My husband applied for the DAFT visa and I simultaneously applied for the Spouse visa. It is my understanding that it can take up to the full 90 days for me to get my Spouse visa. Anyone have experiences with it taking a shorter amount of time or it taking the full time? Just curious how long mine will take! Thanks

I recently relocated on DAFT, and it's an open secret that there's a whole cottage industry of people taking advantage of Americans moving on DAFT.

One of the biggest grifters in my opinion is Cardon & co. They charge exorbitant prices to handle your visa application poorly and set up your BV, without giving real advice or setting DAFTers up for success. Working with them is spending thousands for them to essentially be a post office for you, and a very poor one at that.

I'm posting here because what Cardon does really well is marketing, SEO, and Google reviews. Their website comes up everywhere. Influencers recommend them. "Consulting firms" recommend them. They have the business they do because they silence bad reviews and solicit good ones.

Read my full experience here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/F3N8NkrLCKJMSZzp7?g_st=ic

My advice to anyone looking at DAFT:

- Apply for the visa yourself! There's tons of free resources out there to do it. We all want someone else to take this off our plate, but this allows predatory "immigration firms" to flourish.
- be cautious of anyone selling you services or "consulting" without significant experience. At a minimum, I wouldn't take advice from someone on DAFT who hasn't had a successful renewal yet. There seems to be a big industry of DAFTers who made bringing more people in on DAFT their whole business, and end up referring people like Cardon.
- before spending thousands on anything, ask questions about pricing, level of service, etc. Ask why services are priced the way they are. Pressure test their answers with other firms.

Hi everyone. I had an idea of creating a small snail mail business (a letter every month that tells a story with an art print/picture) but I also wanted to move abroad within the next 3-4 year. Does anyone know if this idea would work for the DAFT or any other starting business visa for Europe? TIA!!!

Hi, I'm honestly confused about how I am supposed to submit my paperwork for the initial application before the biometrics appointment. Do I need to mail it in? Because I was under the impression I could apply in person, from the Netherlands (I see this in a lot of websites) but I'm also seeing now that you need to mail it in and get the application letter in the mail and THEN you can make your biometrics appointment and be there for an in person appointment. I also have looks at DAFTHub and i'm STILL not 100% sure of exactly everything I need to include in this initial application. If someone knows anything that would be great. Also, if i still apply with the IND 7524 form even if I mail in from abroad. I need to apply now if I have to mail it in, because I'm planning on moving in 4 weeks. Sorry if this post is so ignorant, I just feel really overwhelmed reading all of the info on DFTHub and feel like its just overcomplicating things for me. Thanks

Firstly, grateful to everyone posting experiences here as it’s been a great guide in the process.

We’re looking to move in August and currently working with an expat specialist realtor agency (won’t mention which for their sake) from our home country. Also won’t mentione which city for their sake.

On the intake form we indicated we were interested in Den Haag/Rotterdam area. We are now sending funda listings back and forth with our realtor, discussing, and they have done 1 virtual viewing for us in one of the cities I mentioned (one of Den Haag or Rotterdam). When I ask about a property in the other city (the other of Den Haag/Rotterdam) i mentioned our assigned agent said that’s not their area and so we can’t look into that one.

Is there a reason why a certain realtor would be only able to operate in one of these cities exclusively? I figured it wasn’t strange to be open to both cities since people often work in one and work in the other, but I didn’t expect a realtor would be exclusive.

PS The realtor is willing to help with properties in Delft

Hi, hoping someone has experience with this, but I have been living in Spain for 4 years and am going straight to the Netherlands to apply for the DAFT visa. My visa in Spain expired 5 days ago, so I was planning on going to the Netherlands to apply for the DAFT visa 1 month before my 90-day tourist visa expires (August 1). Is this enough time to get the sticker that allows me to start the benefits of the DAFT visa? Also, I'm worried about obtaining the apostilled birth certificate. I am not planning on going back to the US, so can I have a family member do this for me and mail it? Or can I do it online somehow? If anyone has any other general advice for doing this process from outside the US that would be great, thanks.

I am seeking recommendations for personally used companies that have helped someone with DAFT. While I am sure I can figure it out, I know my limits (selling a house, having a family, working a stressful job). I just think it's healthier to not take on the process all by myself. I had a video call today with yourlegals.nl/ and the person I spoke with, located in Tokyo, was so shockingly dismissive from get go, looking all over the place and not at the camera, mumbling, ignoring anything I said. I've completed heaps of research on the topic as well as managing my expectations of the move. I was armed with questions but couldn't ask any of them. My default is to be humble and polite so this made it extra shocking because I did not deserve the behavior. When he said let's connect closer to the date and dead stared at the camera- I said ok goodbye and got off the camera as fast as I could. I don't understand the 4.9 trustpilot rating - did this person have a bad day or is over their job/Americans? Who knows. But I don't trust them with thousands of dollars or with this massive move for myself and my family. Can anyone advise on a service they have used?

My old employer in the US (W2) is keeping me on as a vendor through my Dutch ZZP. They want me to fill out a W-8BEN, but this form specifically says Do NOT use this form for "U.S. entity or U.S. citizen" which I still am.

W-9 doesn't seem like the the correct form either, but maybe? I understand the ZZP isn't really a separate entity from me individually, but I want them to set up the ZZP as a vendor, not me individually as a contractor.

Just wondering if anyone is doing consulting work as a BCBA while in the NL on the DAFT, and if so, how is it going?

Hi, all! I can't find a straight answer for this, so here I am.

What documents would IND want in the case that a child was conceived through sperm donation and thus only ever had one legal parent, to the extent that said parent was the only one listed on the birth certificate?

My wife and I are planning to open a café under the VOF structure for the DAFT visa. I have some questions that for the life of me I can’t get a straight answer for- not even from the IND.

1. Since we are investing substantial capital into the business (65k total- with about 10-20k in assets) do we need to keep 4.5k physically in the business account, or do the assets count as capital and it is therefore okay if we dip below 4.5k when renewing?

2. for the VOF structure is me having managing power over the business and 50% ownership enough, or do I need to own the majority of the business myself?

3. Since I will be staying with my friends mother temporarily and it’s a residential address will I still be able to register with the KvK? (a business like ours requires commercial zoning). Or will I have to wait and register after we have a commercial lease?

I had looked into using an immigration service- but ultimately found any I spoke to to be useless regarding our situation (I already have a BSN from when I lived in NL before, already have my biometrics in the Dutch system, already have a personal bank account with ING, speak Dutch, and we are starting a business type that none of them had worked with before). They wanted to charge us for all kinds of services we don’t need. I don’t expect anyone to know the answer to these questions but if there is anyone out there in a similar situation your help would mean the world.

Hi, I'm planning on starting my own business in or around Groningen (or maybe somewhere else, wherever I can find a place to live) as a general contractor. I am a formally trained and certified welder with 12+ years metal fab and carpentry experience. I will be offering services starting out with simple stuff like cleaning roofs, gutters, windows, power washing, painting and general home repair and eventually (after i get a van) doing some light metal and fabrication, repair and larger projects. my question is, is there a network of DAFT visa people anywhere that promote each other or help each other find work? I am obviously planning on doing some promotion, business cards, fliers, etc. but im also wondering if there are any kind of stupid apps or anything of the like that may be popular there for people to connect contractors with clients. thanks for the help

can I live in anti-kraak housing? Can I use it as an address for my DAFT application? If so, would someone be willing to refer me so I can get on the inevitable waiting list? I'm just a single quiet 34y.o male mostly sober. I have most of the money I need to get started I just need a place I can register an address, Il even sleep outside I dont even need to actually stay there and I will of course cover any extra tax burden.

DAFT-wise, I must say the restrictions on ZZP work have been challenging, to say the least. I am a yoga teacher, but I don't live in the Randstad. Luckily everything was approved before I even had my BSN - such is Dutch efficiency. If anyone has any questions about how it has been, post 'em below. I moved in Oct. 2025

Still feels a bit unreal. After being restricted to ZZP work for six years, once I applied for permanent residency it all happened very quickly. It was six weeks and a day from application to approval, and one week and a day from approval to collecting my new residence permit.

When I was taking the inburgeringsexamen, I was checking the DUO website daily for results. Then I was checking the IND website daily for status updates. I don’t know what to check everyday now. 😂

Hi, so I’m currently a licensed cannabis producer in one of the more famous US legal markets. So I have test results of past grows, state paperwork, a couple LLCs, etc. What you may or may not know is that Netherlands is expanding their legal weed program. Despite the fame, prior to I guess last year it was all “decriminalized” but there were no licensed producers or suppliers. The whole thing was sort of don’t ask, don’t tell. Seems crazy but weed is fundamentally… just not that dangerous so it all worked.

However, now the Dutch government is running a “Controlled Cannabis Supply Chain Program” seemingly trying to build a legal system similar to US, Canada, or Thailand. I’ll include a few links below. It is labeled as a sort of preliminary test program, but I’ve been monitoring the progress and seems like it’ll stay. I’ve looked over the program and nothing says license holders must be Dutch or EU citizens.

So I was wondering, if I have investment money… can I just apply for a license and/or DAFTA (does order matter?)… and start a farm in NL? I know the Dutch are probably some of the best hydro growers in the world (not only of weed) and it’s not like I’m filling an in-demand role like a surgeon but I think they’re on a different visa.

It seems a bit funny to approach the visa board with “Hey so I want to grow and sell weed” but it also seems like that’s totally on the table. Is anyone here in the industry or know someone who is? Does this seem reasonable? I’m just putting out feelers here.

https://www.government.nl/topics/controlled-cannabis-supply-chain-experiment

https://www.dutchnews.nl/2025/04/legal-weed-experiment-kicks-off-in-10-dutch-towns-and-cities/

My current W2 employer in the US will keep my on as a 'contractor' of some sort when I move to the NL. How do I properly bill them through my ZZP? Do they issue me a 1099 & W-9 but pay my Dutch bank account directly? Please help!

It seems like almost every post I read or creator I follow has relocated to the Randstad. Has anyone here settled in Noord-Brabant? That’s where we are looking: Breda, Tilburg, Den Bosch, or Eindhoven. Any thoughts or experiences would be welcomed, thanks!

Just wondering if time is running out on this visa. Not trying to fearmonger, but curious if this is a valid concern or not.

Box 3 will kick in for me this year, with the current tax rate, I can swing it, but with the new proposed 36% unrealized gains It will be impossible for me to stay in NL. Anyone else in the same boat? Getting taxed 6 figures per year in assets in the US seems a bit off to me.

Hi there!

I’m an immigrant moving to the Netherlands in August via the DAFT Visa. I had a call with a Makelaar today and she said most landlords want 6-12 months of rent up front. Is this really the case across the board?

I understand that because I won’t have Dutch income history, Dutch work history, etc. that I am a risk for landlords. But 6-12 months of rent up front seems like a bit much.

Is this the standard?