KVK registration puts a business into the Handelsregister (Business Register) kept by the KVK (Netherlands Chamber of Commerce). For a BV, NV, stichting or coöperatie the notary files, with no KVK visit. A sole trader or partnership registers in person, by appointment; a foreign company's branch files Form 6. The 2026 fee is EUR 85.15, the deadline one week.
This guide is for a founder who lives outside the Netherlands. A founder who wants a Dutch BV is on the notarial route. The deed itself is covered where we explain how to register a company in the Netherlands as a non-resident; this page covers the register: routes, deadlines, documents, address, cost and publication.
What is the KVK, and is it the same as the Chamber of Commerce?
Yes. KVK is short for Kamer van Koophandel, and in English the body calls itself "the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce KVK". There is one Chamber for the whole country, seated in Utrecht (art. 2 leden 1 and 2 Wet op de Kamer van Koophandel). The Chamber keeps the Business Register (art. 3 Handelsregisterwet 2007), and the register's data are authentic data with effect against third parties (art. 15 and 25 of that Act).
The Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce is not a separate chamber: it is the KVK's office at De Ruijterkade 5. The Caribbean islands of the Kingdom have their own chambers and registers. Bilateral chambers of commerce are a different institution, not the register, and business.gov.nl is the KVK's own English channel.
Which registration route applies to you?
The legal form decides the route. A legal entity formed by a notary goes route B; a form the owner registers personally goes route A, with an appointment; a foreign company's Dutch establishment goes route C, on Form 6.
The three routes into the Business Register. Sources: kvk.nl and business.gov.nl.
| Route A: you register yourself | Route B: the notary files | Route C: a foreign company's Dutch branch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal forms | eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship), VOF, CV, maatschap, rederij, other private-law entities; a stichting or vereniging with a business | BV, NV, stichting, coöperatie, vereniging met volledige rechtsbevoegdheid, onderlinge waarborgmaatschappij | nevenvestiging or filiaal (branch) of a company registered abroad |
| Who files | the owner: the online form (Dutch only) or the English-Dutch PDF, then a visit | the notaris files the registration, the directors and the UBOs in one filing | a director; the registered Dutch official; a representative with a Dutch power of attorney bearing original signatures; or a Dutch notary (never for a formally foreign company) |
| Forms | Forms 1, 2, 2A | Form 3, filed by the notary; Forms 7 and 12 for a BV in oprichting | Form 6; Form 11 per official; Form 13 per authorised representative |
| KVK visit | always, by appointment | none | a new representing official attends with ID, or everything is posted with legalised ID copies |
| When the number comes | handed over during the visit | by letter to the BV's postal address | by post once the KVK has checked and entered everything |
| UBO filing | not applicable to these forms | with the first registration | none: foreign companies and branches list no UBOs in the Dutch register |
| Source | KVK new-business page; business.gov.nl | KVK BV and NV page | KVK foreign companies page; business.gov.nl |
- Is it a legal entity formed by a notary: BV, NV, stichting, coöperatie?Route B: the notaris files Form 3; no KVK visitGo to the next question
- Is it a foreign company's Dutch establishment?Route C: Form 6, with Form 11 per official; attend, or post everythingGo to the next question
- Is it an eenmanszaak, VOF, CV or maatschap?Route A: Forms 1, 2 or 2A; visit by appointmentOther private-law entities, or a stichting or vereniging with a business: also route A
Route A: you register yourself, with an appointment
A sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak), a general partnership (VOF), a limited partnership (CV) or a maatschap (professional partnership) is registered by its owner, online in Dutch or on the English-Dutch PDF (Forms 1, 2 or 2A). It is completed at a KVK office: "Registration is not possible without an appointment." The KVK number is handed over at that visit.
Route B: the notary registers your BV, NV, stichting or coöperatie
A BV, NV, stichting or coöperatie is formed by a notaris (civil-law notary), who usually files the registration, the directors and the UBOs with the KVK in one filing on Form 3. The KVK puts it in so many words: "This means you do not also have to visit KVK." The KVK number then arrives by letter at the BV's postal address.
Route C: a foreign company registers its Dutch branch
"All foreign companies with an establishment in the Netherlands must register in the KVK Business Register." Form 6 is filed with Form 11 for each official and Form 13 for each authorised representative. The KVK checks the papers at the appointment but does not register on the spot, and a branch lists no UBOs. See the KVK's page for foreign companies and our page on registering a branch in the Netherlands.
How does a BV get registered when you live abroad?
The notary executes the deed
The deed belongs on the formation page; the online deed under art. 2:175a lid 1 BW is open to EU nationals, as our online incorporation overview explains.
The notary files with the KVK
Registration, directors and UBOs go in one filing; nobody visits a KVK office. See our guide to ubo registration kvk.
The directors' duty stands
They must have the BV registered and deposit an authentic copy of the deed (art. 2:180 lid 1 BW), within one week of the event creating the duty (art. 20 lid 1 Hrw 2007), read as the deed.
The KVK examines the filing
for the filer's authority and its correctness, and may refuse it (art. 4 Handelsregisterbesluit 2008).
The KVK number arrives by letter
at the BV's postal address; the KVK publishes no processing time for this filing.
The invoice follows
by email or post: the EUR 85.15 fee (2026), payable within four weeks of the filing (art. 3 lid 2 Financieel besluit handelsregister 2014).
Business before the deed runs through a BV in oprichting (BV i.o., in formation), on Form 7 with its official on Form 12, and the KVK is direct: "An official of a BV i.o. or NV i.o. is personally liable for the obligations that the BV i.o.or NV i.o. enters into." The KVK's page on registering a Dutch BV or NV describes the notary's filing.
When must you register, and who is responsible?
The Handelsregisterwet 2007 (Hrw 2007, Business Register Act) sets the clocks. A legal person such as a BV registers within one week of the event creating the duty; an enterprise within a two-week window around the start of business, and the KVK accepts a registration up to 3 months ahead. Every later change follows within one week (art. 20 lid 2).
The duty sits with the owner or, for a legal person, its directors; where none is established in the Netherlands, also with the day-to-day manager here (art. 18 leden 1 and 3). Before the first filing, the directors are personally liable for acts done for the BV (art. 2:180 lid 2 BW).
Deadlines, duties and liability. Sources: Hrw 2007, BW Boek 2, kvk.nl.
| Rule | Value | Article |
|---|---|---|
| First registration of a legal person (a BV) | within one week of the event that creates the duty | art. 20 lid 1 Hrw 2007 |
| First registration of an enterprise | a two-week window, one week before to one week after the start of business | art. 20 lid 1 Hrw 2007 |
| Pre-registration | up to 3 months before the start date | KVK office Amsterdam |
| Every later change | no later than one week after the event | art. 20 lid 2 Hrw 2007 |
| Who must file | the owner; for a legal person its directors; with no obliged person established in the Netherlands, also the day-to-day manager here | art. 18 leden 1 and 3 Hrw 2007; art. 2:180 lid 1 BW |
| Directors' liability before registration | personal, for acts done for the BV before the first registration is filed | art. 2:180 lid 2 BW |
Do you need a KVK appointment?
Only if your route includes a visit, and then always. The KVK's answer is unambiguous: "Yes, you must make an appointment before you visit the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce KVK." Many matters can be handled online instead. On its appointment page the KVK adds: "You can plan an appointment up to 8 weeks in advance." Offices are often busy, and the KVK warns: "You may not be able to get an appointment within a week." The online form and the booking take a DigiD or European eID login.
A BV founder needs no appointment at all: on route B the notary files. The matters that do need a visit are these:
- registering a new eenmanszaak, maatschap, VOF or CV
- registering a stichting or vereniging that runs a business
- registering a new official who is a natural person
- a takeover
- a change of legal form
The KVK office Amsterdam is at De Ruijterkade 5, open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 17:00, by appointment only; KVK telephone staff work Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 17:00. The opening hours of the other offices are on kvk.nl.
What documents does a non-resident official have to produce?
These rules apply on routes A and C and to a BV i.o. official on Form 12. An official living abroad produces:
- valid proof of identity, shown at the visit
- a population-register extract (uittreksel uit het bevolkingsregister) no older than 2 months
- that extract in Dutch, English, French or German, or else with a (certified) translation
- legalisation of the extract when the residential address is outside the EU (the trigger is the EU, not the EEA)
- for an EU resident: the extract with the EU multilingual standard form
- for a resident outside the EU: a sworn translation that is also legalised, unless it was made in the Netherlands
- for a corporate official: proof of its foreign registration, no older than 1 month
- for a postal filing: a legalised ID copy of each director and authorised representative (by a civil-law notary, consulate, embassy or the municipality of residence)
An official abroad attends, hands the documents to an official who attends, or posts everything when nobody has to attend. On route C the company also files proof of its foreign registration (no older than 1 month), its deed, articles and the director's appointment, as originals or copies initialled on every page. A formally foreign company (non-EEA, active only in the Netherlands) proves its registration again before 1 April each year, and "Civil-law notaries and solicitors may not sign forms 6, 11, and 13." The rules are on the KVK's page for foreign companies.
Setting up a BV from abroad? We prepare the file the notary works from.
Can you fill in the KVK forms in English?
Partly. The KVK says it directly: "Please note: the online registration forms are only available in Dutch." The PDF forms exist in English, and "When you fill in an English form, the attached Dutch version is automatically filled in." The Dutch version is the one you sign, free-text fields need a Dutch translation, and a form sent by post carries a copy of the signer's ID. The form numbers, by what they register:
KVK form numbers and what each one registers. Source: KVK forms page, edited 14 August 2026.
| Form | What it registers |
|---|---|
| 1, 2, 2A | a business the owner registers personally (route A) |
| 3 | a BV or NV, filed by the notary |
| 6 | a foreign company's establishment in the Netherlands |
| 7 | a BV in formation (BV i.o.) |
| 11 | an official of a legal entity |
| 12 | an official of a BV in formation |
| 13 | an authorised representative |
| 17A, 17B | deregistration where My KVK is not available |
Which Dutch address will the KVK accept?
Every registration needs a visiting address (bezoekadres). "The visiting address may not be a PO Box", and the owner or an official must be reachable there in person. Only residents of the Belgian or German border region may use a foreign address, and a hotel address is refused. For an address other than the official's home, the KVK checks the landlord against the Kadaster (Land Registry) and asks for proof; its proof-of-address page lists what it accepts:
- a lease (huurcontract)
- a purchase agreement (koopovereenkomst)
- a Kadaster certificate
- a service contract in a multi-company building, where the letting company is itself registered at that address with the activity of letting or mediating business space
- a toestemmingsverklaring (declaration of consent) for a residential address: signed in pen, not withdrawable, with an ID copy of the consenting person with the photo blanked
- not accepted: a flexible workspace or meeting room rented only from time to time
- every address must exist in the BAG (addresses and buildings register); a residential address must match the BRP (population register)
The same test applies to an address service on its own: see giving a Dutch company a registered address without renting an office and the virtual office page. A sole trader abroad who can take and invoice assignments without a Dutch branch need not register; a stay of over 4 months means BRP registration, a shorter one a Dutch visiting address and RNI registration (the non-residents register).
How much does KVK registration cost in 2026?
EUR 85.15, paid once: the 2026 registration fee (inschrijfvergoeding) under art. 5 Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, in force from 1 July 2026, the same for every legal form and way of filing (art. 1 lid 2 Financieel besluit handelsregister 2014). It is VAT-exempt, tax-deductible for entrepreneurs and paid by invoice: "You cannot pay in cash." It is due again when a restart, takeover, demerger or merger produces a new KVK number; a change is free.
The notary's fee is a third party's cost, not a state charge and not ours: the KVK indicates EUR 500 to EUR 1,500 depending on the notary, and notarial fees are not regulated (art. 54 lid 1 Wet op het notarisambt). eHerkenning has a cost too: "There is a fee to apply for an eHerkenning account."
What the state charges, 2026. Sources: the 2019 tariff regulation as in force from 1 July 2026, the 2014 fee decree, kvk.nl.
| Item | Amount | Instrument and year |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | EUR 85.15, one-off, every legal form | art. 5 Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, in force 1 July 2026 |
| Payment when a notary files | within four weeks of the filing | art. 3 lid 2 Financieel besluit handelsregister 2014 |
| Extracts | online view EUR 2.95; digitally certified EUR 9.60; paper certified EUR 19.20 | Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, 1 July 2026 |
| A change to the register | free | KVK, 2026 |
| VAT on KVK products | none: exempt | KVK tariffs 2026 |
| Notary's fee for a BV deed (a third party's cost) | the KVK's indication: EUR 500 to EUR 1,500; not regulated | kvk.nl; art. 54 lid 1 Wet op het notarisambt |
How long does KVK registration take?
Each route has its own answer and its own source. Route A: the number at the visit, or by post in the week of the start if that is more than a week away. Route C: notification by post once everything is entered, with no interim updates. Route B: the law sets the filing deadline, one week from the deed (art. 20 lid 1 Hrw 2007), and the KVK publishes no processing time for a notary's first registration. The online deed's clock of five or ten working days (art. 2:175a lid 3 BW) excludes the KVK filing, as the explanatory memorandum confirms.
Published processing times by source; the KVK figures are from its page edited 15 September 2026.
| What | Time | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| A change filed online | 3 working days | KVK processing times, page edited 15 September 2026 |
| A change filed by post | 7 working days | KVK processing times, page edited 15 September 2026 |
| A UBO change | 4 working days | KVK processing times, page edited 15 September 2026 |
| A paper certified extract | 5 working days | KVK processing times, page edited 15 September 2026 |
| A notary's first registration of a BV | no published figure | KVK processing times, page edited 15 September 2026 |
| VAT identification number after registration | "Within 10 workdays" | business.gov.nl, checked on 29 September 2026 |
Statutory or published timeNo official figure
- DeedThe notaris executes itNo official time
- FilingThe notaris: BV, directors and UBOs in one filingWithin one week of the deed (art. 20 lid 1 Hrw 2007)
- KVK examinationAuthority and correctness; may refuse (art. 4 Hrb 2008)No official figure
- KVK number by letterTo the BV's postal addressNo official figure
- InvoiceEUR 85.15 (2026), by email or postPayable within four weeks of the filing (art. 3 lid 2 Financieel besluit handelsregister 2014)
- VAT numberThe BelastingdienstWithin 10 workdays (business.gov.nl)
What happens after you receive your KVK number?
The number brings the next duties: invoices, tax, the activity code and the business login.
The KVK number, the RSIN and the establishment number
The KVK number has 8 digits, is proof of registration and is also called the HR number; the Act describes it as a unique number allocated by the Chamber (art. 9 sub a and 12 sub a Hrw 2007). It goes on all outgoing letters, orders, invoices and quotations, advertising excepted (art. 27 leden 1 and 3). A legal entity receives an RSIN with it; a sole proprietorship does not. Each establishment also gets a 12-digit establishment number (vestigingsnummer), which never has to appear on stationery. See what a KVK number looks like and where it appears, and the RSIN in the tax identification number guide.
The Belastingdienst and your VAT number
"You do not need to register separately with the Netherlands Tax Administration. That happens automatically when you register with KVK." The VAT identification number comes from the Belastingdienst (Netherlands Tax Administration), not the KVK, and needs no application; business.gov.nl gives the timing as "Within 10 workdays" after registration. What follows is on our vat registration netherlands page. For a US founder whose next step is a residence permit, the DAFT residence permit has its own page.
SBI code and eHerkenning
The KVK decides the SBI code, the activity classification, from the activities you describe, and you may suggest one; our guide to choosing the right SBI code at KVK registration covers the detail. Filing a BV's tax returns needs eHerkenning, the business login. A registered BV uses regular eHerkenning, and a business without a KVK number can get an eHerkenning for the Belastingdienst only.
What does the Business Register publish about you?
"Anyone can search for businesses and organisations in the Business Register. This can be done by name, address, or KVK number. This information is free." Documents cost money. About a BV, the register shows every official by name and date of birth, a sole shareholder, and the capital. It keeps businesses that have stopped, and natural persons have no right to be forgotten in it. "Forwarding data is not allowed", so there is no reselling and no lookup site built on it.
A BV or NV cannot shield its visiting address on the ground of a probable threat (art. 51 lid 6 Handelsregisterbesluit 2008), and UBO data stay inspectable for ten years after a strike-off (art. 51c). An extract can be ordered, but "The order page is currently only available in Dutch."
What the register shows about a BV, and what stays closed. Sources: kvk.nl, Hrb 2008, Hrw 2007.
| Public | Not public |
|---|---|
| name and KVK number | home addresses of natural persons (art. 51 lid 1 Hrb 2008) |
| dates, including the date of the deed | BSN (citizen service number) |
| visiting and postal address | sex, country and place of birth |
| activities | telephone numbers (art. 51 lid 4 Hrb 2008) |
| legal form and registered office | shielded visiting addresses |
| issued and paid-up capital | UBO data: Wwft and Sanctiewet institutions only (art. 22a lid 1 Hrw 2007) |
| every official: name, date of birth, title, powers, date of appointment | |
| a sole shareholder: name and date of birth |
How do you report changes or deregister?
Every later change is filed within one week (art. 20 lid 2 Hrw 2007); business.gov.nl gives 7 days for a UBO change. "It is free to submit a change." Amending the articles needs a notarial deed and deposit of an authentic copy (art. 2:234 BW). A future-dated change shows only from that date; the UBO register takes no future dates.
- through My KVK: officials, address, email address, website, activities, employees, trade name and business name
- the English PDF route is slower than My KVK
- processing: 3 working days online, 7 by post
- deregistration through My KVK: an eenmanszaak, a legal entity in formation, a Dutch establishment of a foreign company, and a BV fast-track liquidation filed by a director who is a natural person
- otherwise deregistration on Forms 17A and 17B
- deregistration is not erasure: the register keeps businesses that have stopped
For a BV, the next regular contact with the KVK is the annual filing, set out in our annual accounts overview.
What happens if you register late or not at all?
Not filing is an offence under the Wet op de economische delicten (Economic Offences Act), through art. 47 Hrw 2007, punishable by a fine or imprisonment; no amount is stated. The directors are personally liable for acts done for the BV before the first registration (art. 2:180 lid 2 Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 2). A fact that is not registered cannot be invoked against a third party who did not know it (art. 25 Hrw 2007). In the end the KVK can dissolve the legal person itself, eight weeks after a registered letter (art. 2:19a BW).
What follows from not registering. Sources: Hrw 2007, BW Boek 2, business.gov.nl.
| Consequence | Article | Source |
|---|---|---|
| An economic offence: a fine or imprisonment, no amount stated | art. 47 Hrw 2007 | wetten.overheid.nl; business.gov.nl |
| Directors personally liable for acts before the first registration | art. 2:180 lid 2 BW | wetten.overheid.nl |
| An unregistered fact cannot be invoked against a third party who did not know it | art. 25 Hrw 2007 | wetten.overheid.nl |
| Dissolution by the KVK after a registered letter and eight weeks | art. 2:19a leden 1, 3 and 4 BW | wetten.overheid.nl |
From our practice
Joost van Leeuwen, Company formation and company law lead, eleven years on Dutch company files, assembles the file the notary works from and follows the deed through to the KVK registration and the UBO filing. Each official's population-register extract is checked first: no older than 2 months, and legalised when the address is outside the EU.
Reviewed by Ilse Brouwer, Tax, VAT and licensing lead, on 4 October 2026.
Sources
- Wet op de Kamer van Koophandel, art. 2, wetten.overheid.nl, checked on 29 September 2026
- KVK, Registering foreign companies in the Business Register, checked on 29 September 2026
- KVK, Registering a Dutch BV or NV, checked on 29 September 2026
- Handelsregisterwet 2007, art. 3, 9, 12, 15, 18, 20, 22a, 25, 27 and 47, checked on 29 September 2026
- KVK, Making an appointment to visit, checked on 3 October 2026
- KVK, KVK office Amsterdam, checked on 3 October 2026
- KVK, Proof of visiting address and postal address, checked on 29 September 2026
- Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, art. 5, version in force from 1 July 2026, checked on 29 September 2026
- Financieel besluit handelsregister 2014, art. 1 and 3, checked on 29 September 2026
- business.gov.nl, LEI, RSIN, VAT and KVK number: which is which?, checked on 29 September 2026
- Handelsregisterbesluit 2008, art. 4, 5, 22, 51 and 51c, checked on 29 September 2026
- Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 2, art. 2:19a, 2:180 and 2:234, checked on 29 September 2026
- Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 2, version in force from 1 July 2026, art. 2:175a: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0003045/2026-07-01/0
- Kamerstukken 36085 nr. 3, explanatory memorandum: https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/kst-36085-3.html
- Wet op het notarisambt, art. 54: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0010388
- Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, extract tariffs: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0042721
- KVK, Registration fee: https://www.kvk.nl/en/registration/registration-fee/
- KVK, Product tariffs 2026: https://www.kvk.nl/en/about-the-business-register/download-kvk-product-tariffs-2026/
- KVK, Starting a new business: https://www.kvk.nl/en/registration/new-business/
- KVK, Registering a sole proprietorship if you live abroad: https://www.kvk.nl/en/registration/how-do-i-register-a-sole-proprietorship-if-i-live-abroad/
- KVK, KVK forms (edited 14 August 2026): https://www.kvk.nl/en/about-the-business-register/kvk-forms/
- KVK, Form 12 (edited 14 July 2026): https://www.kvk.nl/en/about-the-business-register/download-form-12/
- KVK, Declaration of consent: https://www.kvk.nl/en/report-a-change/declaration-of-consent/
- KVK, Questions and contact: https://www.kvk.nl/en/help-and-contact/
- KVK, The KVK number: https://www.kvk.nl/en/about-the-business-register/kvk-number-all-you-need-to-know/
- KVK, Establishment number: https://www.kvk.nl/en/about-the-business-register/branch-number/
- KVK, What the Business Register contains: https://www.kvk.nl/en/about-the-business-register/what-information-does-the-dutch-business-register-contain/
- KVK, Shielding your business address: https://www.kvk.nl/en/about-the-business-register/shielding-your-business-address-what-are-the-options/
- KVK, Frequently asked questions about the Business Register: https://www.kvk.nl/en/about-kvk/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-business-register/
- KVK, Business Register extract: https://www.kvk.nl/en/ordering-products/kvk-business-register-extract/
- KVK, Current processing times (edited 15 September 2026): https://www.kvk.nl/en/help-and-contact/current-processing-times/
- KVK, Report a change: https://www.kvk.nl/en/report-a-change/
- KVK, Registering a new establishment: https://www.kvk.nl/en/registration/registering-a-new-establishment-for-a-business/
- KVK, Officials of a legal entity: https://www.kvk.nl/en/report-a-change/register-change-or-remove-legal-entity-officials/
- KVK, Terms of use of the Business Register: https://www.kvk.nl/en/about-the-business-register/terms-of-use-business-register/
- KVK, Islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands: https://www.kvk.nl/en/about-the-business-register/islands-of-the-kingdom-of-the-netherlands/
- business.gov.nl, Registration at the KVK: https://business.gov.nl/starting-your-business/registering-your-business/registration-at-the-netherlands-chamber-of-commerce-kvk/
- business.gov.nl, UBO register: https://business.gov.nl/regulations/ubo-register-ultimate-beneficial-owner/
- business.gov.nl, Foreign entities and branches: https://business.gov.nl/running-your-business/legal-forms-and-governance/foreign-entities-and-branches/
- business.gov.nl, About KVK: https://business.gov.nl/partners/about-kvk/
- Belastingdienst, How eHerkenning works: https://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/connect/en/business/content/this-is-how-eherkenning-works
Related service
DutchRegist: The Dutch BV: Private Limited Company The private limited company on route B: what the notary needs from you, and how the KVK filing follows the deed.
DutchRegist: The Dutch Company Register Looking a company up in the Business Register, ordering an extract, and what an extract shows.