The documents you need depend on the type of entity and the ownership structure, and they are confirmed individually for each case. There is no single fixed checklist that applies to every company. In practice, the requirements fall into the groups below.
Documents About the People
- a valid passport or ID for each shareholder, director and ultimate beneficial owner (UBO);
- proof of residential address for each of them.
Documents About the Structure
- a structure chart showing who owns the company, up to the individuals who ultimately own it;
- where a shareholder is a company: an extract from its registry, its articles and details of its own owners.
Documents About the Business
- a short description of the planned activities and expected counterparties;
- information on the source of the funds, and the source of wealth where relevant.
Documents Prepared by the Notary
A Dutch BV is incorporated by a civil-law notary. The notary prepares the notarial deed of incorporation, which contains the articles of association. The company also needs a business address in the Netherlands, which can be provided through domiciliation, and its directors’ details. The notary arranges registration in the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) Business Register and the UBO register.
Why a Trust Office Asks for More
A DNB-licensed trust office must carry out due diligence on every client, so it will ask for more documents than the notary alone. Read how this fits in the process in How long does incorporation take?
Questions about this topic? Talk to Rolf Wemmi, Director of Corporate Clients at Local Management, via rolf@localmanagement.nl or +31 20 737 2217.