You will need to invest €4500 and maintain this amount in a business bank account. In addition to this initial investment, you must pay the DAFT visa application fee which can be found here under “Costs residence permit > Work > Work as a self-employed person”.
After getting your DAFT visa application accepted, your first residence permit will be valid for 2 years. Once these two years are almost up, you have to file a renewal that shows you have maintained your investment of 4500 euros and that your Dutch business is active. After this, you will be able to renew your DAFT visa every 5 years under these same conditions.
No, but many people feel better if they have some guidance through the process. It’s nice to have someone on your side who has been through the process before that is always available for any questions. I offer a 1 on 1 advising service that is more affordable than using a lawyer. If you are interested in this, please fill out the contact form on the top right of the page 🙂
Yes. Your partner or spouse will be allowed to work freely, including in salaried employment, based on a new policy that went into effect on January 1st, 2020. You may also bring your children with you.
No, your clients can be anywhere in the world. I have zero clients in the Netherlands. I work with one client in the UK and the rest of my clients are from the US.
No, you do not need to know Dutch in order to live in the Netherlands on the DAFT visa. However, if you ever want to become a permanent resident or a citizen, you will eventually need to learn Dutch. It is also nice to know some Dutch to better assimilate into daily life here in the Netherlands.
Short answer: Yes. However, it depends on how complicated your business is and how much experience you have in these areas. Starting a business in a new country may bring a lot of surprises so I personally believe it is well worth the investment of hiring someone who is knowledgeable in both US and Dutch taxes in the beginning. I would recommend having an expert handle your bookkeeping, accounting and taxes in your first two years.
You are not allowed to work as a salaried employee while on the DAFT visa. You can only work on a self-employed basis, meaning you are sending invoices to a reasonably diverse number of clients (I have heard that one client shouldn’t make up more than 70% of your income) or you are running a retail business. However, while on the DAFT visa, if you find a Dutch company that wants to employ you for a high-skilled job (for which there are conditions including a minimum salary requirement), that company can sponsor you for a change of your residence permit to a residence permit for the purpose of employment.
The general rule (in 2024) is that if you plan on making at least €66,000 per year in profits with your business, you should set up a BV. This will give you access to the 30% ruling, along other with other benefits. You can read more about the difference between a BV and a ZZP / eenmanszaak.