How Can I Get Netherlands Self Employment and Startup Visa?

A Netherlands self-employment visa is allocated to those who wish to relocate to the Netherlands to start their own business or work as freelancers.

The Dutch government provides some entrepreneurs with the Netherlands Startup visa in rare situations. For this visa, entrepreneurs have a year of preparation to get their business off the ground.

This essay provides information regarding Netherlands self-employment and startup visas and how to apply for them.

What is a Netherlands Self-Employment Visa?

A self-employment visa in the Netherlands is a Dutch residence card that permits the owner to stay in the country and work freely.

Everyone who is seeking a Dutch work visa must fulfill some basic requirements. Then, for each sort of work visa, there are additional criteria. For example, the self-employment visa has higher criteria and limitations than the others.

The requirements for a Netherlands Self-Employment Visa

Prior to any of it, applicants must be able to demonstrate that their services or products are unique and provide a critical service to the Dutch economy. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency measures this using a point-based methodology (RVO).

The system assesses the applicants’ :

• Personal experience regarding their education, work experience, entrepreneurship.
• Business plan, including the service or product, market analysis, financing, organization, and price.
• Potential to bring and add value to the Netherlands. Some examples of these values are
  • Employment opportunities
  • Investments
  • Innovation

The maximum number of points in the point-based system is 300. Each category must be scored at least 30 points, resulting in a minimum of 90 points overall.

If an applicant has Turkish nationality or resides in another country within the EU, this scoring system does not apply to them. Other conditions for a visa applicant to acquire a self-employment work visa in the Netherlands involve:

• The applicant must be listed in the Chamber of Commerce’s Trade Register (KvK).
• They have all the essential licenses to do business or perform your profession.
• The applicant’s actions will provide you with a decent income.
• The minimum number of commissions they need to work for as freelancers in the Netherlands is one.
• Applicants are registered with BIG-register (Individual Healthcare Professions) as an individual healthcare company.
• An applicant must be of American or Japanese nationality and be involved in a business relationship between the Netherlands and the United States/Japan. They must also have substantial cash invested or intend to invest.

How Can I Apply for a Self-Employment Visa in the Netherlands?

Applicants’ nationality determines how they apply for a self-employment visa in the Netherlands. Before applying for a Dutch residence visa for self-employment, several nationalities must first get an MVV (provisional residence permit). If applicants require an MVV, they must apply at the Dutch embassy in their country.

If a foreigner does not require an MVV, they may submit a visa application for their Dutch residence visa for self-employment. Applicants can submit their request at the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) when they arrive in the Netherlands.

Nevertheless, the Dutch government knows that new businesses are unable to meet the point criterion for a self-employment visa in many situations. As a result, they have been provided with the opportunity of applying for a preparation year in the Netherlands so that entrepreneurs can get their businesses off to a good start. In this instance, the candidate must apply for a Startup visa in the Netherlands.

What is a Netherlands Startup Visa?

The Netherlands Startup visa facilitates the establishment of new businesses in the Netherlands. This Dutch residence permit is valid for one year, enabling the owner to cooperate with a “facilitator” in the Netherlands to prepare their business to fulfill the requirements of a self-employment visa.

A startup entrepreneur must have an active part in the business. They cannot simply be a financier or a stakeholder.

Who is a facilitator?

A facilitator plays the role of the mentor of the business. The foreign entrepreneur collaborates with the facilitator in the business. The facilitator offers the foreign entrepreneur assistance based on the startup’s particular requirements. This assistance might take the form of assisting with advertising, operational management, researching, and so on.

A facilitator must satisfy a number of requirements:

• Mentoring experience with innovative startups
• They must have a solid financial basis.
• They are not permitted to own a majority stake in the startup.
• They cannot have family relations with the entrepreneur. This is true to the third degree of separation: kid, parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle.
• Facilitators must be listed in the Chamber of Commerce’s Trade Register.

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) determines if a person fits the requirements to be granted a facilitator status for a startup visa. They also maintain a list of approved facilitators.

After the one-year duration of the startup visa comes to an end, an entrepreneurs can go to immigration services with the referral of the facilitator who tries to assist entrepreneurs with their Dutch self-employment visa application.

Dutch Startup Visa Business Plan

A startup entrepreneur must give a step-by-step strategy outlining how they will transform their vision into a viable business. This process is also done to submit information to the officials about what the company would involve before issuing a Netherlands startup visa.

A step-by-step guide for obtaining a startup visa in the Netherlands comprises the following:

• Information about the organization, including:
  • The organizational structure
  • The company’s goal
  • Duties and responsibilities
  • The legal structure of the company
  • The employees.
• A description of the strategies and actions you intend to carry out in order to establish the firm.
• A description of the novel product or service you will offer.

What makes a product innovative in Netherlands?

A product or service must be valuable to the Netherlands population, so they consider the product or service innovative.  A product or service is innovative if and only if the following conditions are met:

• It is brand new to the Netherlands residents.
• It employs a new organizing technique and procedure.
• It uses modern technology to manufacture, distribute, and market.

How Do I Apply for a Startup Visa in the Netherlands?

You may submit for a Netherlands startup visa at the IND if you are a resident of a country that does not require an MVV to visit the Netherlands.

Nonetheless, if you already lived in the Netherlands on a short-term visa to create a business, you might not even have to file for an MVV, even though your home country generally needs one. If you satisfy all of the other requirements, you can apply for a startup visa straight to the IND. You can also give your facilitator permission to apply on your behalf.

If you are in another country and your country demands an MVV, you can file for the MVV and the residency permit simultaneously. This may be done at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country. If you need an MVV, your facilitator will not be able to submit an application file for the startup visa on your behalf.

When applying, you must have a filled-out application form as well as the necessary papers (along with their copies). All of your documentation must be in English, French, Dutch, or German. If they aren’t, you’ll need to have them translated by a licensed Dutch translator.

Let’s sum up …

The Netherland government offers self-employed and startup visas to foreign entrepreneurs with innovative products and services to come to the Netherlands and pursue their business goals in the country.

In this article, we covered the topics related to the process of getting self-employed and startup visas in the Netherlands, the required documents, and the concept of facilitator.

If you like to learn more about the Netherland visas, check out the list on the left sidebar.