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Start-up founder visa in the Netherlands

The Dutch start-up visa is a residence permit for an entrepreneur who is launching an innovative business together with an approved facilitator (mentor). It is designed for the very earliest stage of a company and is later exchanged for the self-employed person’s residence permit.

Source: IND — Immigration and Naturalisation Service of the Netherlands

Who can apply for the start-up visa

The conditions fall into requirements for the applicant and requirements for the facilitator (mentor).

Requirements for the applicant

  • The business is innovative: a product or service that is new to the Netherlands, a new technology in production, distribution or marketing, or a new way of organising work
  • The applicant plays an active role in the company — they may not be only a shareholder or investor
  • There is a Step-by-Step Plan: the structure of the organisation, roles and responsibilities, legal form, staff, company goals, a description of the product or service and a launch plan
  • The applicant and the facilitator are registered in the trade register of the Chamber of Commerce (KvK)
  • Means of support are proven: a bank statement from a Dutch account or funding from the facilitator for the whole period of stay

Requirements for the facilitator (mentor)

  • A signed contract between the applicant and the facilitator
  • Experience mentoring innovative start-ups
  • Financial soundness: not in a suspension-of-payments or liquidation procedure, no negative equity
  • Does not hold a controlling interest in the applicant’s start-up
  • Is not a relative of the applicant up to and including the third degree
  • There is a deputy within the facilitator’s organisation

What it costs

Fee for the start-up visa application423 EUR

Documents to gather

What to prepare in order to file the application

  • A signed contract with an approved facilitator
  • A Step-by-Step Plan describing the organisation, roles, legal form, staff, company goals and launch plan
  • Proof of registration of the applicant and the facilitator in the KvK trade register
  • A bank statement from a Dutch personal or business account, or proof of funding from the facilitator for the whole period of stay
  • Foreign documents legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German
  • A completed written IND application form

How the process runs

How to apply for the start-up visa

  1. 1

    Check the requirements

    Make sure the business is innovative and that there is a signed contract with a facilitator. If the applicant is not yet in the Netherlands and is not exempt, an MVV — the long-stay visa — will be needed.

  2. 2

    Collect the documents

    Collect the documents listed in the application form. Foreign documents must be legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.

  3. 3

    File the application

    The MVV and residence permit applications are filed together. From abroad — through a Dutch mission. If the applicant is already in the Netherlands and no MVV is needed, the facilitator files the application online, or the applicant files it in writing by post.

  4. 4

    Pay the fee

    The application fee is EUR 423.00.

  5. 5

    Wait for the decision

    90 days

    The IND must take a decision within 90 days. The period may be extended, for example if the application was filed incomplete.

  6. 6

    Receive the RVO opinion and the IND decision

    The IND asks the RVO for an opinion on the facilitator, the innovativeness of the start-up, the Step-by-Step Plan and the KvK registration. Without a positive RVO opinion the residence permit will not be issued. A refusal can be appealed.

  7. 7

    Book the MVV sticker appointment and travel to the Netherlands

    within 3 months of the decision

    The appointment at a Dutch mission must be made within 3 months of the IND decision. The passport must be valid for at least another 6 months when the MVV sticker is affixed. The MVV itself is valid for 90 days.

  8. 8

    Collect the residence permit

    When the residence permit card is ready, the IND sends a letter. You need to make an appointment to collect it.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

After a year you can move to the self-employed person’s residence permit if you meet its conditions.

The start-up visa cannot be extended. After a year you have to apply for the self-employed person’s residence permit (Zelfstandige) and meet its own requirements. In addition, a declaration from the facilitator is required stating that they successfully guided the applicant for at least three months.

Frequently asked questions about Start-up founder visa

Who can apply for the Dutch start-up visa?
An applicant whose business is innovative: a product or service that is new to the Netherlands, a new technology or a new way of organising work. A signed contract with an approved facilitator (mentor) is required, as is an active role in running the company rather than merely a share in its capital.
How much does the application cost and how long is it assessed?
The application fee is EUR 423.00. The IND must take a decision within 90 days; if the set of documents is incomplete the period may be extended.
Who is the facilitator and what requirements apply to them?
The facilitator is an approved mentor with experience supporting innovative start-ups. They must be financially sound, not be in a suspension-of-payments or liquidation procedure, not hold a controlling interest in the applicant’s start-up, not be a relative up to the third degree, and have a deputy in their organisation. The list of approved facilitators is maintained by the RVO.
Can the start-up visa be extended?
No, it cannot be extended. After a year you have to apply for the self-employed person’s residence permit and meet its requirements; in addition, a declaration from the facilitator is required stating that they guided the applicant for at least three months.
Can I take paid employment with this residence permit?
The back of the card states that paid employment is allowed only if the employer holds a work permit (TWV).
Do I need to take a tuberculosis test?
If the applicant stated on the application that they would take a TB test, they must make an appointment with the municipal health service (GGD) within 3 months of receiving the residence permit.
How does the start-up visa differ from the self-employed person’s residence permit?
The start-up visa is issued for a maximum of one year and requires an innovative business with a facilitator. It cannot be extended — after a year you have to move to the self-employed person’s residence permit, a separate permit with its own requirements, and provide a facilitator’s declaration confirming at least three months of guidance.

Other ways to move to Netherlands

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Netherlands.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.