No Civil-Law Notary. No Notarial Deed. No UK Visit. 24-48 Hours. A Dutch BV requires a civil law notary to execute the deed of incorporation. A UK company does not. That single difference is why Netherlands based founders are adding a UK entity to their structure rather than waiting for a notary appointment that might not come for a week.
Activate Global registers your UK company formation with bank account directly at Companies House and opens a genuine GBP account with a real UK sort code, completed remotely in 24 to 48 hours. A UK nominee director service is available if you want to stay off the public Companies House register. Dutch ID cards are accepted. No BSN, no DigiD, no apostille required. The UK company handles Amazon UK, GBP invoicing, and UK client contracts. The uk company setup is consistently the quicker, cheaper side to establish.
Our specialist calls you within 2 hours.
One partner for formation, banking and compliance. Netherlands based founders do not need a notary, a formation agent and a separate bank to get one working UK setup.
Companies House registration for Netherlands-based applicants, confirmed in 24-48 hours. No civil-law notary, no notarial deed, no UK visit. Dutch passport or ID card accepted. Certificate of Incorporation delivered digitally on the same day.
Company formation details →A genuine UK sort code and GBP account number, opened for Netherlands based applicants directly by our team. Not a referral link. Bank account with multi currency balances available. If we cannot open your account, you receive a full refund.
Check banking service →A London registered address satisfying Companies House from day one, included as standard in every formation package. Statutory mail scanned digitally and forwarded directly to your Netherlands address within 24 hours of receipt.
UK business address →A UK-resident director's name appears on the Companies House register instead of yours. A signed Power of Attorney keeps full legal control with you. Popular with Dutch clients already familiar with the public visibility of the Dutch UBO register.
Nominee director details →An established UK incorporation date, ownership transferred in as little as 3 hours from payment. Used by Dutch clients who need a UK entity today for a contract, a marketplace account, or a lender asking for company trading history.
Check company details →The entity structure Amazon UK requires for professional seller registration, with VAT and EORI included. Built for Dutch sellers already active on Amazon's EU marketplaces who want to reach UK buyers directly in GBP.
Check company details →Register a legal entity in an EU member state, fully remote and compliant for non-EU-resident directors. Covers six EU jurisdictions. Available alongside a UK company for Netherlands-based founders who need both GBP and EUR corporate infrastructure.
View company details →A compliant registered address in your chosen EU jurisdiction, Ireland through Bulgaria, with digital mail handling and national registry update included. Required by law in every EU member state from day one of incorporation.
Marketplace formation →Company formation, registered addresses, banking, and compliance across multiple jurisdictions managed by one partner. Netherlands-based businesses building in both directions, UK and EU or beyond, without managing two separate providers.
Expansion support →UK-Netherlands trade reached £119.3 billion in the year to Q4 2025, up 4.4% on the previous year. The Netherlands is the UK's third largest trading partner. These are the specific commercial reasons driving Dutch entrepreneurs toward a UK entity right now.
A Dutch BV gives you the EU single market. It does not, on its own, give you frictionless UK market access — and that split has been real since Brexit took effect. Founders trading in both directions increasingly run both entities rather than relying on one to do the other's job. The practical issue shows up fastest with Amazon UK: a Dutch EU seller account does not unlock it. Nor does a BV give you a UK sort code for GBP settlement with UK clients. Those gaps are what a UK company fills, and they are consistent across sectors.
The Netherlands is not a peripheral UK trading partner. At £119.3 billion in combined trade for the year to Q4 2025, it sits behind only the USA and Germany. A UK-registered entity puts Dutch founders inside that flow directly, rather than trading in from the EU side.
EU access ≠ UK access since BrexitDutch sellers already active on Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, and Amazon.nl are missing the entire UK storefront. Amazon UK requires a UK-registered company. An EU seller account does not transfer across. The UK company, combined with a UK sort code for GBP payouts, gives you Amazon UK access.
+4.4% trade growth, year to Q4 2025A UK bank account for non-residents means receiving UK client payments directly in GBP. No conversion on every transaction. No Dutch bank multi-currency fees eating into UK-facing revenue. For Rotterdam trading firms and Amsterdam digital agencies with UK retainers, the saving compounds quickly.
UK entity required for Amazon UK sellersThe UK-Netherlands Double Taxation Convention was signed on 26 September 2008 and has been in force since 25 December 2010, with a further protocol signed on 12 June 2013. Dutch company owners have a modern, well-documented framework for relief from double taxation on income flowing between the two countries.
Rotterdam handles more cargo than any other European port. Trading and freight companies based there increasingly use a UK company to contract and invoice UK-side clients directly, instead of routing UK-bound transactions through their EU entity. It removes one layer of cross-border complexity from the supply chain
DTA in force since 25 December 2010A Dutch BV gives you the EU single market. It does not, on its own, give you frictionless UK market access — that split has been real since Brexit. Founders trading both directions increasingly hold both entities rather than relying on one to do the other's job.
Direct UK-side contracting for NL logistics firmsA Dutch BV is the right vehicle for EU-facing operations. That does not change. But when you compare the two formation processes side by side, the UK company wins on nearly every practical measure for UK-facing and international trade.
| What You Get | 🇬🇧 UK Limited Company (Activate Global) | 🇳🇱 Dutch BV |
|---|---|---|
| Notary requirement | ✓ None — fully digital Companies House filing, no notarial deed | ✗ Mandatory — a Dutch civil-law notary must execute the deed of incorporation by law |
| Total setup cost | ✓ From £249 (~€290) — no notary fees | ✗ €1,200–€2,500 typical, including €500–€1,500 in notary fees alone |
| Formation time | ✓ 24–48 hours — fully remote, no appointments | ~ Days to weeks, dependent on notary appointment availability |
| Corporate tax (lower band) | 19% on profits up to £50,000 | 19% on profits up to €200,000 |
| Corporate tax (upper band) | ✓ 25% above £250,000 | 25.8% above €200,000 |
| UK market & Amazon UK access | ✓ Fully eligible — the entity type Amazon UK requires for seller registration | ✗ Not eligible — a Dutch BV alone doesn't unlock UK seller accounts |
| Global common-law recognition | ✓ Very broad — English company law is the template for company registers across 100+ common-law jurisdictions | Strong within the EU; less universally templated outside it |
| Best suited for | UK market access, GBP banking, faster and cheaper formation, global-facing trade | EU single market operations, EU-based clients and suppliers |
The honest verdict: keep your Dutch BV for EU-facing business — nothing here changes that. But for anything UK-facing, the UK company wins on nearly every practical measure: no notary, materially lower setup cost, faster turnaround, and direct Amazon UK and GBP banking access a BV simply doesn't provide. Most of our Netherlands-based clients run both structures side by side, and the UK side is consistently the quicker, cheaper one to set up and maintain.
Talk Through Your Structure →Fully remote, start to finish. No notary appointment, no flights, no in-person banking interview required for standard formation.
Complete the form above or WhatsApp us directly. Our Netherlands specialist responds within 2 hours to scope your UK company and banking needs.
We collect your documents digitally — passport or Dutch ID card, plus proof of address. No notary, no DigiD, no apostille required for the UK-side paperwork.
Confirm your package — including a nominee director if you want one — and we file directly with Companies House. Confirmation within 24–48 hours.
Your digital company pack arrives first. Your UK bank account follows within days, wherever in the Netherlands you're based.
All documents submitted digitally. No notary, no apostille, no physical delivery for standard formation or your UK bank account application.
A clear scan or photo of the photo page, or front and back of your Nederlandse identiteitskaart. Must be current and valid. Both Dutch passports and EU ID cards are accepted without apostille for standard UK formation
Dated within the last 3 months. A utility bill (Eneco, Vattenfall, Nuon), Dutch bank statement, or municipal registration extract (BRP uittreksel) all work. Must show your full legal name and current address.
Include 1-2 backup names. We run a free Companies House availability check before filing, so you are not charged if your first choice is already registered by someone else.
A short description of what your UK company will do — trading, e-commerce, consulting, logistics, SaaS, property investment, or similar. We assign the correct SIC codes on your behalf.
Full legal name, date of birth, nationality, and residential address for every director and shareholder. All can be Netherlands-based. Multiple Dutch-resident directors are accepted.
If you already hold a Dutch BV and want the two structures linked or referenced, share your KVK number — not required, but useful for coordinated accounting.
From Rotterdam trading houses to Amsterdam SaaS founders, these are the Dutch sectors where a UK company with a bank account pays for itself fastest.
Rotterdam-based trading and freight companies use a UK company to contract and invoice UK-side clients directly, instead of routing every UK-bound transaction through their EU entity.
Dutch sellers established on Amazon's EU marketplaces use a UK company to unlock Amazon UK seller registration and reach British buyers directly, in GBP.
Dutch flower, plant, and agri-export businesses use a UK company to bill UK wholesalers and retailers directly, simplifying a trade route that already runs at high volume.
Amsterdam and Utrecht-based SaaS founders billing UK customers use a UK entity for GBP-denominated invoicing and to reduce friction with UK procurement teams post-Brexit.
Dutch consultants and agencies bidding on UK contracts use a UK company to present as a locally recognised entity rather than a cross-border vendor.
Netherlands-based investors buying UK property use a UK company wrapper for clean asset separation and more straightforward UK-side administration.
An honest look at how UK corporation tax, Dutch tax rules, and the 2008 treaty fit together — not a sales pitch dressed up as tax advice.
19% on profits up to £50,000, 25% above £250,000 — a company-level tax that applies regardless of where the director lives, before anything reaches you personally.
The Netherlands taxes company profits at 19% up to €200,000 and 25.8% above that threshold for 2026 — broadly comparable to the UK at the lower band, marginally higher at the upper one.
Signed 26 September 2008, in force since 25 December 2010, and updated by a 2013 protocol, the treaty allocates taxing rights between the two countries and provides credit relief so the same income generally isn't taxed twice.
If you're a Dutch tax resident, profits extracted from your UK company as salary or dividends will typically need declaring in the Netherlands too — with treaty relief available to prevent double taxation on the same income.
Our accounting team handles UK corporation tax returns (CT600), year-end accounts, and VAT registration — and can connect you with Dutch accountants experienced in running a BV and a UK company side by side.
View Accounting ServicesReal clients, verified by country and business type. We're actively gathering more Netherlands-specific reviews as our client base there grows.
"Best service provider for anyone looking to start a UK business remotely from anywhere. No hidden charges, clear process, and fast execution. You can simply trust them and contact them for any services they offer."
"Professional, honest, and efficient. They delivered exactly what they promised — a clean UK company with full ownership transfer in just 3 hours after payment. Pricing is very affordable compared to others."
[Reserved for a genuine Netherlands client testimonial — not published until a verified quote is collected.]
The specific questions Netherlands-based entrepreneurs ask about UK company formation, UK banking, and our nominee director service.
Yes. We handle both together as one service — Companies House registration and a real UK bank account, opened directly by our team, with no notary appointment required at any stage. If we can't open your account, you get a full refund.
They cover different markets. A Dutch BV gives you the EU single market; it does not give you UK market access or Amazon UK eligibility on its own, especially since Brexit. A UK company is also simply faster and cheaper to set up — no notary, no €500-1,500 notarial fee, and formation in 24-48 hours instead of days or weeks. See the full comparison above.
No. UK company formation is entirely digital through Companies House and requires no notarial deed, unlike a Dutch BV where a civil-law notary is legally required to execute incorporation. This is one of the clearest practical differences between the two structures.
A UK-resident director's name on the public Companies House record instead of yours, while a signed agreement keeps full legal control with you. Popular with Dutch clients already familiar with public UBO register visibility who want an extra layer of privacy on the UK side.
Your passport or Dutch ID card, and proof of Netherlands address dated within 3 months — a utility bill, bank statement, or municipal registration extract all work. Add your proposed company name and a short business description. No BSN or notary involvement needed.
Yes — signed 26 September 2008, in force since 25 December 2010, updated by a 2013 protocol. It allocates taxing rights between the two countries and provides relief so the same income generally isn't taxed twice, though Dutch tax residents still need to declare worldwide income at home. Speak to advisers in both jurisdictions about your specific structure.
Yes — that's one of the most common reasons Dutch e-commerce sellers form one. A UK limited company is the entity type Amazon UK requires for seller registration, something a Dutch BV or EU seller account alone doesn't unlock, with GBP settlement through your UK bank account.
Yes, clearly, on setup cost. UK formation starts from £249 with no notary involved, while a standard Dutch BV typically costs €1,200-€2,500 all-in once notary fees are included. Annual maintenance is generally lighter on the UK side too, though both structures have their place — the BV for EU operations, the UK company for UK-facing and international trade.
Your UK company itself pays UK corporation tax — 19% up to £50,000 profit, 25% above £250,000. Separately, as a Dutch tax resident, profits distributed to you personally are taxed under Dutch rules, with treaty relief available to prevent double taxation on the same income. Get advice from a Dutch accountant alongside a UK tax adviser.
No. Formation, banking, and ongoing compliance are all designed to run without a UK visit. We hold the registered office address, handle Companies House and HMRC filings, and manage your bank account application — entirely from documents you send us digitally from anywhere in the Netherlands.
Legally, it isn't — UK company law makes no distinction. UK company formation for non resident founders in the Netherlands uses the exact same Companies House process a UK resident would use, just handled remotely on your behalf, with your registered office address and KYC managed entirely by us.
UK company formation with a real UK bank account, no notary, and a nominee director if you want one — one process, one partner. Join the Netherlands-based entrepreneurs already building on both sides of the North Sea with Activate Global.