Kingdom of the Netherlands · Processing time
Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur: how long does it take?
By Sam Parks · Last checked:
Source auto-reconfirmed 23 July 2026 by the daily automated check (figure unchanged since last review).
DAFT (Dutch-American Friendship Treaty) applications commonly resolve in 4–12 weeks; the IND legal decision period is 90 days.
How long does the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur take to process in Netherlands?
The typical published decision window is 4 weeks – 3 months from a complete application. DAFT (Dutch-American Friendship Treaty) applications commonly resolve in 4–12 weeks; the IND legal decision period is 90 days.
Verified against IND — Self-employed residence (DAFT) on 22 June 2026.
Typical wait
4 weeks – 3 months
from complete application
Government fees
Around €1,500.
Last checked
22 June 2026
Reality vs official timing
- Official clock
- Official window only
- Delay trigger
- After 3 months
- Source checked
- 22 June 2026
Use 4 weeks – 3 months as the published decision window; delays usually start after the upper end if the source has not issued a newer figure.
What is the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur?
Treaty-based self-employment residence for US nationals starting a business in the Netherlands.
DAFT is a bilateral treaty allowing US nationals to live in the Netherlands as self-employed business owners with a relatively low capital investment (€4,500 held in the business). The route also extends under equivalent treaties to Japanese nationals (the Dutch-Japanese friendship treaty).
- Sponsorship: No job offer or employer sponsor is required.
- Settlement: This route can lead to permanent residence.
- Typical permit length: Initial 2 years, renewable for 5; leads to permanent residence.
- Indicative government fees: Around €1,500.
How to read this estimate
The 4 weeks – 3 months window is the time IND — Self-employed residence (DAFT) typically associates with the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur — measured from a complete, correctly-lodged application through to a decision, not from when you start gathering documents.
- Collecting documents, getting qualifications recognised, and booking consular appointments all happen before the clock starts.
- If the authority requests more information, the clock pauses until you reply — so a fast, complete response keeps your place in the queue.
- Processing times shift with application volumes and policy changes. The IND — Self-employed residence (DAFT) page linked below is the only figure that is current on the day you apply.
Official source
IND — Self-employed residence (DAFT)
https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-self-employed-person
Cite or reuse this dataset
This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur processing time dataset", https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/netherlands/daft. Last verified 22 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/processing-times
Primary source (1)
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur take to process?+
The typical wait is 4 weeks – 3 months from submitting a complete application. DAFT (Dutch-American Friendship Treaty) applications commonly resolve in 4–12 weeks; the IND legal decision period is 90 days. These figures come from IND — Self-employed residence (DAFT) and were last verified on 2026-06-22. Always confirm on the primary source before you apply.
When does the 4 weeks – 3 months clock start?+
The clock starts when IND — Self-employed residence (DAFT) receives a complete, valid application — not when you begin collecting documents. Gathering evidence, getting qualifications recognised, and booking consular appointments all happen before the window starts.
Is there a way to speed up the decision?+
Some Netherlands routes offer a priority or premium service for an additional fee. Check the linked primary source for current options — availability changes and varies by consular post.
What makes an application take longer than expected?+
The most common reasons for delays beyond the published window are: missing or incorrect documents, a request for more information (which pauses the clock until you reply), background or medical checks, and consular appointment backlogs in your country. Submitting a complete, well-organised application on day one is the single biggest thing you can do to stay inside the published window.
When should I treat my Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur application as delayed?+
Wait until you have passed the upper end of the published window (4 weeks – 3 months) before treating it as delayed. At that point, a single polite status enquiry through the official channel is reasonable. Do not chase repeatedly, as this tends to slow a case rather than speed it up.
Next steps
Full visa guide
Eligibility, application steps, fees, and FAQs for the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur.
All Netherlands processing times
Compare decision windows across every Netherlands visa route.
Government fees breakdown
Full itemised fee schedule for the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur.
Reviewed by Sam Parks, Editor and lead researcher.