# Netherlands's digital nomad visa: no dedicated visa

> Netherlands has no dedicated digital nomad visa. What that means for remote workers, the closest route that does exist, and the official source — checked 2026-08-18.

Source: https://doastretch.com/nomad-visa/netherlands/

Netherlands · digital nomad visa · 2026

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

**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.

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](https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-self-employed-person) — official source, checked 2026-08-18
- [ind.nl](https://ind.nl/en/required-amounts-income-requirements) (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

- [Cabo Verde](https://doastretch.com/nomad-visa/cabo-verde/) 6mo
- [Kenya](https://doastretch.com/nomad-visa/kenya/) 12mo
- [Azerbaijan](https://doastretch.com/nomad-visa/azerbaijan/) Announced, not open yet
- [Kazakhstan](https://doastretch.com/nomad-visa/kazakhstan/) 12mo
- [Uzbekistan](https://doastretch.com/nomad-visa/uzbekistan/) 36mo
- [Kyrgyzstan](https://doastretch.com/nomad-visa/kyrgyzstan/) 12mo
- [Barbados](https://doastretch.com/nomad-visa/barbados/) 12mo
- [Colombia](https://doastretch.com/nomad-visa/colombia/) 24mo
- [All digital nomad visas →](https://doastretch.com/nomad-visa/)

Netherlands, the rest of it

- [Tax residency in Netherlands](https://doastretch.com/tax-days/netherlands/) tests
- [Who needs a visa for Netherlands](https://doastretch.com/visa/to/netherlands/)
- [All visa rules by passport →](https://doastretch.com/visa/)

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.