.