The Netherlands Golden Visa: a complete guide for those seeking to live in the foreigner-friendly country

The Netherlands Residence Permit for Foreign Investors program, also referred to as the Residence Permit for Wealthy Foreign Nationals or the Golden Visa program, was launched in 2013 to attract non-EU direct investors and stimulate the Dutch economy.

The program allows foreigners to reside and work in the Netherlands and enjoy the benefits of living in one of the wealthiest European countries in return for investment in the Dutch economy. To qualify, the applicant must invest a minimum of €1,250,000 and ensure the investment adds value.

Residence by investment

The initial investor residence permit is valid for 3 years. If the investor still meets the program’s requirements, the residence permit can then be extended for another 5 years.

Residence permit programs for investors are also available in other European countries. Depending on the country, the minimum amount of capital starts from €250,000, and participants have various investment options such as property purchase, philanthropic donation, business investment, purchase of securities or government bonds.

1. Visa-free travel. Foreign investors holding the Netherlands residence permits can travel freely to all countries of the Schengen Area and spend up to 90 out of 180 days.

Additionally, the Netherlands residence permit allows travelling visa-free to the countries of the Kingdom of Netherlands. These include Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Caribbean Netherlands, which consists of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba.

2. Right to include family members in the application. The Netherlands Golden Visa program participants can claim residence permits for their partners and minor children. They must move to the Netherlands with the investor.

3. Opportunity to claim a permanent residence. After 5 years, the obtained investment visa can be converted to a Netherlands permanent residence. The permanent residence status has no end date, so it should not be extended. The investor will only need to renew their residence document every 5 years.

4. A path to Dutch citizenship. After 5 years of living in the Netherlands with a valid residence permit, the investor and their family members can apply for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation if they want a Dutch passport and are ready to relinquish the existing one.

5. Access to high-quality education and healthcare systems. Dutch residence permit holders can seek medical assistance in clinics of one of the world’s best healthcare systems.

The Netherlands has some of the world’s oldest universities and ranks as the ninth‑best country for students. After obtaining a residence permit, the investor and their children can study in schools and universities without additional permits.

If an investor or their children enrol in a study at a Dutch university, they will be paying a regular tuition fee of around €2,000 instead of the fee for international students, which can reach €15,000 for undergraduate study.

6. Right to live and work in the Netherlands. A foreign investor who obtained a residence permit may work in the Netherlands without a special permit. This also applies to their family members included in the application.

The participants of the Program and their family members who were granted residence permits are not required to complete a civic integration course that implies learning the Dutch language and exploring more about Dutch society.

Applicants for a residence permit by investment must meet general requirements:

• do not pose a risk to the country’s public order and national security;

• be ready to undergo a tuberculosis test upon arrival.

The investor’s partner and non-adult children are also entitled to participate in the program and can be added to the application. Upon receipt of the residence permit, they must move to the Netherlands with the investor.

To keep the validity of the residence permit, the investor must have main residency in the Netherlands. They are allowed to stay outside the Netherlands for 8 out of 12 months; in this case, separate periods add up. Failing to meet this requirement leads to the residence permit withdrawal.

Investing a minimum amount of €1,250,000. The capital must be invested in a company in the Netherlands, a special fund, a venture capital company, or a contractual joint venture that invests in a company in the Netherlands.

The investor should deposit money in a Dutch or EU Member State bank with a branch in the Netherlands monitored by De Nederlandsche Bank monitors.

Added value to the Dutch economy. When applying, the investor must provide evidence of the non-financial added value to the Dutch economy. The criteria are creating at least 10 new jobs in 5 years, stimulating innovation, and other aspects such as the investor bringing specialist knowledge or an international network.

To verify that there’s an added value, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service of the Netherlands uses a special point system.

Legitimate source of capital. The assets used for the investment must be obtained legally. The Immigration and Naturalisation Service checks whether the investor can be linked to suspect transactions.

No illegalities in the past. The applicant must have no issues with the Netherlands law, should not have stayed illegally in the country, or provided false information during previous residence permit applications.

Along with the application form, investors are required to submit the following documents:

• valid passport;

• biometric information;

• proof of income;

• investment plan;

• business plan or investment agreement;

• documentary evidence of the investment’s added value;

• supporting documents demonstrating the investor’s non-financial contribution, such as specific knowledge, work experience, references, patents, networks, and clients.

The Netherlands is not the only EU country that offers the opportunity to obtain a residence permit by investment. Other countries include Italy, Greece, and Spain.

Italy Golden Visa program. The minimum investment amount for obtaining an Italy residence permit is €250,000. The investor can choose one of four options: investment in an innovative startup, business investment, philanthropic donation, or purchase of government bonds.

The investor and the dependent family members obtain 2-year residence permits, which can be extended for another 3 years. After 10 years of residing in Italy, the investor and their family can apply for citizenship.

Practical Guide

Practical Guide

Will you obtain residence by investment in Italy?

Download practical guide

Greece Golden Visa program. By investing at least €250,000 in the Greece economy, foreign nationals obtain a 5-year residence permit that can be followed by permanent residency. After residing in Greece for 7 years in total, the investor can apply for Greece citizenship.

The processing time is rather short and takes 2—6 months. After obtaining a residence permit, an investor is not required to reside in Greece permanently.

If applying for Greece citizenship, the investor has to take a written exam on history, culture, and language.

Practical Guide

Practical Guide

Will you obtain residence by investment in Greece?

Download practical guide

Spain Golden Visa program. The minimum amount for getting Spain residency by investment is €500,000. The available options are property purchase, opening a deposit in a Spanish bank, purchasing government bonds, shares of Spanish companies, or investment fund units.

The residence permit is granted for 3 years and can be extended for 5 years. The investor can apply for citizenship after 10 years of living in Spain.

Practical Guide

Practical Guide

Will you obtain residence by investment in Spain?

Download practical guide

Compared to the Netherlands investment residence program, the above programs require a smaller investment. They also provide more investment options besides investing in a company so that the participant could choose the most appropriate one.

Each program also implies visa-free travel across the Schengen Area and provides a path to EU citizenship after 5+ years of holding a residence permit.

Uncover the privileges granted by Golden Visas to their holders

1. The Dutch government allows wealthy foreign nationals to obtain a Netherlands residence permit and move to the country to live and work there.

2. The minimum investment amount is €1,250,000. The capital to be invested must have a legitimate source.

3. When reviewing the application, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service checks whether the investment capital is legitimate and whether the investment provides added value to the Dutch economy.

4. The residence permit is granted for 3 years and can be extended for another 5 years. The investor and their family members who obtained residence permits are required to live in the Netherlands; otherwise, residence permits will become invalid.

5. A residence permit by investment can also be obtained in other EU countries. Many European Golden Visa programs require fewer investment sums than the Netherlands and offer more investment options. Examples of such countries include Spain, Italy, and Greece.