Netherlands · Business & founder
Dutch-American Friendship Treaty residence permit
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open. Between 2024 and 2026, the IND has run an expedited procedure. Applicants can submit and receive approval without supplying documents up front, subject to random checks.
For a US citizen, DAFT is the cheapest self-sponsored residence permit in Western Europe, by an order of magnitude. It takes EUR 4,500 of your own capital, against EUR 500,000 for a Portuguese fund subscription. The treaty basis makes it robust. This is not a discretionary programme that a government can close by press release.
The facts
- Minimum investment
- €4.5k
- Total landed cost
- EUR 4,500 of business capital, which is your own money and stays yours. On top of that come IND fees of EUR 423 for the main applicant, EUR 254 for a spouse and EUR 85 per child (2026), plus accountant and registration costs.
- Route type
- Business & founder
- Timeline
- 1–3 months (Typically, a decision takes 1–2 months.)
- Physical presence
- Genuine residence is expected. The permit is a residence permit, not a visa of convenience.
- Family
- Spouse or partnerChildren
- Permanent residency
- 5 years of continuous legal residence.
- Citizenship
- 5 years, though the Netherlands generally requires you to give up your existing nationality.
- Language test
- The A2 Dutch civic integration exam.
- Dual citizenship
- Not permitted. You would have to renounce.
- Requirements
- US citizenshipEUR 4,500 invested in and maintained in a Dutch business (eenmanszaak or BV)registration with the Dutch Chamber of CommerceDutch health insurance and registration with the municipality
What can go wrong
- The EUR 4,500 must stay in the business account throughout. Dipping below it can cost you the permit. This is the most common failure mode.
- US citizens remain taxable by the US on worldwide income, regardless of where they live. The Netherlands-US treaty and foreign tax credits help with this, but they do not eliminate it. Box 3's deemed-return tax has no US equivalent, and that creates credit mismatches. Model both systems together before you move.
- DAFT does not confer the 30% ruling. It is an immigration route, not a tax break. A DAFT entrepreneur is a full Dutch resident taxpayer, Box 3 included.
- Dutch naturalisation generally requires renouncing US citizenship. For most Americans, that makes DAFT a residence strategy, not a passport strategy.
- The expedited no-documents procedure is a processing convenience, not a relaxation of the rules. The IND performs random checks, and you must hold the evidence to back up your application.
- This is available only to US nationals. A Japanese equivalent exists on similar treaty grounds, but the treaty itself does not extend to other nationalities.