Kingdom of the Netherlands · entrepreneur · Leads to settlement
Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur
By Sam Parks · Last reviewed:
Source check: all 7 official citations reconfirmed 11 July 2026
Treaty-based self-employment residence for US nationals starting a business in the Netherlands.
- Processing time
- 2–4 weeks after complete submission.
- Government fees
- Around €1,500.
- Typical duration
- Initial 2 years, renewable for 5; leads to permanent residence.
- Sponsorship required
- No
- Leads to permanent residency
- Yes
In short
As of 8 July 2026, the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur for Kingdom of the Netherlands has a typical government cost of about €508.15 and typical processing of 4 weeks – 3 months. Sources: official Kingdom of the Netherlands government pages, reviewed 8 July 2026.
Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/netherlands/daft#answer
What is the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur in Kingdom of the Netherlands?
Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur is an unsponsored Netherlands route. Indicative government fees are Around €1,500; indicative processing time is 2–4 weeks after complete submission; typical duration is Initial 2 years, renewable for 5; leads to permanent residence. This route can lead to permanent residence.
Verified against Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) on 22 June 2026.
Europe digital-nomad money stack
Europe digital-nomad cost, income and settlement methodology
The route guide answers eligibility. This method layer ties that answer to source-backed cost data and warns where comparator routes are not dedicated nomad visas.
No generic best-country claim
Portugal, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands answer different eligibility questions. Rank them only after stating the criterion: income floor, paid-away cost, family scaling, renewal path, settlement or tax exposure.
Income evidence is not an application fee
Remote-work income, retained business capital and accommodation cash-flow are evidence or liquidity gates. They must not be merged with consular fees, residence-card fees, insurance, translations or apostilles.
Tax residence is separate from visa eligibility
Visa approval does not settle income-tax, social-security, Beckham-regime, Portuguese ordinary-residence or Dutch/German business-tax treatment. Those are separate jurisdiction-specific checks.
| Route | Income or funds gate | Applicant paid-away baseline | Family and renewal caveat | Settlement and tax caveat | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portuguese Republic - D8 visa (digital nomad / remote work)Dedicated EU digital-nomad residence route with a remote-work income floor. | €44,160/year; Remote-work income evidence (last 3 months at D8 floor): €11,040 | €420-€1,040Mandatory refundable/show-only line: €11,040. | Residence-track D8 budgeting should keep accompanying-family national visa and AIMA card lines separate from the principal applicant. Tracked lines: Accompanying family-member national visa (€110); Accompanying family-member AIMA residence card (€170-€230). | Counts toward Portugal long-term residence or citizenship planning, but Portuguese tax residence must be modelled separately from D8 eligibility. | 1 July 2026VistosMNE - D8 digital-nomad requirements |
| Kingdom of Spain - Digital Nomad Visa (Spain)Dedicated international-teleworker route tied to Spain SMI and non-Spanish-client income. | €34,188/year; Remote-work income evidence (200% of 2026 SMI): €34,188 | €647.02-€1,677.02Mandatory refundable/show-only line: €34,188. | Family analysis must keep UGE/TIE/consular fees and SMI-linked dependant income uplifts visible as separate lines. Tracked lines: Family-member UGE/TIE/consular fees (€26.08-€116.08); First dependant income uplift (€12,820.50). | Counts toward Spanish permanent residence, but Beckham-regime and tax-residence treatment are separate advice questions. | 1 July 2026UGE-CE teleworker documentation and BOE - Real Decreto 126/2026 |
| Federal Republic of Germany - Freelance / Self-employment residence permit (§21 AufenthG)Comparator self-employment route, not a dedicated digital-nomad visa; the binding evidence is viability, clients and financing. | Comparator self-employment route, not a dedicated digital-nomad visa; the binding evidence is viability, clients and financing. | No dedicated cost-to-complete model tracked yet; use the route guide source before publishing a cost answer. | Do not publish a generic Germany nomad cost claim without local authority, health-insurance and family-residence evidence. | Can be settlement-track for successful self-employment, but German tax and social-security exposure start from the resident fact pattern. | 22 June 2026Make it in Germany — Self-employment |
| Kingdom of the Netherlands - Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneurComparator treaty route, not a global digital-nomad route; eligibility is nationality-gated and built around business capital. | Comparator treaty route, not a global digital-nomad route; eligibility is nationality-gated and built around business capital. | No dedicated cost-to-complete model tracked yet; use the route guide source before publishing a cost answer. | Do not treat DAFT as a generally available Netherlands digital-nomad visa because US/Japanese treaty access is the gate. | Can count toward long-term Dutch residence, but retained business capital and Dutch tax residence are different checks. | 22 June 2026IND — Self-employed person (DAFT / Dutch-Japanese friendship treaty) |
Publisher-ready citation snippet
Visa Atlas separates Europe digital-nomad application costs from income evidence: Portugal D8 and Spain Digital Nomad Visa show remote-work income as evidence, not a fee, while Germany freelancer and Netherlands DAFT remain comparator self-employment routes unless a route-specific cost model is present.
- Digital-nomad best-of guide
- Europe digital-nomad route comparison
- Digital-nomad ranking table
- Digital-nomad category hub
- Portugal D8 route guide
- Portugal D8 cost model
- Spain Digital Nomad Visa route guide
- Spain Digital Nomad Visa cost model
- Germany Freelancer permit route guide
- Public visa JSON
- Cost-to-complete JSON
- How our digital-nomad figures compare
Unsupported digital-nomad long-tail variants stay excluded until unique source-backed value exists. Latest source record in this cluster: 1 July 2026. This cluster supports retrieval and review, not ranking, traffic, AI-citation or market-share outcome claims.
Overview
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).
Guidance by nationality
Specific information for applicants from these countries. Don’t see yours? The general eligibility criteria above apply to everyone.
Eligibility
Typical criteria
- ✓US or Japanese nationality.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) ↗
- ✓€4,500 held in a Dutch business bank account.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) ↗
- ✓Registration of a Dutch company with the Chamber of Commerce.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) ↗
Common blockers
- !Non-US/Japanese nationality.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) ↗
- !Lack of Dutch company registration at application time.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) ↗
Typical evidence
- ·US or Japanese passport.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) ↗
- ·KvK registration.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) ↗
- ·Bank statement showing €4,500.
Application pathway
Register Dutch company
Most DAFT applicants set up as eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship) or BV.
Deposit €4,500 in business account
Capital must be retained during the permit.
Apply with IND
DAFT route is self-sponsored.
Live and trade
Renew at year 2; permanent residence option after 5 years.
Official application links
Where to actually go next
These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.
- Official guidanceApplicantApply as self-employed ↗
DAFT applicants use this IND self-employed route page to prepare and file the residence application.
Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) · verified
Fees and processing time
A typical Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur application runs about €508.15 in government fees (uS citizen, arrival + IND + KvK (ignoring the €4,500 maintained equity)). A decision then typically takes 4 weeks – 3 months. Both change over time, so the dedicated pages below carry the itemised breakdown and the current official figures.
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Related routes
Frequently asked questions
Is DAFT only for US citizens?+
DAFT itself is for US nationals. Japanese nationals access an equivalent self-employment route under the Dutch-Japanese friendship treaty. Other nationalities fall under the general Dutch self-employment points system, which is more demanding.
How much capital do I need and what does it cost to apply under DAFT?+
DAFT requires 4,500 euros held in a Dutch business bank account, and the government fee is around 1,500 euros. The route is for US nationals, with an equivalent treaty route for Japanese nationals. Confirm current figures on the official IND page.
Does the DAFT entrepreneur route lead to permanent residence?+
Yes — DAFT starts as an initial 2-year permit, renewable for 5 years, and leads to permanent residence after 5 years. Confirm the permanent-residence requirements on the official IND page.
What kind of company do I register for DAFT — a sole proprietorship or a BV?+
Most DAFT applicants register either as an eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship) or a BV with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK), and the company must be registered when you apply. Lacking a Dutch company registration at application time is a common blocker. Confirm requirements on the official IND page.
Need tailored advice?
We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.
Find a regulated advisor in NetherlandsHow we verified this
We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.
Primary source: Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)
Last checked: 22 June 2026