The DAFT Timeline: The Order of Operations That Prevents Delays

DAFT is DIY-friendly. The friction is not the treaty. The friction is the real-world sequence: forms, deadlines, payment letters, municipal appointments, and business registration windows. When those are out of order, even smart people start second-guessing themselves.

This article is a timeline map you can actually use. It is practical, desk-specific, and designed to keep you calm. You will not see fluff here. You will see the order that prevents delays.

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.

Two timelines you must separate

If DAFT feels complicated, it is usually because two different timelines are tangled together. Untangling them is the fastest way to regain control.

Timeline 1 is the IND lane. This is the legal lane. It includes the correct form, the evidence list, the submission method, the fee process, the biometrics step, and the decision period. You follow what the IND says, in the order the IND says it.

Timeline 2 is the Netherlands admin lane. This is the practical lane. It includes municipal registration, BSN, DigiD, and business registration logistics. These steps are not “immigration,” but they directly affect how fast and how smoothly you can operate.

A clean timeline does not mean doing everything immediately. It means doing the right things early enough that they are not rushed, and not forcing steps that depend on prerequisites you do not have yet. The process becomes calm when each step unlocks the next.

Choose your path and stop mixing instructions

Your first decision is not “How do I fill the form?” Your first decision is “Which process am I following?” The IND’s self-employed permit page describes two operational tracks. One track is applying from abroad through a Dutch embassy or consulate. The other is submitting a written application by post from inside the Netherlands.

People delay themselves by reading both tracks at the same time. They pick up deadlines from one track and apply them to the other. That creates avoidable stress and avoidable mistakes. Pick your path first, then read only the steps for that path.

Here is the most practical way to choose. Open the IND page, scroll to “Application forms,” and download the form that matches where you are applying from. The form is not just paperwork. It is your evidence list. Treat it like your checklist. If your folder structure mirrors the form, you will rarely feel lost.

Path A: arrive first, apply from inside the Netherlands

If you are applying from inside the Netherlands, treat your arrival date like “day zero.” The IND describes submitting the written application by post within 3 months after you have travelled to the Netherlands. That is your outer boundary. Your goal is not to use the full three months. Your goal is to submit a clean file comfortably inside it.

Before you travel: build the submission pack while you are calm

This is where most “DAFT chaos” begins. People arrive first, then start gathering documents in a panic. Do not do that. Build your submission pack in advance, in the exact order the form lists the enclosures. If you do not know what a requirement means, you look it up, you add a note, and you keep moving.

The IND is also explicit about document discipline. It tells you to collect all documents before you apply, and it notes that official foreign documents may need to be legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French, or German. Those requirements do not exist to make your life hard. They exist because the IND needs documents it can rely on. Build the time for that into your plan.

First week reality: address, municipality, and momentum

Many people think the biggest risk is the form. In practice, the biggest risk is an unplanned first month. Housing, address stability, and municipal registration affect everything downstream. If you will be living in the Netherlands for more than 4 months, Government.nl says you must register with the municipality where you will live, and you must do this within 5 days of arriving. When you register, the municipality arranges your BSN and your BRP registration.

This is where “desk reality” matters. Municipalities often run on appointments. So treat your municipal registration like an actual milestone. Book it as early as your city allows and keep your required documents ready. The municipality will tell you what it needs for your specific case.

Submission discipline: completeness beats speed

When you are inside the Netherlands, there is a temptation to “just send something” so you feel like you are moving. Resist that. A partial file does not make you faster. It makes you unpredictable. A complete, coherent file makes your timeline boring. Boring is good.

Path B: apply from abroad through an embassy or consulate

If you apply from abroad, DAFT becomes a deadline-driven logistics exercise. Your timeline revolves around one operational detail: the embassy or consulate writes an application date on your form, and multiple deadlines flow from that date.

The appointment is a registration step, not the finish line

At the appointment, the IND describes bringing your completed form, a passport photo, and a valid passport. A staff member registers your application and fills in the application date on the form. You receive confirmation of receipt and your personal V-number. The embassy or consulate also takes biometric data for the residence permit.

This is why you want your evidence pack mostly complete before the appointment. If you walk into this appointment with a half-built pack, you are setting yourself up for a rushed three-week window after the appointment.

The three-week window is real: sending and paying

After the appointment, the IND describes sending your application and documents to the IND in the Netherlands within 3 weeks of the date written on the form. The IND also ties payment to that same three-week window. The 9531 form reinforces both the sending and payment deadlines and emphasizes that your application is only assessed once the full fee is received.

If you remember one administrative detail from this section, remember the V-number. It is used as the reference for fee payment. If you pay incorrectly, you can create a delay that has nothing to do with eligibility.

If your route involves an MVV: timing and passport validity

If your approval letter says you can apply for an MVV sticker, the IND describes making the appointment at the Dutch representation within 3 months after the IND decision. The IND also notes your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months when the sticker is placed, and the MVV is valid for 90 days. Those rules shape travel timing. Treat them like calendar items, not “details.”

After you submit: what happens next

Most DAFT anxiety happens after submission. People expect constant updates. The IND does not work like that. The IND is clear that assessment can take a long time and you often do not hear anything for stretches.

The IND describes a specific sequence. First, the IND registers your application. It notes that written applications can take up to 2 weeks to register. Then you receive a confirmation of receipt letter, and that letter states the decision-making period. The IND also explains that you may see the decision-making period in My IND under “Status of application,” and that you log in with DigiD.

Next comes payment. If you used the written application form and sent it by post, the IND explains that you receive a separate letter to pay the application fees and you must pay within 2 weeks. The IND then starts assessing your application from the time you have paid. This means “I mailed my application” and “my application is being assessed” can be two different moments.

Biometrics timing also matters. The IND explains that if you do not need an MVV, you are already in the Netherlands, and you have received the confirmation of receipt, you may then make an appointment at an IND desk to have biometric data taken. In plain English, you do not randomly schedule biometrics. You schedule it when the process says you can.

BRP and BSN: the municipal milestone

If you want to understand why timelines slip, look at municipal registration. It is not glamorous, but it is foundational. Government.nl says that if you are going to stay in the Netherlands for more than 4 months, you need to register with the municipality where you will live, and you must do this within 5 days of arriving. When you register, the municipality arranges your BSN and your BRP registration.

Treat this as a real project milestone. Book the appointment early, and ask your municipality what documents they require for your situation. In many cases, municipalities may request official documents. If you wait until you are already overwhelmed, this step becomes the bottleneck for everything else.

DigiD: apply at the right moment

DigiD is a practical accelerator, but only if you apply at the right moment. DigiD’s official guidance explains what you need: a citizen service number (BSN), a registration address with a Dutch municipality, and a mobile phone. It also notes you receive a letter with an activation code by post at the address where you are registered with your municipality, typically within 3 business days.

This is why “stable address first” is not just lifestyle advice. It is operational. If you apply while your address is changing or you are not fully registered yet, you create friction for no reason. Sequence it cleanly: municipality registration, then DigiD, then use DigiD to reduce admin drag.

DigiD also connects back to your IND lane. The IND explains that you can follow your application in My IND and you log in with DigiD. So DigiD is not just “nice.” It is useful while you are waiting and responding.

KvK: schedule it like a deadline

KvK is where your business becomes official in the Dutch system. The key is not overthinking it. The key is scheduling it and aligning it with your intended start date.

KvK’s guidance explains you can schedule an appointment up to 8 weeks in advance. It also explains you may visit earlier to check your pre-completed details and proof of identity, up to a maximum of 3 months before your start date. That is a planning window. Use it.

There is also a treaty-specific timing note on the IND self-employed permit page: for a first-time application based on a treaty when you do not yet have a residence permit, the IND says you must register with the Chamber of Commerce within 6 months after you received your residence permit, and if you do not, the IND may revoke your permit. That is a consequence-based deadline. Treat it as such.

Write your timeline in one page

Here is the part most people skip. They “do tasks,” but they never write a timeline. That is why everything feels reactive. You do not need a fancy system. You need one page with anchor dates and a short list of what each anchor unlocks.

Start by choosing your path, then write down the one date that starts your clock. If you apply from inside the Netherlands, your clock starts when you travel to the Netherlands. If you apply from abroad, your clock starts on the application date written by the embassy or consulate.

Then write down the next four anchors: when you will submit, when you expect the receipt and payment letters, when you will complete municipal registration (if you are staying more than 4 months), and when you will do KvK. You are not predicting the future. You are creating structure.

Once this is written, your stress drops. Not because you have more information, but because you have a structure. Structure stops spiraling. It also makes it easier to ask better questions when you do need help.

Mistakes that quietly add months

Most delays are not dramatic. They are small mistakes that compound. Here are the ones I see repeatedly, and they are all avoidable.

Mistake 1: mixing the two tracks. Applying from abroad has a three-week send-and-pay rhythm tied to the embassy date. Applying from inside the Netherlands has a three-month submission window tied to travel, then a receipt letter, then a payment letter with a two-week payment deadline. When you mix these, you create fake urgency in some places and miss real urgency in others.

Mistake 2: ignoring the mail-based milestones. The IND’s written-process steps include letters. Those letters matter. If you do not track them, you miss payment windows, you delay assessment, and you start blaming the system for a timeline slip that was preventable.

Mistake 3: delaying municipal registration. If you are staying more than 4 months, Government.nl is direct: register within 5 days. When you delay it, you delay BSN. When you delay BSN, you delay DigiD. Then everything online feels harder than it needs to be.

Mistake 4: treating KvK as “later.” KvK is appointment-driven. If you do not book inside the available windows, you are not planning. You are waiting and hoping availability aligns with your life.

Mistake 5: poor document control. You do not need more documents. You need a coherent pack that matches the form’s evidence list. Sloppy filenames, multiple versions of the same document, and missing confirmations are how DIY timelines get messy fast.

Resources and next steps

If you want DAFT to feel easier, you need a plan built from official steps and real appointment realities. That is what we built our DAFT hub for.

Sources and official links

Requirements and timelines can change. Verify against official sources before you submit.

• IND: Residence permit self-employed person (steps, timing, fees, and treaty notes)
• IND: Applied for a residence permit (receipt letter, payment letter, biometrics timing, My IND)
• IND form 7524 (apply in the Netherlands): to work on a self-employed basis (PDF)
• IND form 9531 (apply from abroad): admission and residence as a self-employed person (PDF)
• Government.nl: What to arrange when moving (register within 5 days, BSN/BRP)
• Government.nl: When to register in the BRP (longer than 4 months)
• DigiD: Apply for a DigiD (requirements and activation code by post)
• KvK: Registering a Dutch eenmanszaak and making an appointment (timing windows)
• Netherlands Worldwide: Applying for an MVV visa sticker (choose your country)