The government has announced that the Netherlands investor visa will be closed to new applicants from 1 October.
Since 2013, exactly ten investors have received the right to a residence permit thanks to the program.
Secretary of State Erik van der Burg cited two main reasons for the decision: the limited economic impact of the program and EU hostility towards the golden visa sector.
He also noted that the program showed “no evidence of criminal abuse” and said that the cancellation of the scheme was not due to insufficient capacity to vet candidates by the authorities.
In order to obtain a Dutch residence permit, applicants had to meet two conditions:
- Invest €1.25 million in a local startup or venture capital fund. Moreover, do this BEFORE applying for a residence permit. These investments must be placed in a bank account in the Netherlands or another EU bank with a branch in the Netherlands.
- After receiving approval, you had to buy or rent real estate for 8 months (after receiving a visa). There were no requirements for the value of real estate.