Dutch law for newcomers
The rules that matter most after you arrive – from your residence status and citizenship to tax, business and the notary.
Last checked: 24 October 2026 · 4-minute readResidence and citizenship
Immigration law
Every residence route to the Netherlands – see all routes.
EU nationals
EU citizens and their family members have their own rights under EU law – see EU law.
Permanent residence
Permanent residence or EU long-term resident status after five years – see eu-permanent.nl.
Dutch citizenship
Naturalisation or the option procedure, including the integration requirement – see dutch-citizenship.nl.
Tax, business and treaties
Tax system
Income tax, the 30% facility for some international employees and your annual tax return.
Business and VAT
Register your company with the KVK and file VAT returns with the tax office.
Notary
A Dutch notary is needed to buy a house, to set up a BV and for many family matters.
Treaties
Special routes for US, Japanese and Turkish citizens – see our nationality desks.
Sources: Belastingdienst · KVK · IND. This page is general information, not legal advice. Yari Immigration Services is an independent advisory firm and not part of the IND.