The entrepreneur’s visa is the solution in case you like to relocate your company to the Netherlands, from a non-European location.
The Netherlands allows non-European entrepreneurs to relocate their company, or start a company in the Netherlands if the company is likely to be successful (over 100,000 ER turnover) and will create added value for the Netherlands (at least 2-3 jobs). Aside from that, it’s important that you are an experienced entrepreneur, or you have the right education to establish and operate the company. The preparation of a solid business plan is very important for this type of residency application.
We can provide immigration advice for entrepreneurs, and perform a pre-check to consider if an application for the entrepreneur’s visa could have any potential for our customer.
Investor
In case you are interested in immigration as an investor, you will need to invest at least 1.2 million in a Dutch investment fund (which also provides very low-risk profiles). Although this program seems quite straightforward, it’s very important that we will be able to show the source of funds for the investment that will be done. Preparation for this application still requires quite some work from the attorney (30-50 hours, depending on the case).
Startup Visa
In case you are planning to launch an innovative company in the Netherlands and perform your activities from a Dutch location, you can apply for a startup visa. In a nutshell, the startup visa is a fast-track application for Self-employed Entrepreneurs, which allows companies in a less mature phase, to establish in the Netherlands anyway.
In order to apply for a startup visa, you are required to work together with a facilitator who will ‘sponsor’ you to apply for the startup visa. Bolder Launch has relations with the best facilitators in the Netherlands. Please note that facilitators can each have their own preference for the type of companies they like to facilitate.
In most cases, the facilitator will assist with the immigration procedure itself, so an immigration lawyer will not be required. Bolder Launch can assist in general support where required concerning this matter. Bolder Launch has assisted numerous companies to apply for a Startup Visa, dealing with Facilitators such as B. Amsterdam, The Next Web, and Cambridge Innovation Center.
How to start the application process for a residency in The Netherlands
Before we can start with the application for a residency permit in The Netherlands, our Dutch immigration lawyers can provide immigration advice to determine the best strategy (and the right residency permit scheme).
Our team will request you to provide information on the current turnover of your company, your growth ambitions when you would enter the Dutch market, as well as your current budget.
In case you will apply for a startup/entrepreneur visa, or you like to become a recognised sponsor, the first step is to prepare a business plan. Or, in fact, you might already have a draft business plan that Bolder Launch can have a look at. Based on a simple plan, we can already provide you with immigration advice (as part of our Legal Memo). This is valuable information for you because you don’t want to spend money on a plan and application when you might not be eligible anyway.
We can provide fixed fees in advance, and present detailed timelines on what the procedure will look like.
From our experience, it takes between 2 and 6 weeks to obtain a residency permit as an employee. As an entrepreneur, it can take several months. It really depends on the background of the company and the legitimacy of the request (if there is no artificial scheme involved). A proper website, CV, and clear business case will be considered important.
This guide is part of Relocate Staff to the Netherlands in our Launch Guide.
