Short answer: a Dutch BV registration needs accurate address information for the Business Register. A non-resident founder should not treat a Dutch address as a formality: decide what will be shown as the company visiting address, whether a separate postal address is needed, and which documents prove the company may use them.
Start with the addresses KVK records
The Dutch government’s business portal says that the KVK Business Register records, among other company information, a visiting address and a postal address, and that this information is public. That makes address selection an operations and privacy decision as well as a registration step.
Business.gov.nl’s KVK registration guidance was checked on 31 July 2026; its page states it was checked on 21 November 2025. Use the current page and the registration form rather than relying on a provider’s generic “registered office” label.
What must a non-resident founder prepare?
First, map the addresses by function: the place where the business is located or visited, the correspondence address if it differs, and the director’s personal residential address. These are not interchangeable fields. KVK’s Form 3 guidance for a BV or NV says that proof of a foreign residential address can be an original municipal population-register extract, a certified copy, or a certified document from an official authority or bank stating the address.
If the business uses an address that is not the founder’s home address, retain the right-to-use evidence before registration. KVK explains that proof can include a signed rental, purchase, service, lease or usage agreement; a Kadaster certificate; or, where a visiting address is someone’s home, signed consent from the owner or occupant.
How should you assess an address provider?
Ask what address type is being supplied, whether it can be recorded as the actual visiting address for the planned activity, who signs the usage evidence, how mail is handled, and what happens if KVK asks questions. Do not assume a mailbox, accountant’s office or virtual-office offer is acceptable for every fact pattern. Obtain the documents first and have the Dutch notary or registration adviser confirm the proposed filing.
Practical sequence
- Choose the BV’s operating and correspondence model.
- Collect the founder’s foreign-residential-address evidence and identity documents.
- Obtain signed evidence for any business visiting or postal address that differs from the home address.
- Complete the BV/notarial incorporation and KVK registration using consistent addresses.
- Keep address evidence available for later changes, banking and compliance review.
Common errors
The recurring error is confusing public company-address information with a director’s private residence, or assuming a foreign home address removes the need to document the company’s Dutch address. Another is signing an address agreement after filing. Address details should match the filing and supporting documents from the outset.
FAQ
Can a non-resident director use a foreign home address?
KVK Form 3 describes acceptable evidence for a foreign residential address. The correct filing treatment depends on the person’s role and the BV’s registration facts.
Is a visiting address public?
Business.gov.nl states that visiting and postal addresses are among the public Business Register information.
Is a postal address the same as a visiting address?
No. The government guidance lists them as separate Business Register fields. Keep their purpose and supporting evidence clear.
This is general operational information, not Dutch legal advice. Verify the current KVK requirements and obtain advice for the intended address structure before incorporation.
