Netherlands

Currently it’s 1 Year. We’ve heard from some facilitators it’s going to become a 2 years stay. But nothing officially is stated yet. Startup visa

IND says you should keep your main residency in the Netherlands and considers that your main residency has been moved, if: - You have been outside the Netherlands for more than 6 continuous months. Your stay outside the Netherlands was not due to force majeure, but your own choice. - For 3 years in a row, you have been outside of the Netherlands for more than 4 continuous months. The IND counts these 4 months per calendar year (January to December). We do not add up separate periods. You have moved the centre of your activities abroad. This means that you cannot prove that you carry out the largest part of your activities in the Netherlands. The IND looks at this this per person. Examples of moving main residency - You were outside the Netherlands from 1 November 2021 to 1 June 2022. This is more than 6 months. - In 2020, 2021 and 2022, you were outside the Netherlands from 1 July to 1 December. This is more than 4 continuous months for 3 years in a row. Examples of not moving main residency - You were outside the Netherlands from 1 November 2021 to 1 May 2022. This means that you were outside the Netherlands for 6 months, but not more than 6 months. - In 2020, 2021 and 2022, you were outside the Netherlands from 1 December to 1 May. This counts as 4 continuous months for 3 years in a row (January to April, inclusive). The period from 1 December to 1 January is not added to the period from 1 January to 1 May. This means that you were not outside the Netherlands for more than 4 continuous months for 3 years in a row. Source: Main residency

If you want to work for other companies or make extra money, you have these options: - Work as a freelancer / contractor and not a full-time employee - Work with them through your company - Convert your startup / self-employed visa to work permit It says on the back of your residence permit whether you are allowed to work as an employee. The residence permit reads ‘Work as an employee only allowed with a work permit (in Dutch: arbeid in loondienst alleen toegestaan met TWV. This means that you are only allowed to work as an employee if your employer has a work permit (in Dutch: tewerkstellingsvergunning or TWV) for you. Source: Start-up

You can financially sponsor someone who is coming to the Netherlands for a short stay (up to 90 days). Your visitor needs a sponsor if they have less than a certain amount of spending money per person per day. Source: Sponsoring a visitor from abroad | Netherlands Worldwide

There is no legal limit on the number of co-founders that can apply for Dutch startup visa through a startup company however the IND says: > You must play an active part in the organization. This means that you must be more than just a shareholder or financier. (Source) This means that your facilitator must be justified that you have an essential role in the company. However based on what we’ve heard from the facilitators, 1-3 co-founders is totally fine and anything more than 4 co-founders isn’t justifiable.