Starting a business in Netherlands: foreigner's guide (2026)

The Eerste Kamer approved the Wet toelating terbeschikkingstelling van arbeidskrachten, requiring all companies that supply workers to obtain a government licence and post a €100,000 security deposit before operating; the law enters into force 1 January 2027. New businesses relying on temporary or agency workers must now vet whether their staffing suppliers hold a valid admission.

Implementing EU Directive 2019/1151, the Wet Online oprichting besloten vennootschap allowed EU nationals to incorporate a Dutch BV entirely online via video-link with a civil-law notary — no physical attendance, no ink signature — with English-language articles of association now permitted. The reform materially cut the time and cost of company formation for both domestic and cross-border founders.

Following the November 2022 CJEU judgment, the Netherlands published an amending act limiting Dutch UBO-register access to competent authorities and persons with a demonstrable legitimate interest, ending unrestricted public searches. Entrepreneurs registering or amending ownership data must now navigate a restricted-access regime when conducting due diligence on counterparties.

The Court of Justice of the EU ruled that the 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive's requirement for fully public UBO registers violated the fundamental rights to privacy and data protection under the EU Charter. The Netherlands immediately suspended public access to its UBO register, triggering an urgent legislative overhaul and creating compliance uncertainty for founders and investors.

The Wet homologatie onderhands akkoord (Dutch Scheme) introduced a court-confirmed, out-of-court restructuring mechanism allowing a debtor to bind dissenting creditor classes to a restructuring plan without entering formal bankruptcy. Around 150 cases were pending by end of 2021, giving distressed startups and SMEs a viable rescue route short of liquidation.

The UBO Registration Implementation Act entered into force, requiring all Dutch legal entities (BVs, NVs, foundations, cooperatives, partnerships) to disclose beneficial owners holding ≥25% stake or control to the KvK-maintained register. Entities established before this date had until 27 March 2022 to comply; non-compliance risked fines from the Dutch Economic Enforcement Office.

The Dutch government introduced a one-year startup residence permit for non-EU nationals wishing to launch an innovative company in the Netherlands under the guidance of an RVO-accredited facilitator, with a pathway to a self-employed permit after year one. It was the first dedicated immigration route for international startup founders and positioned the Netherlands as a European startup hub.

The Wet op de Kamer van Koophandel 2013 merged the former network of regional chambers into one national KvK organisation and replaced compulsory annual registration levies with direct Ministry of Economic Affairs funding. Business registration in the Handelsregister became free of charge for registrants, lowering the recurring cost of operating.

The Wet vereenvoudiging en flexibilisering bv-recht replaced the €18,000 minimum paid-up share capital with a symbolic €0.01 minimum, removed mandatory share-transfer restrictions, and permitted flexible share classes with separated voting and profit rights. The reform dramatically lowered the financial barrier to incorporating a Dutch private company and made the BV one of the most accessible corporate forms in Europe.

The Trade Register Act 2007 established the legal foundation for the centralised Dutch Business Register (Handelsregister) maintained by the KvK, mandating registration for all business forms — sole traders, BVs, NVs, partnerships, foundations — and codifying the third-party effect principle whereby registered information is legally binding on third parties. It remains the primary statute governing who must register and what information must be disclosed.