Registering a vof with legal entities

The partners of the vof are legal entities (for example, a bv, cv, association, cooperative, vof, or maatschap).

Before you register

About the vof (vennootschap onder firma)

Do you want to start a company with a business partner under a shared company name? The legal structure vennootschap onder firma (vof, general partnership) may be the right choice for you. Read more about the vof. 

The difference between natural persons and legal entities

A natural person is a human being of flesh and blood. A legal entity, or a non-natural person, is an organisation. For example, a bv, cv, maatschap, vof, cooperative, vereniging (association), or stichting (foundation). This article is about registering a vof with natural persons and legal entities as its partners. You can also: 

Fill in the forms

Fill in the following forms and send them to KVK by post. The form states who is authorised to sign it and which additional documentation you have to enclose. 

  • Form 2: 'registering a vennootschap onder firma / commanditaire vennootschap'
  • Form 10: 'registering a partner (vennoot)'
  • Form 32: 'registering a UBO for a cv, vof, maatschap, EEIG, or shipping company' 

Is your starting date over 2 months ago? 

You must prove that you have executed business activities since the starting date you have submitted. Such as documents that prove you have made investments or executed assignments. Bring these to your appointment. 

Next steps

  • We will process your registration within 10 working days (you will not receive status updates). 
  • Is your starting date in the future? The KVK registration (and the issueing of your KVK number) will take place 1 week before the start of your company. 
  • You receive a registration confirmation letter ('AWB brief') and invoice by post. 

No need to make an appointment

Normally, you have to make an appointment at a KVK office to check the partners' identification documents. In this case, all partners are legal entities. The ID check took place when these legal entities were registered. So there is no need to make an appointment. 

Registration fee

FAQ about registering a vof

Only one of the partners in the vof can register. You can help someone else with the registration, but a partner must log in with their own DigiD.

You must register your company within 1 week before or after the start of your business activities.

You can also visit our offices earlier to register your company. You can do this up to 3 months before your start date. To do this, make an appointment with one of our offices.

We will handle the actual registration in the week before the start date you provide. You do not need to visit a KVK office again for this. After registration, we will send you a written confirmation of your registration and an invoice for the registration fee by post.

You will receive a KVK number when you register in the Business Register. You can register from 1 week before the start date of your company, but you can also visit the KVK earlier to prepare your registration. You can do this up to 3 months before the start date. In this case, the actual registration (with KVK number) will take effect 1 week before the start date of your company. You do not need to return to the KVK offices for this.

Registration in the preparation phase is possible in some cases. Preparations include ordering goods, applying for permits, or renting business premises. To complete the registration, make an appointment online by logging in with DigiD. Registration is possible at any KVK office in the Netherlands.

All the FAQs about UBOs can be found under Help & Contact. 

You do not need to register separately with the Netherlands Tax Administration. You submit information when preparing your registration, which the KVK forwards in digital form to the Tax Administration. You will receive a letter of confirmation for your registration with the Tax Administration. After around 10 working days, you will receive a notification from the Tax Administration.

We advise you to document the agreements you make with your partners in a partnership contract (a vof contract). In this contract, you also document the authority of each partner. Bring the vof contract to your KVK appointment, or send it to KVK by post (if you do not have to make an appointment in person). 

Is your question not included? More frequently asked questions can be found on our Help and contact page. It also states how you can contact us.