POSTERN

Netherlands

Dutch American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) residence permit. A uniquely easy Dutch self-employment route open only to Americans, needing a €4,500 business investment instead of the normal points-based business plan review.

Free · The law behind every answer · Checked Sep 27, 2026

Dutch American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) residence permit

A 2-year residence permit to run the Dutch business, renewable.

Who qualifies

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

1

Does it fit your family?

One question, from the program’s own rules.

Savings you could move or invest?

Not legal advice.

2

What it takes.

Savings
About $4,950.
Time
2–3 months for the IND decision; the applicant may live and work as if approved while the decision is pending.
Cost
About $950: €423 IND fee for the main applicant (2026) plus the €4,500 capital deposit (which remains the family's business capital, not a fee).
The hard part
Setting up the Dutch company and accountant relationship correctly before filing; recent IND scrutiny of existing permit holders has increased, so the business must show ongoing real activity, not just the initial deposit.

Dollar figures are converted from the local currency at the rate the program’s research used; the official figure is in the local currency.

3

Citizens by 2033.

If your first permit is issued in 2027 and you keep living there, this is the road.

  1. 2027
    First residence permit

    2 years, renewable for 5 years at a time.

  2. 2029
    Renew the permit

    Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 5 years.

  3. 2032
    Permanent residence

    5 unbroken years with a valid residence permit and the Netherlands as your main home, a current permit for a non-temporary purpose, and the civic integration exam at A2. Years on a study permit count half; an orientation year does not count.

  4. 2032
    Apply for citizenship

    With a language test and a civics test.

  5. 2033
    Citizenship

    The decision usually takes 12–12 months.

Language
Dutch at A2: the civic integration exam's reading, listening, writing and speaking parts.
Civics
Part of the civic integration exam: Knowledge of Dutch Society, a 45-minute computer test.
Time away
5 consecutive years living in the Netherlands with a valid residence permit, which must be for a non-temporary purpose when you apply. Spending more than 6 months in a row abroad in a year, or more than 4 months in a row three years running, can cost you your main residence.
Two passports
Usually not: new citizens are asked to give up their other citizenship.
  • The first permit runs at most 2 years; renewals are assumed to run up to 5 years, and naturalisation generally means giving up U.S. citizenship.
  • You must normally give up your other citizenship. Exceptions include being married to or the registered partner of a Dutch citizen, being born in the Kingdom and living there, and cases where giving it up would cause serious financial loss.
  • The cabinet proposed in September 2025 to raise the naturalisation clock from 5 to 10 years, and plans to raise the language level to B1. Neither is law on the IND's pages as of September 2026.
  • 12 months is the IND's legal decision period; the ceremony comes after it.
  • This country asks new citizens to give up their other citizenship.
The law behind these dates
4

Living there.

Time you must spend there
No fixed day count, but the business must remain genuinely active in the Netherlands.
Tax
Living in the Netherlands under DAFT makes you Dutch tax resident, with worldwide income taxable; no special low-tax regime applies to DAFT itself, though the general 30%-ruling can apply separately to qualifying incoming employees, not typically to DAFT entrepreneurs.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

5

Start today.

  1. Read the IND's self-employed / DAFT permit page.Open ind.nl ↗
  2. Round up the papers.
    • Proof of savings: at least $4,950
    • Request your FBI Identity History Summary
    • Health cover for the move
6

Or let us run it.

$900for your first year as a founding member. Then $399 a year, automatically.Standard first year: $1,200. Everyone renews at $399.One membership, the whole family. Accounts and activation included.

19 steps, from the first paper to the passport. You do 4 of them: send what we ask for, sign, and show up. We run the rest, and keep every permit renewed on time. Accounts and activation are included, whether you move now or keep the plan ready. Accounts depend on provider availability. Government, record and approved third-party charges are extra.

Run it for my family →
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ISSUED TO

YOUR FAMILY

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