The besloten vennootschap (BV) is the default legal structure for founders incorporating in the Netherlands — limited liability, no meaningful minimum capital, and recognised by investors and banks. Here is what the process actually involves.
What to expect
Polder coordinates the notary, KVK registration, UBO filing and business bank account as a single sequenced process, aligned with your visa timeline where relevant.
Most foreign founders setting up in the Netherlands default to a BV rather than a sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak), mainly for liability separation and because investors and larger clients expect it. The mechanics are more standardised than people expect — the parts that actually take time are usually the notary appointment, the bank account, and getting the paperwork sequenced correctly, not the legal structure itself.
A BV separates your personal liability from the company's, which matters once you're signing contracts, hiring, or raising investment. It requires no meaningful minimum share capital — one cent is technically enough, though most founders capitalise it with a real, sensible amount.
Investors, banks and larger enterprise clients are set up to deal with a BV as a matter of course; a sole proprietorship can complicate fundraising, hiring under payroll, and some client contracts later.
Incorporation happens through a civil-law notary (notaris), who drafts and executes the deed of incorporation and the articles of association. This can often be done remotely via a power of attorney if you're not physically in the Netherlands yet, though many founders prefer to be present.
After the deed is executed, the notary registers the company with the Chamber of Commerce (KVK), which enters it into the Dutch Trade Register and issues your KVK number — this is the number you'll use constantly afterward, for everything from invoices to the tax office.
The legal incorporation itself, once the notary has what they need, is often the fastest part. The two steps that regularly take longer than founders expect are opening a business bank account (Dutch banks run their own compliance checks, especially for founders without a Dutch track record yet) and, for startup visa founders, sequencing incorporation against the facilitator agreement and permit timeline.
Whether you personally need a BSN before incorporation depends on your situation — a notary can usually incorporate the company with valid ID even without one, but you will need a BSN quickly afterward for almost everything else, including opening the bank account in most cases.
Treating the notary appointment as the finish line, then discovering the bank account takes weeks longer than expected — start the bank application in parallel, not after incorporation is done.
Skipping or delaying UBO registration, which is a legal requirement and is checked by banks and some clients.
Underestimating the ongoing cost side: annual accounts, bookkeeping and a registered address are recurring obligations, not one-off setup costs.
No — a BV can be incorporated by a non-resident, often via power of attorney through the notary. Living in the Netherlands becomes relevant separately, for your own residence permit and tax residency, not for the incorporation itself.
No meaningful one — one cent is technically sufficient. In practice, most founders put in a sensible starting amount that reflects the business, rather than the legal minimum.
A sole proprietorship is simpler and cheaper to run for a single freelancer with limited liability exposure. Most funded or scaling startups choose a BV specifically for the liability separation and because investors and enterprise clients expect it.
Yes — this is the core of Polder's company-establishment service: coordinating the notary, KVK registration, UBO filing and business banking as one sequenced process rather than separate errands.
Both routes let non-EU nationals live and work in the Netherlands, but they solve different problems: the Startup Visa is for founders without a job offer, the Highly Skilled Migrant scheme is for people a Dutch employer sponsors. Picking the wrong one costs months.
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Polder coordinates the notary, KVK registration, UBO filing and business bank account as a single sequenced process, aligned with your visa timeline where relevant.
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