How to start a mobile beauty business in the Netherlands: the expat guide

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.

Step 1: check your right to work

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.

Step 2: register with the KvK

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.

Step 3: decide about the KOR (small business VAT scheme)

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.

Step 4: arrange insurance

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.

Step 5: open a business bank account

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.

Step 6: set your prices and travel area

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 call-out fee (voorrijkosten) outside your core zone. Dutch clients are completely used to this.

Step 7: get bookings without speaking Dutch

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.

What you need from day one:

• A booking page clients can use in their language (your clientele might book in English, Dutch, German, Polish, or Russian).
• 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.

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

The short checklist

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 five languages. That gap is yours.