Netherlands

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

Free, with the law behind every answer

Dutch American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) residence permit

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

Who qualifies

The applicant must hold U.S. nationality and register a Dutch business (sole proprietorship or private limited company) under the 1956 Dutch–American Friendship Treaty.
IND: residence permit for the purpose of working on a self-employed basis under DAFT
A minimum capital investment of €4,500 deposited in a Dutch business bank account, confirmed by a Dutch accountant’s statement.
IND: residence permit for the purpose of working on a self-employed basis under DAFT

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

Does it fit your family?

One question, from the program’s own rules.

Savings you could move or invest?

Not legal advice.

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.

Citizens by 2033.

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

2027
First residence permit
2 years, renewable for 5 years at a time.
2029
Renew the permit
Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 5 years.
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.
2032
Apply for citizenship
With a language test and a civics test.
2033
Citizenship
The decision usually takes 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; a renewal can run up to 5 years, and naturalisation ordinarily requires giving up U.S. citizenship.
This country asks new citizens to give up their other citizenship.

The law behind these dates

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.

Start today.

Read the IND’s self-employed / DAFT permit page.Open ind.nl ↗
Gather these documents.
- Proof of savings: at least $4,950
- Request your FBI Identity History Summary
- Health cover for the move

Postern can run this for you.

$900for your first year as a founding member. Then $399 a year, automatically.One membership, the whole family. Bank accounts and help putting your plan into action are included.

Postern runs it for one adult US citizen applying from the Netherlands for a first self-employed permit, with a sole proprietorship at their home address, no regulated, healthcare or government work, and “No” answers to the antecedent questions: KVK registration, €4,500 invested capital checked by an independent expert, IND filing, biometrics, card collection and extensions.

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. Opening your bank accounts there is included, whether you move now or keep the plan ready. Government fees, record fees and other costs you approve are extra.

Run it for my family →

ISSUED TO

YOUR FAMILY

Cover

POSTERN