Company setup
Company Registration Netherlands
Registering a Dutch company is mechanically simple and strategically easy to get wrong. The legal form you pick on day one determines your liability, your tax position and, for foreign founders, how smoothly your residence and banking fall into place afterwards.
We manage the incorporation end to end and in the right order, with the notary, the Chamber of Commerce, the tax authority and the bank each getting exactly what they need the first time.
What does setting up a Dutch company involve?
Setting up in the Netherlands means choosing a legal structure before anything else. A sole proprietorship, the eenmanszaak or ZZP, is fast and inexpensive but leaves you personally liable for the company’s debts. A BV is a private limited company: a separate legal person that protects your personal assets, incorporated through a Dutch notary.
That choice drives everything downstream, including how you are taxed, whether you can bring in shareholders, how banks and clients assess you, and in several cases which residence permit you qualify for. It is far cheaper to choose correctly at the start than to convert later.
We register companies for
- Foreign founders establishing their first Dutch entity
- International companies opening a Dutch branch or subsidiary
- DAFT and startup visa applicants whose permit depends on a clean setup
- Holding structures that need a Dutch operating company
What incorporation requires
The legal form you choose in week one determines your tax, your liability and your credibility with Dutch counterparties for years.
- A BV requires a civil-law notary and a deed of incorporation. A eenmanszaak and a VOF do not.
- Share capital for a BV can be as little as one euro, so capital is no longer the reason to choose one form over another.
- Every company needs a registered Dutch business address. A postbox is not accepted by the KvK.
- Directors and shareholders must be identified under UBO rules, and the ultimate beneficial owner is recorded in a separate register.
- VAT registration follows automatically from KvK registration, and the tax office issues the number separately.
- A residence permit is a prerequisite for running a business here as a non-EU national, and the company cannot substitute for it.
The setup, piece by piece
Structure and name
BV, branch office or sole proprietorship, chosen for your situation, plus a trade name check before you print anything.
Notary coordination
A BV is incorporated by Dutch notarial deed. We brief the notary, prepare the shareholder details and arrange execution, including with founders who are still abroad.
KvK and tax registration
Registration in the Business Register, UBO filing, and the VAT number from the Belastingdienst that lets you invoice.
Business banking
Dutch banks are careful with foreign founders. We prepare the file that answers their compliance questions and introduce you where we can.
Registered address
Every Dutch company needs a real address. We help you arrange premises or a compliant registered office before filings begin.
How incorporation runs
- 01
Design
Structure, shareholders and address decided in one working session.
- 02
Execute
Notary deed, KvK registration and tax filings completed in sequence.
- 03
Operate
Bank account open, VAT number active, and your company ready to sign its first contract.
Professional fees for company setup
- Sole proprietorship (ZZP) Investment from €2,495
- Dutch BV Investment from €3,495
- International holding structure Tailor-made
- Structure advised before anything is filed, not after
- Notarial deed coordinated for a BV, including the incorporation documents
- Registration with the KvK and the Belastingdienst
- UBO register, VAT number and the first filing obligations set up correctly
Investment figures represent our professional service fees only and are intended as a guideline. Government fees (including IND filing fees), VAT, legalisation and apostille costs, sworn translations, consular charges and any third-party expenses are not included unless explicitly stated in the proposal.
If your residence permit is still pending, the order of operations matters: some steps can proceed before arrival and some cannot. We plan the sequence around your immigration timeline.
Choosing the right structure
BV or eenmanszaak?
A eenmanszaak is faster, cheaper and taxed through income tax with entrepreneur deductions, but you are personally liable. A BV separates your liability, reads as more substantial to Dutch clients and banks, and becomes tax-efficient once profits are meaningful. Most consultants start as a eenmanszaak and convert when the numbers justify the notary.
How long does a BV take?
Usually one to three weeks. The notary needs identification, the intended structure and a name check, and the KvK registration follows the deed. Where shareholders are abroad, legalised powers of attorney add time, so we start those first.
Can I incorporate before I have residence?
You can hold shares in a Dutch company from abroad, but working in it in the Netherlands needs the right permit. Setting up the company first and thinking about residence afterwards is the sequence that causes most of the problems we repair.
What about a registered address?
It must be a real address where the company is genuinely reachable, and both the KvK and the banks now check this. Virtual office packages vary enormously in whether they survive that scrutiny, and we point you to providers that do.
Before you incorporate
Do I need to be in the Netherlands to incorporate?
Not necessarily. A BV can be incorporated with a power of attorney while you are abroad, and we coordinate the legalized signatures the notary requires.
BV or eenmanszaak, which should I choose?
A BV limits liability and suits growth and investors; an eenmanszaak is lighter and cheaper to run. Tax and immigration factors tip the balance per case, so we advise on your numbers, not a rule of thumb.
How much share capital does a BV need?
Dutch law allows a BV to be founded with a symbolic share capital, even one eurocent. What matters is a capitalization that fits your business plan and, where relevant, your permit conditions.
Incorporate it properly, once
Tell us what the company will do and who owns it. We will propose the structure and start the clock.
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