Intro

If you’re a US citizen who wants to live and work in the Netherlands, the Dutch American Friendship Treaty, almost always shortened to DAFT, is usually the easiest route there is. No employer, no points test, no business plan, just a real business and a modest investment.

It sounds almost too simple, and in concept it is. The complications sit in the details: the business structure, the 30% ruling, the document legalisation, and the sequence in which you do everything.

This guide explains what the Dutch American Friendship Treaty is, who qualifies, what it costs, the step-by-step process, how renewal works, and the mistakes that trip people up, so you can move with a clear plan.

Key Takeaways

• DAFT is a treaty-based route that lets US citizens get a Dutch residence permit to run their own business, without the points test the regular self-employed visa requires.
• The core requirement is a €4,500 investment in your Dutch business, kept in the business for the whole permit period.
• No business plan, no points test, no FBI check are required, which is what makes DAFT so accessible.
• The first permit lasts two years and is renewable, and time on it counts toward permanent residence after five years.
• Your business structure decides your 30% ruling – a BV can pair with it, a ZZP cannot, and the sequence matters.
• Family can join with full work rights – partners and minor children can work or study freely, broader rights than the DAFT holder has.

What Is the Dutch American Friendship Treaty?

The Dutch American Friendship Treaty is a 1956 treaty between the United States and the Netherlands, signed as part of the Marshall Plan to strengthen trade between the two countries. Seventy years on, it still gives American entrepreneurs one of the most accessible routes into the Netherlands.

In practice, DAFT is a combined work and residence permit for US citizens, tied to a business you own in the Netherlands.

It’s a simplified version of the regular Dutch Self-Employed Visa. That route uses a demanding points test to weigh your “added value” to the Dutch economy; DAFT skips it entirely, thanks to the special US–Netherlands relationship.

Entrepreneurs of every size qualify. A solo freelancer or 1099 worker is as eligible as someone opening a Dutch branch of an established US company, and there are no rules on the type of business or where your clients are based.

Insight: DAFT’s real advantage isn’t just the low bar to entry, it’s what’s absent. No points test, no mandatory business plan, no FBI background check, and no minimum income to show at application. Most of the difficulty people expect from an immigration route simply isn’t there.

Who Qualifies for DAFT (and Who Doesn’t)?

DAFT is designed for US citizens who want to live in the Netherlands and work for their own business.

You qualify if you:

• Hold a US passport;
• Will run your own Dutch business (ZZP or BV) that actively generates revenue;
• Own at least 25% of that business and play an active role;
• Can deposit and maintain €4,500 of capital in the business.

DAFT is usually not the route if you:

• Rely on passive income or are retiring – it requires active economic activity;
• Want regular employment with a Dutch employer – that needs a different permit;
• Only want a dormant or shell structure with no real activity.

NOTE! DAFT is for American passport holders only, and it ties you to self-employment. You can’t use it to take a regular job with a Dutch employer; that requires a work-permit route such as the Highly Skilled Migrant visa.

The Core Requirements

DAFT is refreshingly light, but a few requirements are non-negotiable.

US citizenship. The route is open only to American passport holders. If you were born outside the US, you’ll need your original birth certificate from your country of birth, a naturalisation certificate isn’t a substitute.

Your own Dutch business. You must register and run a revenue-generating business (ZZP or BV), own at least 25%, and be actively involved. Passive investors and dormant shells don’t qualify.

The €4,500 investment. You deposit €4,500 into your business bank account, not a private one, and keep it there for the whole permit period. Proof comes from a bank statement plus an opening balance from a Dutch BECON-registered accountant.

No business plan, no points test, no FBI check. Unlike the Self-Employed or Start-Up routes, DAFT needs none of these. You do need apostilled certificates.

ZZP or BV? The Choice That Affects Your 30% Ruling

One of the first decisions is your business structure, and it’s more important than it looks, because it decides whether you can claim the valuable 30% ruling.

ZZP (eenmanszaak). The simplest form, ideal for solo freelancers. It’s set up at the end of the process, once you have your BSN. Straightforward, but it cannot support the 30% ruling.

BV + 30% ruling. A Dutch private limited company lets you employ yourself and, if eligible, claim the 30% ruling, a substantial tax break for people recruited from abroad. The BV must be set up at the start, before you arrive.

Pro Tip: This is where sequence matters most. The 30% ruling has strict conditions, including being recruited from abroad, and the wrong DAFT setup can forfeit it entirely. Decide the structure before you incorporate, not after, and if you’re moving as a couple, a combined 30% ruling structure may be possible.

Documents You’ll Need

The DAFT document list is short, but apostilles trip people up. You’ll need:

• Passport copies for everyone, including children;
• Birth certificates for everyone, apostilled;
• Marriage or non-marriage certificate if applicable, apostilled;
• Divorce or death certificate where relevant, apostilled.

An apostille is a separate sheet attached to a certificate that authenticates it internationally. We confirm exactly what you need before you start, so nothing expires or gets rejected.

How to Apply for DAFT: The Process

The steps are logical once you see them in order. For US citizens, much of this happens in parallel because you’re MVV-exempt.

1. Prepare and choose your structure. Confirm eligibility, decide ZZP vs BV (around the 30% ruling), and gather apostilled documents.
2. Set up the business. Incorporate the BV at the start (or plan the ZZP for later), open the business bank account, and handle the €4,500 deposit with a registered accountant.
3. File the application. For US citizens it can be filed from abroad, so you can move in parallel rather than waiting for the verdict.
4. Arrive and visit the IND. Collect your residence sticker and give biometrics; the sticker lets you live and work while the final decision is pending.
5. Register at the Gemeente for your BSN. After the IND step, register at your municipality to get your BSN number.
6. Finalise. Complete the business registration and deposit proof; the verdict typically lands in about two to three months.

Insight: Because US citizens are MVV-exempt, you don’t wait abroad for approval. You can enter on your visa-free entry, pick up a residence sticker within a week or two, and start living and working straight away, while the IND decision is still in progress. Non-US family members do need an MVV first.

Can Your Family Join?

Yes, and their rights are actually broader than yours.

Your partner, married or in a proven durable relationship, and your minor children can join on a family permit.

Both can work in any capacity or study, including taking regular employment or starting their own business, something the DAFT holder can’t do, since you must stay self-employed in your business.

Non-US family members go through an MVV entry step first; US family members are exempt, like you.

After Two Years: Renewal and the Long Term

The first DAFT permit lasts two years and is renewable, with the renewal typically extending your stay further.

Unlike the initial application, renewal looks at your business: the IND generally wants to see that it was genuinely active and that the €4,500 investment stayed in the business across the period. Keeping proper books from day one is what makes this painless.

After five years of lawful residence, with DAFT time counting toward it, you can apply for permanent residence, which lets most Americans keep their US passport while removing the need for any future visa.

Pro Tip: A law has been proposed that may lengthen the residency requirement for Dutch citizenship, but it hasn’t taken effect and wouldn’t apply retroactively, and it doesn’t change the five-year path to permanent residence. Most Americans choose permanent residence anyway, since it keeps the US passport.

DAFT vs Other Dutch Visas

For self-employed Americans, DAFT is almost always the best route. Here’s how it compares.

Visa	Difficulty	Best for	Key requirement
DAFT	Low	US freelancers, entrepreneurs, 1099 workers	€4,500 business investment
Highly Skilled Migrant	Medium	Employees with a Dutch job offer	Sponsoring employer + salary threshold
Start-Up Visa	High	Founders with an innovative, scalable idea	Recognised facilitator + business plan
Self-Employed Visa	High	Non-US self-employed entrepreneurs	Points-based assessment

For US citizens, DAFT wins because it needs no employer sponsorship, no facilitator, no business plan, and no points test, just a real business and the €4,500 deposit.

The Mistakes That Catch DAFT Applicants

The route is forgiving, but a few errors come up again and again:

• Setting up the wrong structure and losing the 30% ruling – the single most expensive mistake, because the BV must be in place early;
• Depositing the €4,500 in a personal account – it has to be in the business account, with proper proof;
• Treating the business as dormant – renewal checks that it was genuinely active;
• Letting apostilles or certificates lapse – timing and legalisation matter;
• Assuming you can take a side job – DAFT ties you to your own business.

NOTE! In 2026 the IND has been contacting some DAFT holders to check, retroactively, that they complied with their permit conditions. That’s another reason to keep clean books and a genuinely active business from the start, not just at renewal.

Bottom Line

The Dutch American Friendship Treaty is the most accessible route for US citizens who want to live and work self-employed in the Netherlands: a real business, a €4,500 investment, and none of the points tests, business plans, or background checks other routes demand.

The simplicity is real, but the details decide the outcome. Your business structure sets up (or forfeits) the 30% ruling, the deposit and documents have to be done correctly, and the business must stay genuinely active through to renewal, especially with the IND now checking compliance.

Plan the structure, the ruling, and the move together, get the sequence right, and DAFT is exactly what it promises: an easy, welcoming door into the Netherlands.

FAQ

1. Do I need the DAFT permit before I move to the Netherlands? + −

2. How much money do I really need for DAFT? + −

3. Do I need a business plan or a points test for DAFT? + −

4. Should I set up a ZZP or a BV? + −

5. Can my family come, and can they work? + −

6. Can DAFT lead to permanent residence or citizenship? + −