Your first customer wants a quote, and that quote should show a KVK number. You do not get that number on its own: it comes with registering your business in the Business Register (Handelsregister) of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK). How do you get a KVK number? Registration starts online and is completed at an appointment at a KVK office, where you usually receive the number straight away. According to the KVK the form takes about a quarter of an hour, and you book the appointment online yourself at a time that suits you.
Below you can read what a KVK number is and where to find it, who has to register and how registration works in four steps. After that: the costs, what the Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration) does after registration and how to open a business account.
Key points:
- Getting a KVK number means registering your business in the Business Register. The business then gets a KVK number of eight digits.
- For an eenmanszaak you fill in the registration form online and complete the registration at a KVK office, with a valid identity document; for some legal forms a notary handles the registration.
- Registration costs a one-off €85.15 and is tax-deductible for entrepreneurs, according to the KVK.
- According to the KVK, you are required to be registered within one week after the business has started. The KVK then passes the details on to the Belastingdienst.
What is a KVK number?
The KVK number is the eight-digit number that shows that a business is registered with the KVK. Every business has only one, even if it has several activities or trade names. With the number, a customer or supplier can look the business up in the Business Register and check its details, such as the visiting address and who is authorised. Looking for an example of a KVK number? You can see the number on invoices and websites of Dutch businesses, because according to the KVK the law requires the number to appear on letters, quotes, invoices, the website and business e-mails.
Where do I find my KVK number? The KVK names, among others, the welcome letter you receive after registration, a KVK extract (uittreksel) and the online Business Register. The number is also needed for business purchases and for taking out subscriptions and insurance; it shows that you have a business.
RSIN and branch number
Besides the KVK number there are two other numbers. If you choose a legal form with legal personality, such as a bv, or a partnership, you receive a Legal Entities and Partnerships Information Number: the RSIN from the KVK. An eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship) does not get an RSIN; the Belastingdienst registers it with the citizen service number (bsn). With the bsn or the RSIN, the Belastingdienst determines the VAT tax number and any other numbers, such as a payroll tax number. If a business has several branches, each branch gets its own branch number (vestigingsnummer) of 12 digits.
| Number | What it is | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| KVK number | Eight digits, one per business | Every business in the Business Register |
| RSIN | Information number for legal entities and partnerships | For example a bv or vof |
| Branch number | Twelve digits, per branch | Every branch of a business |
| VAT identification number | VAT number, from the Belastingdienst | Entrepreneurs for VAT |
What is in the Business Register?
What belongs to the KVK number is public. The Business Register includes the name and contact details, the trade names, the business activities with the SBI code (standard industry classification), the visiting and postal address, the number of employees and the officers and authorised signatories. If you look up an example KVK number, you see exactly those details. The e-mail address and website are public, while the business phone number is hidden from others. Anyone running an eenmanszaak can, according to Ondernemersplein, have the visiting address shielded; for that, you have a postal address recorded that differs from the home and visiting address.
Who has to register with the KVK?
Registration is mandatory for entrepreneurs. According to the KVK, you are an entrepreneur if you supply goods or services to others to make a profit; three conditions apply, the entrepreneur criteria (ondernemerscriteria). Before you register, choose a legal form, such as an eenmanszaak, vof or bv, because it determines among other things whether you are personally liable. You can register an eenmanszaak only once; with that one eenmanszaak you can carry out various activities and use several business names. If you are unsure about the legal form, the Ondernemersplein decision aid helps with that choice. According to Ondernemersplein, a trade name may contain digits and punctuation, such as + and &; the Trade Name Act does not protect those additions, and Ondernemersplein advises making sure the name is easy to pronounce.
Getting a KVK number without a business is not possible: the number belongs to the registration of a business that meets the criteria. In some cases a business cannot register with the KVK, for example an eenmanszaak with activities that do not count as a business under the Business Register. According to the Belastingdienst, it reports directly to the Belastingdienst using the form for starting businesses (Opgaaf startende onderneming). Even without KVK registration, according to Ondernemersplein a VAT return may still be required. If turnover then stays below the registration threshold of €2,200 per calendar year, no registration as a VAT entrepreneur with the Belastingdienst needs to follow.
How to get a KVK number: 4 steps
So you get a KVK number through the registration itself. You can do the online part at your own pace; the appointment at the office makes the registration final. For an eenmanszaak it works like this:
Choose the legal form and a business name, and check with the KVK Naamchecker whether that name is still available. Also check that the name fits the rules of the Trade Name Act.
Registering with the KVK online starts with DigiD. The form takes about a quarter of an hour and is saved automatically along the way. So you can stop and continue later.
Book an appointment at a KVK office online and bring a valid identity document, plus the lease if you rent business premises. If it has not been signed yet, according to Ondernemersplein a letter of intent, for example from the estate agent, is enough.
During the appointment the KVK checks your details. Usually you receive the KVK number straight away; the VAT identification number follows later by post from the Belastingdienst. According to the Belastingdienst, if you are required to invoice, the first invoice must show, among other things, the KVK number and the VAT identification number.
At that appointment you can also ask questions about running a business. Most entrepreneurs book the appointment a week before or after the start of their business activities. For the form, have your personal details, the business contact details, a description of the business activities, the sector, the business name and the chosen legal form at hand. Based on the activities, the business gets an SBI code; you can propose a code yourself. If you are going to import or export goods, the KVK records that too. If you are a minor, an eenmanszaak is possible too, but consent from a parent or guardian is needed and one of them comes along to the appointment, because they are responsible.
When do you register?
For registration with the KVK, Ondernemersplein names three moments: no later than one week after you have started the business, one week before you start, or earlier. If you choose earlier, according to the KVK you can come in for the check of your details up to three months before the start date at most; the final registration with the KVK number then follows one week before the start, without you having to come in again. The start date is the day you begin your activities, or the day of the first commitment, such as the first purchase. If you start working before the appointment, you state at the appointment the date on which you started.
KVK registration costs
The costs of KVK registration are a one-off €85.15: the registration fee for a new business in the Business Register. After the appointment and completion of the registration, you receive the invoice by e-mail; if registration is done by post, the invoice comes by post too. You pay via that invoice; paying in cash is not possible. That one payment for registering with the KVK includes the KVK number, and the fee is tax-deductible for entrepreneurs.
In short: registration costs €85.15 and gives you the KVK number; the other numbers follow from the legal form, the branches and VAT.
After registration
After registering with the KVK you do not need to report separately to the Belastingdienst: the KVK passes the details on automatically. Registration with the Belastingdienst takes at most 10 working days, and after that you are informed about the taxes the business has to deal with. If the Belastingdienst decides that you are an entrepreneur for VAT, you receive a VAT tax number and a VAT identification number. That VAT identification number is a different number from the KVK number: the first comes from the Belastingdienst, the second from the KVK, and according to the Belastingdienst anyone required to invoice puts both on the invoice. The Belastingdienst also decides whether you are an entrepreneur for income tax. If so, you can use business deductions, and there are specific schemes for starting entrepreneurs.
For some legal forms there is one more step: registering the ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs) in the UBO register. These are the people who ultimately own or control the business, for example someone holding more than 25% of the shares in a bv. According to Ondernemersplein, also check the SBI code regularly, so that it keeps matching what the business does.
Changing details or deregistering
After registering an eenmanszaak or bv with the KVK, the details do not stay up to date by themselves. According to Ondernemersplein, you report changes, such as a new address, a different trade name or activity, within one week via Mijn KVK. In Mijn KVK you view and change the details in the Business Register, the LEI register and the UBO register, and order an extract. Anyone who takes on staff later reports it online. If the business stops, you deregister it with the KVK; according to Ondernemersplein, the KVK passes the deregistration on to the Belastingdienst. That way, what customers and suppliers see in the register keeps matching the business.
Good to know: the KVK number must appear on quotes and invoices. Put it on from the very first invoice.
A business account after registration
After registering with the KVK, a business account is a next step for many entrepreneurs, so that business and private spending stay separate. An eenmanszaak opens the account in the owner’s own name, a bv in the company’s name. With Vivid you arrange the business account fully online:
Every account gets a Dutch IBAN, and you manage the business account in the Vivid Business & Personal App and on the web platform. With sub-accounts with their own IBAN you set money aside, for example for VAT. Invoicing is included in all plans at no extra cost. That way your first invoice with a KVK number can be paid into a business account that is usually opened within 10 minutes to an hour.
Vivid in short: a business account with a Dutch IBAN, applied for fully online, with business details pre-filled from official registers.
After the KVK, the account
Open a business account with a Dutch IBAN online for your eenmanszaak or bv.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get a KVK number?
Getting a KVK number goes through registration in the Business Register: fill in the form online with DigiD and then attend an appointment at a KVK office with a valid identity document. According to Ondernemersplein, a notary handles the registration for some legal forms.
What is a KVK number?
An eight-digit number that shows that a business is in the Business Register. Every business has one.
How much does registering with the KVK cost?
A one-off €85.15. According to the KVK, that registration fee is tax-deductible for entrepreneurs.
How quickly do you get a KVK number?
Usually you receive the number straight away during the appointment at the KVK office. If completion is not possible right away, for example because you start later or do not have all the information with you, the number follows later.
Where do I find my KVK number?
In the welcome letter after registration, in a KVK extract and in the online Business Register. There you look the business up by name.
Can you get a KVK number without a business?
No. You get a KVK number when registering a business that meets the KVK’s entrepreneur criteria. If a business cannot register with the KVK, it reports to the Belastingdienst.
Do I also have to register with the Belastingdienst?
Not after registering with the KVK: the KVK passes the details on to the Belastingdienst. That registration takes at most 10 working days, and after that you are informed about the taxes that apply to the business.
This article provides general information and is not legal or tax advice. The rules and amounts mentioned are as published by the KVK, Ondernemersplein and the Belastingdienst, and may change. Vivid’s payment services are provided by Vivid Money S.A., an electronic money institution authorised and regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) in Luxembourg; its Dutch branch is registered with De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) as an electronic money institution.
