Can I Apply for a Dutch Startup Visa From Abroad?

Where to submit

RVO’s application page (checked June 2025 on that page) distinguishes four situations:

• If you reside in The Netherlands, you or your authorised representative submit the application to the IND.
• If you reside outside The Netherlands, you submit at the Dutch embassy or consulate in the country where you reside.
• Nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, or South Korea can apply directly to the IND using the IND form linked from that RVO page.
• If you already have a valid Dutch residence permit and want to switch to start-up, RVO points to a different IND form.

Always open the live IND start-up questionnaire for your nationality. The IND page is situation-based.

MVV (entry visa)

If you will stay longer than 90 days, you may need a provisional residence permit (MVV) to enter. The Netherlands Point of Entry founder guide says you apply for an MVV at the Dutch embassy, with biometrics, and that you will not need an MVV if you are from Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Vatican City, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Korea, Switzerland, or EU/EEA countries.

Confirm the current MVV-exempt list on NetherlandsWorldwide and the IND before you book travel. Lists change.

You collect the MVV after the IND grants the application, then travel, then collect the residence document in The Netherlands.

Timing

The IND aims to decide within a legal decision period once the file is complete and paid. See IND decision periods. Preparation of the plan, facilitator agreement, and documents happens before that clock. Our cost and timeline page describes a typical end-to-end range of around 3 to 6 months. That is not a guaranteed IND duration.

Do not enter as a tourist and assume you can wait in The Netherlands for a start-up decision unless the IND rules for your nationality allow it. Follow the IND instructions for your situation.

Family

Family members are separate applications. See Can my spouse and children join me?

If you are applying from abroad and the idea is still thin, do not start embassy appointments first. Start with eligibility, then a Strategy Session, then the file.