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EuropeNeeds someone on the ground Verified · 31 Jul 2026

How to found a company in the Netherlands

You’d incorporate a Besloten vennootschap (BV).

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The numbers

Government filing fee
€82KVK one-off registration fee. The civil-law notary is separate and is the larger cost — all-in incorporation typically runs €1,000–3,000.
Typical turnaround
~1 week
Corporation tax
25.8%19% on the first €200,000 of taxable profit, 25.8% above it. Unchanged from 2025.
BTW threshold
—No registration threshold. The KOR small-business scheme exempts turnover under €20,000, but removes the right to deduct input VAT.
Minimum directors
1No residency requirement for directors or shareholders.
Minimum shareholders
1

What you’ll need

  • A Dutch civil-law notary to execute the deed of incorporation
  • Registration with the KVK (Chamber of Commerce)
  • A Dutch business address
  • UBO registration

Watch out

  • ⚠️The notarial deed is mandatory and represents most of the cost, not the KVK fee.
  • ⚠️Share capital can be as little as €0.01, but counterparties and banks may treat a nominal capitalisation as a risk signal.
  • ⚠️The KOR exemption is now more flexible — the mandatory three-year participation was removed in January 2025.

The steps

  1. 1

    Engage a civil-law notary

    Founding3 days

    The deed of incorporation must be executed by a Dutch notary.

  2. 2

    Draft the deed and articles

    Founding2 days

    Shareholdings, share classes and board powers are fixed here.

  3. 3

    Execute the deed

    You1 day

    In person, or by power of attorney where attendance isn't possible.

  4. 4

    Register with the KVK

    The registry1 day

    Usually filed by the notary. The company receives a KVK number and an RSIN.

  5. 5

    Register the UBO and for BTW

    You5 days

    Beneficial ownership, then VAT with the Belastingdienst.

What you’ll need around it

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Checked 31 Jul 2026 against an official source. Rules and fees change — confirm anything you are about to act on. Founding is not a law firm and this is not legal or tax advice.