Wednesday, October 16, 2013

DAFT: IND Application Form



Dutch Immigration Part V

Now that you have run around half the Netherlands gathering what you need, you can finally start working on the IND form! You can download the paperwork (in English) from their website. The form you need is this one: Application for a residence permite with the purpose of residence 'to work on a self-employed basis' (7524)

http://www.ind.nl/Klant-informatie/Documents/7524.pdf

There have been many changes happening to the immigration process these last couple years so be sure to double check what the current requirements are and keep in mind the form may have changed from what I describe here.

The first section is What is your situation. Being an American, you choose the second option. Next you are asked about Tuberculosis--again, you can indicate you are American and are exempt from the test.

Under section 3, you need to indicate your purpose of residence. Do not choose the first option for "Self-employed person," but rather check the box by:

Self-employed, based upon the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (453) or the Dutch-Japanese Trade Agreement (510). You have USA or Japanese nationality.

 

Under this you can check the list of required evidence, which includes your Original Extract from the KVK, and (if you are a sole proprietorship like me) a copy of your bank statement showing your 4500. If you are forming something other than a sole proprietorship, be sure to check what other requirements you may need.

Section 4 has been recently revised. For my application in December 2012, I needed a photo of myself which conformed to guidelines for Dutch passports. I went to a photographer who knew what the passport photo requirements were and she snapped a picture, printed out 4 copies, and charged about €10. However, according to the new form, you should check whether you need to include a photo, or if you will be photographed and fingerprinted at the IND office. ***UPDATE 2014: I switched visas and my photo and fingerprints were taken at the IND desk.

In the next section you get to fill out your personal details. Note that they ask for you to write in BLOCK LETTERS! You do not have a V-number yet (the IND will give you one after you apply). The citizen service number is your BSN from the municipality registration. Hopefully you can figure out your name, etc. on your own.

Section 6 asks for a photocopy of your passport. Also be sure to bring the passport itself when you go to apply!

The last section is where you sign.

Whew! Okay, now you can take a look at the Appendices!

You will want to check each Appendix yourself since they have changed since I filled out my application. In my case, I used the Antecedents Certificat and the Passport Photo Form. I did not need to fill out the TB forms or the Declaration on income of self-employed person.



On the first page you can find a number to call for further help, but my advice is to have a Dutch speaking friend call. My experience, in general, was the IND clerks were much happier and helpful speaking Dutch and did not boot us back to a Dutch-only phone tree that hangs up on you if you don't understand what the options are within 3 tries...And since it can be a long wait before someone is available, try to make your phone call as productive as possible. E-mailing is also an option, but the 2 e-mails I sent took a month to get a response, so allow plenty of time!

In addition to the application form, I also needed proof that I was covered by health insurance in the Netherlands. According to the IND's e-mail response, I could keep my American health insurance for the time being as long as they vouched that they would cover me here. I e-mailed my insurance company asking what kind of coverage I got in Europe, and then I printed off their reply and stuck that in with my form.

I also felt compelled to write up a business plan and include a copy, but I haven't seen anything saying that is an official requirement. It is a good way to outline your plan of action and assess your resources though.

Next: IND Appointment

SUMMARY OF PAPERWORK FOR THIS STEP

Application Form
Passport
BSN and Address from the Municipality Registration
KVK extract
Bank statement
Proof of health insurance


WHAT YOU RECEIVE

Complete IND application


HELPFUL LINKS

IND: Complete list of forms and information about permits
A Citizen's Guide to DAFT

15 comments:

  1. Good luck - and keep the updates coming! I'm looking to start this process in a few weeks.... Thanks for documenting the process

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  2. holy smokes this is so helpful!! Do you mind explaining what type of business you plan on starting? I am in the exact same situation as you, leaving the states in a few months saving up for this exact reason.

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    1. Hey Austin, I am an artist and I started an "eenmanszaak" (sole proprietership). Since my business does not have the start-up costs that some fields would have and I am a company of one person, the process is a lot simpler than if I had to deal with financing or starting a company with a more complex structure. Best of luck to you! (...and if you need an artist you know where to come ;-))

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  3. hahah thanks i will keep that in mind! I will be there in about 2 months, but i have a few different ideas as to how i might be able to do the treaty. One is invest in a small company of my friend the 4500 euro. And become a 25% shareholder which i have read a few places, do you know about this process at all? Or start a consulting company, which would be just me working there. do you know anything about putting the 4500 euro into a startup?

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    1. I don't have any experience in investing, so I can't say what the IND would require going that route. I know you don't necessarily have to start an eenmanszaak so there are other options if you wanted to work with someone else, but I would ask the IND for clarification (if possible, call rather than e-mail, or have your friend call, and make sure you specify that this is for the DAFT).

      If any of you other folks reading along have some insight, feel free to chime in!

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  4. Hello, Shannon. Thank you so much for all the useful information. I have a question...do you know of an affordable accountant who can prepare the business plan financial report? It seems this is a necessary part of the DAFT application now, and the quote I received for having this done is 500 euros + VAT. This is really high, as my plan is already prepared. I simply need an accountants stamp of approval. Thank you for any advice.

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  5. Hello, Shannon. Thank you so much for all the useful information. I have a question...do you know of an affordable accountant who can prepare the business plan financial report? It seems this is a necessary part of the DAFT application now, and the quote I received for having this done is 500 euros + VAT. This is really high, as my plan is already prepared. I simply need an accountants stamp of approval. Thank you for any advice.

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    1. Hmm...I'd recommend looking for a local, independant financial advisor in the community you plan to locate in. I did need to prepare a financial statement when I switched visas, and my boyfriend contacted his local bookkeeper to sign off for a reasonable fee. If you plan on using an external bookkeeper for your business, this may be a good time to start that relationship.

      Are you starting a sole proprietership? Needing a financial report in this case is a signficant change, since the DAFT, unlike the visa for any other nationality starting a business, does not require an 'eenmanszaak' to demonstrate that you will make a 'significant contribution' to the Dutch economy--only that you maintain the 4500 euros if you want to renew. As I understand it, more complex businesses have needed a financial report detailing the investment of each partner to show that your share is equivalent to the 4500 euros, or they might ask questions if you are starting something that has a lot of start-up costs (it would be hard to build a factory for 4500 euros, for instance). But otherwise, I'm afraid I don't have any good advice for preparing an official report, sorry!

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  6. Hi Shannon, I cant say enough about how helpful your blog is outlining your DAFT experience. I have a question about the business plan... Do you know if it´s a requirement? How in depth was your business plan if you dont mind me asking. Was it pretty quantitative where you had to forecast your earnings/profit? What kind of business did you wind up starting?
    Thanks again!
    Juliya

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    1. Hi Juliya,

      The business plan was not a requirement for me. I included one because I'm an artist so my business model isn't so complex; however, the process often changes, so it is always good to double check with someone at the IND who specifically knows about the DAFT. If you read this comment posted by bijbelseliefde last year, she also did not need the business plan (though apparently you do need to have your finances signed off by an accountant now!)--> http://playmeahappysong.blogspot.nl/2013/11/daft-ind-appointment.html#comment-form

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    2. Though I should add, it is also nice to have the business plan for your own use!

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  7. Hi Shannon! Thanks a lot for putting together this really amazing resource! I read elsewhere that it's suggested that applicants prepare some letters of intent (suggested 3) to show that I have Dutch clients interested in contracting my service. Have you or anyone else found this to be the case?

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    1. Also wondering if you included in your business plan anything about how you "operate your business between the US and Netherlands", as set forth by the application requirements? I am struggling to come up with an answer for this and looking for some inspiration :p

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  8. You mentioned that you switched visas in 2014. How so? Weren't you able to renew the DAFT visa?

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  9. Did you renew the DAFT?

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