The Netherlands startup visa is a one-year residence permit for founders from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland who want to build an innovative company in the Netherlands with a Dutch facilitator. You need no job offer and no minimum investment, but you do need a facilitator contract, a step-by-step plan, registration with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) and enough money for the year. The permit cannot be extended, so the year has one job: getting your company ready for the self-employed permit, the route to permanent residence.
€1,766.77 a month
90 days, extendable
€423
1 year, not extendable
At a glance
| Item | 2026 figure |
|---|---|
| Length of stay | Up to 1 year; cannot be extended |
| IND fee | €423 (partner €254, child €85) |
| Money you must hold | €1,766.77 a month; €21,201.24 for 12 months (valid until 31 December 2026) |
| Legal decision period | 90 days (IND can extend it) |
| Language certificate | Not required |
| Where to apply | Dutch embassy in your country of nationality, or in a country where your residence permit (or pending application) lets you stay more than 3 months |
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) calls it the “start-up” residence permit: a temporary permit for up to one year under the purpose “work as a self-employed person”. When you apply, you must make it plausible that within one year of the permit being granted you will meet the conditions of the self-employed permit. You will also see it called the Netherlands entrepreneur visa or the Holland startup visa.
IND decides; RVO advises. During processing, IND asks the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) for advice on your facilitator, the innovation, your step-by-step plan and your KvK registration. That advice must be positive, and IND alone assesses your money.
No minimum investment. The startup permit sets no investment amount; the €4,500 figure in some guides belongs to the DAFT (Dutch-American Friendship Treaty) and Dutch-Japanese routes.
Right for: founders who will run the company. Not for: passive shareholders, traditional businesses with nothing new in them, or job seekers. For other routes, see immigration to the Netherlands.
You must meet six conditions, set out on the IND start-up page and in form 9541. RVO advises IND on the first four, and IND checks the money itself.
You need a signed contract with a facilitator, an experienced Dutch organisation that mentors your startup. See choosing a facilitator.
Your business must pass at least one of three tests:
IND expects the plan to cover:
You and your facilitator must both be in the KvK Trade Register. RVO checks the register directly, so your KvK number is enough.
Registration normally needs an in-person appointment and a Dutch business address. From abroad it is possible only in exceptional cases, and a notary registers a BV (private limited company), so plan it with your facilitator. The KvK fee is €85.15. For the process, see how to register a company in the Netherlands; for the full budget, see our Netherlands company registration cost guide.
You must be more than a shareholder or financier, and your KvK registration must show that you control the startup.
You need enough to live on for your whole stay, up to one year; see proof of funds.
You need €21,201.24 for a full year: twelve times IND’s monthly norm of €1,766.77, held in a Dutch account in your name or your facilitator’s, or shown in another form IND accepts.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Monthly norm (gross, including holiday allowance) | €1,766.77 |
| Required for 12 months | €21,201.24 |
| Valid | 1 July to 31 December 2026 |
| Next change | 1 January 2027 (not yet published); amounts change every 1 January and 1 July |
| Previous norm (January to June 2026) | €1,734.57 |
| Legal basis | Norm = 70% of the statutory minimum wage (VV 2000 art. 3.19(1)); 12 × the norm in a Dutch account (art. 3.20b(5)) |
| Source | IND required amounts (1 Sep 2026) |
The money must cover “your entire stay (1 year at most)”, and joint funding is allowed. How to show the money, and the EU rules for transfers from Iran: proof of funds for the Dutch startup visa.
For non-EU residents, a personal Dutch account needs a citizen service number (BSN), a business-registration extract and a residence permit, according to business.gov.nl. You get the permit only after approval, and IND’s start-up page lists the alternatives above for founders who cannot open a Dutch account.
For a partner or children, IND weighs the expected income in your business plan plus other income, such as a grant, a bank balance or third-party financing (IND income rules). It publishes no combined figure for a founder and family. For everyday budgeting, see the cost of living in the Netherlands.
The IND fee is €423 per founder. The rest of the budget is your living money, the facilitator and company set-up.
| Item | Amount | Paid to | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| IND fee, founder | €423, by bank transfer within 3 weeks of the appointment | IND | IND fees (10 Sep 2026) |
| IND fee, partner / child under 18 | €254 / €85 | IND | IND fees (10 Sep 2026) |
| Money you must hold | €21,201.24: your own living money, not a fee | — | IND amounts (1 Sep 2026) |
| Facilitator | No official price (examples below) | Facilitator | business.gov.nl (28 Sep 2026) |
| KvK registration | €85.15 | KvK | kvk.nl (11 Jun 2026) |
| BV set-up | Varies | Civil-law notary | Company registration cost guide |
| Legalisation at the Dutch embassy in Tehran | €25 per document, cash euros | Embassy | NetherlandsWorldwide (10 Sep 2026) |
| Translation and Iranian ministry stamps | Varies | Translator, ministries | — |
| Year 2: self-employed permit | €423 | IND | IND fees (10 Sep 2026) |
IND fees change every 1 January, and the 2027 fees are not yet published.
There is no official price: business.gov.nl says facilitators “may charge fees for their support” and costs vary. Two facilitators publish prices on their websites:
| Facilitator | Published price (accessed 12 October 2026) |
|---|---|
| StartDock | €500 per month per founder excluding VAT, paid in advance, plus a one-month deposit of €500 |
| The Unusual Space | €6,000 all-inclusive one-year membership (FAQ page) |
These are examples, not a market average. Before you sign, ask what the fee covers, how long the contract runs, whether the facilitator takes equity and what happens to a deposit after a refusal. RVO’s full list, with each facilitator’s published price, is in our guide to Dutch startup visa facilitators.
RVO’s list of recognised facilitators showed 31 organisations on 12 October 2026. The list is not closed: RVO says it is not final, and another organisation that meets the requirements can qualify if RVO assesses it positively.
Every facilitator must:
If RVO advised positively on your facilitator in the previous year, you don’t need to send proof of its expertise and reliability. VU StartHub, one listed facilitator, only takes Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam students and alumni.
From abroad you apply in person at a Dutch embassy or consulate, and you collect the MVV (the long-stay entry visa) only after approval. Iranian citizens need an MVV (IND).
Form 9541 asks for:
Documents must be in Dutch, English, French or German, or translated by an authorised translator.
If you are already in the Netherlands on a Schengen visa or visa-free and meet every startup requirement, you need no MVV. IND says it “will not reject your application because you do not have an MVV”. Your facilitator applies online, or you apply by post.
IND must decide within 90 days, and it can extend that period. IND does not publish an average processing time for startup applications.
| Stage | Time limit |
|---|---|
| IND decision | 90 days (legal period) |
| Extension | By up to 6 months where third-party advice is needed; RVO’s advice is always requested for startups |
| Incomplete file | 2 weeks to send what is missing; decision period extended by 2 weeks |
| MVV-sticker appointment | Book within 3 months of the decision |
| MVV sticker issued | Up to 10 working days |
| MVV validity | 90 days |
| Residence card | IND “aims to” have it ready “within a few weeks” of arrival |
Sources: IND decision periods (1 Oct 2026); Vw 2000 art. 25(2); NetherlandsWorldwide (8 Sep 2026); form 9541.
NetherlandsWorldwide warns that sticker “appointments fill up quickly”, so book as soon as the decision arrives.
The Dutch embassy in Tehran is open (NetherlandsWorldwide Iran FAQ, 5 October 2026), and its appointments page (27 August 2026) books “MVV and residence permit” appointments there. Iranian citizens can also apply at a Dutch mission in a country where they may stay more than 3 months because they hold a residence permit there or are awaiting a decision on one, such as the UAE or Türkiye.
Iran is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so Iranian documents are legalised, not apostilled:
The Consular Service Centre in The Hague does not legalise Iranian birth or marriage certificates.
Iranians are exempt from the TB test (form 7644). The €423 fee must be paid by bank transfer within 3 weeks of the appointment, so arrange a payer outside Iran before you book.
EU rules restrict transfers involving Iran, both by route and by amount. Regulation (EU) 2025/1975 (Official Journal, 29 September 2025) reinstated the transfer rules of Regulation 267/2012. Transfers through banks or bureaux de change domiciled in Iran, or controlled from Iran, are prohibited unless they fall in an authorised category; personal remittances are one (article 30). For personal remittances, and for other transfers to or from an Iranian person, entity or body as the regulation defines those terms (article 30a), the amount decides what is required:
| Transfer amount | What the EU rules require |
|---|---|
| Under €10,000 | No notification or authorisation |
| €10,000 to under €40,000 | Advance written notification to the competent authority of the EU member state |
| €40,000 or more | Prior authorisation |
These thresholds apply to the total, whether the money moves in one operation or in several that appear to be linked (article 30b(2)). If you move the €21,201.24 from Iran, the full amount falls in the notification band. Before any transfer, ask the bank that receives the money in the Netherlands what it requires.
Your partner and children can apply with you. Your partner’s permit ends on the same date as yours (IND partner page, 24 Jul 2026).
Before the startup permit ends, you apply for the self-employed permit, the bridge to permanent residence and citizenship.
You apply with your facilitator’s declaration, on an RVO template, that you completed at least 3 months of mentoring successfully. The IND fee is €423.
RVO normally scores self-employed applicants on experience, business plan and added value for the Netherlands; the pass mark is 30 points in each area, or 45 each for experience and plan. A positive facilitator declaration, though, gives a startup founder the minimum 30 points in each criterion (VV 2000, annex 8a), so for you the income test is the one to plan for.
Your business plan must show a gross profit of €1,766.77 a month, the July–December 2026 norm. At extension, IND looks at your income over the past 18 months. Points, income and extension are covered in from startup visa to self-employed permit.
A 2023 government letter to parliament found that the large majority of refused self-employed extensions failed on means of support. The test counts profit you have actually earned, so build real revenue from your first year.
| Stage | Main conditions | IND fee |
|---|---|---|
| Startup permit | Up to 1 year; not extendable | €423 |
| Self-employed permit | Up to 2 years, extendable; points test and income | €423 |
| Permanent residence | 5 consecutive years with a valid permit; a non-temporary purpose; civic integration exam at A2, or an exemption; income; decision within 6 months | €254 |
| Citizenship | 5 consecutive years; civic integration exam at A2 or higher; renounce your nationality unless an exemption applies | €1,139 (one person); €1,454 (with partner) |
IND counts “work as a self-employed person (also start-up)” as a non-temporary purpose, the kind permanent residence requires. Read more in Netherlands permanent residence.
Iranians cannot give up their nationality under Iranian law (government.nl), so IND does not ask them to (IND).
A draft bill would raise the naturalisation period to 10 years. It is not law: its consultation closed on 1 December 2025, and IND still states 5 years.
A separate pilot lets startups bring in essential staff; it is for employees, not founders. It has been extended to 1 June 2028 (Staatsblad 2026, 114), and the 2026 salary requirement is €3,122 gross a month without holiday allowance. If you would rather join a Dutch startup than found one, see startup companies in the Netherlands with visa sponsorship.
| Netherlands | Finland | Estonia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First permit | 1 year, not extendable | Up to 2 years | D visa up to 365 days, or residence permit up to 5 years |
| Government fee per founder | €423 | €650 online / €800 on paper | D visa €120; residence permit €380 from abroad |
| Money to show | €1,766.77 a month | €1,210 / €1,090 / €1,030 net a month, by municipality | €880 a month in legal income |
| Who judges the idea | RVO advises IND | Business Finland eligibility statement (free) | Startup Committee (opinion within 10 working days of a complete application) |
| Decision time | 90 days (legal period) | 2 weeks in most cases; 2 months at most | — |
| Where Iranians apply | Tehran embassy, or a country where you hold (or await) a residence permit | VFS Tehran | Ankara or Abu Dhabi (no Estonian long-stay visa desk in Iran) |
Full guides: Finland startup visa and Estonia startup visa.
To see all three side by side, read startup visas in Europe compared.
An application fails if RVO’s advice is negative on any of its four points or the money falls short. For example:
For the full list and how to object, read Netherlands startup visa rejection reasons.
Aval Visa helps founders prepare their own file. The firm has operated since March 2017, with a team of 20 and offices in Toronto and Tehran. On a Dutch startup file the work covers:
You submit the application yourself at the embassy; if you are already in the Netherlands, your facilitator files it online or you apply by post. Your facilitator signs its declarations, and IND decides with RVO’s advice.
This page is general information, not legal advice.
You need €21,201.24 for a full year: twelve times IND’s monthly norm of €1,766.77, valid until 31 December 2026. It must be in a Dutch account in your name or your facilitator’s, or shown in another form IND accepts.
IND must decide within 90 days. It can extend that period by up to 6 months, for example where third-party advice such as RVO’s is needed. IND publishes no average processing time.
There is no official price. StartDock publishes €500 per month per founder excluding VAT, plus a €500 deposit; The Unusual Space’s FAQ page lists a €6,000 one-year membership (both accessed 12 October 2026). Ask what is included, how long the contract runs and whether equity is involved.
No. Before your year ends, you apply for the self-employed permit with your facilitator’s declaration of at least 3 months of successful mentoring.
No. The startup permit sets no investment amount; you only need to show enough money to live on for the year.
No. The startup permit has no language test, and documents can be in English. Permanent residence and citizenship later require the civic integration exam at A2 level, unless you are exempt.
Yes, if you are already there on a short-stay visa or visa-free and meet every startup requirement; you then need no MVV. Your facilitator applies online, or you apply by post.
Yes. They can apply with you, and your partner’s permit ends on the same date as yours. You and your partner must both be at least 21, or both at least 18 if you married while you both lived abroad.
Yes. IND lists “work as a self-employed person (also start-up)” as a non-temporary purpose. Permanent residence then needs 5 consecutive years with a valid permit, A2 civic integration (or an exemption) and sufficient income.
At the Dutch embassy in Tehran, booked online (NetherlandsWorldwide, as of October 2026), or at the Dutch mission in a country where they may stay more than 3 months because they hold a residence permit there or are awaiting a decision on one, such as the UAE or Türkiye.
All accessed 12 October 2026.
