Netherlands

Starting a Business in

Netherlands

Below is a detailed summary of the bureaucratic and legal hurdles faced by entrepreneurs wishing to incorporate and register a new firm in Netherlands. It examines the procedures, time and cost involved in launching a commercial or industrial firm with up to 50 employees and start-up capital of 10 times the economy's per-capita gross national income.

This information was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 185 economies. The most recent round of data collection was completed in June 2012.

Compare Netherlands to 184 other economies.

YearNew business densityNumber of new limited liability companies
2011 0.563,213

  • Standardized Company

  • Legal Form: Besloten Vennootschap (BV)
  • Paid in Minimum Capital Requirement: EUR 18,000
  • City: Amsterdam

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No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 Deposit the minimum capital required in the bank

Provided that the minimum capital will be deposited in cash, the bank will have to issue a bank statement evidending that the minimum capital has been deposited and is available to the company. The civil law notary that executes the deed of incorporation will attach this bank statement to the deed of incorporation and shall not execute the deed if the bank statement has not been issued.

 1 day no charge
2 Check the company name for appropriateness and validity

As of July 2011, the Chamber of Commerce no longer carries out trade names searches. However, parties themselves can carry out a check on trade names online on the website of the Chamber of Commerce free of charge.
1 day no charge
3 Draft and sign the company’s deed of incorporation, executed by a civil law notary

Notary rates are negotiable and can be billed on the basis of an hourly rate, or a fixed fee. This varies between notaries. The deed can be signed with a power of attorney of one of the employees of the notary.
1 day EUR 1,750
4 Enter the company in the commercial register at the local chamber of commerce and obtain a registration number.

If the Chamber of Commerce is visited in person or if the registration is done online, it takes several hours to receive a registration number. If the documents are filed by mail, it takes a week. Membership in the local chamber of commerce is mandatory. Initial and annual fees depend on the number of employees and the authorized share capital of the firm. The initial annual fee for a small firm (fewer than 50 employees and authorized capital of no more than EUR 90.000) is EUR 120.29. The payment of the fee can be in cash, wire transfer, bank draft, and the like. Usually an invoice arrives by mail from the Chamber, and the preferred method of payment is by wire transfer.

After incorporation of the company, the founders of the company are jointly and severally liable for each legal act performed during their management and which binds the company in the period before (a) the registration has been effected and (b) the minimum required capital is paid up. Publication in the Netherlands Official Gazette (Staatscourant) of the first registration and certain subsequent registrations is required and will be made by the Chamber. Companies with more than 50 employees must have a properly constituted workers council. The workers council representatives are entitled to participate in discussions and give advice on important company matters.
1 day EUR 120.29
5 Register with the local tax authorities (at the same office register for social security authorities)

The registration form can be filed in a day but it will take the tax office 4–6 weeks to provide the required tax numbers. For income tax a separate registration form must be filed and this can also take 4 weeks.
1 day no charge
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