Netherlands startup visa: requirements, cost, timeline

What is the Netherlands startup visa in 2026

The Dutch startup visa is neither a visa nor a long-term residence permit. It is a one-year trial period for a founder. Its official name is the residence permit start-up, and it is granted under Article 3.30(6) of the Aliens Decree 2000 (Vreemdelingenbesluit 2000). The wording of the law is blunt: the founder must make it plausible that within one year the business will meet the conditions of a regular self-employed residence permit.

That is the key difference from the neighbours. Denmark and Finland give startups a first permit of up to 2 years. The Netherlands gives 12 months, and the permit cannot be extended. When the year is up, there are two options: switch to a self-employed residence permit or find another legal basis to stay.

The decision is made by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service. But there is no permit without a positive opinion from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. At the immigration service's request, the enterprise agency checks four things: the facilitator, how innovative the project is, the step-by-step plan and the registration in the trade register.

Legally this is an ordinary fixed-term permit (the immigration service classifies it as type I, a temporary regular residence permit). It gives the right to live in the Netherlands, run a company and travel across the Schengen area. The route is open to all nationals from outside the European Union, including Russian and Ukrainian citizens. The immigration service page for Russian nationals lists no separate restrictions, whereas Ireland's Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP), for example, no longer accepts applications from Russian and Belarusian citizens.

Dollar amounts use the market rates, rounded up: 1.1229 dollars per euro on 20 October 2026 and 6.65 Danish kroner per dollar on 17 October 2026.

What is a startup facilitator and how to find one in the Netherlands

Without a facilitator - a mentor with experience in guiding startups - an application will not get past the enterprise agency's first check. A facilitator can be a business incubator, an accelerator, a venture fund or a university entrepreneurship centre. The partnership is set out in a signed agreement that describes the support package: operational management, marketing, research, fundraising.

The enterprise agency publishes an open list of recognised facilitators. In 2026 it has 31 organisations, and most of them specialise: StartLife works with agrifood tech, PortXL with maritime innovation, HighTechXL builds companies around deep tech, Water Alliance around water technology, and Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk around space. There are also broad players such as Antler and Rockstart. VU StartHub, on the other hand, only takes students and alumni of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

The immigration service publishes the facilitator requirements:

• experience in mentoring innovative startups;
• financial health: no bankruptcy, no suspension of payments (surseance van betaling) and no negative equity;
• the facilitator may not hold a majority interest in the startup;
• the facilitator may not be a relative of the founder up to and including the third degree: child, parent, grandparent, uncle or aunt;
• the facilitator has a deputy within the organisation;
• the facilitator, like the founder, is registered in the trade register of the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce.

Commercial terms differ: a paid programme, an investment in exchange for a minority stake, or a mix of both. There are no standard rates, so the agreement deserves the same scrutiny as a term sheet: what the support covers, how long it lasts and what happens if either side ends it early.

One detail is rarely mentioned up front. After a year, it is the facilitator who signs the declaration that the mentoring was completed successfully, and that declaration drives the switch to a self-employed permit. The facilitator matters twice: on the way in and on the way out. If several facilitators in a row turn a project down, that is a signal to rework the idea before filing with the immigration service, not to hunt for someone who will sign on any terms.

What are the requirements for the startup and the founder

In this scheme, "innovative" is a legal test, not a compliment. The enterprise agency treats a project as innovative if at least one of three conditions is met:

• the product or service is new to the Netherlands;
• the startup uses new technology in production, distribution or marketing;
• the startup has a new way of working and organising.

A coffee shop, an online store or a consulting agency usually does not fit this definition, even with a strong business plan. Such projects are left with the points-based self-employed permit, and the bar there is no lower.

The second condition is an active role. The founder must work in the company, not just hold shares or finance it. The scheme does not suit passive investors, and the separate Dutch investor residence permit was closed on 17 April 2024 (see our overview of Dutch residence permits in 2026).

The third is a step-by-step plan that takes the idea to a working company. It is not a pitch deck but a working document that the enterprise agency uses to check whether the project has a clear route. The plan must cover:

• the structure of the organisation, roles and responsibilities;
• the legal form and staffing;
• the company's goals;
• a description of the innovative product or service;
• the activities and timeline for setting up the company.

The fourth is registration of both the founder and the facilitator in the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce trade register. The legal form is chosen in advance: for example, a sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak) or a private limited company (besloten vennootschap, BV). The steps are covered on our page on company registration in the Netherlands.

The fifth is the immigration service's general requirements for every applicant: a valid passport, no threat to public order and, if the application form says so, a tuberculosis test after arrival. Official foreign documents must be legalised or apostilled and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.

The immigration service requirements for the startup permit include no language exam. Dutch comes later, on the road to permanent residence.

How much money do you need for the Dutch startup visa

The $16,000-20,000 (14,000-17,000 euros) figure that still circulates in online guides no longer holds in 2026. The immigration service ties the requirement to its own income norms and updates them twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July. The money must cover the whole stay, which means 12 months.

Worked example using the norms including holiday allowance (vakantiegeld): $23,900 (12 × 1,766.77 = 21,201.24 euros) for a single founder and $34,100 (12 × 2,523.96 = 30,287.52 euros) for a founder with a partner. A founder moving alone with children, without a partner, falls under the single-parent norm - the same $1,990 (1,766.77 euros) a month. If the application goes in after 1 January 2027, the figure has to be recalculated with the new norms. The exact amount for a specific household is worth confirming with the immigration service before filing.

There are two ways to prove the funds:

• a statement from a personal or business account at a Dutch bank;
• funding from the facilitator, if it covers the founder's living costs for the entire stay.

Opening a Dutch bank account without a residence permit is not always possible. The immigration service accepts two workarounds: an account linked to a PO box (postbus-rekening) opened in the founder's name by an authorised person in the Netherlands, or funds held in a Dutch notary's third-party account (derdengeldenrekening). Business banking is covered on our page on business accounts in the Netherlands.

On top of living funds, the budget includes fees and setup costs:

Worked example for a couple with a child: fees of $856 (423 + 254 + 85 = 762 euros), plus about $34,100 (30,300 euros) in the account. That is the minimum the immigration service looks at, not a realistic budget for Amsterdam or Utrecht, where rent can easily eat most of the norm. Other costs for a new resident, including tax, are covered on our page on taxes in the Netherlands.

How to apply for the Netherlands startup visa and how long it takes

By law, the immigration service has 90 days to decide, but that is not the final word: the immigration service can extend the period, for example when the application is incomplete. On top of the 90 days, allow time to find a facilitator, write the plan, register with the Chamber of Commerce and book an embassy appointment for the visa. The process looks like this:

1. Facilitator agreement and Chamber of Commerce registration. Without them the enterprise agency will not issue a positive opinion.
2. Step-by-step plan and documents. The immigration service application form lists what to attach. Foreign documents are legalised and translated in advance.
3. Applying from abroad. The application is filed at a Dutch embassy or consulate in the country of nationality or in a country where the founder may stay for more than 3 months. The long-stay entry visa (a provisional residence permit) and the residence permit are requested together.
4. Or applying from the Netherlands. If the founder is already legally in the country on a short-stay Schengen visa or within the visa-free period, no long-stay entry visa is needed: the facilitator files online through the immigration service's business portal, or the founder sends the application by post. The immigration service states plainly that it will not reject the application for lack of an entry visa if all other conditions are met.
5. Paying the fee of $475 (423 euros).
6. Assessment. The immigration service asks the enterprise agency for an opinion on the facilitator, the innovation, the plan and the Chamber of Commerce registration. A permit is granted only with a positive opinion.
7. Decision and visa. After approval, the founder must book an embassy appointment for the entry visa within 3 months. The passport must be valid for at least 6 more months at that point, and the entry visa itself is valid for 90 days.
8. Arrival and residence card. The card is collected by appointment at an immigration service desk. If the application form says a tuberculosis test is needed, it is done at the Municipal Health Service (Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdienst, GGD) within 3 months of receiving the permit.

Citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vatican City do not need an entry visa and apply directly to the immigration service. A refusal can be challenged by filing an objection (bezwaar) with the immigration service.

Once the permit is issued, the holder must inform the immigration service of changes that affect the permit conditions, for example the end of the facilitator relationship. The immigration service can impose an administrative fine for failing to do so.

Netherlands startup visa: where to apply by citizenship

The requirements for the project, the money and the facilitator are the same for Russian and Ukrainian citizens as for everyone else. The difference lies in how to enter and where to apply from.

Applying with an entry visa. Russian citizens generally apply together with an entry visa at a Dutch embassy or consulate in Russia or in a country where they hold a residence permit or may stay for more than 3 months. If there is no Dutch mission there, they apply at the nearest one. The second option is to apply from inside the Netherlands while staying there legally on a short-stay Schengen visa. The main practical hurdle is a bank account before the move, so the workarounds - a PO box account, a notary's third-party account or facilitator funding - matter most for Russian founders.

Applying from the Netherlands. Ukrainian citizens with a biometric passport enter the Schengen area visa-free for short stays and can therefore apply directly from the Netherlands without an entry visa. Temporary protection for people who fled Ukraine is a separate case: according to the immigration service, it has been extended in the Netherlands until 4 March 2028. Before swapping it for a startup permit, it is worth working out what happens after a year if the business does not meet the self-employed permit conditions. The startup permit cannot be extended, and the question of returning to the previous status is best clarified before applying.

For both nationalities, family documents matter just as much. Marriage and children's birth certificates must be legalised and translated in advance, otherwise the immigration service will ask for more documents and the clock will slip.

Can you work and bring your family on a Dutch startup visa

The startup permit allows work in your own company, but not for someone else's. The card carries the note arbeid in loondienst alleen toegestaan met TWV - paid employment only with a work permit. The work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning, TWV) is applied for by the employer, so a side job while the startup earns nothing is effectively off the table.

The status "free to work" (arbeid vrij toegestaan), promised by some older guides, has nothing to do with the startup visa. Under immigration service rules it comes after 5 years of work in the Netherlands.

Family can move with the founder: a spouse, registered partner or long-term unmarried partner, and minor children. In 2026 the fee is $286 (254 euros) for a partner and $95 (85 euros) for a child under 18. Family applications can be filed at the same time as the founder's.

For a startup founder's family, the immigration service makes an important exception. Normally it treats an entrepreneur's income as sustainable only once the business has earned it for at least 18 months. For startups, the immigration service looks at the expected income in the business plan and also counts bank balances, grants and third-party funding. But with a partner the norm is higher: about $34,100 (30,300 euros) for the year instead of $23,900 (21,200 euros) for a single founder (worked example based on the norms from 1 July 2026).

Family funds are proven the same way as the founder's: a Dutch bank statement, a notary's third-party account or facilitator funding. Cities, housing and daily life are covered on our Netherlands country page.

What happens after a year: switching to a self-employed permit

After 12 months the startup permit expires, and it cannot be extended. The scheme offers one direct exit: the residence permit self-employed person. It makes sense to apply before the startup permit runs out, so there is no gap in legal residence.

For the self-employed permit, the enterprise agency assesses whether the business serves an essential Dutch interest (wezenlijk Nederlands belang). It uses the points system in Annex 8a to the Aliens Regulations 2000 (Voorschrift Vreemdelingen 2000), across three areas: personal experience, business plan and added value for the Netherlands. The applicant needs at least 30 points in each area, or 45 points each for experience and the business plan.

This is where the startup visa pays off. If the facilitator signs a declaration that the mentoring lasted at least 3 months and ended successfully, the scale awards 30 points in each of the three areas - exactly the pass mark. The enterprise agency puts it this way: after the startup year, the founder needs either the facilitator's statement or to pass the standard assessment.

The other conditions still apply. The immigration service requires Chamber of Commerce registration, every permit needed for the activity, and business income at or above the norm: from 1 July 2026 that is $1,990 (1,766.77 euros) of profit per month, and it must follow from the business plan. For a startup with no revenue after a year, this is the tightest bottleneck.

If the business does not take off, there are other routes, but each is a separate basis with its own rules: for example, employment with a Dutch employer that obtains a work permit, or highly skilled migrant status (kennismigrant) with a recognised sponsor.

If the startup grows and hires, there is a pilot residence permit for essential start-up personnel for key specialists from outside the European Union. It runs until 1 June 2028. The conditions: the startup has no more than 15 employees and can bring in up to 5 foreign hires this way, the salary in 2026 is at least $3,510 (3,122 euros) gross per month, and the employee receives at least 1% of the company or a stake worth at least $73,000 (65,000 euros).

How to get from a startup visa to permanent residence and Dutch citizenship

Permanent residence in the Netherlands takes at least 5 years, and the startup year is easy to lose along the way. The immigration service requires 5 consecutive years with a valid Dutch residence permit, a main residence in the country throughout, and, at the time of applying, a permit for a non-temporary purpose of stay (niet-tijdelijk verblijfsdoel), meaning a permit designed for long-term residence.

The self-employed permit meets this test: Article 3.5 of the Aliens Decree 2000 lists the temporary purposes of stay (study, seasonal work, medical treatment and others), and self-employment is not among them. So the main task is to move from the startup permit to the self-employed permit without a gap, so the years run consecutively.

Besides the 5 years, permanent residence requires the civic integration exam (inburgeringsexamen) at level A2 or higher, or an exemption, income at or above the immigration service norm, and registration in the Personal Records Database. The fee in 2026 is $286 (254 euros).

Citizenship is also possible after 5 years, but with a condition that stops many applicants: as a rule, the Netherlands requires giving up the previous nationality. There are exceptions, such as marriage or a registered partnership with a Dutch citizen. The details are in our article on Dutch citizenship in 2026 and on the page on naturalisation in the Netherlands.

Tax is worth planning early. The well-known Dutch 30% ruling (30%-regeling) is designed for employees recruited from abroad, so a founder working as a self-employed person does not qualify. Rates and regimes for entrepreneurs are covered on our page on taxes in the Netherlands.

Netherlands vs other European startup visas: which is easier

On the money required, the Netherlands sits mid-market in Europe; on the length of the first permit, it is among the shortest. Its real strengths lie elsewhere: 31 recognised facilitators with sector focus and a bridge from the startup permit to the self-employed permit written into law.

The answer depends on the goal. If the priority is less money in the bank, Portugal asks for several times less, but selection is strict and the road to a passport is long. If time matters, Denmark and Finland give up to 2 years on the first permit. The Netherlands wins when a startup needs a strong sector accelerator and a clear next step after the first year.

For founders from the United States and Japan, the Netherlands offers a simpler path than the startup visa: the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty and the Dutch-Japanese Trade Treaty allow a self-employed permit without the points system, with an investment of at least $5,060 (4,500 euros) for most legal forms.

The French route for founders is covered on our page on the France startup visa, the Spanish one on the Spain startup visa page. A comparison of all European schemes is in our overview of European startup visas in 2026.

Pitfalls: who the Netherlands startup visa is not for

The costliest mistake is treating the startup visa as a gap year. In reality it is 12 months in which the business must show a profit of about $1,990 (1,770 euros) a month, at least in a convincing plan, and secure the facilitator's signature. What most often breaks this scenario:

• No extension. Miss the self-employed permit conditions and the only options are another legal basis or leaving.
• The facilitator matters twice. Ending the agreement mid-year hurts both the current permit and the future declaration needed to switch.
• The enterprise agency assesses the project on its own. An accelerator contract does not replace a positive opinion: innovation and the plan are checked separately.
• The money must sit in the Netherlands. Opening an account without a residence permit is hard, and the workarounds require an authorised person or a notary.
• No side job. Without a work permit, living off a salary while the startup earns nothing is not an option.
• The immigration service norm is a floor. Real life in Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Utrecht costs more, and the difference comes out of your own pocket.

The scheme does not suit:

• passive investors who do not plan to work in the company: the Dutch investor residence permit has been closed since 17 April 2024;
• owners of traditional businesses with nothing new for the Netherlands: cafes, shops, agencies;
• founders who need more than a year of runway on the first permit: Denmark and Finland offer longer first permits;
• remote employees of foreign companies: the scheme requires your own innovative business, and remote work is better served by digital nomad visas in other countries;
• American and Japanese citizens, who have a simpler route under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty and the Dutch-Japanese treaty.

It suits: tech founders with a product that is genuinely new to the Dutch market, teams already accepted by an accelerator on the enterprise agency list, and founders with enough money for a year without revenue.

How we help with the Netherlands startup visa

We start by checking the project before any money goes to a facilitator: whether the idea meets the enterprise agency's innovation criteria, whether the funds match the household, and whether it is realistic to meet the self-employed permit conditions within a year. If the answer is no, we say so right away and suggest a country where the odds are better.

From there we help choose a facilitator from the enterprise agency list that fits the sector, build the step-by-step plan, register the business with the Chamber of Commerce, open an account and prepare the immigration service application, including family applications. A year later we prepare the switch to a self-employed permit, and later the application for permanent residence.

Where the Dutch startup visa beats its neighbours

How to get a Dutch startup visa: step by step

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