How do I register a foreign legal entity or company?

When do I have to register a foreign company or legal entity?

All foreign companies with a branch in the Netherlands must register in the KVK Business Register. Do you not have a branch in the Netherlands, but do you have business activities? Then you can also register. Do you want to register a sole proprietorship from abroad? You can start the process online.

Note: If your foreign legal entity lends out workers in the Netherlands against payment, you will have to deal with the Dutch Workers Allocation by Intermediaries Act, Waadi. Under the Waadi, you must register the company in the Business Register.

Who may do the registration?

The registration may be done by:

• The (managing) director of the company.
• The manager or authorised representative of the Dutch branch. They must also register in the Business Register. The authorised representative must have a Dutch authorisation with original signatures of the director(s).
• A Dutch civil-law notary.

What forms do I need for registration?

Download these forms and complete them. Each form states who may sign it and what additional proof you need:

Form 6: Registration Non-resident legal entity/company.

Form 11: Registration official of a legal entity.

Form 13: Registration of authorised representative. Only fill in this form if there is an authorised representative.

What other documents do I need?

These documents may be in Dutch, German, English, or French:

• An official proof of registration of the company in the country where it was founded. This proof should be no more than 1 month old.
• The original or a copy of the following documents. Are you sending a copy? Then the (managing) director or authorised representative must initial each page and add a signature on the last page. 
    - Deed of incorporation
    - Articles of association
    - The notarial deed of appointment of the director or manager. You only need to send this if it is not included in the deed of incorporation.
• Is the visiting address in the Netherlands not the same as the residential address of a director? Then you must be able to prove with a lease or mortgage contract, a certificate from the Land Registry Office (Kadaster), or a declaration of consent that you may use this address for the company.

How do I finalise registration in the Business Register?

You can choose between making an appointment online to visit a KVK office or sending the forms and documents by post.

Make an appointment at a KVK office

You do this online. The link for this is on the forms.

Send everything by post

Together with the original completed and signed forms and documents, you must also send us:

• A copy of a valid identity document of the person who signed the form.
• A legalised copy of a valid identity document of the new official. Legalisation is done by a civil-law notary, consulate, embassy, or by the municipality in the official's country of residence. The signature of the (new) official may be scanned on the forms.
• Does the new official live abroad? Then you must send one of the 2 documents below as proof of the official's residential address. Note: The proof should not be older than 1 month. Is the document in a language other than Dutch, English, French, or German? Then please have it translated into one of these languages. This does not have to be done by a sworn translator.
    - an original extract (or a legalised copy) from the foreign population register.
    - a legalised copy from another official body or a bank, showing the residential address.

Mail should be sent to a KVK office. See how long it takes for registration to be processed.

What happens after I have sent in the forms?

• After registration in the Business Register, you will receive a letter by post with your KVK number.
• You will also receive an invoice for the one-off registration fee by post.
• After registration, you can also order an extract from the Business Register. You can use this as proof of registration.
• Is your start date in the future? Then we will register your company 1 week before the start date.

Do I have to register my company with the Tax Administration?

No, KVK will notify the Netherlands Tax Administration. The Tax Administration decides in which country you must pay tax. You will be notified of this by post within 2 weeks of the start date.

How do I file a tax return?

If you have to file your tax return in the Netherlands, you can do so via Mijn Belastingdienst. To use this, you need to log in with eHerkenning. There is a fee to apply for an eHerkenning account.