Start-up visa Netherlands: the residence permit for foreign founders

The Dutch start-up residence permit (verblijfsvergunning voor buitenlandse start-ups) lets a founder from outside the EU spend one year in the Netherlands building an innovative business under the guidance of a recognised facilitator. It is valid for one year only and cannot be extended, so you must plan the follow-on application, normally the residence permit for self-employed persons, from day one.

It is not scored by points and it is not an investor visa: the permit turns on whether an experienced Dutch mentor is willing to vouch for you. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) advises the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), which decides on the application.

What is the start-up residence permit?

It is a temporary regular residence permit (type I) under Article 14 of the Aliens Act 2000 (Vreemdelingenwet 2000), with the purpose “work as a self-employed person” worked out in Article 3.30 of the Aliens Decree 2000 (Vreemdelingenbesluit 2000). The IND start-up page sets out the current conditions.

The scheme exists because the ordinary self-employed permit asks a founder to show in advance that the business adds value to the Dutch economy, which a pre-revenue start-up usually cannot do. The start-up permit replaces that proof with the judgement of an experienced Dutch organisation. You may work for your own business; a salaried job on the side needs a work permit (TWV) from that employer.

What does the facilitator requirement involve?

What is a facilitator?

A facilitator is an established Dutch organisation that mentors you through the permit year, such as an accelerator, an incubator or a university-linked programme. It supplies a support package tailored to your venture, for example on operational management, product development, marketing and access to investors, and RVO examines its standing as part of its advice to the IND.

Which conditions must the facilitator meet?

RVO keeps a public list of facilitators that meet the scheme’s conditions. Under the IND conditions, the facilitator must:

• have demonstrable experience guiding innovative start-ups;
• be financially sound: no suspension of payments, no liquidation and no negative equity;
• hold no majority interest in your start-up;
• not be your relative up to and including the third degree (such as a parent, child, grandparent, uncle or aunt);
• have a deputy within the organisation, so mentoring does not depend on one person;
• be registered in the Dutch trade register (Handelsregister) of the Chamber of Commerce (KVK).

Working with a facilitator on the RVO list is the simplest route, because its suitability has already been assessed. An unlisted organisation is not automatically excluded, but your application must then prove that it meets each condition, and RVO checks this in the same advice.

What should the facilitator agreement cover?

The IND requires a signed agreement between you and the facilitator, not a letter of intent. It should describe the mentoring, facilities and network access, the duration and intensity of the guidance, the fee, equity or option arrangement, and how the cooperation can be ended. A stake for the facilitator is normal, but a majority interest disqualifies the application.

What must you meet personally?

Alongside the facilitator requirement, you must meet the following conditions, as well as the general conditions that apply to every residence permit.

• An innovative product or service. At least one of three tests: the product or service is new to the Netherlands; new technology is used in production, distribution or marketing; or the way of working and organising is new. RVO assesses this; a well-run copy of an existing Dutch business does not qualify.
• A step-by-step plan. It covers the organisation structure, roles and responsibilities, legal form, personnel, company goals, the innovative product or service, and the planning and activities for setting up the company.
• An active role. You must actually run or co-run the business; being a shareholder or financier is not enough.
• Registration in the trade register. Both you and the facilitator must be registered with the KVK, with an entry that shows your decision-making role.
• Sufficient means of support. Enough money for the whole year without public funds. The IND norm for a single person from 1 July 2026 is €1,766.77 gross per month including holiday allowance (€1,635.90 without), 70% of the statutory minimum wage; it changes every 1 January and 1 July. Proof is a statement from a Dutch personal or business account, or financing by the facilitator covering the whole stay of at most one year.
• A valid passport and a completed antecedents certificate.

How do you apply, and how long does it take?

If you need an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV), you apply for the MVV and the residence permit together in the entry and residence procedure (TEV). Nationals of, among others, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the United States are MVV-exempt and apply directly to the IND.

The IND has a legal decision period of 90 days, which can be extended if RVO’s advice or further documents are outstanding. A fee is payable on application and the IND does not process the application until it has been paid; the fee is revised every 1 January. After a positive decision you collect the MVV sticker, travel to the Netherlands, register with the municipality and collect the residence document.

What happens after the first year?

The start-up permit cannot be extended. Before it expires you must switch to another purpose of stay, normally the residence permit for self-employed persons (zelfstandige), which RVO ordinarily assesses on a points system for personal experience, the business plan and added value for the Netherlands.

The start-up route makes that switch easier. If your facilitator declares that you completed a mentoring process of at least three months, the IND treats the points test as met; RVO publishes a template for that declaration. You must still meet the other conditions, including KVK registration and sufficient lasting income from the business. A facilitator can refuse to issue the declaration, so raise it well before month nine.

Which alternative route suits you better?

The start-up permit is not always the right instrument. Four alternatives are worth weighing; current salary criteria are published by the IND and change every 1 January.

• Essential start-up personnel. A pilot from 1 June 2021 to 1 June 2028 for key employees of an innovative Dutch start-up with at most 15 staff, capped at five permits per company. In 2026 the employee must earn at least €3,122 gross per month and receive at least a 1% shareholding, or shares worth at least €65,000, within three years of the contract starting. The permit runs for up to three years.
• Highly skilled migrant through your own company. Your company must first be a recognised sponsor, and you must be genuinely employed at or above the salary criterion: in 2026 €5,942 gross per month from age 30 and €4,357 below 30. The permit runs with the contract, up to five years, and self-employed work alongside is allowed. The IND checks closely whether the employment is real when you control the employer.
• Orientation year. One year of free labour market access, including self-employment, for graduates of an accredited Dutch programme or a designated foreign university, or doctorate holders, within three years of graduating. It is the cheapest and least conditional way to test an idea, if you are eligible.
• EU Blue Card. For a founder keeping a salaried position. It requires a higher education diploma of at least three years, or five years of relevant experience at that level (three years for IT professionals), a contract of at least six months and a salary of at least €5,942 gross per month in 2026 (€4,754 for recent graduates). It is valid for up to five years and allows self-employed work alongside.

Can your family join you?

Yes, but a partner’s or child’s permit lasts only as long as yours, so twelve months at most in the start-up year. As sponsor, you must meet the IND income requirement for family reunification: from 1 July 2026 €2,523.96 gross per month including holiday allowance for a sponsor with a partner, and €1,766.77 for a single parent. Separate IND fees apply for a partner and for each minor child.

What should you check as a founder?

• Check that your facilitator is on the RVO list, or collect proof that it meets every condition.
• Read the equity clause in the facilitator agreement: a majority interest for the facilitator disqualifies the application.
• Document concretely why your product, technology or method is new to the Netherlands.
• Keep your means of support on a Dutch account, or in a documented financing commitment from the facilitator, for the full year.
• Report a change of facilitator or a major change to the business plan to the IND first; failing to report changes can lead to a fine or withdrawal of the permit.
• Start the mentoring early: you need at least three months of completed guidance for the declaration, and up to 90 days of decision time comes off the front of your year.

What should you check as a facilitator?

• Check that your organisation is registered with the KVK and has no negative equity.
• Keep your interest in the start-up below a majority.
• Appoint a deputy mentor within your organisation.
• Agree in writing how and when you will issue the three-month declaration for the self-employed application.

What can we do for you with a start-up residence permit?

Our immigration lawyers assist founders and facilitators from the first plan to the follow-on permit. Founders will also need an entity; see choosing a lawyer to set up a company in the Netherlands, and our immigration law guides for the neighbouring permits.

• We assess whether the start-up permit or one of the alternative routes fits your situation.
• We review or draft the facilitator agreement, including the equity and termination clauses.
• We prepare the application file for the IND and RVO, including the step-by-step plan and proof of means.
• We prepare the switch to the self-employed permit, including the facilitator declaration.
• We file an objection (bezwaar) within the four-week deadline if the IND refuses the application.

Summary

• The start-up permit gives you one year, once, with no extension, so prepare the follow-on application from the start.
• A signed agreement with a qualifying facilitator is the core of the application; RVO advises the IND on it.
• You must also meet the personal conditions: innovative product, step-by-step plan, active role, KVK registration and sufficient means.
• A facilitator declaration after at least three months of guidance replaces the points test when you switch to the self-employed permit.
• Weigh the orientation year, the highly skilled migrant route and the EU Blue Card before you commit to a facilitator.

Frequently asked questions