Do I need a Dutch director for my BV?

No. Dutch law does not require a Dutch resident director for most Dutch BVs. Foreign individuals and foreign legal entities can act as directors and shareholders of a Dutch company.

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Is a Dutch director required for a BV?

No. Dutch law does not require a Dutch resident director for most Dutch BVs. Foreign individuals and foreign legal entities can act as directors and shareholders of a Dutch company.

What this means

You can:

  • Own 100% of the company
  • Act as sole director
  • Manage the company from abroad

When a Dutch director may be beneficial

Although not legally required, a Dutch director can sometimes strengthen:

  • Corporate substance
  • Tax residency position
  • Local business presence
  • Relationships with banks and regulators

Substance considerations

For internationally operating businesses, tax authorities may review factors such as:

  • Where strategic decisions are made
  • Whether management activities occur in the Netherlands
  • Presence of Dutch office space
  • Dutch bank accounts
  • Dutch employees

In practice

For service companies and many international structures, foreign directors are common and fully accepted.

Bjorn Wagemakers

Bjorn is our CEO of Intotax. He has more than 15 years experience in Netherlands company formation and he is an international tax specialist in the Netherlands for 20 years. Here you can plan a 30 minutes free consultation or you can email him;

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for a 30 min. free online digital consult with our CEO Bjorn Wagemakers