For American expats, there is a famously easy door into the Netherlands, the DAFT, the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty. While other entrepreneurs face a points test, US citizens can get a residence permit as self-employed with a strikingly low bar. Here is how it works, the 4,500-euro rule everyone asks about, and the Dutch you’ll still want.
What the DAFT is
The DAFT (Dutch American Friendship Treaty) is, as Dutch immigration lawyers explain, technically a residence permit, not a visa, though everyone calls it the DAFT visa. It lets US citizens live in the Netherlands as self-employed entrepreneurs. As step-by-step DAFT guides set out, you need a genuine self-employed activity, IT, web development, consulting, design, translation, the kind of thing you can run solo.
The headline perk: it exempts Americans from the normal points test for entrepreneurs, and, as DAFT explainers note, there is no Dutch-language requirement to hold it.
The 4,500-euro rule
The number everyone asks about. You must invest a minimum of 4,500 euros in your business, and, crucially, maintain that balance in your business bank account for the entire period the permit is valid. Let it drop below 4,500 euros and the IND can revoke the permit. So it is not a one-off fee, it is a floor you keep in the company account. Compared with other entrepreneur routes, it is deliberately modest.
Duration and family
The first DAFT permit lasts two years; after that you can apply for an extension valid for a further five years. There is no maximum age for the main applicant, and you can sponsor your spouse and minor children to come too.
You still register at the KVK
DAFT does not skip the normal business setup. You still register at the KVK (Chamber of Commerce) like any Dutch self-employed person, the same process as in the KVK and ZZP guide, and you handle the usual freelancer admin (a btw-nummer, invoicing with a factuur, tax). Once running, your savings and any profits may bring you into Box 3 wealth tax territory too.
The vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| verblijfsvergunning | residence permit |
| zelfstandige / ondernemer | self-employed / entrepreneur |
| zakelijke rekening | business bank account |
| KVK-inschrijving | Chamber of Commerce registration |
| verlengen | to extend (the permit) |
Where it connects
DAFT is a uniquely American on-ramp, and it slots into the wider admin world of the IND appointment and, for non-Americans, routes like the kennismigrant cheat sheet. The business itself runs on the KVK and ZZP setup. And while DAFT needs no Dutch, the everyday and business Dutch is what turns “American with a permit” into someone who actually thrives here.
The bottom line
The DAFT lets US citizens live in the Netherlands as self-employed, with a low bar: a genuine business, 4,500 euros invested and kept in the business account, no points test, no language requirement. The first permit runs two years, then five, and family can join. You still do the normal KVK registration and freelancer admin. Learn verblijfsvergunning, zelfstandige, and zakelijke rekening, mind the 4,500-euro floor, and DAFT is one of the friendliest immigration routes anywhere, especially paired with a bit of Dutch.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the business Dutch you’ll actually want, KVK, ZZP, factuur, btw, plus everyday life by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can run and grow your Dutch business instead of staying stuck in the English bubble.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DAFT visa?
The DAFT (Dutch American Friendship Treaty) is a residence permit (everyone calls it a visa) that lets US citizens live in the Netherlands as self-employed entrepreneurs. It has an unusually low bar: you must run a genuine self-employed business and invest 4,500 euros in it, and it exempts Americans from the normal points test for entrepreneurs. There is no Dutch-language requirement to hold it.
What is the 4,500-euro DAFT requirement?
You must invest a minimum of 4,500 euros in your business and, crucially, maintain that balance in your business bank account for the whole period the permit is valid. If your balance drops below 4,500 euros, the IND can revoke the permit. So it is not a one-off fee but a minimum you keep in the company account. It is a deliberately modest threshold compared with other entrepreneur visas.
How long does the DAFT permit last and can family come?
The first DAFT residence permit is issued for two years. After that, US citizens can apply for an extension, and if granted, the permit is valid for a further five years. You can sponsor your spouse and minor children to come with you, and there is no maximum age for the main applicant. You still register your business at the KVK like any Dutch self-employed person.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for running a business on a DAFT permit?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because, although DAFT needs no Dutch, it teaches the business Dutch you’ll actually want, KVK, ZZP, factuur, btw, plus everyday life, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you can run and grow your Dutch business instead of staying stuck in the English bubble.
