For founders abroad or newly arrived
Register a Sole Proprietorship (Eenmanszaak) in the Netherlands
Only you can register your eenmanszaak, with your own DigiD. We prepare your BSN, DigiD, documents and KVK appointment, and go with you.
- Only the owner registers, with their own DigiD
- KVK fee EUR 85.15 (2026)
- Register within one week either side of your start
- In person at a KVK office, booked up to 8 weeks ahead
Your file starts with a BSN, long before the KVK counter.
What's included in preparing your registration
Only the owner registers an eenmanszaak, with their own DigiD; others may help, says the KVK. A civil-law notary (notaris) forms a BV: we prepare that file when you open a BV in the Netherlands.
Your route to a BSN
More than 4 months here: the municipality's BRP (Personal Records Database). Living abroad or staying less: the RNI (Non-residents Records Database). Both give you a BSN (citizen service number).
Your route to a DigiD
The KVK form needs a DigiD, which needs your BSN. We prepare each step with you; you log in yourself, and we never do.
Your visiting address, checked
We check the Dutch visiting address you arranged against the KVK's tests. This service supplies no address.
Your document file, checked
Your ID, your address proof and, from abroad, the foreign population-register extract, checked against the KVK's list before you book.
The online form, prepared
The form is in Dutch; the KVK's Form 1 gives its questions in English and Dutch. We prepare your answers; you enter and submit them.
Accompaniment on the day
A companion from our team can go with you to the RNI desk and the KVK counter to interpret, showing their own ID at the KVK.
Your first-year checklist
We list what follows, in order: the fee invoice, the extract a bank may ask for, the Belastingdienst letter, your KVK number on invoices, changes within one week.
Where our service stops
We never register, sign or log in for you, or promise a date; no permit file, tax return or bookkeeping. A client who takes this service does not take our registered office or virtual office address.
Who this service is for
- You arrive to stay more than 4 months
You register in person with your municipality by the fifth day after arriving (art. 2.38 Wet BRP); the BSN follows.
- You live abroad or stay under 4 months
You register in person at an RNI desk, free, with your foreign address. You still need a Dutch visiting address: a foreign one works only in the Belgian or German border region.
- You are not an EU, EEA or Swiss national
You can use only the RNI desks in Breda and Venlo, says NetherlandsWorldwide. You need the residence permit that allows self-employment before you work; a KVK registration is not that permit.
- You work as a contractor (zzp'er)
Same eenmanszaak; the KVK flags false self-employment on its registration page. See how to register as a freelancer in the Netherlands for the contractor's checks.
One founder is excluded: business.gov.nl says someone with no private foreign address, such as a digital nomad, cannot register themself.
- Do you live abroad, have a business there, and accept, carry out and invoice assignments without a Dutch branch?Yes: you need not register in the Netherlands (KVK)No: you register; go to question 2
- Will you stay in the Netherlands for more than 4 months?Yes: the municipality (BRP), in person by the fifth day after arrival (art. 2.38 lid 1 Wet BRP)No, or you live abroad: an RNI desk, in person and free; go to question 3
- For the RNI desk: are you a Dutch, EU, Norwegian, Icelandic, Liechtenstein or Swiss national?Yes: any RNI deskNo: the Breda or Venlo desk only, and the residence permit that allows self-employment before you work
Every route that registers ends the same way: BSN, then DigiD, then the KVK
How the process works, from BSN to KVK number
Who acts at each step, with a time only where an official source publishes one.
Check the need and the permit
(you, with our check). Without a Dutch branch, a founder abroad may not need to register; outside the EEA and Switzerland, you need a permit before working self-employed.
Get a DigiD
(you). From abroad: a collection code valid 30 days, then an activation code in a video call or at a DigiD desk, valid 21 days (NetherlandsWorldwide); in the Netherlands, a letter.
Secure the address and documents
(you; we check). The signed address agreement; from abroad, the population-register extract, no more than 2 months old, legalised if you live outside the EU.
Complete the online form
(you, with your own DigiD). In Dutch, with the answers prepared from Form 1; progress is saved if you log out.
Book the appointment
(you, with DigiD). At any KVK office, up to 8 weeks ahead; offices are busy, and a slot within a week may not be available.
Attend in person
(you). The KVK checks your ID. Your KVK number comes at the appointment, or by post in your start week after an early visit up to 3 months before.
Pay; the tax letter follows
(you). The EUR 85.15 fee (2026) is invoiced by email, no cash. The KVK passes your details on; the Belastingdienst writes within 2 weeks of your start date.
- Check the need and the permitYou, with our checkNo official time is published
- Get a BSNYou, in person, at the municipality or an RNI desk (free)Municipality: by the fifth day after arrival (art. 2.38 lid 1 Wet BRP)
- Get a DigiDYou; from abroad, a collection code, then an activation code by video call or at a DigiD deskCollection code valid 30 days, activation code valid 21 days
- Secure the address and documentsYou secure them; we check the agreement and the extractForeign population-register extract no more than 2 months old
- Complete the online formYou, with your own DigiDNo official time is published
- Book the appointmentYou, with your DigiD, at any KVK officeBookable up to 8 weeks ahead
- Attend in personYou; the KVK number comes at the appointment, or by post after an early visit up to 3 months before the startWindow: 1 week before to 1 week after the start (art. 20 lid 1 Hrw 2007)
- Pay; the tax letter followsYou pay; the Belastingdienst writes within 2 weeks of the start dateFee EUR 85.15 (2026), invoiced by email
Not sure whether the BRP or the RNI comes first for you?
Your length of stay and your nationality decide the route. Tell us both, and we set out the order of your steps.
Documents you will need
The KVK's and the municipality's list, checked with you before the appointment (KVK).
- A valid passport, EEA identity card or Dutch residence document, not expired.
- A second, signed ID if your foreign identity card is unsigned; never an emergency passport.
- Your BSN and your DigiD.
- The signed agreement for your Dutch visiting address, or a declaration of consent.
- Living abroad: the original population-register extract, at most 2 months old (postal route: 1 month).
- The extract in Dutch, English, French or German, or translated; legalised outside the EU.
- Your answers for the online form, prepared with the KVK's Form 1.
- Outside the EEA and Switzerland: the residence permit allowing self-employment, before you work.
- Yourself, in person, and an email address for the fee invoice.
The Dutch visiting address the KVK accepts
Every business must have a registered visiting address in the Business Register, says the KVK.
The KVK's rules for a visiting address. Sources: KVK pages on proof of visiting and postal address and on the declaration of consent.
| Your situation | The KVK's rule |
|---|---|
| You work from your own home and are registered there in the BRP | No proof of use is needed, and no declaration of consent |
| Your visiting address differs from your BRP address | You show that the business uses that address |
| You rent, buy or lease a place | A copy of the agreement, signed by both parties |
| A P.O. box | Refused as the visiting address |
| A flexible workspace or meeting room rented from time to time | Refused as the visiting address |
| A hotel | Refused, and so is a hotel's letter of consent: you rent or buy a residential or business property |
| A foreign address | Only if you live in the Belgian or German border region and show genuine, physical activity in the Netherlands |
| Someone else's home, with no agreement for its use | A declaration of consent signed by the resident (BRP) or the owner (Kadaster), if the address is residential and your activities are allowed there; it cannot be withdrawn |
| Your presence | You must be physically reachable at the address, and the activities take place there |
The address is yours to arrange: this service checks it against these tests and supplies none.
What the state charges, the deadlines and what arrives afterwards
State charges and statutory deadlines, each with its year; our own fee is on request. Whether the Belastingdienst deems you an entrepreneur for VAT decides how a new business gets its Dutch VAT identification number.
2026 figures; the KVK's registration page checked on 8 October 2026. No fee is published for legalisation, sworn translation, the BRP or DigiD.
| Item | What the law or the authority sets | When | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| KVK registration fee | EUR 85.15, one-off, tax-deductible for entrepreneurs, updated every year; invoiced by email, no cash | 2026 tariff, in force from 1 July 2026 | Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, art. 5; KVK |
| First registration | Filed within two weeks, from one week before to one week after the start of business | Counted from your start date | Hrw 2007, art. 20 lid 1 |
| Early visit | Details and ID checked in advance; the KVK number arrives by post in the start week | Up to 3 months before the start date | KVK |
| Municipal registration (BRP) | In person, for a stay of at least two thirds of a half year; a fine of up to EUR 325 for a breach | No later than the fifth day after arrival | Wet BRP, art. 2.38 lid 1 and art. 4.17 |
| RNI registration | In person, free of charge | Before the DigiD application | NetherlandsWorldwide |
| Foreign population-register extract | The original, translated where needed, legalised if you live outside the EU | No more than 2 months old (KVK, office route); 1 month (business.gov.nl, exceptional postal route) | KVK; business.gov.nl |
| Certified Business Register extract | EUR 19.20 on paper, EUR 9.60 digitally certified; some banks and wholesalers ask for one | Orderable directly after registering | Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, art. 1(f) and art. 2(b); KVK |
| Belastingdienst | No separate registration: the KVK passes your details on. For an eenmanszaak the VAT number and the VAT-id differ | Letter within 2 weeks of the start date (KVK); BTW number within 10 workdays after registration (business.gov.nl) | KVK; business.gov.nl |
| KVK number on documents | On letters, orders, invoices and quotations, advertising excepted | From registration | Hrw 2007, art. 27 lid 1 |
| Changes to the register | Reported to the KVK; no UBO filing and no RSIN for a sole proprietorship | No later than one week after the change | Hrw 2007, art. 20 lid 2; business.gov.nl |
The entrepreneur's income-tax deductions need the hours criterion (urencriterium), at least 1,225 hours a calendar year, plus a second condition (art. 3.6 Wet IB 2001); freelancer taxes in the Netherlands change by year, so no rate is printed here.
Problems we solve
- "Someone offered to register it for you"
The KVK allows only the owner to register, with their own DigiD. We do what the KVK lets others do: prepare, check and go with you.
- "Your home address would be public"
Shielding the visiting address is always possible for an eenmanszaak, with a different public postal address registered. Banks and insurers may then ask for your rental agreement.
- "Your business name"
First use protects a company name, registered or not, and your own name in it can lead back to you. A BOIP trade mark adds a separate right, for protecting a new business name and logo in the Benelux.
- "Your family's assets are exposed"
A sole proprietor is personally liable for business debts, and creditors can seize the owner's and the partner's private assets. A prenuptial or partnership agreement can avoid the partner's liability, says business.gov.nl.
- "Later you want a BV"
A civil-law notary converts your eenmanszaak and in most cases registers the BV, says the KVK; the BV gets a new KVK number. Weighing an existing BV? See what a buyer inherits with a ready-made BV.
Want the order of your steps before you book?
Tell us your nationality, how long you will stay and your planned start date. We reply with your steps and documents, in order.
Why work with us
Daan Mulder, Launch and legal forms lead. Eleven years on Dutch start-up files. Dutch, English, French.
From our practice: we start with the BSN route, since the KVK form needs a DigiD and a DigiD needs a BSN; then the visiting address, since the KVK refuses a P.O. box, an occasional flex desk and a hotel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you register my sole proprietorship for me?
No. The KVK states that only the owner of a sole proprietorship can register it, logging in with their own DigiD; a bookkeeper or other intermediary may help. We prepare your file, check your documents and can go with you to the appointment. A companion who interprets for you also shows proof of identity.
Do I have to come to the Netherlands if I live abroad?
For the usual route, yes. You identify yourself in person at a KVK branch, and RNI registration is in person too. The portal business.gov.nl calls registration by post an exception, after the KVK checks for sufficient sustainable economic activities. A founder abroad who can accept, carry out and invoice assignments without a Dutch branch need not register.
Can I use a P.O. box, a coworking desk or a hotel as my business address?
Not as the visiting address. The KVK refuses a P.O. box, a flexible workspace or meeting room you rent only from time to time, and a hotel address or a hotel's letter of consent. The usual proof is a signed rental, purchase, service, lease or usage agreement for the Dutch visiting address. This service does not supply an address.
How do I get a DigiD from abroad?
You need a BSN first. After you apply, a collection code arrives by text message and email and is valid for 30 days. You then receive an activation code in a video call or at a DigiD service desk, valid for 21 days, and activate your DigiD with it.
How long does it take to register a sole proprietorship?
No official time is published for the BSN, a DigiD from abroad or legalisation. KVK appointments can be booked up to 8 weeks ahead, and one within a week may not be available. You register within one week before or after the start of your business, or visit up to 3 months before the start date.
Do I need to register with the Belastingdienst separately for tax or VAT?
No. Once your registration is complete, the KVK passes your details to the Belastingdienst, which writes to you within 2 weeks of your start date. You receive a VAT number automatically only if the Belastingdienst deems you an entrepreneur for VAT purposes. For a sole proprietorship the VAT number and the VAT-id differ.
Can I turn my sole proprietorship into a BV later?
Yes. A civil-law notary converts it and in most cases also registers the BV and its UBOs, so you do not visit the KVK. The BV gets a new KVK number and VAT ID, a shielded home address becomes public and permits may need reapplying. The KVK indicates EUR 500 to EUR 1,500 for a notary to incorporate.
Do I need to register my business if it is a sole proprietorship?
Yes, if your business is established in the Netherlands. The Business Register Act 2007 (arts. 5, 18 and 20) enters an enterprise belonging to a natural person and makes its owner file, within one week before or after the start of business. A founder abroad who works for Dutch clients without a Dutch branch need not register.
What happens if you do not register in the Netherlands?
Not filing for registration when the law requires it is prohibited by article 47 of the Business Register Act 2007. The government portal business.gov.nl says it is punishable under the Economic Offences Act, with a fine or imprisonment. Registering on time also gives you the KVK number your invoices must carry.
Can a foreigner open a business in the Netherlands?
Yes. A foreign founder needs a BSN through the municipality or the RNI, a DigiD and a Dutch visiting address. Someone without Dutch, EU, Norwegian, Icelandic, Liechtenstein or Swiss nationality registers at the RNI desks in Breda or Venlo only. A founder from outside the EEA and Switzerland may not work self-employed without the residence permit for it.
How do I apply for a KVK number in the Netherlands?
You complete the online registration form with your own DigiD; the form is in Dutch and Form 1 shows its questions in English and Dutch. In most cases you then book an appointment at a KVK office. You receive the number at the appointment, or by post in the week of your start date after an early visit.
What do I need to register in the Netherlands?
Unexpired proof of identity, a BSN, a DigiD and proof of your Dutch visiting address. If you live abroad, also the original population-register extract showing your address: no more than 2 months old for the office appointment, 1 month on the exceptional postal route, translated where needed and legalised if you live outside the EU.
Who qualifies as a sole proprietor?
A natural person to whom an enterprise established in the Netherlands belongs. The enterprise is entered in the Business Register and its owner must file for registration. One person can hold one sole proprietorship, which may carry several trade names and activities, and the KVK registers each trade name publicly.
How much does it cost to register a business in the Netherlands?
The KVK charges a one-off registration fee of EUR 85.15 in 2026, tax-deductible for entrepreneurs, invoiced by email and not payable in cash. A certified extract costs EUR 19.20 on paper or EUR 9.60 digitally, and RNI registration is free. Our own fee is on request.
What are the new rules for freelancers in the Netherlands?
The KVK flags false self-employment and the Employment Relationships Deregulation Act (Wet DBA) on its own registration page, because they may make a contractor doubt whether to register. A contractor's situation, including the hours criterion, is set out on our freelancer registration page.
Ready to prepare your registration?
You register; we prepare your file and go with you. Our fee is on request.