Expat guide: start a beauty business in the Netherlands

You did nails in Kyiv, lashes in Warsaw, or hair in Lisbon - and now you live in the Netherlands and want to work for yourself again. The good news: the Netherlands is one of the easiest EU countries to start a one-person business in, and you do not need to rent a salon chair to begin. Mobile work - treating clients at their homes - is a recognised, legal, and growing way to run a beauty business here.

The less good news: almost every official resource is in Dutch. This guide walks you through the whole setup in English.

If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you can register a business without any extra permit. If you are from outside the EU, your residence permit must allow self-employment (“arbeid als zelfstandige”) - check the back of your residence card or your IND letter. Ukrainian nationals under the Temporary Protection Directive can work as self-employed in the Netherlands without a separate work permit.

You will also need a BSN (burgerservicenummer) - you already have one if you are registered at a Dutch address.

Every business in the Netherlands registers with the Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel, KvK). For a one-person beauty business you register an eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship):

1. Book an appointment at kvk.nl - the site and the appointment can be in English.
2. Bring your ID and proof of your Dutch address.
3. Pay the one-time registration fee (around €80).
4. You leave with a KvK number. The KvK automatically passes your details to the tax office (Belastingdienst), which issues your BTW-id (VAT number) by post within about two weeks.

Describe your activity as something like “mobiele schoonheidsverzorging” (mobile beauty care) - the KvK clerk will help you pick the right SBI code.

Standard Dutch VAT (BTW) on beauty services is 21%. But if your revenue stays under €20,000 per year, you can opt into the KOR (kleineondernemersregeling): you charge no VAT, file no VAT returns, and cannot reclaim VAT on purchases.

For most starting mobile pros the KOR is the simpler choice - your prices are effectively 21% more competitive and your admin shrinks to almost nothing. You apply via the Belastingdienst website; do it before your first invoice if you want it from day one. When your business grows past €20k/year, you switch to normal VAT - that is a good problem to have.

Income tax is separate from VAT: you declare your business profit in your annual income tax return either way.

Two policies matter for mobile work:

• Business liability insurance (bedrijfsaansprakelijkheidsverzekering, AVB) - covers damage you cause at a client’s home: a stained sofa, a burned countertop, an allergic reaction claim. Costs roughly €10-20/month and is the one policy you should not skip when you work in other people’s houses.
• Health insurance - mandatory in the Netherlands regardless of your work; as a self-employed person you pay the income-related contribution via your tax return.

Disability insurance (AOV) is optional and famously expensive; many starters join a broodfonds (bread fund collective) instead. Decide once you have steady income.

Not legally required for an eenmanszaak, but keep business money separate from day one - your future tax return will thank you. Dutch online banks open business accounts quickly, in English, for €5-10/month. You will need your KvK number.

An account with iDEAL access matters more than you might expect: iDEAL is how Dutch consumers pay online - including deposits for beauty appointments. Payment providers like Mollie connect to any Dutch business account.

Mobile pricing is not salon pricing minus rent. You carry travel time, fuel, and setup at every address. Two rules of thumb:

• Charge at or slightly above local salon prices - clients pay for the convenience of not leaving their house.
• Define your travel area by postcode and charge a travel fee (reiskosten) outside your core zone. Dutch clients are completely used to this.

Here is the honest part: your first clients in the Netherlands will mostly find you through Instagram, expat Facebook groups, and word of mouth - and many of them will be expats themselves. That is a feature, not a bug: the English-speaking community in Dutch cities is large, loyal, and underserved by Dutch-only salons. Just don’t let Instagram become your calendar - when the DMs start, move the actual booking to a page you control.

What you need from day one:

• A booking page clients can use in their language (your clientele might book in English, Dutch, German, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, or Spanish).
• Deposits collected automatically via iDEAL, so a no-show does not cost you a trip across town. Asking for deposits is legal and normal in the Netherlands - see our guide on asking for deposits in the Netherlands.
• A calendar that shows travel-aware availability, so you stop double-booking across addresses.
• A plan to bring first-time clients back, because regulars fill a calendar far more cheaply than new ones: see turning one-time clients into regulars.

That is exactly the stack pbw.life provides for mobile beauty professionals - see how it works for expat pros.

1. Right to work confirmed (EU citizen or permit allowing self-employment)
2. KvK registration (eenmanszaak, ~€80)
3. BTW-id received; KOR applied for if under €20k/year
4. Liability insurance active before your first home visit
5. Business bank account with iDEAL-capable payment provider
6. Prices + travel zones defined
7. Booking page with deposits live

Most people complete steps 2-7 within two weeks. The Dutch beauty market has roughly 79,000 active businesses - and almost none of them serve clients in seven languages. That gap is yours.