Are you planning to start a business in the Netherlands, or more specifically, in Amsterdam?
Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities in The Netherlands, for global entrepreneurs, to form their new company. Bolder Launch has been based in Amsterdam since 2010 when we established an office as part of the Holland Financial Center, which opened its doors in the renowned Symphony Towers. Since 2010, we have assisted hundreds of companies to start a business in Amsterdam.
In this article, we will describe the formation process of a company in Amsterdam and how Amsterdam is different than other cities in The Netherlands.
Why should you form a company in Amsterdam?
Amsterdam is popular among certain industries, such as:
- Fashion (denim capital in the world!)
- Marketing/IT/Consultancy
- Logistic services
- Innovation Hubs
- Financial Services (the Zuidas!, where Bolder Launch opened its first Amsterdam branch)
- Fintech
- Food
Whereas Amsterdam is less popular for production companies, which are typically based in the South of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and is very well developed, with great infrastructure. Tourism is an important industry in Amsterdam, which also makes the city an interesting place to start a retail shop or franchise company, like a restaurant. Overall the economy in Amsterdam grows faster than in other Dutch cities. On the other side, rents and salaries are more expensive, so it’s worth looking into this before deciding to start a company in Amsterdam.
What services do we offer as a Dutch company formation agent in Amsterdam?
Every entrepreneur in the world has heard about Amsterdam and its liberal (entrepreneurial) climate. Therefore, Amsterdam has attracted many foreign companies and investors for decades. With the growth of the Dutch economy, and its cities, more and more companies decide to start their business outside of Amsterdam as well.
Once a business has determined to start a company in Amsterdam, Bolder Launch can facilitate it in several ways. Bolder Launch’s main expertise is focused on Company Formation packages, which include the following corporate support:
- Determine the best suitable corporate structure and type of legal entity in The Netherlands
- Formation of the company in The Netherlands, including notarial requirements and registration of the company at the Chamber of Commerce
- Dutch VAT number application, as well as VAT administration and filing services
- Dutch tax advice
- Immigration en expat support (relocation matters)
- And so on…
If you like to discuss the company formation services that we provide in Amsterdam, please contact our Company Officers.
Opening a company in Amsterdam
Bolder Launch facilitates the opening of a company in Amsterdam, regardless of the type of Dutch company you choose to incorporate.
Our Company Officers can provide detailed information on the differences between legal entities or the advantages of registering a branch. In any case, it’s also advised to start a local holding company, such as the STAK in the Netherlands. You can easily start the process of formation by contacting us. In case you are interested in the prices, and all separate services that we offer, please check our Service Page.
How to register a company in Amsterdam
The company formation procedure in Amsterdam is straightforward and does not even require a visit to the city. We can set up any kind of legal entity (or branch) remotely in The Netherlands.
In most cases, the company is set up before any visit takes place to Amsterdam, so once our customer arrives, we can visit the bank to open the bank account. For example at ING or ABN Amro. In case of a Dutch branch registration, it might be practical to visit the Chamber of Commerce and finalise the registration of the company there (to avoid legalisation requirements on the passport, etc.).
Once you have decided to move forward, you can consider the following timeline and requirements:
*KYC documents
- A passport copy
- Proof of residential address
- Personal data statement
- Extra background information, such as CV, can be requested. See this overview.
- In case a corporate shareholder is involved, extra documents are required.
**In the case of a remote formation, a visit is not required.
While you are awaiting the VAT number or even a bank account, your Dutch company is already ready for business!
Please let us know if have questions, our Incorporation Team is happy to assist. You can schedule a call here.
Relocate to Amsterdam
If you are planning to start a business in Amsterdam, you might also plan to stay for longer periods of time in the Netherlands. This could be required to supervise and build your Dutch operations. But in case you are a non-EU national, you might experience difficulties in this. Travel visas allow you to stay in the Netherlands for a max of 90 days out of 180 days. This would also apply to your staff members. Bolder Launch can assist you to apply for a residency permit in Amsterdam or arrange work permits for your staff. Conditions apply, and you can read all about this in our Service Pages, or you can contact our Incorporation team to discuss.
Assistance in opening a firm in Amsterdam
When you plan to open a firm in Amsterdam, there are several formalities to consider, as part of our company formation services. As soon as you decide to set up the company in Amsterdam, we will involve a notary to draft the statutory documents (such as the formation deed) and will prepare a Legal Opinion in case an overseas corporate entity is involved as a shareholder or director.
In case you are planning to visit Amsterdam, for the finalisation of the formation procedure, we will also work with a notary in Amsterdam. Alternatively, Bolder Launch works with notaries throughout The Netherlands.
The notary will assist us to determine if your desired company name is available (and allowed) and will also handle the registration at the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce, once the Dutch company is fully incorporated.
The final step is to visit a Dutch bank, such as ING or ABN Amro, both of which have many branches throughout Amsterdam. Since the banks have strict client acceptance procedures you could also consider opening a bank account outside The Netherlands.
In case you have opted for high share capital, you might need to transfer money from your private (overseas) bank account to the Dutch BV in order to pay up the share capital of the company. When the share capital is lower than 100 EUR, this is typically not required by the notary in Amsterdam.
Selecting a registered office address in Amsterdam
A registered office address in Amsterdam is required to start the company. This means you should have a signed rental agreement for the registered office in Amsterdam in place before the notary can finalise the formation procedure. For such registered office services, you should consider a budget of approx. 65-100 EUR per month.
A real Flexi-desk is not required, but if desired, the costs are a bit higher. Around 150-250 EUR per month. The registered office service in Amsterdam is an ideal alternative to opening a fully-fledged office. It’s completely legal, as long as your business centre provides full reception services during office hours, and you can access your desk whenever necessary.
If desired, a Dutch company can add multiple locations or branches to its company registration at the Chamber of Commerce. This also applies to multiple trade names, which are allowed without any extra charges.
Accountants in Amsterdam
Bolder Launch provides accounting services in Amsterdam, especially focussed on global entrepreneurs and SME companies.
Our corporate services do not stop once the Dutch company is set up. We can provide all sorts of ongoing company officer, or accounting services, to keep your company in good standing
Our accounting services in Amsterdam consist of:
Most of our clients hire us for the following Dutch accounting services, which are required by law in the Netherlands;
- VAT Admission (Monthly) €125 (charged every 2 quarters in advance)
- Corporate Tax Filing (Yearly) From €750
- Preparation of the Financial Statement (Yearly) >€750
The VAT admission is invoiced as a retainer every 6 months. We ask for a €500 compliance fee for setting up the administration.
Dutch Startups and the Startup Visa
As mentioned above, Amsterdam is an ideal hub for innovative entrepreneurs. The Netherlands even provides the so-called Startup Visa, to attract talent, and innovative entrepreneurs and companies. Bolder Launch has assisted several startups to start their business in Amsterdam, and we are happy to discuss the possibilities with you.
If you can find a way to innovate your business (or industry) and make your business scalable, then we might be able to get you the startup visa. But you need a ‘problem’ and describe the ‘solution’, and that solution needs to be innovative in some way, and scalable (by building a platform for example, etc.).
Please let us know if you need more information, and feel free to contact our Incorporation Team to discuss the details.
This guide is part of Company Formation in our Launch Guide.
