Starting your own business in the Netherlands under the Ankara Agreement: conditions and application

A Turkish national who wants to start a business in the Netherlands has a tool that most other non-EU nationals do not: the 1963 Ankara Agreement and its 1973 Additional Protocol. These agreements govern the association between Türkiye and the European Union, and they prohibit the Netherlands from imposing stricter conditions on Turkish self-employed persons than those that applied in 1973. Lawyers call this the “standstill” clause.

In practice it means this: a Turkish national applying for a residence permit as self-employed or with their own company is not assessed under the points system used for other nationalities, but under older and more flexible criteria. This article explains who the route suits, what the IND and the RVO look at, and how the application proceeds.

Who is this route for?

The Ankara Agreement route is for Turkish nationals who want to work for their own account in the Netherlands. That can be an eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship) or a BV in which you hold the shares and actually work as director. What matters is that your Dutch income comes from your own business, not from an employer’s salary.

It is not the right route for people who want to work for an employer; for them the highly skilled migrant permit or another work permit applies. Holding shares passively as an investor is not enough on its own either; a business in which you actively work is expected.

What do the IND and the RVO look at?

The IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) receives the application, but the business plan is assessed by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO, which advises the IND. For applications under the Ankara Agreement the points table does not apply; instead three questions are answered:

• Is the business plan coherent and realistic? What you will sell, to whom, why there is demand in the Dutch market, and a revenue and cost forecast for the first years. Defensible figures matter more than ambitious ones.
• Will the business support you? An income that sustainably meets the Dutch minimum subsistence level (the social assistance norm) is expected. Starting capital and, where relevant, income from an existing business in Türkiye strengthen this assessment.
• Do you have the experience and qualifications to run it? A diploma is not required; sector experience, a comparable business you run in Türkiye, references and any first client conversations in the Netherlands are persuasive.

In our experience most applications struggle not with the numbers but with the missing story: the business plan is written in general terms, without knowledge of the Dutch market. A plan that concretely shows Dutch competitors, price levels and the target customer is far easier for the RVO to follow.

Advantages specific to Turkish nationals

The agreement’s differences go beyond the exemption from the points system:

• Lower fees. Following rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Netherlands cannot charge Turkish nationals disproportionate fees for these permits; the IND has a separate, lower fee schedule for Turkish nationals.
• Family members can apply within the same framework, together with you or later.
• The permit is extended as long as the business continues; after a period of uninterrupted residence the route to a permanent residence permit (and, if you wish, naturalisation) opens.

The details of these advantages and the current fee amounts can change; we check the IND’s current information together before you apply.

How does the application proceed?

1. Structure decision: eenmanszaak or BV? This choice affects both tax and the permit file. We compared them in Sole proprietorship or BV?; in short, a BV stands out for structures linked to or co-owned with a Turkish company, while an eenmanszaak suits a small, standalone start.
2. Business plan and financial forecast: prepared under the headings the RVO expects, with Dutch-specific data. Documents of your activity in Türkiye (trade registry extract, tax registration, reference letters) are added with translation and apostille.
3. MVV and residence permit application (TEV): if you are coming from Türkiye, the provisional residence visa (MVV) and the residence permit are requested in one application, through the embassy in Ankara or the IND. If you already hold a valid permit in the Netherlands, you apply to the IND directly.
4. Assessment period: the IND’s statutory decision period is up to 90 days; the RVO’s advice falls within it. If documents are requested, the clock stops.
5. Arrival and registrations: once the permit is granted, the municipal registration, BSN, KVK registration and tax numbers follow. We described these steps in After arrival: IND registration, BRP and BSN.

If you are setting up a BV, the formation usually runs in parallel with the permit: the notarial deed can be signed by power of attorney and the KVK registration completed, so the company is ready when the permit arrives. We plan that sequence around your file.

Common mistakes

• Writing the business plan as a copy of the Turkish business; the RVO wants to see demand in the Netherlands.
• Basing the revenue forecast solely on customers in Türkiye; the Dutch activity has to be real.
• Preparing fees and documents for the general (points-system) application and not referring to the Ankara Agreement; the application should state it so that the IND assesses the file in the right framework.
• Moving to the Netherlands without planning tax residence in both countries while the Turkish business continues; this is where the double taxation treaty comes in.

Conclusion

The Ankara Agreement is a real door for Turkish nationals who want to run their own business in the Netherlands: instead of a points system, a sound business plan, sustainable income and experience are required, and the fees are low. In return, the file has to be written for the Dutch market and the company structure planned together with the permit. Under our immigration and permits service we handle the whole process, from the business plan to the IND application, as your single point of contact; in a free 15-minute intro call we can assess together whether your situation fits this route.