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Netherlands · digital nomad visa · 2026

Netherlands's digital nomad visa: no dedicated visa

Netherlands has no dedicated digital nomad visa. Here is what that means in practice, what route remote workers actually use, and how the days are counted.

Next step

One email when the app can count this stay for you.

How we know

Every figure here is as ind.nl publishes it, checked 18 August 2026. Where a number is our own arithmetic rather than a printed figure, the row says so.

Status
No dedicated visa
Visa
Residence permit for a self-employed person (verblijfsvergunning arbeid als zelfstandige), including the treaty route under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) — NOT a digital nomad visa
Initial stay
24 months
Renewal
'Your residence permit is valid for a maximum of 2 years.' Extension is possible before expiry; permanent residence is possible after 5 years of continuous residence.
Income required
€1,766.77 a month — IND required amount for a self-employed person: 'Gross profit per month (with holiday allowance): EUR 1,766.77', valid from 1 July 2026 up to and including 31 December 2026. For 1 January to 30 June 2026 the amount for single persons/single parents was EUR 1,734.57 with holiday allowance. IND assesses average monthly profit for tax purposes over the last 18 months before the application. SEPARATE from this, the treaty (DAFT/Japanese) capital requirement is a minimum investment of EUR 4,500 for a sole proprietorship, general partnership (VOF), limited partnership (CV) or private limited company (BV), and at least EUR 11,250 for a public limited company (NV); IND states 'For most forms, the IND requires a minimum investment of EUR 4,500.' The capital must be held in the Dutch business.
Fee
€423 — IND fee for a self-employed person residence permit application submitted on or after 1 January 2026: EUR 423.00. Payable by all applicants except citizens of Turkey (EUR 85), San Marino and Israel (free). Payment due within 3 weeks of application.
Processing
IND decides within 90 days; this can be extended by up to 6 months where IND must consult RVO or OCW.
Who qualifies
Standard route requires the work to be of essential interest to the Dutch economy (or to Dutch culture, for artists), registration in the Dutch Chamber of Commerce Trade Register, any professional permits required, meeting the income requirement evidenced by a business plan, and — for freelancers — one or more commissions based in the Netherlands. Regulated healthcare professionals must hold BIG registration. TREATY ROUTE: nationals of the United States (DAFT) and Japan are exempt from the essential-Dutch-interest test and instead qualify by trading between the Netherlands and their home country, developing or leading a business in a key position, practising an independent profession (excluding government and healthcare), or making a substantial capital investment. First-time treaty applicants without an existing Dutch permit must register with the Chamber of Commerce and make the investment within 6 months of receiving the permit, or IND may revoke it.
Family
Family members admitted with the permit holder may work in the Netherlands without a separate work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning / TWV).
Where to apply
Obtain a provisional residence permit (MVV) where required, gather documents with translations and legalisations, apply at a Dutch embassy or consulate in your home country, pay the fee within 3 weeks, then collect the permit at an IND desk by appointment.
Official page
ind.nl
Checked
18 August 2026

Sources are listed further down the page.

What to know before you apply

The Netherlands has NO digital nomad visa. The DAFT route is a TREATY-BASED self-employment residence permit under the 1956 Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation, restricted by nationality: it is open to US nationals only, with a parallel treaty route for Japanese nationals. Everyone else must satisfy the full 'essential interest to the Dutch economy' points-based test. It also requires you to actually run a business registered in the Netherlands (Chamber of Commerce registration, Dutch business bank account, capital held in the business) — it is not a permit to sit in the Netherlands working remotely for a foreign employer. Note the entry is recorded as status 'none' because there is no dedicated digital nomad programme; the fields above describe the alternative route only. IND does not publish a DAFT-specific fee or a DAFT-specific income figure separate from the general self-employed permit, so the general figures are used and labelled as such.

What it means for your tax days

A visa is permission to stay; tax residency follows the days you actually spend. Check Netherlands's tax authority for the day test that applies to you — and count the days either way.

Sources

  • ind.nl — official source, checked 2026-08-18
  • ind.nl (official), retrieved 2026-08-18

Questions people ask about Netherlands

Does Netherlands have a digital nomad visa?

No. Netherlands has no dedicated digital nomad visa. The Netherlands has NO digital nomad visa. The DAFT route is a TREATY-BASED self-employment residence permit under the 1956 Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation, restricted by nationality: it is open to US nationals only, with a parallel treaty route for Japanese nationals. Everyone else must satisfy the full 'essential interest to the Dutch economy' points-based test. It also requires you to actually run a business registered in the Netherlands (Chamber of Commerce registration, Dutch business bank account, capital held in the business) — it is not a permit to sit in the Netherlands working remotely for a foreign employer. Note the entry is recorded as status 'none' because there is no dedicated digital nomad programme; the fields above describe the alternative route only. IND does not publish a DAFT-specific fee or a DAFT-specific income figure separate from the general self-employed permit, so the general figures are used and labelled as such.

Does a digital nomad visa in Netherlands make you tax resident?

A visa and tax residency are different things: the visa lets you stay, the tax rules follow the days you actually spend. Check Netherlands's tax authority for the day test that applies to you.

How does Stretch help with the Netherlands stay?

Log the day you land and Stretch counts the days against the permission you are on, shows the date you must be out, and reminds you at 14, 7, 3 and 1 days. It also tallies the days that count towards tax residency, so the 183-day question answers itself. The counting and the alerts are free, forever.

Other digital nomad visas

Netherlands, the rest of it

Stretch is a tracker, not legal advice, and this is not tax advice. Visa and tax rules change and are applied by the authority, not by an app — every figure here shows its source and the date we checked it. Checked 2026-08-18; confirm on the official page before you apply or file.