The Netherlands DAFT Visa: No Income Test, US-Only

If you are searching for a Dutch digital nomad visa, the practical answer is that there is no formal one. The Netherlands has no dedicated nomad visa. The route most remote workers end up using is the Residence permit for self-employed person under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) — and its eligibility rules work differently from the income-threshold visas common elsewhere.

We rate the details below as medium-confidence, so treat the figures as a starting point and confirm current requirements with the IND before acting.

It is a capital test, not an income test

DAFT does not set a monthly income figure; no official monthly income figure is published for it. Instead, the requirement is business capital: the rule is EUR 4,500 of business capital for a sole proprietorship or partnership, rising to EUR 11,250 for an NV (a Dutch public limited company). The proof of funds you need to show for this permit is EUR 4,500.

So rather than proving you earn a certain amount each month, you register a business with the KVK (the Dutch business register) and invest the minimum capital. This route is exempt from the standard points-based “essential interest” test that other self-employment applicants face. The permit is valid for up to 24 months and is renewable, with permanent residence generally available after 5 years.

Open only to specific nationalities

The treaty basis is the catch. DAFT (IND treaty code 453) is open only to US nationals. A parallel Dutch-Japanese treaty (code 510) covers Japanese nationals. If you hold neither passport, this particular route does not apply to you, and we have not found a Dutch nomad alternative.

That is the main thing to check before you build a plan around it: the EUR 4,500 capital figure is only relevant if your nationality qualifies in the first place.

Tax and insurance are full-resident obligations

Because DAFT is a residence permit, the tax and health-cover picture is that of a Dutch resident, not a short-stay visitor. Residency for tax purposes is triggered at 183 days, after which a self-employed person is taxed as a standard Dutch resident on worldwide income. There is a possible 30% ruling, but it generally applies to incoming employees with scarce expertise, not ordinary self-employed entrepreneurs — eligibility for a DAFT entrepreneur is not established. Do not assume it applies to you.

On health cover, insurance is explicitly required for the full visa period. As a resident you are generally obliged to take out Dutch basic health insurance (zorgverzekering). No specific minimum coverage amount is stated for this permit. International health plans may serve transitionally, before statutory Dutch cover kicks in, but we have not been able to confirm this.

Fee and sources

The application fee is EUR 423, applied for in-country. We do not have a stated processing time. The figures here are drawn from IND pages, last verified on 2026-06-15; the application form referenced is IND form 7524.

The single most useful takeaway: DAFT replaces an income threshold with a EUR 4,500 capital requirement, but only if you hold a US (or Japanese) passport.