How does Start-up Residence Permit work in the Netherlands, and who qualifies?

The Start-up Residence Permit gives innovative entrepreneurs one year to build a scalable business in the Netherlands. To qualify you need a step-by-step business plan for an innovative product or service, collaboration with a facilitator (a mentor or incubator) recognised as reliable by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), registration in the Dutch Commercial Register (KVK), and sufficient financial resources to live in the country and run the business.

The permit is deliberately structured as a stepping stone: once the business is established, it can lead on to the Self-Employed permit for the longer term. The facilitator relationship is central, since the RVO-recognised partner supports and validates the venture during that first year.

The legal maximum for a decision is 90 days. Because the facilitator list and conditions can change, confirm the current details on ind.nl. ACME can help you check whether your venture meets the innovation criteria, connect the dots toward an RVO-recognised facilitator and plan the path from the start-up permit to the self-employed permit.