Residence permit for start-up founders
Start-up Visa Facilitator in the Netherlands for Non-EU Founders
Your start-up permit prepared with a facilitator RVO accepts: the agreement, the start-up's registration, the IND file and the switch a year later.
- IND fee EUR 423.00 (2026)
- Decision period 90 days
- Valid at most one year
- Facilitator accepted by RVO
The start-up permit behind the "startup visa"
We prepare the start-up permit for non-EU founders who will build an innovative business in the Netherlands and work in it as self-employed. The market's "startup visa" is this residence permit (art. 3.30(6) Vb 2000), granted with a facilitator RVO accepts; the visa proper is the MVV, which some nationalities need to enter.
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals need no permit. Owning a Dutch company from abroad needs none either, but a founder on the Dutch payroll who lives abroad is refused the self-employed permit later. US nationals compare a Dutch BV under the Dutch American Friendship Treaty. The route is settled in a conversation.
What's included
Eight parts, from the first route check to the switch a year later.
Route screen
This permit, the points-tested self-employed permit, the treaty route or no permit at all: sorted before anything is signed.
Facilitator due diligence
A shortlist from RVO's list of recognised facilitators, by sector or programme, or an organisation outside it, checked against the regulator's own test. We recommend no facilitator by name.
Agreement and cap table review
The guidance and its conditions, the facilitator's interest disclosed, no majority stake, no strangling terms, and a signatory authorised to sign.
Registration of the start-up
A sole proprietorship or a BV, with your control visible in the KVK Business Register before RVO gives its advice.
Plan check
Your role, the idea, its innovation and the first-year steps, plus RVO's organisation items: set-up, roles and tasks, legal form, staff and purpose.
Means for one year
One of the four evidence routes assembled and checked: your own or the company's account, foreign transfers, the facilitator's financing, or a third party.
Filing and follow-up
The IND or embassy file, your no-family declaration, a completeness letter answered within its two weeks, and the decision period tracked.
The switch
The calendar to the change of purpose, the facilitator's declaration on RVO's model, then the first extension of the self-employed permit.
What RVO checks before it advises
Only the conditions of Annex 8b to the Aliens Regulation, checked by us before RVO reads them.
- Two years' experience guiding innovative starters, with at least two persons.
- A tailor-made package of support for the founder.
- No bankruptcy or suspension of payments; sound solvency.
- The facilitator is registered with the KVK.
- A positive RVO advice under one year old avoids a new test.
- No family relationship with the founder up to the third degree.
- You have control (zeggenschap) of the start-up.
- An active role, not only shareholder or financier.
- Innovation in product, technology or organisation: one of three suffices.
- The agreement: interest disclosed, no majority, no strangling terms, authorised signatory.
How the process runs
Register first, file second: the order the regulation sets. A step without a statutory period has no official time.
Route screen and facilitator choice
Your route confirmed, then a facilitator from RVO's list or outside it, checked against the test above. No official time is published. You, with us.
Facilitator agreement signed
Only after we review the terms and the cap table against your control now and the 25 percent test at the switch. You and the facilitator sign.
Start-up registered
A non-EU founder's BV is a paper deed before a notaris (civil-law notary), possible by power of attorney; the KVK registration follows within one week (art. 20 Hrw 2007). You; the notaris; the KVK.
Step-by-step plan
Your role, the idea, its innovation and the first-year steps, written with the facilitator and checked by us against the Aliens Circular and RVO's items. You and the facilitator.
Means and business account
One of the four evidence routes. Banks usually need a KVK number first; the NVB Quick Scan is open to facilitator clients before arrival. See our page on a corporate bank account in the Netherlands. You; the bank.
Filing
Already here on a short-stay visa or visa-free: the IND, without an MVV. Some nationals, for example US or Japanese, file directly on form 9541; form 7558 switches from another Dutch permit; otherwise the embassy. You or your authorised representative.
Assessment
RVO advises on the facilitator, the innovation and the plan; the IND assesses the means and decides within 90 days, extendable to at most six months. An incomplete file adds two weeks. RVO and the IND.
The year and the switch
At least three months of guidance, the facilitator's declaration on RVO's model, then the change of purpose filed before the permit expires, prepared by our entrepreneur visa service. You, with us.
- Route screen and facilitator choiceYou, with usNo official time is published
- Agreement signedYou and the facilitatorNo official time is published
- Start-up registeredYou; the notaris; the KVKKVK registration within one week (art. 20 Hrw 2007)
- Step-by-step planYou and the facilitatorNo official time is published
- Means and business accountYou; the bankNo official time is published
- Filing at the IND or the embassyYou or your authorised representativeIND fee EUR 423.00, 2026
- AssessmentRVO and the IND90 days, at most six months
- The year and the switchYou, with usAt least three months of guidancePermit at most one year
Is your facilitator agreement ready for RVO?
Have the agreement and the cap table read against RVO's test before you sign, not after.
Documents you will need
What the IND and RVO read, gathered before filing.
- Your passport.
- The facilitator agreement, signed by both parties.
- Your declaration of no family tie with the facilitator.
- The step-by-step plan for the first year.
- Proof the start-up is in the KVK Business Register.
- Means evidence in one of the four accepted forms.
- Form 9541 or 7558, or the embassy application, with the fee.
- Legalised and translated foreign documents, where required.
- For a BV: your identification for the notary, by power of attorney if abroad.
- The facilitator's own evidence of experience and financial health.
Requirements, state fees and timing in 2026
State fees and statutory periods only, each with its year. Our own fee is on request.
| Item | 2026 figure or rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| IND fee, first application or change of purpose | EUR 423.00 | IND, fees, read on 29 September 2026 |
| IND fee, switch to the self-employed permit after the start-up year | EUR 423.00 | IND, fees |
| IND fee, family members | Partner EUR 254.00; child EUR 85.00 | IND, fees |
| Means for one year | The IND single-person norm, EUR 1,635.90 gross a month without holiday allowance (EUR 1,766.77 with it), valid 1 July to 31 December 2026; RVO ties the level to it; the IND assesses the total | IND, required amounts, read on 29 September 2026; RVO, explanation of the conditions |
| Decision period | 90 days, extendable to at most six months; an incomplete file adds two weeks | IND, decision periods, read on 3 October 2026 |
| Validity | At most one year; not renewable on the start-up ground | Aliens Decree, art. 3.58(1), row c, read on 3 October 2026 |
| The switch | 30 points in each of parts A, B and C on the facilitator's declaration after three months of positive guidance | Aliens Regulation, art. 3.20a(2) and Annex 8a, read on 29 September 2026 |
| KVK one-off registration, any legal form | EUR 85.15 | Art. 5 Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019 |
| Facilitator fees; legalisation and translation of documents | Private, not published | business.gov.nl, residence permit for foreign startups |
State figures for 2026. IND fees change each 1 January; no official page states a yearly means total, so none is shown.
Problems we solve
No acceptance rate is published. These are the structural points a file turns on.
- A facilitator who wants too much of the company
A minority interest is allowed when the agreement discloses it. A majority stake or a strangling term fails RVO's test, whatever the programme offers in return.
- Equity that runs out before the switch
You need control of the start-up now. For the switch, plan on the 25 percent test the Aliens Circular, B6/2.5 sets for BV founders; each essential hire takes 1 percent or EUR 65,000.
- A company registered too late
No registration means a negative RVO advice, and a non-EU founder's BV is a paper deed. Weighing shelf companies in the Netherlands instead? That is a notarial share transfer, where we assist the buyer, and your control must still show in the register.
- What Is a Dutch BV?
- Means proved the wrong way
The facilitator's financing is one of four evidence routes, not a requirement. You or your authorised representative file the application, not the facilitator.
- A permit that cannot be renewed
The year ends in a change of purpose filed before expiry, carried by the facilitator's declaration after three months of positive guidance.
- Founder control and an active role
- The facilitator holds a minority only
- Annex 8b VV
- At least 1 percent of the issued capital, or EUR 65,000
- Art. 3.20e VV
- 25 percent or more
- Risk and influence over own salary
- Vc B6/2.5
Planning the cap table for the switch?
We read the agreement and the cap table against both checkpoints: your control at filing and 25 percent at the switch.
Hiring essential start-up personnel
Your start-up as employer: no work permit and no recognised sponsor (BuWav 2022, art. 2.7).
| Condition | 2026 rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Legal form and control | A BV, CV or NV; the founders have control and an active role; the shareholding is shown; a KVK extract | Aliens Regulation, Annex 8c |
| Salary floor | EUR 3,122.00 gross a month without holiday allowance; indexed each 1 January | IND, required amounts; BuWav 2022, art. 2.7(5) |
| Participation | At least 1 percent of the issued capital, or a stake worth at least EUR 65,000; no individual performance conditions; vesting within three years | Aliens Regulation, art. 3.20e |
| Caps | At most five such hires; no more than fifteen employees at assessment | BuWav 2022, art. 2.7(2) and (4), read on 3 October 2026 |
| Facilitator shortcut | Filed within 18 months of signing the facilitator agreement, with the facilitator still involved: no new test of organisation, innovation, scalability and financing | Aliens Regulation, Annex 8c |
| Financing shortcut | A financing agreement of at least EUR 100,000 with a venture capital investor or a Dutch bank | Aliens Circular, B5/4 |
| IND fee | EUR 423.00 for a first application, change of purpose or extension | IND, fees |
| End of the scheme | Continues until 1 June 2028; those already employed under it until 31 May 2029 | business.gov.nl; BuWav 2022, art. 8.1 |
Conditions for 2026. The Aliens Circular counts the 18 months from the end of the agreement; we plan on the earlier, signing-based date.
Why work with us
The facilitator agreement and the cap table are read together before signing, and the start-up is registered before the file goes in. The IND decides, RVO advises, and we are not a facilitator.
Elif Demir, Compliance, licensing and founder permits lead, Amsterdam; Turkish, Dutch and English.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pick a facilitator from the RVO list?
No. RVO keeps a list of recognised facilitators and says the list is not final: another organisation that meets the criteria can also qualify, and is then tested inside your application. A facilitator with a positive RVO advice less than one year old is not tested again. We recommend no facilitator by name.
What does RVO check about a facilitator?
At least two years' experience guiding innovative starters, with at least two persons, and a tailor-made package of support. The facilitator must not be bankrupt or in suspension of payments, must have sound solvency and be registered with the KVK, and may hold no majority interest and have no family tie to the founder up to the third degree.
Can the facilitator take equity in my start-up?
Yes, a minority interest, and it must be clear from the facilitator agreement. A majority interest fails RVO's test, as does a strangling term. You must keep control of the start-up and an active role in it, not only as shareholder or financier. At the switch, a BV founder also meets a 25 percent test.
What must the facilitator agreement say, and what may it not contain?
It describes the nature and conditions of the tailor-made guidance and the facilitator's interest in the business, if any. Both parties sign it, the facilitator through someone authorised to sign. It may not contain strangling terms or give the facilitator a majority interest, and its terms may not harm the founder's development.
Do I need to register a company before I apply?
Yes. RVO checks the Business Register itself, and no registration means a negative advice. The law does not prescribe a BV. A non-EU founder who chooses one signs a paper deed before a Dutch civil-law notary, possibly by power of attorney, because the electronic deed in English is open only to EU nationals.
How much money do I need for the start-up permit?
Means must be available for one year and may come from you, the company, the facilitator or a third party. RVO ties the level to the IND single-person norm: EUR 1,635.90 gross a month without holiday allowance, EUR 1,766.77 with it, for 1 July to 31 December 2026. The IND assesses the total.
What does the IND charge for the start-up permit in 2026?
EUR 423.00 for a first application or change of purpose, and EUR 423.00 again for the later switch to the self-employed permit. A partner pays EUR 254.00 and a child EUR 85.00. IND fees change each 1 January. Facilitator fees are private and unpublished, and our own fee is on request.
How long does the IND take to decide?
The legal decision period is 90 days. The IND can extend it by several weeks, to at most six months. If the file is incomplete, you get two weeks to send the missing documents, and the decision period runs two weeks longer. The preparation before filing has no official duration.
Can I apply from inside the Netherlands?
Yes. A founder who is already in the Netherlands to set up the innovative business, on a short-stay visa or visa-free, needs no MVV and files with the IND. Founders of some nationalities, for example US or Japanese, may apply directly to the IND on form 9541. Others living abroad apply at the Dutch embassy or consulate.
Can the start-up permit be extended after one year?
No. It is valid for at most one year and cannot be renewed on the start-up ground. The continuation is a change of purpose to the self-employed permit, filed before the permit expires. The facilitator's declaration after three months of positive guidance gives 30 points in each of the three parts, the pass mark.
Can my start-up hire non-EU staff as essential start-up personnel?
Yes, within the scheme: a BV, CV or NV, a salary of at least EUR 3,122.00 gross a month in 2026, a participation of at least 1 percent or EUR 65,000, and at most five such hires. No work permit or recognised-sponsor status is needed. The scheme continues until 1 June 2028.
What are the requirements for a Dutch startup visa?
An innovative business in which you work as a self-employed person, a facilitator RVO accepts, sufficient means for the stay, and a showing that you will meet the self-employed conditions within one year. Innovation can lie in the product or service, in new technology, or in the organisation. Both you and the facilitator are registered with the KVK.
What is the 5 year rule in the Netherlands?
Permanent residence needs five consecutive years of lawful residence, and holding a temporary right of residence on the day the application is received is a ground for refusal (art. 21 Vw 2000). Whether the start-up year counts towards the five years is not settled on any official page we have read, so we promise nothing on it.
What are the requirements for obtaining permanent residency in the Netherlands?
Five consecutive years of lawful residence, and no temporary right of residence on the day the application is received. The start-up permit is the first step of a longer path through the self-employed permit, granted for up to two years, then up to five per renewal. How the start-up year counts is not settled.
Can my family join me on a start-up permit?
Family members file their own applications and pay their own IND fees: EUR 254.00 for a partner and EUR 85.00 for a child in 2026. The income a start-up founder must show for a family is not stated on any official page we have read, so it is checked case by case.
Ready to plan your start-up permit?
Tell us your nationality, whether a facilitator is in view and whether the start-up is registered; we reply with the next step.