Starting a Business
Starting a business in the Northern Netherlands has several huge advantages: the location, connections and a pro-business climate. The Dutch government introduced a Start-up permit for non-EU entrepreneurs that you might able to take advantage of, if you are thinking about doing business in the Netherlands.
1. General information on starting a company in the Netherlands can be found at these websites:
- Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK)
- Dutch government
- Personal To-do list, created by multiple Dutch agencies to help you begin your company
2. Information about different types of residence permits based on starting a business in the Netherlands:
Brought into law in 2015, the start-up residence permit allows talented entrepreneurs to take advantage of the Northern Netherlands’ excellent business environment and exceptionally high standard of living.
A self-employed professional in the Netherlands is referred to as a ZZP’er, and is effectively the same as entrepreneur, and one can register as an eenmanszaak (single-person business) with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. There is also a corresponding self-employed residence permit.
This is available to ‘highly-educated’ internationals (graduates who have attained higher-level degrees, and/or graduated from a Dutch university in the last 3 years). The permit allows unlimited working during the year, and can be converted to a ‘highly-skilled migrant’ permit once long-term employment has been found.
3. The Northern Netherlands also offers a special training programme to help you get started:
This is a yearly scheme run in collaboration with several Dutch cities and governmental departments. Applicants are invited to apply for the 5-month programme, where entrepreneurs are given intensive training, and the most innovative new companies and products are launched with the city as a launch customer. Please see the website link above for information about application dates, and the process of selection. The Northern Netherlands and the Dutch government have put together positioning reports, policy papers and guidance information for international people and especially international entrepreneurs.