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Kingdom of the Netherlands · entrepreneur

Self-employed person: ordinary business assessment

By · Last reviewed:

Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Full-review date shown above.

Residence for a genuine self-employed business meeting the Dutch economic-interest assessment, income and professional requirements.

Genuine Dutch business, applicable economic-interest assessment, professional permissions, financial plan and required meansConditional PR application pathwayUp to two years for the self-employment residence permit; continuing eligibility supports a separate renewal decision. A five-year renewal is not guaranteed.
Processing time
The IND publishes a 90-day decision period, rather than a universal two-to-four-week service. It can extend the period, including by up to six months when seeking RVO or OCW advice; incomplete applications or other permitted reasons can also affect the decision date. Follow the deadline and any additional-document request in your own case.
Government fees
The IND’s current 2026 fee is EUR 423 for an initial self-employment application, change of purpose or extension, including the US and Japanese treaty routes. Other statutory applicant categories can have different fees or exemptions. The business investment is separate from the application fee; also budget for registration, professional advice, document translation/legalisation, insurance and living costs. IND fees change on 1 January; do not assume the 2026 amount applies in 2027.
Typical duration
Up to two years for the self-employment residence permit; continuing eligibility supports a separate renewal decision. A five-year renewal is not guaranteed.
Required support
Genuine Dutch business, applicable economic-interest assessment, professional permissions, financial plan and required means
Leads to permanent residency
Conditional — separate application
Reviewed Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands ↗

In short

Residence for a genuine self-employed business meeting the Dutch economic-interest assessment, income and professional requirements. Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/netherlands/self-employed-person#answer

What is the Self-employed person: ordinary business assessment in Kingdom of the Netherlands?

Self-employed person: ordinary business assessment is an unsponsored Netherlands route. Indicative government fees are The IND’s current 2026 fee is EUR 423 for an initial self-employment application, change of purpose or extension, including the US and Japanese treaty routes. Other statutory applicant categories can have different fees or exemptions. The business investment is separate from the application fee; also budget for registration, professional advice, document translation/legalisation, insurance and living costs. IND fees change on 1 January; do not assume the 2026 amount applies in 2027; indicative processing time is The IND publishes a 90-day decision period, rather than a universal two-to-four-week service. It can extend the period, including by up to six months when seeking RVO or OCW advice; incomplete applications or other permitted reasons can also affect the decision date. Follow the deadline and any additional-document request in your own case; typical duration is Up to two years for the self-employment residence permit; continuing eligibility supports a separate renewal decision. A five-year renewal is not guaranteed. Self-employment is classified as a non-temporary residence purpose, although the initial residence document is temporary. Permanent residence still needs a separate application: ordinarily five consecutive qualifying years, main residence in the Netherlands, timely renewals and continuing eligibility, the applicable income requirements, BRP registration and A2 civic integration or a recognised exemption. IND first checks long-term EU residence. Five years or a business investment does not automatically grant permanent residence.

Primary guidance checked with Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands on 15 November 2026.

Overview

The ordinary self-employed-person residence permit requires a genuine eligible business, the applicable economic-interest assessment and evidence of sufficient means. For the normal points branch, RVO advises IND on personal experience, the business plan and added value for the Netherlands; a self-assessed score or company registration is not residence approval. Treaty entrepreneurs, Turkish applicants, holders of long-term EU status from another member state, independent professions and artists can fall under different assessment rules. An innovative founder using a facilitator has a distinct startup procedure.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

  • ✓Register the actual business with the Chamber of Commerce, hold the necessary professional/business permissions and demonstrate the applicable essential interest to the Dutch economy. Freelancers need one or more commissions in the Netherlands. Regulated healthcare work requires the relevant BIG registration where applicable.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands ↗
  • ✓In the ordinary points branch, demonstrate at least 30 points in each of personal experience, business plan and added value; alternatively at least 45 in personal experience and 45 in the business plan can satisfy the stated alternative. The current regulation makes these distinct thresholds; an overall 90 without the required distribution is not enough.Dutch Government / Minister for Migration and Asylum ↗
  • ✓Meet the actual independent, sustainable and sufficient means requirements. For 1 July–31 December 2026, IND lists gross monthly business profit including holiday allowance of EUR 1,766.77 for ordinary self-employment. This is profit rather than turnover.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands ↗
  • ✓Article 3.20(2) excepts an initial self-employment grant from the standard 18-month prior-income/one-year-availability test; it does not remove the financial assessment or the required business evidence.Dutch Government / Minister for Migration and Asylum ↗
  • ✓Apply the correct assessment branch. IND excludes Turkish nationals, qualifying long-term EU residents from another member state and independent professions from its ordinary points test; artists use the cultural-interest framework. A different test does not mean automatic permission. US/Japanese treaty conditions belong in the separate treaty guide.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands ↗

Common blockers

Typical evidence

  • ·The appropriate application, passport and required identity/antecedents/biometric documents; Chamber of Commerce registration, professional permissions and the self-employed income declaration with supporting evidence. Foreign official documents need the required authentication and accepted language or sworn translation.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands ↗
  • ·A substantiated business plan with product/service, market and pricing, organisation, opening balance, turnover and liquidity calculations for at least three years, employment creation and proposed investment. Support qualifications, entrepreneurial/employment experience and claimed Dutch economic value with verifiable documents.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands ↗
  • ·Have the submitted financial evidence checked by an authorised independent external expert. Include company/ownership documents for the actual form and freelance agreements or credible commissions where relevant. For an ordinary renewal, document continuing eligibility and the current income declaration and requested supporting accounts.Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands ↗

Application pathway

  1. Identify the correct self-employment assessment

    Confirm whether ordinary economic-interest points apply or whether a treaty, Turkish, other-member-state long-term EU, independent-profession or cultural-interest branch requires different evidence. Use the separate startup route for a qualifying innovative founder working with a facilitator.

  2. Build the evidence for the actual business

    Register the business, establish required professional permissions and assemble the market, client, qualification, funding and forecast evidence. An ordinary business does not qualify simply by adopting the treaty investment figure of EUR 4,500. A director-major shareholder using the in-country form needs at least a 25% interest, entrepreneurial risk and control over their salary.

  3. Check income and have the finances reviewed

    Use the current norm and actual profit assessment. The 1 July–31 December 2026 ordinary self-employed amount is EUR 1,766.77 gross profit monthly including holiday allowance. Forecasts and the business plan support the initial application; the regulation’s initial-grant exception means a new applicant is not universally required to have already traded for 18 months. Continuing/renewal assessments use the relevant actual income rules and evidence; a startup-to-self-employment transition has its own provisions.

  4. Use the correct visa and residence application

    Check nationality and any MVV exemption. MVV-required applicants follow the combined overseas entry/residence process; eligible no-MVV applicants use the in-country procedure and current form. Supply the complete case-specific documents and fee and respond to IND/RVO requests. A positive economic-interest assessment is part of, rather than a substitute for, the residence decision.

  5. Maintain authorised activity and renew in time

    The ordinary self-employment endorsement permits self-employment; paid employment requires the employer’s TWV work permit unless the actual document gives broader rights. Family members need their own eligible residence applications; IND states that family members admitted on the corresponding basis can work without a TWV. Neither a business registration nor an MVV exemption alone is permission to start work. Check the actual residence endorsement and report relevant changes. Retain accounts, tax, client and company records. Apply within the final three months and before actual expiry, with current eligibility and the required income evidence. The ordinary renewal form’s income checklist differs from the treaty renewal capital checklist.

  6. Assess any later permanent residence independently

    Self-employment is classified as a non-temporary residence purpose, although the initial residence document is temporary. Permanent residence still needs a separate application: ordinarily five consecutive qualifying years, main residence in the Netherlands, timely renewals and continuing eligibility, the applicable income requirements, BRP registration and A2 civic integration or a recognised exemption. IND first checks long-term EU residence. Five years or a business investment does not automatically grant permanent residence.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Self-employed person: ordinary business assessment, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Check whether employment, self-employment, remote work or study is permitted under the status granted. Do not infer unrestricted work rights from the absence of an employer sponsor.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Self-employed person: ordinary business assessment instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to NetherlandsFirst steps after arrivingDestination moving checklist

Plan the practical side of your stay

Once you have checked the official route, you can prepare for day-to-day life in Netherlands. These optional services are separate from the application and do not establish visa eligibility.

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

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.

  1. Official guidanceApplicant
    Check the ordinary and alternative business assessments ↗

    Identify the actual economic or cultural-interest branch before assembling documents.

    Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands · verified

  2. Official guidanceApplicant
    Read the current assessment and initial-income rules ↗

    Use Articles 3.20 and 3.20a with the applicable annex; do not substitute an overall points total.

    Dutch Government / Minister for Migration and Asylum · verified

  3. Official guidanceApplicant
    Prepare the self-employment application evidence ↗

    Use the correct entry/residence application and the ordinary business-plan, financial and qualification checklist.

    Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands · verified

  4. Official guidanceApplicant
    Check the current income amount ↗

    Use the applicable date range and actual business profit; the treaty basis has different conditions.

    Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), Netherlands · verified

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Frequently asked questions

Is depositing EUR 4,500 enough for the ordinary route?+

No. That figure belongs to specified treaty capital branches. Ordinary self-employment needs the applicable economic-interest, business, professional and income evidence; there is no general deposit-only residence route.

Is an overall score of 90 sufficient?+

Not by itself. The normal test requires at least 30 in each of the three areas. The alternative requires at least 45 for personal experience and 45 for the business plan. RVO assesses the evidence and IND decides residence eligibility.

Must I already have 18 months of business income to make a first application?+

Not as a universal condition. Current Article 3.20(2) excepts an initial self-employment grant from the standard prior-income durability rule. You still need the required financial and business-plan evidence and the applicable sufficient-means assessment. Renewal and other applications can use different income-history rules.

Does the published income figure mean turnover?+

No. IND lists gross business profit including holiday allowance, currently EUR 1,766.77 monthly for 1 July–31 December 2026. Profit and taxable-income assessment differ from sales turnover; use the current income guidance and financial declaration.

Do all nationalities use the same points system?+

No. US/Japanese treaty entrepreneurs have their own basis. IND also identifies Turkish, other-member-state long-term EU and independent-profession exceptions to the ordinary points test; artists use the cultural-interest assessment. Check the actual branch rather than assuming a complete exemption from immigration conditions.

Can I work for an employer or bring family?+

The ordinary self-employment endorsement permits self-employment; paid employment requires the employer’s TWV work permit unless the actual document gives broader rights. Family members need their own eligible residence applications; IND states that family members admitted on the corresponding basis can work without a TWV. Neither a business registration nor an MVV exemption alone is permission to start work. Check the actual residence endorsement and report relevant changes.

Does this guarantee permanent residence?+

Self-employment is classified as a non-temporary residence purpose, although the initial residence document is temporary. Permanent residence still needs a separate application: ordinarily five consecutive qualifying years, main residence in the Netherlands, timely renewals and continuing eligibility, the applicable income requirements, BRP registration and A2 civic integration or a recognised exemption. IND first checks long-term EU residence. Five years or a business investment does not automatically grant permanent residence.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

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How 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), Netherlands

Last checked: 15 November 2026

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