DAFT Visa Application

Written By Julia
What is the DAFT Visa? Start here if you want to know more about the DAFT Visa.

When to Start the Process?

This is a loaded question for us. We both knew we wanted to live abroad someday. So, living abroad was a topic of discussion from day one. My partner lived in the Netherlands twice before and knew at some point in life he wanted to return. The moment I stepped foot in Barcelona, Spain I fell in love with Europe. My international business class went on a two week tour of Europe starting in Barcelona, Spain then touring around Italian cities, vineyards and olive farms. We visited various companies and family businesses that had a global reach. It opened my eyes to living in Europe and owning a business. I have romanticized life in Europe ever since. (sorry fam, love ya near and far) The DAFT Visa was the perfect opportunity to create the life both of us dreamed of.

So when do you actually need to start the process? 

First, take a moment and ask yourself a few questions. 

  1. Have you visited the country you are wanting to move to (in this case, The Netherlands)? If not, I would highly recommend spending at least a month traveling around to get a feel of the culture.

  2. Does this move reflect you and your lifestyle?

  3. Are you or your partner willing to start a business? and/or take your career abroad?

  4. Do you have money put away in savings to pay for life expenses for at least six months while everything is getting set up?

  5. What is your housing situation? Where do you want to live? Furnished apartment or unfurnished?

I don’t think there will ever be “a perfect time” to make a leap abroad. But before you give away all your belongings in a mad rush, give yourself time to research, plan, and gather all the information to make the best decision for you.


Our timeline and everything we needed for a move abroad. Bonus PET Documents we moved with our cat 🐈‍⬛

Documents 

Documents, DOCUMENTS, and more documents. The last thing you want is to arrive in the Netherlands only to discover that your paperwork is incomplete or lacking the necessary stamps or apostilles (fancy words make documents more official). This will slow down your application process and put a pause on your ability to work. Let's review the documents you may need to make your move overseas a success.

Couples

  • Valid Passport

  • Social Security Card

  • Birth Certificate (need apostille)

  • Certificate of Non-marriage status (need apostille)

Pet Documents: You can follow this link to read more on the Dutch Government website 

  • Necessary Vaccinations (must be vaccinated at least 21 days before departure)

This was all the paperwork we needed to bring from the U.S. Your situation may differ and I recommend consulting with an immigration Lawyer that specializes in the DAFT Visa application process.

Timeline

Our move overseas was quick and a bit unexpected, but, as they say: when you know, you know. We decided to make the move at the end of December 2022 and in February 2023 we touched down in our new home, the Netherlands. Moving is a process and there are so many extra decisions like, do I sell all my stuff?, rent out storage?, or pray that your parents will let you  jam all your clothes in your old bedroom closet (thanks mom and dad)! Planning your move will allow you to make better decisions on what to take with you, keep, or donate. What to pack when moving to the Netherlands.

This timeline is our DAFT Visa application process from start to finish. I hope it will give you a better idea of what to plan for. 

Before you leave the U.S.A:

7 Jan. Invoice paid to lawyers €1.500,00

7 Jan. DAFT Kickstart Meeting - link up with our Lawyer in the Netherlands who helped us organize documentation and apply for the Visa.

10 Jan. Begin DAFT Application 

  • Application for the purpose of residence of ‘family members and relatives’ (sponsor)

  • Application for the purpose of residence ‘to work on a self-employed basis’ (if foreign national)

  • Appendix Antecedents Certificate (each individual should have one of these to fill out)

11 Jan. Book flight to Netherlands 

  • Keep in mind that if you are traveling with a pet you will need to schedule an appointment with a qualified vet to arrange their check up, receive their certificate of health, and receive a seal of approval from the USDA. You then have 14 days to enter the Netherlands with your pet.

25 Jan. DAFT Application submitted ***

25 Jan. Set up accountant in Netherlands for business + personal ← mine does both

26-27 Jan.: Collect necessary documents + Apostles 

  • Marriage certificate/Never been married search (in each state you have lived)- Needs Apostille

  • Birth Certificate- Needs Apostille

  • Social Security Card

  • Passport 

  • We were short on time and thankfully lived within driving distance of the three capital cities we needed to get our documents and make them official. 

  • If you know you are moving internationally in advance, some states allow you to request the documents via mail (this is a great option if you have time). We went on a midwest road trip to collect our documents but it was the perfect time to see family before we left.

1 Feb. Pet Documents / Vet Appointment 🐈‍⬛

  • Alright, time to get out the gantt chart. Pet’s are tricky to move with but not impossible. We had to make sure to get our kitty a good “certificate of health” from the vet along with a seal of approval from the USDA. It will take about three days for the documents to arrive by mail. The document is valid for ten days so you must be flying into the Netherlands within this window. 

3 Feb. Receive pet letter, arrange human documents, pack and sell everything

  • Moving out felt like pure chaos and we couldn't have done it without the help of our family. My advice on moving internationally and what to pack

8 Feb. Departure Day

  • Load everything up and head to departures

  • Pets at the airport

    • You do have to take your pet out of the carrier for airport customs. So have an idea of what this may look like for your pet. Also check to see if you need to reserve an inspection room at the airport. 

8 Feb. Layover at JFK 

  • Our cat has been to New York 🗽

    • We booked through JFK specifically to reduce the long leg of the plane ride for our cat. That allowed us time at JFK to give her a break. We planned to let her out and let her chill, but she was so spooked we just expanded her travel carrier and gave her some water. ← link to travel carrier

Arrival in the Netherlands

9 Feb. Arrive in the Netherlands

  • Customs with a cat/ You must declare your pet upon arrival. Tell customs agents you want to declare your pet and have their documents ready to show (we didn’t have to get our cat out of the carrier at customs, but I'm sure it varies by situation).

9-12 Feb. Hang out at friends house until move in day

10 Feb. Recover from jet lag. Processing the last 72 hours

11 Feb. Order furniture/house essentials - Ikea

12 Feb. Stay up until three AM to watch the Kansas City Chiefs Win Super Bowl VII ❤️

13 Feb. Move in to apartment- I have a whole other post about moving into a Dutch apartment

15 Feb. IND Mail confirmation of DAFT application

  • As soon as you receive this letter you may schedule your appointment with the IND, 

    • At the appointment you will pay the required fee, receive your endorsement sticker and take your biometrics. (I would recommend booking your appointment for your biometrics and receiving the endorsement sticker at the same time). 

    • The endorsement sticker allows you to stay in the Netherlands for ___ days. You can begin working for yourself as a zzp'er. During this time we finished setting up the business and completed the DAFT application.

  • Before your IND appointment, pay the fee €350 (as of 2023)

  • Spouse fee €210 (as of 2023)

15 Feb. - 28 Feb. Once you’ve booked your IND appointment, schedule an appointment with your Gemeente. Your appointment with the Gemeente can be as soon as the day after your IND appointment but they fill up quickly so book as soon as you can.

28 Feb. Receive IND endorsement sticker and take biometrics

1 Mar. Register at local Gemeente

  • When you register at the Gemeente you will receive your BSN number by mail. Receiving your BSN can take anywhere between one day or one to four weeks. Once your BSN number arrives, apply online for a Digid account. This takes about three days to process.

  • Once you have access to your Digid, make an appointment with the KVK through their online portal. You can register at any KVK office as some are busier than others.

  • Questions from KVK registration:

    • Business Plan (not necessary but always good to have), Business name 

21 Mar. KVK appointment day

  • Documents to bring with you: Passport, residence sticker, BSN number

  • Ask for an extract from the commercial register to accompany your DAFT application.

21 Mar. Open a business bank account and deposit €4.500 into the account. You may have to wait one to three days for the confirmation of your account depending on the bank you choose to deposit the money.

30 Mar. Upload Business Registration Documents to Digid account. This will link to your DAFT Application. Now, you wait. The decision letter for the DAFT Visa could take between two weeks and six months. 

25 Apr. Submit additional documents as needed. You will receive communication from the government if it is required to submit additional documents

  • Appendix Questionnaire for residence with partner

  • In light of current events we needed to include the form: Bijlage Verklaring vanwege Euro pese sancties tegen Rusland en Belarus with our application.

1 May. Receive DAFT application approval 

5 May. Schedule appointment with IND to pick up Residence Card

12 May. Receive Residence Card 🥲 🇳🇱

Julia

Editor

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