The €4,500 DAFT Capital Requirement: How to Make It Boring (and Keep It That Way)

This part of DAFT should take 30 minutes. People make it take three weeks because they treat the deposit like a casual transfer instead of a proof trail.

If you build a clean capital packet once, you stop thinking about it. You can keep it on file, hand it to your bookkeeper, and submit it quickly if the IND asks. That is the standard you want.

Scope note: Educational information only. Expat Advisory provides planning, education, and coordination. We do not provide legal services, file applications on your behalf, file taxes, or execute investment transactions. Requirements and processes can change. Always verify with the IND and the current application form before submitting.

What the €4,500 requirement is (and what it is not)

A lot of stress comes from misunderstanding what this money represents. Here is the clean framing.

It is capital invested into your business. Think “business buffer capital,” not “paperwork fee.” You are capitalizing your enterprise and proving that the capital is there.

It is not revenue. You are not proving sales. You are not proving profitability. You are not proving net worth. You are proving that capital has been invested. In bookkeeping, this is typically treated as an owner contribution or equity movement. Confirm details with your bookkeeper or accountant, but do not label it like income.

It is not a “flash deposit.” The IND explicitly references checking at extension time whether the invested capital remained in the business. A deposit that lands and immediately leaves is exactly the kind of statement trail that creates questions later.

What the IND actually says about “substantial capital”

Start with the IND. Everything else is commentary.

On the IND’s residence permit page for self-employed persons, the treaty route (DAFT for U.S. nationals, trade treaty for Japanese nationals) includes “investing substantial capital” as one of the qualifying situations. The IND states the amount depends on the form of your business, and that for most forms the IND requires a minimum investment of €4,500. The IND also links to the underlying rules on substantial capital investment (Dutch law).

Most delays in this area are preventable. People create them by making the capital story complicated: multiple transfers, unclear references, capital routed through a personal account, or statements that do not clearly show the enterprise name.

The IND April 2024 processing note and how to think about timing

Timing is the part everyone argues about online. The disciplined approach is simpler: prepare so timing does not matter.

The IND includes a processing note “per April 2024” on the self-employed permit page. For first-time treaty applicants who do not yet have a residence permit in the Netherlands, the IND states you must register with the Chamber of Commerce within six months after you received your residence permit, and that the IND may revoke the permit if you do not. The IND also states that if you are changing your residence purpose and invoking a treaty, you must submit as much of the requested evidence as possible right away with your application.

Here is the point most people miss: timing can shift, but proof does not disappear. You still need a clean capital position. You still need an opening balance that matches your story. You still want your packet ready if you are asked sooner than you expected.

What the IND form expects your proof to look like

If you want a clean DAFT file, treat the IND application form like the examiner’s checklist. The form is not where you improvise.

In the IND written application form (7524), the DAFT section makes two expectations explicit. First, the financial supporting documents must have been checked by an authorized independent external expert (examples are provided). Second, the business bank statement must show the company name and the capital invested.

The form also ties supporting documents to your business structure. A sole trader packet is not the same as a BV packet. Decide your structure, then build the packet that matches it. When people mix and match, the IND has to ask clarifying questions. That is where delays start.

The capital packet: build it once, keep it ready

Your goal is a small folder on your computer called “DAFT Capital Packet.” When it is complete, you should be able to export it in minutes. No hunting. No screenshots. No last-minute math.

1) Start with the destination the form describes

The form points to a business bank statement that shows the company name and invested capital. That is the target. If you route the money through personal accounts first and plan to “explain it,” you are weakening your proof and increasing the chance of follow-up questions.

2) Make the transfer boring

One clean deposit is best. If you must split it into more than one transfer for practical reasons, keep the number of transfers low and create a one-page summary that shows the total clearly. Your statement should not read like a puzzle.

Use a simple reference like “Capital injection” or “DAFT capital.” You are not trying to be clever. You are trying to make the bank statement self-explanatory.

3) Build the documents that make the story obvious

Once the deposit is done, you build the small set of documents that makes the story clear and consistent.

Real-life scenarios: name mismatch, multiple transfers, and quick fixes

These are the situations that cause unnecessary stress. None of them are fatal. They just require clarity.

Scenario 1: “My statement shows my personal name, not my trade name”

This is common with an eenmanszaak. Your “company” is legally you, and some banks display the account holder as your personal name even if the account is used as a business account.

Do not panic. Solve it with alignment. Your packet should clearly connect: your legal name, your KvK registration, and your business activity. That is what your opening balance and your one-page capital summary are for. If the statement presentation is not ideal, the summary page is the bridge that prevents confusion.

Scenario 2: “I already did multiple transfers”

Multiple transfers are not automatically a problem. They become a problem when the reviewer has to do math and guess what happened.

Fix it by writing a one-page capital summary that lists each transfer, date, and amount, then shows the total invested capital clearly. Your goal is to remove interpretation. If the statement is clean and the summary is clean, the story becomes clean.

Scenario 3: “Fees or FX meant I landed slightly under €4,500”

This happens. The solution is not a long explanation. The solution is a clean top-up deposit so the business account clearly shows at least €4,500 invested, then you update the summary page to reflect the total. Simple beats clever.

Scenario 4: “Someone told me the IND accepts any bank account”

You will find conflicting advice online. Your safest approach is to follow what the current form asks for. The DAFT section of the form describes a business bank statement showing the company name and invested capital, plus an opening balance and business-form-specific evidence. If you want your file to stand on its own, build it to the form.

Business form matters: eenmanszaak vs partnership vs BV

The IND does not ask for “one DAFT checklist.” The form ties supporting documents to your structure. If you submit evidence for the wrong structure, expect follow-up questions.

Here is a plain-language map. Use it to understand structure, then verify details in the current form before you submit.

Banking reality: timing, currency, and avoiding self-inflicted delays

Banking is where timelines get quietly wrecked. Not because banks are evil, but because applicants underestimate how long it can take to open an account, transfer funds, and export clean statements.

The practical strategy is boring: do it early enough that you can be patient. If a bank asks for additional information, respond calmly. The only reason it feels dramatic is because you waited too long.

Also, do not confuse having money with having proof. You can have €4,500 and still have weak evidence if the statement is unclear, the transfers are messy, or the documentation is scattered. Proof is an outcome you engineer.

Extensions: “capital remained in the business” and why it matters

Even if you only care about initial approval, understand the extension logic. It explains why “keep it clean” is not just a vibe. It is strategy.

The IND states that for extensions of a residence permit based on a treaty, the IND requires annual accounts and a balance sheet or income statement. The purpose is to check whether the company has been active and whether the invested capital remained in the business.

That means the best “future proofing” you can do is simple: separate business and personal activity, keep a stable buffer, and keep bookkeeping clean from day one. Extension time becomes routine when your records are routine.

Common mistakes that trigger follow-up questions

Most delays here are self-inflicted. They happen when the evidence is confusing, incomplete, or mismatched to the business structure.

Mistake 1: the statement does not clearly show the enterprise and the invested amount.
If your proof starts with “Let me explain,” your file is weaker than it needs to be.

Mistake 2: messy trails.
Multiple small deposits, unclear references, or moving the money out quickly makes your story harder to assess. Boring is better.

Mistake 3: skipping the “checked by an external expert” expectation.
The form calls for financial supporting documents checked by an authorized independent external expert. A packet that looks improvised invites questions.

Mistake 4: evidence set mismatch.
Sole trader, partnership, and BV packages are not interchangeable. Decide structure, then follow the form for that structure.

Resources and next steps

DAFT stays DIY-friendly when you treat it like a project and keep the paperwork clean. If you want help without handing over control, that is exactly why we built the DIY Companion and the DAFT resources hub.

Sources and official links

Always verify against official sources and the latest form version before you submit.

• IND: Residence permit self-employed person (DAFT requirements, €4,500 minimum note, April 2024 processing note, extension documentation)
• IND form 7524: DAFT supporting documents, bank statement requirement, external expert check (PDF)
• Wetten.overheid.nl: Rules referenced by the IND for substantial capital investment (Dutch)
• IamExpat: Summary of the IND DAFT pilot (context and practical implications)