Opening an office in the Netherlands

‍Once a foreign company is established in the Netherlands, it is mandatory for it to register in the Trade Register of the Chamber of Commerce. But is it also mandatory if a foreign company only has entrepreneurial activities? Or if it only has its employees working in the Netherlands for the foreign-based company? Heron Legal's corporate-law professional can clarify it for you.

Opening an office without registration in the Trade Register
Renting an office space in the Netherlands without registration in the Trade Register? It is possible, and often an appealing option for foreign entrepreneurs looking to develop business activities in the Netherlands.

The benefits
There is no obligation to register the branch office of the foreign company inthe Chamber of Commerce trade register. The advantage of omitting registrationprovides flexibility and a quicker process. Also, company details are notincluded in the Trade Register and therefore not made public. This can alsoprovide the privacy you want.

The disadvantages
Not registering the office of your foreign company also has disadvantages:

• the office is fact not recognized by the Dutch government;
• the office cannot claim e.g. certain support regulations;
• the office cannot hire employees in the Netherlands; and
• the office will have a less professional exposurebecause of its restricted Dutch business identity.

Conclusion
It is advisable to register the Dutch office of the foreign company inthe Trade Register of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. We also recommend setting up a Dutch legal entity for the Dutch office, as this brings many advantages, i.e. they allow the Dutch office to operate as a full-fledged Dutch company, with all the benefits that come with it.

The corporate lawyers at Heron Legal are happy to assist foreign entrepreneurs. We can introduce you to the relevant contacts and help you set up the Dutch company as efficiently as possible.