Permits for your business
You may need many permits for your business, sometimes even before you start. This depends on your profession and activities. You will often also need a permit if you want to renovate or expand your business.
When do you need a permit or licence?
There is no single mandatory licence to start a business. The licences you need for your business depend on your situation and are laid down in various laws and regulations. On this page, you can read how to check which licences you need.
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Check if you need any business permits before registering your business at KVK. See step 1:
Registering your company, step 1 and 2
Permits to work and stay in the Netherlands
Are you from outside the European Economic Area? Then you may need a residence permit and a work permit to live and work in the Netherlands. Make sure you know which residence documents you need before you start your business in the Netherlands. Use our Coming to the Netherlands as an entrepreneur tool.
If you hire foreign personnel, you may need to apply for a work permit for them. Or perhaps you want to hire a highly skilled migrant. Not sure what to do? Contact the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service IND for help.
Check whether you need an environmental permit
Does your business or work have an impact on the environment? For example, do you want to expand or renovate your business premises? Or place advertising at the front of your building? Then you need an environmental and planning permit (omgevingsvergunning). You can use the permit check to find out whether you need an environment and planning permit.
Deviating from the environment plan
The municipality determines what is and is not permitted in a particular location. These rules are laid down in the environment plan. Sometimes your plans may not fit within the environment plan. In some cases, you can still carry out your plans with a special permit (in Dutch). You can also ask the municipality to deviate from the environment plan. Please contact your municipality for more information.
Read more about the rules for deviating from the environment plan.
Check the rules of your municipality
Every municipality lays down rules on public space and safety in the General Municipal By-law (APV) and sometimes in a festival regulation. These include rules on noise pollution, parking, and gatherings. The APV also states when you need a permit. For example, if you want to start a hospitality business.
- Contact your municipality for more information about the rules and whether you need a permit.
Or
- Check the rules in the general municipal by-law. Search for ‘Algemene Plaatselijke Verordening’ and your postcode at Lokaleregelgeving.overheid.nl (in Dutch).
Rules about shop opening hours are sometimes included in the general municipal bylaw and sometimes in a separate document (the Verordening winkeltijden, or shop opening hours regulation).
Permits for your sector
In some sectors, you need a permit before you can start. This applies, for example, if you are starting a business in the catering industry or healthcare sector. But it also applies to taxi transport and security. See the overview below. Is your sector not listed? Check the rules for other sectors.
When starting a hospitality establishment, you will need various permits, such as:
Read the step-by-step plan Starting a restaurant, cafe, or hotel in the Netherlands
When starting a taxi company, you will need various permits, such as:
When starting a healthcare business, you will have to deal with various permits and obligations, such as:
Read the step-by-step plan Starting a Dutch private security firm.
Are you starting a security company? You must, among other things:
- apply for a licence to start your private security organisation or detective agency
- request permission for your employees from the police
- have the mandatory uniforms approved
Read the step-by-step plan to starting a private security company.
Are you starting a business in the financial services sector? Then you must apply for a licence. Read more about your obligations if you offer financial services.