(On screen text: Business.gov.nl Moving to the Netherlands as an entrpreneur. Nadia-Jane Bristoll:)

[OPENING TUNE]

NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: If you are a foreign entrepreneur wanting to start a company in the Netherlands then you will need a residence permit, a work permit, a citizen service number and of course accommodation.
We are going to discuss what you need to do and how to do it with Willem Drost from StartupDelta and Gülten Çankaya from the Dutch immigration and naturalisation service the IND.
Welcome to you both.
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: Thank you.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: Willem, you work for StartupDelta and you help entrepreneurs to start their businesses here.
How many start-ups do you help each year?
WILLEM DROST: I see at least a 100 start-ups every year coming from other countries and looking to establish their business in the Netherlands and as a facilitator, as a mentor, I help them find their way in the Netherlands to start and grow the business.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: Perfect.
I am very curious. You work for the IND.
How many permits does the IND provide every year?
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: I don't have the exact numbers but I can tell you that the Netherlands is number four on the ranking list of the most competitive countries.
We grant thousands of applications based on labour purposes.
So that is really quite a lot.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: That is a whole lot.
And it is also quite complex of course.
I would like to use an example to make things a bit clearer.
Let's say we have Mr. Singh and he is from India and he is a software developer.
He comes from outside the EU and he wants to start a company here.
How does that look for him? Which route should he take?
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: First of all I assume that he is going to orientate on the Dutch market.
So, he can go to the Dutch embassy or the consulate to get more information about labour and business opportunities.
He can also submit an application for a business visa or a visa short stay.
So he can travel to the Netherlands with his visa.
If he is in the Netherlands and wants to start a business he can submit an application for a residence permit.
The most important part of the residence permit procedure and this is the general procedure of the self-employed person procedure is that it has an innovative character and has value for the Dutch economy.
So, we will request the Netherlands Enterprise Agency if the business has added value for the Dutch economy as well as an innovative character.
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency will look at three categories.
They will look at the personal experiences of Mr. Singh.
This could be education or work experience.
If Mr. Singh has a master's degree he will get more points than when he has a bachelor's degree.
The second part is the business plan with a very good financial plan.
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency will look at continuity and the solvency of the product or services.
The third part is the added value for the Dutch economy.
That means that his service or the business will create employment in the future as well as the innovative character of the service and activities and also the investments in the future.
So if the Netherlands Enterprise Agency will give a positive advice we will proceed the application of his residence permit.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: How does the start-up scheme exactly work?
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: With the start-up scheme it is important that there is an innovative idea and with the guidance of a facilitator.
That is the important part of the procedure.
The facilitator has to guide Mr. Singh to make this innovative idea into a blooming business/company.
Willem knows a lot about the facilitating part.
Also the facilitator helps Mr. Singh by making a step-by-step plan and work out this innovative idea.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: Are we just talking about innovative ideas?
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: Yes, most of it is.
Willem can also talk about the facilitating and investment part of course.
WILLEM DROST: Sure.
So, once you are done with the whole permitting process in the Hague they will be handed over to a player like StartupDelta because now Mr. Singh is going to say how do you get access to markets.
How do you get access to investors?
How do you get access to all the networks that are relevant for my business?
And how do you get access to talents?
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: After the visa?
WILLEM DROST: They are already dealing with the start-up visa.
They already heard the story in The Hague.
Now he comes to us and asks how are we going to do business.
How are we going to find access to markets, to talent, to networks.
If I go to another country how to do that.
So, we are connecting, we are facilitating that and telling them where to go to start up their business in reality.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: So you are a big help for them actually?
But I want to go back a bit to the start-up visa.
Let's see how you go about getting one of those for example in Amsterdam.
VOICE-OVER: Are you a start-up from outside of Europe?
Do you want to settle down in Amsterdam?
Start doing business in the start-up capital of Western Europe.
We present you the start-up visa.
The greatest way to get your boots on the ground in the most exciting start up environment worldwide.

(An animation.)

The Netherlands has always been and still is a country of entrepreneurs who formed the foundation for innovation and job creation.
There are multiple criteria to fulfill to qualify for the start-up visa.

(A tram.)

The first requirement for obtaining a start-up visa is working together with a facilitator.
A facilitator is a business mentor who will support your needs in operational management, marketing, research and investment acquisition.
But how does a facilitator select you?
Show your MVP your prototype and prove you are innovative.
Send a business plan to the facilitator including your role in the start-up the idea behind a product or service, how it is innovative how to transform the idea into a business.

(A tree is growing.)

Show that the idea is already in progress to improve your chances.

(A guy is lifted up by a machine.)

If you get selected by the facilitator you can start your adventure in Amsterdam.
You should register at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce.
Your facilitator will help you to get the paperwork done.
The final requirement includes sufficient financial resources to prove you can pay the expenses of living in the Netherlands for one year.
The minimum amount needed is € 13,000.
Finally, as a start-up entrepreneur or an authorised representative you should apply for a residence permit to the IND.

(A car falls of a road.)

(A world map. An envelope slides in.)

The application for a start-up visa must be submitted to the Dutch embassy or consulate in the country of residence.

(A city view.)

We advise getting professional juridical help to make sure the paperwork is correct.
The estimation of processing the start-up visa application is 7 weeks.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: Gülten, where do I apply for a start-up visa?
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: In the case of Mr. Singh I will recommend him to just go first to the Dutch embassy to collect a visa if he doesn't have a business visa for example or a visa short stay to really orientate himself on the Dutch market to know what is going on in the Netherlands, which is really important.
He will have a visa or he can collect it soon if he tells them that it is for the business activities or opportunities.
So that is no problem.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: He needs Willem as well.
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: He needs Willem but first of all he has to enter the Netherlands and that is the visa part.
After he enters the Netherlands he can try to find a facilitator.
He can check the website of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
There are reliable, very good facilitators on their website.
Probably you can also explain this.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: They can find you.
WILLEM DROST: Yes, there are multiple options for that.
Once they come to StartupDelta we go and find out where do you want to establish your business depending on the part of the country you are going to operate.
If you are in the Hague, we recommend one organisation as facilitator.
If you go to Amsterdam there is another organisation to operate as a facilitator.
As a facilitator we are going to look at do they qualify.
Are they somebody who really qualifies for the start-up visa.
For instance, is this a scalable operation?
If he is coming to the Netherlands, has this organization the potential to become a major engine for economic growth a major engine for creating high-quality jobs.
Those are the things you are looking at as a facilitator.
Once you tick all the boxes you hand them over to the Hague and there they go on with the process of the permitting.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: Who else can help you with immigration matters?
WILLEM DROST: Immigration matters are basically only IND.
That is the only place to go for true immigration issues.
And that is not what a facilitator does.
A facilitator looks more at the business aspect of is this innovative, is this scalable is this a company that will really start contributing to the Dutch economy.
Then you hand them back over to the IND once you tick all the boxes.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: If you want to start your business here which Dutch organizations do you need to approach?
WILLEM DROST: There are multiple organizations.
In most tech regions in the Netherlands you have big organizations like Brainport in Eindhoven or InnovationQuarter in The Hague.
These organizations are very well connected not only with the government, but also with the corporates with all other networks that you need.
That is also why they are providing those facilitator services because they are all operating as a spider in the web for these companies that want to orientate themselves about the opportunities in the Netherlands.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: You need to start at the embassy I think?
There is a sort of process where you have to go?
WILLEM DROST: Correct.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: After that, how does it work step-by-step?
WILLEM DROST: That is your end of the business.
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: If we have the application for the start-up regulation and the residence permit of course he has to go to the IND front office to collect his residence permit.

(On screen text: Steps to starting a business in the Netherlands Dutch embasy/IND: visa and residence permit Municipality: Register your address and apply for a citizin service number (In Dutch: BSN))

But before the residence permit he has to go to the front office for biometric processing and the pictures for preparing the residence card.
And he has to go to the municipality to register himself in the municipality where he is going to live.
After he has his residence card he has to undergo a TB test.
Having the Indian nationality, he has to go to the Municipal Health Service.
The form is on our website. So he can download the form.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: And you of course need to go to the Chamber of Commerce.
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: Registering his business in the Chamber of Commerce is really a must.
Probably the facilitator will help and guide him in doing that.

(On screen text: Municipal Health Service (GGD): tuberculosis(TB) test may be mandatory. Open business bank account (optional): this requires a citizen service number (BSN))

NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: You need to go to a bank I presume?
WILLEM DROST: Sure.
You first start with the Chamber of Commerce.
Before you do that you need to figure out the legal form.
Are we going to be a BV? Is this a single operator?
So you need to make those choices ahead of time before you go to the Chamber of Commerce.
You need to make all these choices ahead of time.
It is an online process. It can be very quick.
Once you make the selection you go to the Chamber of Commerce and then you get your registration.
With that you can go to a bank and you open up a business account.
So that is the sequence of operations at that end.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: Let's say that Mr. Singh has a family in India as well.
Will they also all receive a residency permit when they come here?
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: Mr. Singh is a sponsor for his family for his spouse or partner or even the children.
So, he has to submit an application for his family members.
It depends on the situation.
If he is married, we need a marriage certificate, legalized and translated.
If he has children, we need birth certificates.
Mr. Singh also needs a birth certificate for the registration in the municipality.
If he has a partner and is unmarried we need declarations of being unmarried not older than six months.
If he has a registered partnership we will need the declaration that he has a registered partnership.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: You need a lot then.
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: It really depends on the situation.
If he is married, we need a marriage certificate.
If he is unmarried, having a partner we will need a declaration of being unmarried.
All the documents really have to be translated and legalized.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: So you can read it in Holland as well.
But how is it when you come from the EU and not from India?
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: For EU members it is really different.
Because if they have a passport or ID-card as EU-citizen they can travel to the Netherlands and they don't have to register themselves.
They have to register themselves if they want to live for more than 4 months in the Netherlands.
Because they need the citizen service number.
That means if they register themselves in the municipality where they are going to live they will automatically get this citizen service number.
That is very important if you want to work in the Netherlands as an EU citizen.
WILLEM DROST: Yes.
Because as soon as you have what they call here the BSN-number you can also get your health insurance which is mandatory deal in the Netherlands.
You have different options.
As soon as you have your BSN-number you can also enroll for your medical insurance for yourself and your family which is a mandatory deal.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: And of course for start-up funds as well?
WILLEM DROST: That is the whole other part we deal with with the funding, the markets and the talents.
There is a whole trajectory for the business side of it.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: How do they do that?
WILLEM DROST: As I said, that is the role of a facilitator.
The facilitator is going to tell them to identify if they come to the Netherlands what is the business you are aiming for what is your target market because we can connect you with the right parties in this country.
We can target you with the places where you can find tech talent.
We can connect you with government agencies or private funding to get your business off the ground.
That is the role of the facilitator.
The government does mainly all the permitting and the fiscal side.
The facilitators connect all the players who are involved with getting you access to markets, talent, funding and networks.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: How did you get in contact with those investors?
WILLEM DROST: The role of the facilitator is to be a spider in the web between all these organizations.
There are literally hundreds of sources for funding in the Netherlands.
That is just in private sphere.
Then you have got the government with a whole bunch of wonderful tools to help start-up companies with early stage funding with innovation credit, with all kinds of tax credits.
These are wonderful tools and the facilitator connects all these parties.
That is what I do as a mentor too.
I tell people I think that your company is at a stage that you need to look at early stage funding or you need to go to innovation credit or make sure to apply for a WBSO tax credit for tech workers.
So that is the role of the facilitator.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: There is a point where you can do a quick scan as well in the government, right?
WILLEM DROST: Yes, that is correct.
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: Yes, the RVO is doing a scan.
They have an advising part in the procedure. That is true.
WILLEM DROST: That is a very quick way.
It looks like there is a lot of work going on there but interestingly enough most of the documents, not all of them, are in English.
When you have for instance a company coming to you and you are a facilitator for them and you are going to help them with saying I think at this stage your company should get access to that and that kind of funding from the government you can do indeed your quick scan at RVO, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
Within a week they will tell you we agree with Mr. Drost that you qualify for early stage funding or you should do something else.
It is a wonderful tool.
Within a week they will call you in person to let you know what the options are.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: What if Mr. Singh already works in the Netherlands and he wants to do some freelance gigs as well?
GÜLTEN ÇANKAYA: That is possible.
He has a notification on his residence card that he can work as a highly-skilled migrant and as a self-employed person.
Other labour is not allowed just with a work permit.
But the most important part is that he always has to fulfill the conditions of the highly-skilled migrant scheme.
If he is doing that there is no problem.
He can work as a freelancer next to his other activities.
NADIA-JANE BRISTOLL: That is perfect.
Thank you so much, both of you, for all this helpful information.
Coming to the Netherlands isn't complicated if you know the way.
If you are a highly-skilled migrant your employer can help you.
If you are a self-employed professional you can acquire points in the system.
And if you want to launch a start-up you can team up with a facilitator.

(On screen text: Business.gov.nl Moving to the Netherlands as an entrepreneur.)

[CLOSING TUNE]