The DAFT permit, explained honestly
A plain-language, sourced guide to the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, covering what's actually confirmed by the IND and what several guides online get wrong or disagree on.
- Fees and rules checked on ind.nl
- Disagreements between guides flagged
- Last checked October 2026
Key facts
- Minimum own capital
- €4,500
- IND application fee (2026)
- €423
- Statutory decision period
- Up to 90 days
Every guide, in one place
The whole site, at a glance. Pick a topic, or read them in order from the overview of DAFT.
What Is DAFT?
A plain-language, sourced guide to the DAFT residence permit for US citizens: requirements, costs and the €4,500 rule, with every claim traced to its source.
Requirements
What DAFT actually requires: US citizenship, KVK registration, and the €4,500 capital rule, what the IND confirms, and what several guides get wrong.
How to Apply
A step-by-step walkthrough of the DAFT application process, from the embassy appointment to KVK registration and the current €423 IND fee.
ZZP vs BV
ZZP or BV for your DAFT business? A sourced comparison, including why the break-even income figure other sites quote shouldn't be trusted as stated.
Opening Balance Sheet
Why the €4,500 DAFT capital requirement is harder to prove than it sounds, and what an opening balance sheet actually needs to show the IND.
Extension & Renewal
What the IND checks at DAFT renewal: annual accounts, a balance sheet or income statement, and whether your €4,500 capital really stayed in the business.
Partner & Family
Bringing a partner or children to the Netherlands under DAFT: the IND's income test for self-employed sponsors, work rights, and what's still unclear.
Costs & Timeline
The real DAFT costs and timeline: the €423 IND fee, the 90-day statutory decision period, and why the shorter estimates online aren't guaranteed.
DAFT vs HSM
DAFT and the Highly Skilled Migrant permit solve different problems. A sourced comparison of who each route actually fits, and the real 2026 HSM salary figures.
US Taxes & DAFT
Moving to the Netherlands on DAFT doesn't end your US tax obligations. What citizenship-based taxation, FBAR and FATCA actually mean for DAFT entrepreneurs.
DAFT vs DJFT
DAFT and DJFT side by side: the treaties, who qualifies, the €4,500 rule, IND fees and purpose codes, and the paperwork at home for Americans and Japanese.
How the process works
Check you meet the requirements
US citizenship, a business you'll register, and the €4,500 own-capital rule.
Apply and pay the IND fee
Currently €423. The IND has a statutory decision period of up to 90 days.
Register with the KVK and invest €4,500
Within 6 months of your decision letter if you don't already hold a Dutch permit.
Renew with annual accounts
The IND checks your annual accounts and a balance sheet or income statement at every renewal.
The Country's Prosperity, c. 1613 to 1615. The Netherlands has been doing business with foreign merchants for a long time. The 1956 treaty behind DAFT is a much later, much narrower piece of that same openness; this image is historical context, not a claim about the treaty's history. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Why the opening balance sheet matters
The €4,500 capital rule sounds simple until you have to prove it, at application and again at every renewal. Several sources warn that just keeping €4,500 in a bank account isn't automatically the same as having €4,500 in invested capital once your business has any liabilities. Getting your opening balance sheet right the first time is the difference between a routine renewal and a stressful one.
Read the full breakdown of what's confirmed and what isn't →
Japanese entrepreneur?
Japanese nationals can use the same route through the 1912 Dutch-Japanese treaty. Our sister site covers it in English and Japanese, including the paperwork on the Japanese side.
Common questions
How much money do I actually need for DAFT?
The IND requires a minimum investment of €4,500 of your own capital in your business, for most business forms. That's confirmed directly on ind.nl. What is NOT fully confirmed is exactly how long that amount has to stay invested and how it's calculated if your business also has debts. See our opening balance sheet guide for the honest, sourced answer (UNVERIFIED on the exact test).
How long does the DAFT application take?
The IND has a statutory decision period of up to 90 days, confirmed directly on ind.nl. Some immigration firms advertise much shorter timelines right now, tied to a process change since around 2024, but no source, including the IND itself, confirms exactly how long that faster process will last, so we don't recommend planning around it. (UNVERIFIED for the shorter estimates.)
What does the IND application cost?
€423.00, as stated directly on ind.nl (retrieved 2026-10-17). This is separate from the €4,500 capital, which stays in your business rather than being paid to the government, and separate from any lawyer or bookkeeper fees. IND fees are reviewed yearly, so check ind.nl again if you're reading this much later.
Should I register a ZZP or a BV?
It depends on your expected income and how much liability protection and bookkeeping overhead you're willing to take on. Some guides cite a specific 'break-even' income figure for switching to a BV, but the figures we found disagree with each other and look like they're confusing an unrelated, annually-changing tax threshold. See our ZZP vs. BV guide for the details, including why we're not repeating that figure here.
From the blog
October 18, 2026
5 DAFT Myths, Checked
Five figures that different DAFT guides state as settled fact but actually disagree on, and what we could and couldn't confirm against the IND.
October 18, 2026
Documents Checklist
The exact documents you need to get your DAFT opening balance sheet prepared, and why a bank statement alone usually isn't enough.
October 17, 2026
2024 IND Process Change
What actually changed for DAFT applicants around April 2024, the end date one law firm reported, and what ind.nl still says in October 2026.