If you are from outside the EU and want to work as an independent entrepreneur (zelfstandige) in the Netherlands, you need a residence permit for self-employment, and the IND grants it only if your business serves an essential Dutch interest. The main exceptions: nationals of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland need no permit at all, and US and Japanese nationals can rely on a treaty that replaces the points test with an investment of, in most cases, at least €4,500.
Which regime applies to you determines everything else. This article explains the routes, the conditions and the procedure.
Table of contents
Who can work as a self-employed person without a permit?
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals have free access to the Dutch labour market. You can start your business without a visa or residence permit; a valid passport or identity card is enough.
You still register with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) in the Trade Register, like every Dutch entrepreneur, and with the municipality if you come to live here.
Which residence permit fits your plans?
Non-EU nationals choose between three routes, depending on the stage of the business. All three require registration with the KvK and any licences your profession needs.
Do you want to start an innovative start-up?
The start-up permit gives you one year to develop an innovative product or service under the guidance of a facilitator. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) checks the facilitator and the plan.
- You work with a reliable, experienced facilitator who has no controlling stake in your company and is not a close family member.
- Your product or service is new to the Netherlands, or based on new technology or a new way of organising.
- You have a step-by-step plan from idea to company.
- You and your facilitator are registered in the Trade Register of the KvK.
- You have enough means to live on in the Netherlands.
The start-up permit cannot be extended. Afterwards, you can apply for the self-employed permit if you meet its conditions.
Did you recently graduate?
The orientation year for highly educated persons (zoekjaar hoogopgeleiden) lets you look for work or start a business for one year. You must have graduated, obtained a PhD or done scientific research in the Netherlands, or at a designated foreign institution, within the past three years.
The permit is valid for one year and cannot be extended. You cannot get it twice for the same study programme or research project.
Do you want to work as a self-employed person for the long term?
Then you need the residence permit for self-employed persons. Your work must be of essential interest to the Dutch economy, or to Dutch culture if you are an artist, and the income from your business must be sufficient according to your business plan.
The permit is valid for a maximum of two years and allows self-employed work only; employed work requires a separate work permit (TWV). The IND fee for a first application is €423 in 2026.
How does the points system work?
RVO scores your application on three components: personal experience, business plan and added value for the Netherlands. You need at least 30 points on each component.
There is an alternative: if you score at least 45 points on both personal experience and business plan, the added value component is set at 30 points and the advice is positive. The scoring rules are in the IND’s published scoring system.
- Personal experience: education, experience as an entrepreneur, work experience, earlier income and an existing connection with the Netherlands, for example Dutch clients or trading partners.
- Business plan: a substantiated description of the product or service, the market, your pricing and the expected income, with documents such as contracts or letters of intent from clients.
- Added value: the investments, innovation and jobs the business brings to the Netherlands.
A business plan without figures or client evidence is the most common reason for a negative score.
Which exceptions apply to the points system?
The points system does not apply to US and Japanese nationals, Turkish nationals, and holders of long-term EU resident status from another EU country. Independent professions, such as medical specialists, are assessed on advice from the relevant ministry or body instead.
US nationals can rely on the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty and Japanese nationals on the Dutch-Japanese trade treaty. For most forms the IND requires an investment of at least €4,500 in the business. For a first application, you must register with the KvK and make the investment within six months of the date on the decision letter; otherwise the IND may revoke the permit.
Turkish nationals are assessed under the more favourable rules that applied before the points system, based on the standstill clause of the EU-Turkey Association Agreement.
Do you also need an entry visa (MVV)?
Many non-EU nationals first need a provisional residence permit (MVV) to enter the Netherlands; nationals of several countries are exempt. The IND website lists the exemptions.
If you need an MVV, you apply for it together with the residence permit through the entry and residence procedure (TEV), at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country of residence. The IND checks that the application is complete and the fee is paid before it assesses the conditions.
What are your duties after you receive the permit?
You must inform the IND of changes in your situation, such as ending your business. If you do not, the IND can impose an administrative fine.
After five years of work in the Netherlands, you can apply for a permit with the endorsement that you are free to work, so you no longer need a work permit for employed work.
What can we do for you as a self-employed entrepreneur?
Our immigration lawyers assist entrepreneurs at each stage:
- We determine which route applies to your nationality and plans: no permit, treaty, start-up or points system.
- We review your business plan against the RVO scoring components before you submit it.
- We prepare the application and the MVV through the TEV procedure.
- We check the investment and KvK registration under the US or Japanese treaty within the six-month period.
- We draft the objection (bezwaar) and file it with the IND within the four-week deadline if your application is refused.
Summary
- EU, EEA and Swiss nationals can work as self-employed persons in the Netherlands without a permit.
- Other nationals need a start-up permit, an orientation year permit or the self-employed permit.
- The self-employed permit requires at least 30 points on each of three components, or 45 points on personal experience and business plan.
- US and Japanese nationals skip the points system under their treaty; the IND usually requires an investment of €4,500.
- Against a refusal you can object within four weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Do EU citizens need a permit to work as a freelancer in the Netherlands?
No. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals have free access to the Dutch labour market. You only register your business in the Trade Register of the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) and, if you come to live here, with the municipality.
How many points do I need for the self-employed permit?
At least 30 points on each of the three components: personal experience, business plan and added value for the Netherlands. Alternatively, 45 points on both personal experience and business plan is enough.
How long is the self-employed residence permit valid?
A maximum of two years. You can then apply for an extension if you still meet the conditions.
Can US citizens start a business in the Netherlands more easily?
Yes. Under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, the points system does not apply. For most forms the IND requires an investment of at least €4,500, and you must register with the KvK and make the investment within six months of the decision.
