If the IND has refused your application, or you want to know where startup files usually fail before you apply, start with how the decision is made. The Netherlands startup visa is granted by the IND, the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service, but during processing the IND asks the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) for advice. A Netherlands startup visa rejection almost always comes from one of those two checks: RVO gave negative advice on part of the file, or the IND did not accept the money you showed.
Most of these problems can be fixed, as long as you know exactly which condition failed and you put that right before you object or apply again.
The conditions your file is assessed against
RVO looks at four things and its advice has to be positive on all four: your facilitator, whether the idea is new for the Netherlands, your step-by-step plan for the first year, and the registration of both you and the facilitator with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK). The IND checks your funds for the year separately, so strength in one area does not make up for weakness in another. Each condition is set out in full under Netherlands startup visa requirements.
Common reasons for a Netherlands startup visa rejection
1. A facilitator that does not meet the IND conditions
The facilitator is a Dutch organisation that supports your company for at least a year. The IND and form 9541 set these conditions for it:
- at least 2 years’ experience supporting innovative startups, with at least 2 people doing that work;
- financially sound: no suspension of payments, no liquidation and no negative equity;
- no majority interest in your company (a minority stake is allowed);
- not related to you up to the third degree;
- a deputy within the organisation;
- support for at least one year, under a contract that is not unconscionable.
Files often fail here: the chosen facilitator misses one of these conditions, or the signed agreement does not clearly show a year of support. On 12 October 2026 RVO’s facilitator list held 31 names, but the list is not closed, and another organisation that meets the same conditions can act as your facilitator. One listed facilitator, VU StartHub, only takes VU students and alumni.
Facilitators are also not free. They may charge for their support and there is no official price. As examples, on 12 October 2026 StartDock listed EUR 500 per founder per month, excluding VAT, plus a EUR 500 deposit, and The Unusual Space’s FAQ gave EUR 6,000 for a one-year membership. The other costs are in the full Netherlands startup visa costs; ask exactly what a fee covers before you sign.
2. An idea that is not new for the Netherlands
You do not need a world first, but the idea must meet at least one of three criteria: it is new in the Netherlands, it uses new technology in production, distribution or marketing, or it brings a new way of working or organising work. A plan that calls itself “innovative” without saying what it adds to the Dutch market is a common reason for negative RVO advice, so compare your product with what already exists there.
3. A step-by-step plan that leaves the first year unclear
The step-by-step plan is the document RVO uses to judge your idea and your readiness. The IND expects it to cover the company structure, roles and responsibilities, legal form, staffing, goals, the product or service, the launch planning and the steps for the first year. If a part is missing or written without dates and owners, RVO cannot see what you will actually do in the year, and that leads to negative advice.
4. A passive role in the company
Being a shareholder or financier is not enough. The IND expects you to run the company yourself, and the KvK registration has to show that you hold control. A plan in which you only invest, or hand day-to-day management to someone else, does not fit this route.
5. No KvK registration
Both you and your facilitator must be registered with the KvK. RVO checks the register itself, so the KvK number is enough. Registering from abroad is possible only in some exceptional cases, and a BV is registered through a Dutch notary, so plan this step with your facilitator from the start. See registering a company in the Netherlands and Netherlands company registration cost.
6. Funds not shown in the right amount or form
The IND sets a monthly amount for your living costs and treats twelve times that amount as sufficient means. For 1 July to 31 December 2026 the amount is EUR 1,766.77 a month including holiday allowance, which makes EUR 21,201.24 for 12 months; it changes on 1 January 2027. The money is for your own living costs. Facilitator fees and company capital are separate and do not count towards it.
The IND accepts a Dutch bank account in your name or your facilitator’s name. If you cannot open a Dutch account yet, the alternatives are:
- a postbus rekening, which the IND describes as “a bank account connected to a PO box in your name”, opened by an authorised person in the Netherlands;
- a third-party account held by a Dutch notary;
- your facilitator financing your stay;
- under form 9541, a foreign bank statement showing the monthly amount paid into a Dutch account, or a third party who pays.
A common misunderstanding is that the IND wants proof that the business already earns a stable income. That test belongs to the self-employed permit in year two. For the startup year you show the funds for your living costs. The exact figures and every accepted method are under startup visa proof of funds.
7. Incomplete documents or unaccepted translations
Documents must be in Dutch, English, French or German, or translated into one of those languages by an authorised translator. If the file is incomplete, the IND gives you 2 weeks to complete it and adds those 2 weeks to the decision period, so answer that letter within the deadline. Iranian civil documents, such as marriage and birth certificates, need a sworn translation and then legalisation by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and finally the Dutch embassy in Tehran, because Iran is not part of the Apostille Convention.
After a refusal: objection or a new application
Read the decision letter closely
The IND decision explains where the file fell short: negative RVO advice on one of the four parts, or funds the IND did not accept. Whatever you do next, an objection or a new application, has to answer the grounds in that letter rather than the ones you assume.
Lodging an objection (bezwaar)
If you disagree with the decision you can object. The deadline is stated in the decision itself; the IND’s objection page, last updated on 10 August 2026, tells you to check the date in your letter. Note it on the day the letter arrives.
The objection letter must include your name and address, the date, the decision you object to, your reasons and your signature. Send it with a copy of the IND decision to the postal address given in that decision, and enclose any new evidence, such as a fuller facilitator agreement or better proof of funds. If a lawyer or another person objects on your behalf, add a signed letter saying whom you authorised and for what. If the objection is incomplete, the IND writes to you and you have 2 weeks to complete it.
Submitting a new application
If you do not object, or the objection fails, you can file a new application. A new application means a new fee, EUR 423 for the main applicant in 2026, and RVO assesses every part again. Fix the ground in the refusal before you file: if the facilitator was the problem, change the facilitator and the agreement; if it was the plan, rewrite the first-year steps in detail.
Practical notes for applicants from Iran
Applicants in Iran file in person at the Dutch embassy in Tehran, which NetherlandsWorldwide confirmed as open on 5 October 2026, or at a Dutch mission in a country where they hold a residence permit. Two points cause the most trouble:
- The EUR 423 fee must reach the IND by bank transfer, quoting the V-number, within 3 weeks of the embassy appointment. Arrange in advance for someone to pay from an account outside Iran.
- Transfers from Iran fall under the EU’s reinstated rules: from EUR 10,000 up to under EUR 40,000 needs written notification before the transfer, and EUR 40,000 or more needs prior authorisation. Build that into the timing of your funds.
The Iran section of the Netherlands startup visa guide covers both points and the legalisation chain in more detail.
Our role in a Dutch startup file
The IND decides, and you file the application yourself. Our work is preparing the file with you:
- finding and comparing facilitators on RVO’s list that fit your idea;
- reviewing your step-by-step plan before it is sent;
- listing your Iranian documents and planning their translation and legalisation;
- listing the forms of proof of funds the IND accepts and the documents for each.
The objection itself is a Dutch legal procedure, and a Dutch lawyer can handle it for you. To see where your file stands, complete the free assessment form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was my Netherlands startup visa application refused?
The exact ground is in the IND decision letter. In most files, either RVO gave negative advice on the facilitator, the innovation, the step-by-step plan or the KvK registration, or the IND did not accept the funds you showed for a year of living costs.
Can I object to a Dutch startup visa refusal?
Yes. You send a signed objection (bezwaar) with a copy of the IND decision to the postal address in that decision. The deadline is stated in the decision letter, so note it as soon as the letter arrives.
Can I apply again after a refusal?
Yes, but a new application costs a new fee, EUR 423 for the main applicant in 2026, and RVO assesses the whole file again. Fix the ground given in the refusal first.
Do facilitator fees count towards the funds I must show?
No. The IND funds requirement covers your own living costs: twelve times the monthly amount, EUR 21,201.24 until the end of 2026. Plan facilitator fees and company capital on top of that.
Will I be refused if I do not have a Dutch bank account?
Not necessarily. Instead of your own Dutch account, the IND accepts a postbus rekening, a Dutch notary’s third-party account, financing by your facilitator, or a foreign statement showing monthly payments into a Dutch account. The amount and the form both have to be right.
Can the facilitator own shares in my company?
A minority stake is allowed, but the facilitator must not hold a majority interest. If the agreement gives it one, the facilitator does not meet the IND conditions, and that alone can lead to a refusal.
Official sources
IND: residence permit for a start-up, IND: object to or appeal a decision, IND: required amounts, IND: fees, IND: decision periods, IND form 9541, RVO: facilitators, business.gov.nl: residence permit for foreign startups, business.gov.nl: starting a business from abroad, KvK registration fee, NetherlandsWorldwide: Iran FAQ, NetherlandsWorldwide: legalising Iranian documents, Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1975. Facilitator prices: StartDock and The Unusual Space. All sources checked on 12 October 2026; the IND objection page on 13 October 2026.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and it describes published official rules rather than any individual case.
