Netherlands Residence Permit as a Self-employed Person

Applicants must meet the general immigration requirements, register the business in the Dutch Trade Register, hold any licences required for the activity, and demonstrate sufficient income. Freelancers must normally show one or more assignments in the Netherlands. A director-major shareholder may qualify where the person owns at least 25 percent, bears entrepreneurial risk, and can influence their own salary.

For most commercial applicants, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service requests advice from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. The proposal is assessed in three areas: personal experience, the business plan, and added value for the Netherlands. A positive result normally requires at least 30 points in each area. Alternatively, an applicant may qualify with at least 45 points for personal experience and 45 points for the business plan.

The assessment considers education, entrepreneurial and work experience, previous income, financing, market potential, business organisation, innovation, investment, and expected job creation. The product or service should provide genuine value to the Dutch market.

There is no general statutory minimum investment or personal net-worth threshold. However, the business plan must show credible financing and the applicant must meet the current income requirement of €1,766.77 gross profit per month, including holiday allowance. This amount applies from 1 July to 31 December 2026 and is updated periodically.

Applicants relying on the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty or Dutch-Japanese Trade Treaty are assessed under separate rules. For most business forms, the official substantial-capital requirement is at least €4,500. A higher threshold applies to a public limited company.

A detailed business plan is mandatory. It should cover the entrepreneur, product or service, Dutch market analysis, pricing, organisation, financing, balance sheet, three-year turnover and liquidity forecasts, planned investment, and expected employment.

Viamora can assist with market and industry research, competitor analysis, business-model development, pricing, sales and marketing strategy, operational planning, investment allocation, financial projections, implementation schedules, risk analysis, and supporting commercial documents.

A note on AI-generated plans: Generic, inaccurate, unverified, copied, or non-original artificial-intelligence-generated plans may undermine credibility, receive limited weight, or be rejected. Any technology-assisted material should be independently researched, verified, customised, and supported by reliable evidence.

Applicants who require a provisional residence visa normally apply through the Dutch embassy or consulate. Applicants already lawfully in the Netherlands and eligible to apply without that visa may submit the written application to the IND. The official decision period is 90 days, but it may be extended by up to six months when RVO or another authority is asked for advice.

The permit is valid for up to two years. After five years of qualifying residence, an applicant may be eligible to apply for permanent residence, subject to the requirements in force at that time. Eligible family members may also apply, and the partner of a self-employed permit holder is generally free to work.

Applicants may self-represent or appoint an authorised person. The Netherlands does not require the use of a separately licensed immigration consultant for this application. Lawyers are professionally regulated, while another representative generally acts through written authorisation. Viamora provides business planning, commercial strategy, and administrative support, with Dutch legal advice obtained from an appropriately authorised professional where needed.