Founder permits
DAFT Visa Application for American Founders
We prepare your DAFT file with you: your first months in order, the capital test for your legal form, the IND's 2026 fees.
- US nationals: no MVV
- Capital floor EUR 4,500, your own money
- IND fee EUR 423.00 (2026)
- Spouse and children under the treaty
A business and a home, started together.
What's included in your DAFT application
The permit side of how to start a business in the Netherlands from abroad, for an American founder.
A route check against the published rule
Nationality, enterprise and capital, read against the IND's published rule. A reading, not a forecast.
The legal forms side by side
Sole proprietorship, general partnership or BV: capital test, evidence, who registers. You decide after a conversation.
The order of your first months
Address and BSN, DigiD, business, bank, capital, IND file; the order confirmed with the IND.
The IND file, assembled with you
Application, KVK extract and capital evidence for your form. We prepare the file and the sequence; you sign and file it.
Your household's applications
Your spouse's and unmarried minor children's applications, prepared alongside yours.
A renewal calendar
Expiry, renewal deadline and capital floor, in one calendar.
Where our service stops
The IND decides; no approval, rate or date is promised. The owner registers a sole proprietorship; a notary incorporates a BV. No nominee or resident director, nominee shareholder, general power of attorney or company for the capital test.
Not part of this service
A client who takes this service does not take our address. No filing in your name and no individual tax advice. Our fee is on request.
Who the treaty route covers
The IND grants a regular fixed-term residence permit (verblijfsvergunning regulier voor bepaalde tijd) under art. 3.30 Vb in these situations.
- Two other situations
A key position with a US company in the Netherlands, or a liberal profession other than a public task or a healthcare or public-safety function.
- Outside this route
A silent partner of a limited partnership (commanditaire vennootschap, CV) is outside the treaty. Japanese nationals: please use the enquiry form.
- Other founder permits
The start-up and self-employed routes are separate permits: the start-up visa application and our freelance visa service.
Capital, evidence and documents by legal form
The capital test and evidence by legal form, from the IND's Aliens Circular: conditions, not a recommendation.
Source: the IND's Aliens Circular, Vc 2000 (B) B6/2.5 and B6/4.5 (checked on 29 September 2026); arts. 2:175, 2:175a and 2:176 BW; KVK.
| Legal form | Capital test | Evidence the IND lists | Who registers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak) | Enough capital to run the business independently, assessed per case; floor EUR 4,500 | Business bank statement showing the invested amount, and the opening balance (openingsbalans) | The owner, online with their own DigiD, then an appointment at a KVK office; one sole proprietorship per person |
| General partnership (vennootschap onder firma, vof) | At least 25 percent of the partnership capital; floor EUR 4,500 | Deed or contract stating each partner's financial share, the opening balance and the business bank statement | Covered on our VOF page |
| Private limited company (besloten vennootschap, BV) | At least 25 percent of the paid-up capital; floor EUR 4,500 | The deed of incorporation (oprichtingsakte) | The civil-law notary (notaris), by a deed in Dutch; the English electronic deed is for EU nationals only; a written power of attorney if you do not appear |
| Limited partnership (CV) | The managing partner as in a vof; a silent partner is outside the treaties | The evidence list has no CV line | Not covered on this page |
Every file carries the KVK extract and the application for work as a self-employed person; borrowed capital does not count. Each form has a page: the Dutch sole proprietorship, the VOF registration page, and how to open a BV in the Netherlands.
A separate page covers shelf companies in the Netherlands under its own conditions; none is presented here as a DAFT route.
How the DAFT application works, step by step
The Circular's evidence list puts registration and capital first. Market sources report an IND pilot that reverses that; no official text was found, so the order is confirmed with the IND when you apply.
Each step has its place: municipality, KVK, notary for a BV, bank. Other tasks of moving to the Netherlands as an entrepreneur sit outside them.
Route and household check
(you, with us). Nationality, enterprise, family and any licence the activity needs. No official time is published.
The legal form
(you decide, after a conversation). Capital test and evidence, as in the table above.
Arrival
(you). No MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf, provisional residence permit) for a US national; filing suspends removal, with exceptions, and the Aliens Act, art. 8 treats you as lawfully resident meanwhile.
Address, BSN and DigiD
(you). A BRP address gives your BSN (citizen service number); register in person within five days for a stay of at least two thirds of half a year (Wet BRP art. 2.38). From abroad: RNI desks in Breda or Venlo; DigiD by collection code (valid 30 days), then activation code.
The business
(the owner, or a notary). The owner registers a sole proprietorship online with DigiD, then at a KVK appointment, fee EUR 85.15 (2026): see our KVK registration walkthrough. A notary incorporates a BV, seated in the Netherlands. A founder abroad needs structural physical business activities and a business address here.
Bank and capital
(you; the bank decides). Your own money, not borrowed. Banks usually want the KVK number first; approval often takes 2 to 8 weeks, as an indication (business.gov.nl). See the bank account of a Dutch start-up.
The IND file
(you, with us). Application, KVK extract, capital evidence and family applications; fees EUR 423.00, EUR 254.00 per partner, EUR 85.00 per child (2026). You sign and file.
The IND decides
90 days for this category of permit, extendable by several weeks to 6 months at most; 2 more weeks for an incomplete file (IND decision periods).
Official timing Indication only
- Route and household checkYou, with usNo official time is published
- The legal formYou decide, after a conversationNo official time is published
- ArrivalYou: no MVV for a US nationalNo official time is published
- BRP or RNI, BSN and DigiDYou: the address gives your BSNIn person within five days (Wet BRP art. 2.38) DigiD collection code valid 30 days
- The business: KVK or notaryThe owner registers a sole proprietorship; a notary incorporates a BVKVK fee EUR 85.15 (2026) No official time is published
- Bank and capitalYou; the bank decidesOften 2 to 8 weeks, an indication
- The IND fileYou sign and fileNo official time is published
- The IND decidesExtendable by several weeks90 days for this category of permit, to a maximum of 6 months
Loop between address, KVK and bank: the KVK needs a BRP address; the bank usually needs the KVK number; a sole proprietorship's evidence is a bank statement.
Order confirmed with the IND when you apply.
Not sure which legal form your file must evidence?
Tell us your plans and co-founders; we reply with your form's capital test, evidence and steps.
What the state charges in 2026
IND fees change every 1 January, so each amount carries its year. Our fee is on request.
2026 amounts. Sources: IND fees (checked on 29 September 2026); Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, art. 5; KVK; the IND's Aliens Circular, B6/2.5.
| Cost | Amount | Year and status | Who pays, and when | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IND, applicant: first application or change of purpose | EUR 423.00 | 2026 IND fee | You, at filing | IND fee table |
| IND, applicant: extension | EUR 423.00 | 2026 IND fee | You, at each renewal | IND fee table |
| IND, partner (married or unmarried) | EUR 254.00 | 2026 IND fee, also for an extension | Your partner, at filing | IND fee table |
| IND, child under 18 | EUR 85.00 | 2026 IND fee, also for an extension | Each child, at filing | IND fee table |
| KVK registration | EUR 85.15, the same for every legal form | 2026, statutory | Once, on registration | Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, art. 5 |
| Civil-law notary, BV only | Between EUR 500 and EUR 1,500, depending on the notary | 2026 KVK indication, not a tariff | Paid to the notary, if a BV is chosen | KVK |
| IND, replacement residence document | EUR 171.00 | 2026 IND fee | The holder, if the document is lost, stolen or damaged, or its details change | IND fee table |
| IND, permanent residence permit | EUR 254.00; child under 18, EUR 85.00 | 2026 IND fee | The applicant, after five years | IND fee table |
| The capital | At least EUR 4,500; for a vof or BV also at least 25 percent of the capital | Not a fee: your own money, kept in the business | You, before the IND file | The IND's Aliens Circular, B6/2.5 |
From the lines above: an applicant, a spouse and two children under 18 pay EUR 423.00 + EUR 254.00 + EUR 85.00 + EUR 85.00 = EUR 847.00 to the IND, plus EUR 85.15 to the KVK for a sole proprietorship: EUR 932.15, before the capital and any notary fee.
Work, family and renewal after the grant
What the permit allows and requires.
Your own card
It covers self-employment (arbeid als zelfstandige); a job needs a work permit (TWV, tewerkstellingsvergunning).
Spouse and children
Your spouse and unmarried minor children are admitted under the treaty's Protocol, without a means test. Their card allows self-employment and free work while your permit runs. An unmarried partner is not named.
Keep the capital
If the capital falls below the floor for your legal form, the IND withdraws the permit.
Renew on time
First permit at most two years, each extension at most five (art. 3.58 Vb). A renewal received after the day before expiry counts as a first application (art. 3.80 Vb). EUR 423.00 (2026).
Five years on
After five consecutive years of lawful residence, permanent residence (Aliens Act, art. 21); refusal grounds include insufficient means and unmet civic integration (inburgering). EUR 254.00 (2026), decided within 6 months. Starting a business gives no Dutch citizenship (business.gov.nl).
- GrantFirst permit, at most two yearsart. 3.58(1)(c) Vb
- RenewalReceived at the latest the day before expiryart. 3.80(1) Vb
- Each extensionAt most five yearsart. 3.58(1)(c) Vb
- Five consecutive years of lawful residencePermanent permit; the IND decides within 6 monthsart. 21(1) Vw; IND
Capital at or above the floor for your legal form (the IND's Aliens Circular, B6/2.5)
Where DAFT applications stall
How we handle the points where a file waits; no result is promised.
Which step comes first
The evidence list puts registration and capital first; a reported pilot reverses that without an official text, so the order is confirmed with the IND when you apply.
Capital that counts
EUR 4,500 is a floor; a vof or BV also needs at least 25 percent of its capital. Your own money, kept at or above the floor.
The BV deed for a non-EU founder
The English electronic deed is for EU nationals; a US founder uses the notary's Dutch paper deed, with a written power of attorney if absent.
The late renewal
A renewal received after the day before expiry counts as a first application. Your calendar carries that date from the grant.
Want your own dates checked against the IND's rules?
Send your arrival date, legal form and family details; we check them against the IND's rules.
Who prepares your file
Lina Haddad, Founder permits and banking lead. Arabic, Dutch, English. Not an advocaat, immigration lawyer or IND recognised sponsor: you sign, the IND decides.
From our practice: before drafting, we put a founder's dates in order, from address to IND file, and prepare the family's applications alongside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an official DAFT approval rate?
We know of no official figure. No IND page we have read publishes an approval or success rate for the treaty route, so this page prints none, and a percentage quoted elsewhere has no official source we could find. What can be checked before filing is whether your file meets the published rule for your legal form.
Can I borrow the EUR 4,500, or does it have to be my own money?
It has to be your own. The IND's Aliens Circular says borrowed capital does not count. EUR 4,500 is a floor for every legal form: a vof also needs at least 25 percent of the partnership capital, and a BV at least 25 percent of the paid-up capital. The capital must then stay at or above the floor.
Can I apply for DAFT as a tourist after I land in the Netherlands?
A US national's application is not refused for want of an MVV. Filing a first application suspends removal, with exceptions, and the Aliens Act treats a person awaiting the decision as lawfully resident where removal is withheld. Whether the business may trade before the grant is not stated on the official pages we have read.
What happens to my permit if my business loses money?
The IND's Aliens Circular says the permit is withdrawn if the substantial capital falls below the minimum for the legal form. The rule is about the capital, so the renewal calendar we keep with you includes the floor. What else the IND checks at renewal is not published on the pages we have read.
Can I take a job on a DAFT permit?
Not freely. The permit is for work as a self-employed person, and the IND's Aliens Circular says its holder may take employment only with a work permit (TWV). Your spouse's card is different: it allows self-employment and free work without a work permit, for as long as your own permit runs.
Can my unmarried partner come with me?
The treaty's Protocol and the IND's Aliens Circular name the spouse and the unmarried minor children. An unmarried partner is not named in the exemption from the means test, and we found no IND statement that extends it. Your own situation is a question for a conversation before any file is prepared.
Do I register the business first or apply to the IND first?
The Circular's evidence list names the KVK extract and the business bank statement or the deed of incorporation, which implies registration and capital first. Market sources report an IND pilot that grants the permit first; we found no official text on it. So the order is confirmed with the IND at the time you apply.
How do I get a DAFT visa?
You register at a Dutch address, or in the RNI from abroad, to get a BSN and a DigiD. You then register the business, open its bank account with your own capital, and file the IND application for work as a self-employed person with the evidence for your legal form. The IND decides.
How long does it take to get a DAFT visa?
The IND's decision period for this category of permit is 90 days, and it can be extended by several weeks to a maximum of 6 months; an incomplete file gets 2 weeks to complete. Bank approval often takes 2 to 8 weeks, as an indication. No official time is published for finding housing or for the BSN.
How much money do you need for the DAFT visa?
The capital is the test, not an income: the IND's Aliens Circular sets the means test aside for a treaty national. The floor is EUR 4,500 for each legal form, with at least 25 percent of the capital for a vof or a BV. State fees come on top: IND EUR 423.00 and KVK EUR 85.15 (2026).
How much does a DAFT visa cost?
In 2026 the IND charges EUR 423.00 for the applicant, EUR 254.00 for a partner and EUR 85.00 for each child under 18; the KVK charges EUR 85.15 once. An applicant with a spouse, two children under 18 and a sole proprietorship pays EUR 932.15 in state fees, before the capital and any notary fee. Our fee is on request.
How long is a DAFT visa good for, and how do I renew it?
The first permit runs for at most two years and each extension for at most five (art. 3.58 Vb). The IND must receive the renewal at the latest the day before the permit expires; a late one is treated as a first application. The extension fee is EUR 423.00 (2026), and the capital must still meet the floor.
Can my spouse work on a DAFT visa?
Yes. Your spouse and unmarried minor children are admitted under the treaty's Protocol, the IND does not apply the means test to them, and their card allows self-employment and free work without a work permit. Their permit runs for the length of yours, and each family member pays their own IND fee.
Is the DAFT treaty still in effect?
Yes. The consolidated text of the treaty on the government's statute site is marked as applying from 5 December 1957 to the present day, and the government's business portal points US citizens to it. The IND grants the residence permit under the treaty subsection of its Aliens Circular, as a regular fixed-term permit.
Does the DAFT lead to permanent residence or citizenship?
Permanent residence can be applied for after five consecutive years of lawful residence; the refusal grounds include insufficient means of support and the civic-integration requirement not met. Starting a business gives no Dutch citizenship, the government's business portal says. The permanent permit costs EUR 254.00 (2026), and the IND decides within 6 months.
Ready to plan your DAFT application?
Tell us where you stand. We reply with your route, evidence and steps. Our fee is on request.