Foreign company registration in the Netherlands

Registering temporary employment agencies and other suppliers of workers

Registration in the Dutch Business Register is mandatory for foreign businesses without a Dutch branch that provide workers on a paid basis in or to the Netherlands. Examples of these companies are temporary employment agencies, payroll companies and jobs pools based outside the Netherlands but active in the Netherlands.

If your organisation supplies workers in the Netherlands, you must state this explicitly on the registration form for the Dutch Business Register. This also applies to foreign companies offering their employment services without a Dutch branch and so-called '06-vans' (mobile employment agencies). Failing to do so may result in high administrative fines. If you hire staff from a supplier who is not listed in the Dutch Business Register, you may be fined as well. You should therefore always check whether the supplier has been registered correctly. You can use the Waadi check (in Dutch) offered by KVK for this purpose. The term 'Waadi' is derived from the relevant legislation (Wet allocatie arbeidskrachten door intermediairs).

RSIN, KVK and BTW numbers

You will be issued a KVK number after registering in the Dutch Business Register. All legal entities and partnerships will also be given a Legal Person and Partnership Information Number (Rechtspersonen en Samenwerkingsverbanden Informatienummer, RSIN). If your business consists of more than one branch, each of them will be given a unique branch number consisting of 12 digits. You will automatically receive your BTW (VAT) number (and your BTW-id, if you are a sole proprietor or partner in a partnership) from the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration.

Starting a business in the Netherlands from abroad

Perhaps you want to start a business in the Netherlands from abroad, for instance if you want to hire a family member to run the company for you. This company will be independent, so not a branch of an existing foreign company. To find out how to go about setting up such a company, read our article

Reporting changes to the KVK

You must notify the KVK within one week if your business details change, for example the address, officers or directors, branch details or trade name (or if a trade name is added). If your business has been taken over by a new owner, partnership or legal entity, it will receive a new KVK number.

Ending a Dutch business

If your business ceases trading, you must deregister from the Dutch Business Register. You can either send or hand in the deregistration form together with a copy of your identity document to the KVK office in your region. The KVK will pass your deregistration on to the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration.

Consulting the Handelsregister

The Dutch Business Register contains information about registered businesses, foundations and associations. You can consult the Register (in Dutch) or order products, such as KVK extracts, annual financial statements or corporate summaries. You can also request this information by telephone: dial +31 900 123 4567. This costs €0.70 per minute on top of your normal telephone charges. The recorded menu message is in Dutch.

Protecting your data with the non-mailing indicator

Your details listed in the Dutch Business Register are publicly available. By activating the non-mailing indicator, you indicate that your data are not available for direct marketing purposes.

Online registration procedure via Message Box

You also can apply to register with the Dutch Business Register by using the Berichtenbox (Message Box). To do so you will need a level-4 electronic signature (STORK), sign in using a PKI certificate (Public Key Infrastructure), or use your country's e-ID verification method. Message Box is a secure email system that enables you as an entrepreneur to exchange digital messages with Dutch government agencies.