KvK Netherlands: Dutch Business & Company Register 2026

The KvK (Kamer van Koophandel) keeps the Dutch business register: you register your own business there and can look up any other business.

The handelsregister is a public database that lets you check any company operating in the Netherlands, verify whether a supplier is legitimate, pull a director’s name before signing a contract, and confirm the legal status of a business partner you have never met. Once you register your own business, you get a KvK number: it goes on your invoices, and your business bank account is linked to your KVK registration.

The basics: registration costs €85.15 (2026). You usually receive your KvK number at your appointment. The Belastingdienst sends your VAT number by letter, usually within two weeks after your registration.

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What Is the KvK (Kamer van Koophandel)?

The Kamer van Koophandel — translated literally as “Chamber of Commerce” — registers businesses in the handelsregister, the national trade register. On 30 June 2026 more than 2.6 million establishments (vestigingen) were registered (KVK trend report Q2 2026).

Every business and organisation gets a unique KvK number. The register includes, for example:

• Sole proprietors (eenmanszaak)
• Partnerships (VOF, CV)
• Private limited companies (BV)
• Public limited companies (NV)
• Foundations (stichting) and associations (vereniging)

The handelsregister is publicly searchable: anyone can search by name, address or KvK number, and that is free. The register also holds data of businesses that have stopped.

Who Must Register?

Whether you must register depends on KVK’s entrepreneur criteria. You must register if all three apply (KVK, checked 30 October 2026):

• You independently supply products or services, or you are preparing to
• You charge a price or rate with which you earn money, so it is not a hobby that only costs money
• You regularly supply products or services to people other than family or friends

If you are unsure, KVK offers four extra questions and examples on its website. If you do not meet the criteria, you do not register and get no KvK number. A ZZP’er (zelfstandige zonder personeel) has no legal form of their own; a sole proprietor registers an eenmanszaak.

For non-EU nationals, check with the IND whether your residence permit allows self-employment before you register. The freelance visa guide for the Netherlands covers this in detail.

How to Register at the KvK: Step-by-Step

Step 1 — Choose Your Legal Structure

Before you book anything, decide which legal structure you are registering. This affects your tax treatment, personal liability, and administrative obligations. The main options:

For many expat freelancers, the eenmanszaak is the starting point. It can give access to the self-employment deductions (zelfstandigenaftrek and startersaftrek) if you meet the hours criterion. You can only register one eenmanszaak, but it can have several activities and business names (KVK).

Whether a BV pays off depends on your profit and situation; discuss the costs of setting one up and running it with an accountant or notary first.

A VOF is a partnership for two or more people starting a business together. Agree the terms in a partnership agreement (vennootschapscontract) before you register.

For full guidance on choosing between structures, see the ZZP freelancer guide.

Step 2 — Gather Your Documents

Everyone:

• A valid proof of identity
• A Dutch address for the business. KVK can only register an eenmanszaak if the address is in the BAG (the national address register) and a home address also matches the BRP (the municipal personal records). Register with your gemeente first; see the BSN registration guide

KVK’s confirmation email states what else to bring to the appointment, for example the lease for your business premises. A BV is set up by a notary, who registers it; ask the notary which steps and documents apply.

Your business address: the visiting address is public in the KvK register. For an eenmanszaak you can have it shielded, but then you need a separate public postal address that is not your home address (see below).

Step 3 — Describe Your Business Activities

KVK gives your business one or more SBI codes (standard business classification) that fit your described activities. Describe them carefully, because the SBI code matters for things like insurance, finance and permits (KVK). During the appointment KVK goes through which code fits. If your activities change later, report the change to KVK.

Step 4 — Complete the Online Registration Form

Choose the legal form eenmanszaak, log in with DigiD and fill in the online form; KVK says this takes about a quarter of an hour, and your data is saved automatically. The online process is in Dutch. KVK also publishes an English Form 1, which fills in the Dutch form automatically when you complete it digitally. Check your business name with KVK’s Naamchecker before registering, and make sure it does not conflict with the Handelsnaamwet.

Step 5 — Book Your Appointment

You then book an appointment online at a KVK office; you can only make the appointment online. KVK has offices in Alkmaar, Amsterdam, Arnhem, Breda, Den Haag, Eindhoven, Enschede, Groningen, Leeuwarden, Middelburg, Roermond, Rotterdam, Utrecht (head office) and Zwolle, and you choose the office. KVK says you normally register in the week before or after you start. You can come up to three months before your start date; KVK then makes the registration final one week before the start date.

Step 6 — Attend Your Appointment

Bring your proof of identity. At the appointment KVK checks your identity document and the details you entered, and goes through the SBI code and whether your business name is available.

Step 7 — Pay the Registration Fee

The one-time registration fee is €85.15 (2026). After registering at a KVK office you receive the invoice by email, from factuur@kvk.nl. It is a one-time fee for the registration.

Step 8 — Receive Your KvK Number

Usually you get your KvK number at the appointment. If you start later, KVK sends it by post in the week you start; if something is still missing, you may have to come back to complete the registration. If you are registered with KVK, your invoices must show your KvK number (Belastingdienst invoice requirements).

What You Get After Registration

1. KvK Number (KvK-nummer)

Your KvK number uniquely identifies your business in the Business Register. Every registered business and organisation has one.

2. BTW Number (VAT Number)

Your VAT number (btw-id) comes from the Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration), which decides whether you are an entrepreneur for VAT. KVK passes your registration on, and you receive a letter with your btw-id usually within two weeks after you register. You also get a separate turnover tax number (omzetbelastingnummer) for contact with the Belastingdienst. Lost the letter? Log in to Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk, choose Btw, and look under Btw-identificatienummer (KVK, checked 30 October 2026).

The btw-id follows the format: NL + 9 digits + B + 2 digits (for example NL123456789B01). You must show it on invoices and stationery, and on your website if you sell through it. You do not have to put it on an invoice if you are exempt from VAT or use the small business scheme (KOR).

3. RSIN Number

The RSIN (Rechtspersonen en Samenwerkingsverbanden Informatienummer) is a fiscal identification number for legal entities such as a BV. A sole proprietor does not get one. Ask your notary or adviser whether and where you need it.

4. Registration Extract (Uittreksel)

Your KvK number is in your welcome letter. An official certified extract (uittreksel) is a separate product you order (see the section below on extracts).

How to Search the KvK Business Register

The handelsregister is publicly searchable, which is useful for checking a client or supplier.

Where to Search

Go to kvk.nl/zoeken/. Searching the Business Register is free (KVK). You can search by:

• Company name (handelsnaam)
• KvK number (if you already have it)
• Address

What Information Is Public

Most data in the register is public (KVK, checked 30 October 2026). That includes:

• Company name, trade names and the KvK number
• Legal form and registered seat
• Dates, including the start date and the registration date
• Visiting address, postal address, email address and website
• Business activities
• Number of people working at each establishment
• Name, title, authority and date in office of directors and authorised signatories
• Issued and paid-in capital and, where applicable, the sole shareholder

The Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) register has its own disclosure rules.

What Is Not Public

Not public are, for example, telephone numbers, BSN numbers, home addresses of directors and shielded visiting addresses. For an eenmanszaak, shielding the visiting address is always possible; other legal forms can only do so under threat, and you must register a public postal address that differs from the visiting address (KVK). Documents with more detail, such as an extract or a financial statement (jaarrekening), have to be ordered; a jaarrekening costs €3.90 each (KVK tariff overview, 1 January 2026).

Practical Use Cases

Before hiring a freelancer or contractor: run a quick search to confirm they are registered.

Before signing a supplier contract: check that the legal name matches the entity on the contract and who is authorised to sign. A fuller overview is on an extract.

Finding a company’s KvK number for invoicing: you can use the register to find a client’s KvK number for your own records.

How to Get a KvK Extract (Uittreksel)

A certified KvK extract (uittreksel handelsregister) is a snapshot of a company’s registration data at a specific point in time, and is official proof when it is certified. Viewing an extract online (€2.95) is not an official document.

How to Order

Order the extract on kvk.nl under “Uittreksel Handelsregister”. You do not need to log in. You can order an English version the same way as the Dutch one; you choose the language during the order (KVK, checked 30 October 2026).

• View online (not certified): €2.95, shown on screen, not official proof
• Digitally certified: €9.60, a PDF by email within 10 minutes. It stays legally valid only if you forward it digitally; printing it makes it lose its validity
• Certified paper extract: €19.20, by post within 5 working days

(KVK tariff overview, 1 January 2026.)

What the Uittreksel Contains

An extract shows the company’s data at the moment you request it: for example the name, KvK number, address, legal form, activities and, in most cases, who the officers and authorised signatories are (KVK). The extract of a secondary establishment (nevenvestiging) does not show officers; those are on the extract of the main establishment.

When You Need an Uittreksel

The most common situations where you will be asked to provide one:

• Opening a business bank account: some banks ask for an extract, as do most wholesalers (KVK)
• Other organisations: ask the organisation which extract it needs and how old it may be; KVK notes that most organisations want one no older than a month

Changing Your KvK Registration

The handelsregister must reflect your current situation. KVK asks you to report an address change within a week.

You report changes in My KVK, where you log in with DigiD. KVK’s helpline is 088 585 15 85 (Monday to Friday, 8.30 to 17.00). KVK publishes current processing times on its website.

Address Privacy

An eenmanszaak can have its visiting address shielded in My KVK, provided a separate public postal address is registered.

Deregistering from the KvK (Uitschrijven)

Closing a Dutch business involves deregistering from the handelsregister.

When to Deregister

• You are permanently stopping your business activities
• You are leaving the Netherlands and will not operate from here
• The company has been fully dissolved (for a BV, this follows the formal liquidation process)

How to Deregister

Deregistering from KVK is free of charge, and it is final: a temporary deregistration does not exist (KVK). You can deregister an eenmanszaak in My KVK with your DigiD or European login; without either you can send form 14 by post with a copy of your ID. You give a date on which your business stops, and by that date you must have stopped all business activities. Check with your bank how long your business account stays available after deregistration, because it is linked to your KVK registration.

Tax Implications of Deregistering

KVK passes your deregistration to the Belastingdienst; you do not need to inform the Tax Administration yourself, and the Belastingdienst sends you a letter. Keep filing returns for as long as they are listed in Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk; the Belastingdienst tells you when your last VAT return is due (KVK). Also:

• Business assets: if you take business assets into private use when you stop, ask an accountant about the tax consequences.
• Keep your records: the Belastingdienst requires you to keep basic data for 7 years and data on immovable property for 10 years. It can impose an additional assessment (navorderingsaanslag) within 5 years, and within 12 years for income or assets abroad (Belastingdienst).

For expats who are leaving the Netherlands, deregistration also intersects with municipal deregistration (uitschrijving bij de gemeente) and, for non-EU nationals, residence permit obligations. The leaving Netherlands checklist covers the full exit process.

Setting Up Your Business Banking After Registration

Once you have your KvK number, the next practical step is usually a business bank account. A separate account keeps business and private payments apart, which makes your bookkeeping easier.

Wise Business is one option to consider alongside a Dutch bank account, especially if you have clients abroad. Wise is not a bank: in the EU it is Wise Europe SA, an authorised payment institution supervised by the National Bank of Belgium. Wise Business can send up to 1,000 international payments with one batch transfer (wise.com, checked 30 October 2026). Check Wise’s own pages for current fees and features.

For a Dutch business account with an NL IBAN, two options at a glance (alphabetical, prices from the banks’ own sites, checked 30 October 2026):

ABN AMRO and bunq are affiliate partners of this site (how we earn); the order above is alphabetical, not a ranking. Our business bank account guide for freelancers compares them with ING, Rabobank and Wise.

For a full comparison of business banking options, the best bank account for expats guide and the dedicated Wise review cover the details.

The 30% Ruling and Your KvK Registration

If you have the 30% ruling through your employer and also run a side business (eenmanszaak), check the tax consequences with an adviser. The 30% ruling relates to your employment; ask an adviser how income from your eenmanszaak is treated next to it.

There are also hours rules. Under the urencriterium you must spend at least 1,225 hours a year on your business and more time on it than on other work, such as employment. The second condition does not apply if you were not an entrepreneur in one of the previous 5 years (Belastingdienst, checked 25 October 2026). A side business next to a full-time job therefore has to be weighed carefully.

For the full picture of how the 30% ruling interacts with other income, see the 30% ruling guide. For the tax implications of self-employment income, the Dutch tax return guide for expats is important reading.

Practical Tips

Complete the online form first. The appointment is only possible after you have filled in the form.

Your visiting address becomes public unless you shield it. For an eenmanszaak you can shield it, with a separate public postal address.

You can come early. KVK lets you visit up to three months before your start date.

KVK passes your details to the Belastingdienst. If your btw-id letter has not arrived about two weeks after registration, check Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk or contact the Belastingdienst.

Keep an hours log from day one. The zelfstandigenaftrek requires at least 1,225 hours a year, and you need to be able to show it.

Conclusion

You can use the business register in both directions: to register your own business and to check anyone you do business with.

The essentials: complete the online form with DigiD, book an appointment at a KVK office, bring your identity document, pay €85.15, and receive your KvK number. The Belastingdienst sends your VAT number by letter, usually within two weeks after your registration. After that, open a business bank account, set up your accounting, and start trading.

What comes next — taxes, VAT, clients, insurance, deductions — takes more thought. Useful starting points: the KvK search for due diligence, the 30% ruling guide for tax, the Dutch tax return guide for filing season, and the interactive tools on this site for calculators and checklists that make Dutch bureaucracy less intimidating.

If you are still working out your freelance setup more broadly, the ZZP freelancer guide and the KvK registration expat guide cover the full picture.