Complete support for launching your business in the Netherlands
Starting a business in the Netherlands, from the legal form to the first employee
For founders new to the Dutch system, living here or abroad: we prepare, check and accompany each step of the launch.
Amsterdam
Prinsengracht 280
1016 GV Amsterdam
+31 20 555 7777
info@starting-a-business-in-the-netherlands.com
Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:00, Amsterdam time
- Sole proprietorship, VOF and first BV
- Files prepared for KVK, the Tax Administration, the civil-law notary, the IND and BOIP
- English, Dutch, French and Arabic spoken
Launch services, one decision at a time
Nine services, in launch order, each on its own page.
Sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak)
For sole proprietorship registration in the Netherlands, we prepare the documents and accompany you; you register with your own DigiD.
Freelancer (zzp'er) registration
Freelancer and zzp'er (self-employed without staff) are not legal structures. We prepare a zzp registration for a new freelancer; you register it yourself.
VOF (vennootschap onder firma), the general partnership
Each partner is personally liable for the entire VOF. We prepare the papers to register a VOF in the Netherlands.
Open a Dutch BV for Your First Company
The civil-law notary registers a besloten vennootschap (BV, private limited company) at KVK and the Tax Administration. We assemble the file the notary works from.
Trade mark for your name and logo
Name protection is its own registration. For registering a trade mark in the Netherlands, we prepare the Benelux filing at BOIP.
Business bank account
We prepare the documents a bank asks for when you open a Dutch business account for a new company. The bank decides.
Bookkeeping for Start-ups in the Netherlands
Bookkeeping, annual accounts and VAT returns for a new business. Business records must be kept for at least 7 years.
Payroll for the first employee
As your payroll company in the Netherlands, we run payroll administration for your first hire, never as employer of record.
Tax advice for the expat founder
Your income tax return and your BV's corporate income tax return, with an expat tax advisor in the Netherlands. We prepare no US returns.
What the state charges, and when
State fees and statutory amounts, in launch order. NetherStart Partners' own work is priced on request.
| Step | Who charges | Amount | Official timing | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KVK registration | KVK | EUR 85.15 once, for a new company or organisation; tax-deductible for entrepreneurs | No later than 1 week after starting business activities | Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, art. 5 |
| Tax registration of a sole proprietorship or VOF | The Tax Administration | No separate registration: KVK passes the data on | VAT numbers by post within 2 weeks of registration, if required | KVK |
| Notary for a BV | The civil-law notary | EUR 500 to 1,500, KVK's indication, not a tariff | Depends on the notary | KVK; art. 54 Wet op het notarisambt |
| BV starting capital | No one: paid into the company, not a fee | At least EUR 0.01 | On incorporation | business.gov.nl |
| Benelux trade mark, only if you file one | BOIP | From EUR 244 for a 10-year registration | Depends on the BOIP procedure | BOIP fee list |
| Residence permit, only if you need one | The IND | EUR 423, first application: self-employed permit (DAFT route) or start-up permit | Decided by the IND | IND fees, 2026 |
| DAFT capital for a BV | No one: held in the business, not a fee | At least 25 percent of the paid-up capital, minimum EUR 4,500 | A condition of the permit | Vreemdelingencirculaire 2000 (B), B6/2.5 |
| Business bank account | The bank | Extra checks may be charged; no amount is published | Often 2 to 8 weeks, indicative | business.gov.nl |
What the state, the notary and the bank charge a starter in the Netherlands, 2026.
Sources: art. 5 of the Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019 (text in force 1 July 2026) for the KVK fee; KVK, business.gov.nl and BOIP, checked on 29 September 2026; IND fees for 2026.
From the decision to the first employee
Official timing Indication only
- Choose the legal formNo official time
- Choose the name, check your sectorNo official time
- Arrange the address and the BSNNo official time
- RegisterNo later than 1 week after starting business activities
- Tax registration and VATVAT numbers by post within 2 weeks of registration, if required
- Open the business bank accountOften 2 to 8 weeks, an indication
- Keep the booksNo official time
- Hire the first employeeEmployer registration at the latest on the first day; payroll taxes number usually within 1 week after
Arrange the address and the BSN
To register you need a Dutch business address, not a P.O. box, and a BSN (burgerservicenummer, citizen service number): from the Personal Records Database (BRP) where you live, or the RNI for a stay of less than 4 months.
Register
For a sole proprietorship, registering with the KVK is the owner's own act: your DigiD, then in most cases an appointment at a KVK office (KVK, checked on 8 October 2026). A notary registers a BV.
Open the business bank account
The bank decides, and banks may charge a fee for extra checks. We prepare the documents the bank asks for; no account, bank or date is promised.
Hire the first employee
Register as an employer with the Tax Administration at the latest on the day the first employee starts, and tell KVK on change form 14. A sole trader can employ staff without changing legal structure.
Enquiry
Tell us what you are starting
Tell us the legal form you have in mind, where you live now and when you want to start. We reply by email on working days.
Buying an existing Dutch BV instead?
Our role is buyer-side assistance in a notarial share transfer. This page shows no company list and no price.
The people who prepare your file
Each file is prepared and checked by one of three leads.
Daan Mulder
Launch and legal forms lead · Dutch, English, French
Noor Bakker
Tax, bookkeeping and payroll lead · Dutch, English
Lina Haddad
Founder permits and banking lead · Arabic, Dutch, English
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a BV, or can I start as a freelancer?
Freelancer and zzp'er are not legal structures. A business that is not a legal entity, such as a sole proprietorship or a VOF, can be registered by its owner; a BV is registered through a civil-law notary. Liability, a business partner and staff bear on the choice, and we talk the conditions through with you.
Can you register my sole proprietorship for me if I live abroad?
No. KVK states that only the owner of a sole proprietorship can register it, logging in with their own DigiD; a bookkeeper or another intermediary may help. Registration also needs a Dutch visiting address, except in a border-area case. We prepare the documents and the online form, check them with you and accompany you through the registration.
Do I have to live in the Netherlands, or travel there, to start?
Not always. A founder who lives abroad, has a business there and can accept, carry out and invoice assignments without a branch in the Netherlands does not have to register a sole proprietorship. Registering from abroad is possible only in exceptional cases, and in most cases the registration is finished at a KVK office by appointment.
How much does the state charge to start a business in the Netherlands?
KVK charges a one-off fee of EUR 85.15 in 2026 to register a new company or organisation. A sole proprietorship or VOF has no separate tax registration. For a BV, KVK indicates EUR 500 to 1,500 for the civil-law notary. A trade mark or permit costs extra only if needed; our work is priced on request.
How long does each step take?
Register at KVK no later than 1 week after you start. VAT numbers arrive by post within 2 weeks, if required. Apply for the KOR at least 4 weeks before the next return period. Bank approval often takes 2 to 8 weeks (indicative). Register as an employer by the first employee's first day. Other steps have no official time.
Do I register separately for VAT?
Not for a sole proprietorship or VOF: KVK passes your data on, and the Tax Administration sends the VAT identification number and the VAT tax number by post within 2 weeks of registration, if they are required. For a BV, the civil-law notary takes care of the registration with the Tax Administration.
Do I have to charge VAT from my first invoice?
The standard VAT rate is 21 percent. With a turnover of at most EUR 20,000 a calendar year, the kleineondernemersregeling (KOR, small businesses scheme) is open: you charge no VAT and cannot deduct VAT on business costs. Apply at least 4 weeks before the next return period. We set out the conditions; the choice is yours.
Can I open a Dutch business bank account from abroad?
The bank decides whether to open the account. Approval often takes 2 to 8 weeks, an indicative range, and banks may charge a fee for extra checks. We prepare the documents the bank asks for and go through them with you; no account, bank or date is promised.
What happens if I do not register?
Not registering with KVK while you meet the entrepreneurial criteria of the Business Register Act is punishable under the Economic Offences Act: you risk a fine or imprisonment. Not every founder must register: one who lives abroad and can work and invoice without a branch in the Netherlands does not have to register a sole proprietorship.
Can a foreigner start a business in the Netherlands?
Yes. Registration needs a business address in the Netherlands, not a P.O. box (business.gov.nl, checked on 29 September 2026), and a BSN: without Dutch nationality, a founder registers in the RNI, receives a BSN at once and applies for DigiD with it. A founder who moves here to live and work may need a residence permit.
Is it hard for a US citizen to move to the Netherlands?
Americans can use the Dutch American Friendship Treaty route, which the IND lists under self-employed work; a first application costs EUR 423 in 2026. For a BV, the capital is at least 25 percent of the paid-up capital, with a minimum of EUR 4,500. The IND decides the application, and no order of steps is promised.
What is an LLC in the Netherlands?
The nearest Dutch form is the besloten vennootschap (BV), the private limited company. At least EUR 0.01 is paid in as starting capital, and a civil-law notary registers the BV at both KVK and the Tax Administration. KVK's indication for the notary's work is EUR 500 to 1,500, depending on the notary.
Ready to plan your launch?
Tell us what you are starting, and from where. We reply by email with the steps that apply to you.