Below you will find a schematic overview from May 2025 of the most common legal forms in the Netherlands, indicating for each form how many owners or shareholders it has, whether a notary is required for its establishment, what the minimum capital requirement is, who the legal representative is, whether there is personal liability and, finally, whether the legal form must be registered in the trade register of the Chamber of Commerce.
If you have any questions about this, please contact our lawyer, Mr Ivo van Rooij.
| Company type The Netherlands May 2025 | Minimum owners/ shareholders | Notary required? | Minimum capital | Legal Representation | Personal liability? | Chamber of Commerce registration required? |
| Eenmanszaak / Sole Proprietorship | 1 | No | None | Owner | Yes | Yes |
| Vennootschap onder firma (VOF) / General Partnership (VOF) | 2 partners | No (contract advised) | None | Partners jointly | Yes | Yes |
| Commanditaire vennootschap (CV) / Limited Partnership (CV) | 2 (1 general, 1 limited partner) | No | None | General partner | General: Yes Limited: No | Yes |
| Maatschap / Professional Partnership | 2 partners | No | None | Partners jointly | Yes | Yes |
| Besloten vennootschap (BV) / Private Limited Company (BV) | 1 shareholder | Yes | ?0.01 | Directors | No* | Yes |
| Naamloze vennootschap (NV) / Public Limited Company (NV) | 1 shareholder | Yes | ?45,000 | Directors | No* | Yes |
| Vereniging / Association | 2 members | Yes | None | Board | No* | Yes |
| Coöperatie / Cooperative | 2 members | Yes | None | Board | No* | Yes |
| Stichting / Foundation | No members (only board) | Yes | No fixed amount? | Board | No* | Yes |
| Kerkgenootschap / Religious Organization | 1 or more | No | None | Board | No* | Yes |
Notes:
* Personal liability may arise in cases of mismanagement or improper conduct.
† A foundation requires sufficient starting capital to achieve its purpose, but there is no statutory minimum. Please contact me if you have any questions about this.