Netherlands Startup Visa in 2026: Facilitator, Innovation and Transition

The Dutch startup residence permit is a one-year route for a non-EU/EEA/Swiss founder who wants to build an innovative company in the Netherlands with the support of a reliable facilitator.

It is not a general entrepreneur visa and it is not designed for passive shareholders. The founder must have an active role in building the company, and RVO assesses the innovation, facilitator and step-by-step plan for the IND.

Core eligibility

The IND currently requires the founder to:

  • meet the general Dutch residence conditions;
  • work with a reliable facilitator under a signed cooperation agreement;
  • build an innovative company;
  • play an active role rather than only investing or holding shares;
  • have a detailed step-by-step plan for turning the idea into a business;
  • ensure both founder and facilitator are registered in the Chamber of Commerce Trade Register; and
  • have sufficient means for the period of stay.

What counts as innovative?

IND says the startup can qualify as innovative where, for example:

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

The fact that a company is newly incorporated does not itself make it innovative.

The facilitator requirement

The facilitator is a core legal feature of this route. The cooperation must be documented in a signed agreement.

Current IND guidance says the facilitator must have experience guiding innovative startups, be financially healthy, avoid insolvency/negative-equity problems, not hold a majority interest in the startup, not be a close family member of the founder and have a deputy within the organisation.

RVO maintains the relevant facilitator assessment/listing process.

The step-by-step plan

The plan must explain the route from idea to company. IND states that it should cover subjects such as:

  • organisation structure;
  • roles and responsibilities;
  • legal form;
  • personnel;
  • company goals;
  • the innovative product or service; and
  • the activities and planning required to establish the business.

RVO advises IND on the facilitator, innovation, plan and Trade Register registration. A positive RVO opinion is needed for approval.

Financial requirement

Unlike some founder visas elsewhere, IND does not publish one universal startup-investment amount on the startup page. The founder must instead demonstrate sufficient means for the stay.

IND says this can be shown through a qualifying Dutch bank arrangement or, in some cases, financing of the founder's stay by the facilitator. The money must be available for the entire permitted stay, which is at most one year.

Do not import the €4,500 DAFT capital rule into this route. DAFT is a different treaty framework.

Documents

The current application form controls the exact checklist, but common evidence includes:

  • passport and MVV/residence forms where applicable;
  • signed facilitator agreement;
  • step-by-step plan;
  • evidence of the startup's innovation;
  • Trade Register information;
  • evidence of sufficient living funds;
  • founder role/ownership documentation; and
  • legalised and translated civil documents where required.

Application process

A typical process is:

  1. secure a qualifying facilitator;
  2. prepare the innovation and step-by-step plan evidence;
  3. complete Trade Register steps as required for the application situation;
  4. apply for the MVV and residence permit or apply from inside the Netherlands where the rules permit;
  5. pay the fee;
  6. wait while IND obtains RVO advice; and
  7. collect the MVV/residence permit after a positive decision.

IND notes that a founder already in the Netherlands on short stay or visa-free status for the purpose of establishing an innovative company may, in the circumstances described on its page, file without being refused merely because an MVV was not obtained first.

Fee and processing time

The 2026 application fee is €423.

The legal IND decision period is 90 days. This is not a guarantee of the full relocation timeline, because document preparation, RVO advice and administrative steps can add time.

Permit validity

The startup residence permit is valid for a maximum of one year.

It cannot be extended as a startup residence permit.

Transition after one year

A successful founder can apply for the self-employed residence permit after the startup year if the ordinary requirements are met.

IND also requires a declaration from the facilitator showing that the founder successfully completed a mentoring process of at least three months.

This transition is important: the startup permit is an entry/launch route, not a permanent founder status.

Work rights

The startup permit is for the founder's startup activity. IND states that employee work is only allowed where the employer has a TWV work permit.

If the founder's actual plan is salaried employment rather than building the startup, the highly skilled migrant or another employment route may be more appropriate.

Family

Family members need their own family residence permissions. For self-employed residence generally, IND partner guidance provides broad partner work rights. Because the startup permit is a specific startup residence purpose, applicants should confirm the family member's work endorsement in the actual decision rather than assume it from the founder's permit label.

Tax and company compliance

The startup residence permit does not decide tax treatment. Founders may need to address:

  • Dutch corporate or personal income tax;
  • VAT;
  • payroll taxes and social security when hiring;
  • accounting and annual statements;
  • intellectual-property and company-law issues; and
  • tax residence of the founder.

Permanent residence and citizenship

The startup year can be part of a Dutch residence history, but long-term eligibility depends on the rules applying to the full residence sequence and later permit.

General permanent residence normally uses a five-year consecutive lawful-residence baseline plus other conditions. Ordinary naturalisation also generally uses five years, with an eligible status, civic integration and other statutory requirements.

Advantages

  • genuine founder route for innovative businesses;
  • no single universal investment minimum published on the startup page;
  • structured facilitator support;
  • clear transition route to ordinary self-employment if successful.

Limitations

  • facilitator is mandatory;
  • business must be genuinely innovative;
  • permit lasts only one year;
  • startup permit itself cannot be renewed;
  • employee work normally requires a TWV.

Alternatives

An established non-innovative entrepreneur should compare general self-employment. US/Japanese founders should compare DAFT. A founder joining a Dutch company as an employee may instead fit Highly Skilled Migrant.

FAQs

How long is the Netherlands startup visa valid?

At most one year.

Can I renew it for a second startup year?

No. IND states the startup permit cannot be extended as a startup permit.

Do I need a facilitator?

Yes. A reliable facilitator and signed cooperation agreement are core requirements.

Is there a fixed €50,000 or €100,000 investment requirement?

IND's startup page does not publish a universal startup-investment minimum. Sufficient means and the quality of the innovative plan matter.

What is the application fee?

€423 under the current 2026 fee schedule.

What happens after one year?

A founder who qualifies can apply for self-employed residence and must provide the required facilitator declaration concerning successful mentoring.

Related Netherlands routes

Last verified: 15 September 2026. This page is editorial information, not legal or tax advice.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Netherlands