photo of amsterdam DAFT visa

How to Get a DAFT Visa

*Updated in Dec 2021 (how to get a DAFT visa)

1. Understand & Meet the Requirements

You must meet the following conditions for a DAFT Visa:

  • You will operate your business between the US and the Netherlands.
  • You will start a new business opportunity or a profession in which you have invested a substantial capital (€4500).
  • You have a valid travel document (for example a passport).
  • You are not a risk to public order and national security.
  • You have sufficient and long-term means of support
    • You must be able to make enough money after obtaining the Visa to stay off of Dutch welfare programs
  • You have not previously stayed in the Netherlands illegally.
  • You have not given false information or have withheld important information to support any previous applications.

2. Make an Appointment with the IND

As long as you meet the criteria above, you can make an appointment with the IND to start the DAFT visa application process. Even though you don’t have all the information you need yet to complete part of the application, make the appointment. The IND may not have an appointment time slot available for a few weeks, so it is important to do this as soon as you can. Be prepared for a long wait time on the phone with the IND. On average, I was on hold for 15 minutes before I was able to speak to an actual person.

As an American, you have 90 days to stay in the EU. Your first meeting with the IND, when you hand in your DAFT visa application (regardless if it’s complete or not) is the starting date of your temporary visa. This temporary visa will allow you to stay beyond the 90 days.

My temporary Visa allowed me to stay 6 months after my initial meeting with the IND.

For the application, you need to EVENTUALLY submit the following documents:

  • A filled out IND application form, which can be found here: DAFT Application form IND
  • Copies of identity details of your passport and all pages containing travel stamps.
  • An original certificate of the registration at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (not older than 3 months).
  • When you are the sole entrepreneur (‘eenmanszaak’): A bank statement of the business account showing the amount invested.
  • An opening balance sheet verified by a certified external expert. This can be a chartered accountant, an accounting consultant, an accountant or a financial advisor.

In order to obtain these documents, you need a BSN number (or Dutch social security number). You will not be able to get this number without this first meeting with the IND. The Municipality (Gemeente) needs specific documentation from the IND in order to process your BSN application. You can go to the city and register prior to your meeting but they will not assign you a BSN number until after you have met with the IND.

Setting the appointment with the IND is the first step to get the ball rolling. Then you can plan the next steps from there.

3. Make an Appointment with the Municipality (Gemeente)

After you hang up the phone with the IND, call the municipality to make an appointment with the Gemeente to get your BSN number. When making your appointment, make sure to mention you are a US Citizen applying for the Dutch American Friendship Treaty visa and that you already have an appointment with the IND. 

It may not be possible to meet with the IND before you meet with the Gemeente because of the time left on your 90-day visitor visa.

If you have to meet with the municipality before your IND appointment, your registration with the municipality will be provisional. After registration, you will receive a letter of preregistration (BvB) for the IND. The municipality mails this letter off to the IND for you. After you applied for a residence permit (at your IND appointment), the IND returns the BvB to the municipality. Only then will your registration with the municipality be final. You will then receive your BSN from the municipality by post.

4. Meet with the IND to Submit your Application

When it’s time for your first appointment with the IND, make sure you have the following:

  • A valid US passport with copies of identity details and copies of all pages containing travel stamps.
  • The application form completed to the best of your ability.
  • The fee (You will have to bring this in cash unless you have a Dutch pin card). Since you need a BSN number to start a Dutch bank account, the latter is unlikely. Check here under Work > Work as a self-employed person for the latest fee as this does change frequently. Take note of the fee when you made your appointment. In case the fee changes between when you called and when you actually arrived, you may be able to pay the lower fee.

At the meeting, they will enter you into the system, take your fee, a picture, and images of your fingerprints. You will receive an extension to your visa, usually 6 months. They will put a cool stamp inside of your passport. The IND will request from you via post any missing information that you will need to complete the application. Essentially, by meeting with the IND, you are adding time to your visa and buying time to complete the application process.

5. Meet with the Municipality to Register at the Municipality to Receive your BSN

The BSN is your Dutch Social Security Number. You will need your BSN for all the official forms you will complete in the process. If someone asks you, “did you register with the city yet?” or if someone reminds you that you have four months from your arrival date to register with the city – this is the step they are referring to. All residents of the Netherlands have to be registered with the city within four months of arrival; the requirements and process differ depending on your citizenship and residence status.

For your registration / BSN appointment, you will need to bring the following documentation:

  • A valid passport or identity card.
  • Proof you have applied for a resident permit (sticker on your passport from the IND).
  • A rental agreement or deed of conveyance or written lodgings agreement with a copy of the proof of identity of the owner/main occupant of the house. (I wrote up my own document stating the name and address of the person I would be staying with, had them sign it, and attached a photocopy of their passport). It is important that you register with a trusted address as all of your important mail from the IND and Gemeente will be going there.
  • An apostille birth certificate (Mine was just a regular non-apostille birth certificate and I was still able to register. The Gemeente told me that I needed to have it apostilled before I could get a BSN, but they gave me my BSN anyway)
  • A proof of deregistration with the PIVA if you are moving to the Netherlands from Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba, Aruba, Curaçao en Sint Maarten.

You will receive your BSN within 5-10 days in the mail after this appointment. (It took 5 business days for mine to come)

6. Register with the KVK

You will need your BSN number in order to register your company as an ‘eenmanszaak’ (sole proprietorship) with the KVK (the Chamber of Commerce). Make an appointment online with the KVK in your area. In most cases, you will see that they don’t have any appointments available for weeks. There is a trick: if you check in the morning on the day-of, you should be able to make an appointment for that same day.

You will need to bring to the appointment:

  • A completed registration form (done online, you don’t need to print it)
  • A valid identification document (passport with your IND stamp)
  • €65 or a Dutch PIN card (This is for registration and an official extract. Not sure if they take credit cards, but they might. be sure to check the fees as they might change)
  • A short description of your company. This should be written in Dutch since they will enter the description into the system in Dutch. You should have a friend who speaks Dutch help you with this if possible. Otherwise, the KVK will help you translate it at the appointment.

After registration, you will get an extract with your KVK details. The information you provide will also register you with the tax office, effectively applying for a VAT number. At the end of the appointment, request an official extract of your registration. This should be around €15. You will submit this extract to the IND to fulfill the requirement for an official certificate of registration with the KVK.

7. Submit a Business Plan (Optional)

It is not required to have a business plan under the Dutch American Friendship Treaty, but I saw many sites and blogs claiming that they were told by the IND that they should submit one. It may be more important if you are starting a more complicated business. Mine was fairly simple and I did not submit one.

You may already have a business plan but it’s important to revise it so that:

  • It matches with the company category/set of services specified when you registered with the KVK.
  • It supports that you are meeting the conditions set by the IND.
  • If your business is incorporated, the initial capital investment required will be greater. The business plan will help to determine with the IND what the required amount minimum will be.

8. Apply for a Dutch Business Bank Account

You will need your BSN number and KVK number in order to apply for a Dutch Business bank account such as ING or Rabobank.

You can also get an all-online business account through N26. You don’t even need a Dutch BSN or KVK number for this, only your US SSN, as the bank is based in Germany. This is the cheapest and most simple option. Its costs €0 per month to keep this account open. The IND has recently told a DAFT applicant that holding their €4500 in this German Bank account was okay.

I opened my business account with ING as they have a good deal for starters, offering free services for the first 6 months, and then around €10 per month afterward. However, after learning about N26, I moved all of my money there. Here is the ING deal if you are interested:
ING starter deal

Rabobank also offers a similar deal to ING, but I ultimately chose ING because they have a mobile banking app that is in English and their site was easier for me to navigate. I was also able to open a personal bank account with ING at the same appointment.

9. Deposit Your Initial Capital Investment

The initial investment for a DAFT visa applicant is a minimum of €4500. If you are transferring money from the United States, I recommend using Wise (formerly TransferWise). They use real-time market rates and charge the smallest fees compared to any other method I could find. Plus the service is super fast and usually transfers your money within two days. This might vary depending on which US bank you use.

Check out my guide on the Best Way to Transfer Money Internationally.

10. Opening Balance Sheet Reviewed and Signed Off by an External Expert

You must get an opening balance sheet verified and signed off by an “External Expert”. This basically means that you must have someone who is a certified tax professional, accountant, or financial advisor verify that you have the required capital investment of €4500 in a business bank account. For this service, I recommend Hanna Helps.

Contact Hanna by sending her an email:
hanna@hannahelps.nl

Visit Hanna’s Website:
http://hannahelps.nl/

11. Submit All Supporting Documentation

This can be done in person or by post. If you want to submit your documents in person, you must call the IND and make an appointment. I preferred making an appointment so that I could ask any questions I had about my application. You can also mail in your documents or drop them off in the mailbox at the IND office.

12. Wait

Probably the most frustrating part of dealing with the IND is that all official communications are done by post. You can meet in person or speak on the phone but if they require any information from you to complete the application, this will be requested by you via post. Any confirmations regarding your application are not official unless it is by post. So keep track of your mail. Should you need additional time to fulfill requirements, contact the IND and request an extension. They are usually amenable to this.

Patience is probably the most essential criteria for the whole DAFT visa application process. It can be frustrating. You may feel like you’re going around in circles sometimes but stay confident, diligent, and patient.

How Long Will it Take?

For an idea of how long it will take you to obtain a Dutch American Friendship Treaty Visa and move to the Netherlands as an American, you can check out my timeline and see how long the entire DAFT visa process took me.

See my Timeline Here

I started my application on April 17th and picked up my residence permit on August 17th.

What is the Dutch American Friendship Treaty?

How to get a DAFT visa sources: https://daftvisa.wordpress.com/step-by-step-guide/