How to start a Shopify store in the Netherlands in 2026: KvK, BTW and iDEAL

Last updated: 22 September 2026

To start a Shopify store in the Netherlands, you register at KvK first and set up VAT and payments after that. The longest wait is usually the tax office letter, which arrives within two weeks of registering. The step most guides get wrong is payments: a new store usually cannot switch on iDEAL | Wero in Shopify Payments on day one, so you need a second provider from the start.

That matters, because iDEAL accounts for about 72% of all e-commerce transactions in the Netherlands, according to EPI Company, which runs iDEAL. A Dutch store without it at checkout starts at a disadvantage.

Do you need a KvK registration for a webshop?

Yes, once you sell regularly to people outside your family and friends at prices that earn income. KvK uses those criteria, and preparing to sell, such as buying stock, already counts.

Most solo founders register as an eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship):

1. Fill in the online form at kvk.nl. You log in with DigiD.
2. Book an appointment at a KvK office. In most cases this visit finalises the registration, though KvK handles some registrations fully online.
3. Bring a valid ID. If your start date is within a week of the visit, you get your KvK number immediately. If you register up to three months early, the number arrives by post in the week you start.

The registration fee is €85.15 in 2026. After an office registration KvK sends the invoice by email, and the fee is tax deductible.

Working from home? An eenmanszaak can shield its visiting address in the Business Register, at registration or later via My KVK. You then need a public postal address in the register that differs from the shielded address.

Can you start a Shopify store in the Netherlands as a foreigner or non-resident?

Yes, if you can register at KvK. The online form needs DigiD, and DigiD needs a BSN (citizen service number). Where you live decides whether you can register, according to KvK:

• You live in the Netherlands for 4 months or more: register in the Personal Records Database (BRP) at your Dutch address. You then get a BSN.
• You stay less than 4 months: you can only register an eenmanszaak with a Dutch visiting address, and you must be in the Non-residents Records Database (RNI) with your foreign address.
• You live in Belgium or Germany without a Dutch business address: you must show that you often work in the Netherlands and be registered in the RNI.

No BSN yet? Register with the RNI first. You receive a BSN right away and can then apply for DigiD. If you live abroad, bring your valid ID and an original extract from your foreign population register, no older than 2 months, to the KvK appointment. If you live abroad and can sell and invoice without a branch in the Netherlands, KvK says you do not need to register there.

Eenmanszaak or BV?

For most new stores, an eenmanszaak. You register only at KvK and pay income tax on your profit. If you spend at least 1,225 hours a year on the business, about 24 hours a week, you can claim the zelfstandigenaftrek of €1,200 in 2026. New entrepreneurs who qualify as starters add a startersaftrek of €2,123. After your first years, you also need to spend more time on the store than on other work, such as a job. The trade-off is liability: you pay business debts with your private money.

A BV usually protects your private assets from the company's debts. According to KvK, it needs a notary (about €500 to €1,000), annual accounts filed at KvK and, in 2026, a salary for you of at least €58,000 a year. KvK adds that a BV only means less tax from a certain level of profit.

KvK number, BTW-id and omzetbelastingnummer: which is which?

• KvK number: identifies your business in the Business Register.
• BTW-id (VAT identification number): the number customers and suppliers see. It starts with NL and belongs on your invoices and your website.
• Omzetbelastingnummer (OB-nummer): for contact with the Belastingdienst only. It contains your BSN, so keep it off your website.

You do not register for VAT separately. KvK passes your details to the Belastingdienst, and within two weeks you receive a letter with both numbers.

How do you set up BTW in Shopify?

The standard rate is 21%. The reduced rate of 9% covers a limited list of goods, including food, books, flowers and plants. Most webshops file a VAT return every quarter.

In the Shopify admin (Shopify Help Center):

1. Go to Settings > Taxes and duties.
2. Under Regional settings, click European Union.
3. In the "Collect VAT in an EU country" section, click Collect VAT, choose the Netherlands and enter your BTW-id.
4. Once your EU sales pass €10,000, go to the "Collect VAT cross-border" section, click Collect VAT and choose "Collect using a One Stop Shop (OSS) registration".

Two thresholds decide how much VAT work you have:

• Kleineondernemersregeling (KOR): you can join this small business scheme if your turnover is at most €20,000 per calendar year, both in the year you join and in the year before. You apply online in Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk. Participation starts at the earliest on the first day of the next quarter, and the Belastingdienst needs 4 weeks to process your application. Inside the KOR you charge no VAT and cannot deduct the VAT on your business costs and investments.
• EU distance sales: while your combined sales of goods and digital services to consumers in other EU countries stay at or below €10,000 per calendar year, Dutch VAT usually applies. Above that, you charge the rate of the customer's country from that sale onward. The One Stop Shop (OSS) lets you report that foreign VAT in one quarterly return.

Keep your records for at least seven years, or ten years for sales you report through the OSS (Business.gov.nl).

Why is iDEAL not available in Shopify Payments?

Because a new store does not qualify yet. The Shopify Help Center lists these conditions for iDEAL | Wero:

1. Completed identity verification for Shopify Payments.
2. Trustworthy business practices, including a clear refund policy, accurate product descriptions and accessible contact details.
3. An online store that is public, with no password page.
4. A published legal notice (Impressum) with your company name, address and contact information.
5. EUR as a currency and the Netherlands set up as an active market.

The Help Center page does not mention store age or order volume. In a Shopify Community thread from September 2026, another merchant lists two more conditions: at least 90 days active and at least 100 orders paid through Shopify Payments. The agency Tunity reported the same two thresholds in August 2025, plus a paid plan and a chargeback rate below 1%. In a 2025 thread, a Shopify Partner adds that orders paid through external providers do not count toward the 100, so orders you take through Mollie do not bring you closer. According to community members, Shopify checks eligibility on a recurring schedule, so meeting the conditions puts you in line for the next review.

How do you offer iDEAL | Wero from launch day?

Install a separate payment provider. The free-to-install Mollie app adds iDEAL to the Shopify checkout. Mollie charges its own transaction fees, and Shopify adds a third-party transaction fee on external providers. Once your store reaches the Shopify Payments thresholds and passes a review, you can switch iDEAL | Wero over to Shopify Payments and the third-party fee no longer applies to those iDEAL payments.

The name on the button is changing too. Since early 2026, iDEAL appears as iDEAL | Wero, and EPI Company says Wero will eventually be the only name. According to Betaalvereniging Nederland, all Dutch banks are connected to Wero from October 2026, when payments start moving to Wero's infrastructure step by step. The full switch to Wero is planned for 31 December 2027. For shoppers, paying stays the same.

Which legal pages does a Dutch webshop need?

• Company details: Business.gov.nl lists your trade name, address, contact details, KvK number, VAT identification number and how you handle complaints. One legal notice page covers this and the Shopify Payments condition.
• Right of withdrawal: consumers can cancel an online purchase within 14 days of receiving the product, without giving a reason. Your returns policy explains the process and includes a withdrawal form.
• Withdrawal button: since 19 June 2026, your store also needs a clearly labelled button or link that lets customers withdraw online. After the customer confirms, you send a confirmation of the withdrawal without delay on a durable medium such as email. Shopify says its return and cancellation rules with self-serve returns can meet this, for example from the customer account or order status page.
• Terms and conditions and a privacy statement. Ask visitors for consent before you place tracking cookies, and do not use pre-ticked boxes.
• Accessibility: since 28 June 2025, e-commerce services must meet accessibility rules. The ACM exempts microenterprises with fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover of at most €2 million.

What about product safety rules?

Since 13 December 2024, the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) requires a business established in the EU to be responsible for the safety of each consumer product. According to the NVWA, that can be the manufacturer, its authorised representative, the importer or a fulfilment service provider. If you make your products yourself in the Netherlands, or buy them from an EU manufacturer or importer, that role is already filled. The gap appears when you sell goods shipped directly from a maker outside the EU, which is common in dropshipping. Without an EU responsible business, the product cannot be sold in the EU.

Each product page also needs the information that Article 19 of the GPSR (Regulation 2023/988) requires for distance sales, as the NVWA also explains:

1. The manufacturer's name, registered trade name or trademark, with its postal and electronic address.
2. If the manufacturer is outside the EU, also the name, postal and electronic address of the responsible business in the EU.
3. Information that identifies the product, including a picture and the product type.
4. Any warnings or safety information that must appear on or with the product, in a language the consumer understands.

Our guide to Shopify product descriptions that AI can read shows how to structure product pages so these details fit in without clutter.

What does importing from outside the EU cost in 2026?

Since 1 July 2026, the EU charges a temporary €3 customs duty on low-value parcels worth up to €150 that come from outside the EU, mainly through e-commerce. The duty is charged per tariff classification in the parcel. The European Commission's example: 5 T-shirts cost €3, and 3 T-shirts with a watch cost €6. The measure runs until 1 July 2028.

Dutch Customs expects to add a separate handling fee on all e-commerce imports from outside the EU, including parcels worth more than €150, probably from 1 November 2026. The amount has not been published yet. If you dropship from outside the EU, build both costs into your prices.

How do you set up the store for Dutch customers?

Offer delivery to PostNL or DHL pickup points next to home delivery, and run the store in Dutch. Add Dutch under Settings > Languages, then translate the checkout, the policies and your welcome email flow, and read each translation yourself before launch.

Check your product copy too. From 27 September 2026, general words such as "eco-friendly" need proof or need to go. Our post on EU green claims rules for Shopify stores covers what to change.

Your launch checklist

1. Check your name with the KvK Name Checker, fill in the online form and book the KvK appointment. Decide whether to shield your address.
2. Wait for your BTW-id, and apply for the KOR at least 4 weeks before the quarter starts if you expect €20,000 turnover or less.
3. In Shopify, set EUR as the currency and the Netherlands as an active market.
4. Set up Dutch VAT under Settings > Taxes and duties > European Union.
5. Publish the legal notice, returns policy with withdrawal form, terms and conditions, privacy statement and cookie banner. Turn on self-serve returns for the withdrawal button.
6. Add GPSR details to every product page.
7. Install Mollie or another provider for iDEAL | Wero, remove the password page and place a test order.
8. After 90 days and 100 Shopify Payments orders, check Settings > Payments for iDEAL | Wero.

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to start a Shopify store in the Netherlands?

The fixed start-up costs are low. KvK registration is €85.15 once, the BTW-id comes free through KvK, and the Mollie app is free to install. On top of that you pay your monthly Shopify plan, Mollie's transaction fees and the Shopify third-party fee. A BV adds notary costs of about €500 to €1,000.

Can a foreigner start a Shopify store in the Netherlands?

Yes. To register an eenmanszaak at KvK you need a BSN and DigiD. If you live in the Netherlands for 4 months or more, you get a BSN through the BRP. For shorter stays you need a Dutch visiting address and an RNI registration, which also gives you a BSN.

Why can't I turn on iDEAL in Shopify Payments?

New stores usually do not qualify yet. Besides the conditions on the Shopify Help Center page, Shopify reportedly requires at least 90 days of activity and 100 Shopify Payments orders, and eligibility is reportedly reviewed on a recurring schedule. Use a provider such as Mollie for iDEAL | Wero until then.

Do I have to charge BTW as a small webshop?

Yes, unless you join the kleineondernemersregeling. You qualify if your turnover is at most €20,000 per calendar year, in the year you join and in the year before. Apply at least 4 weeks before the quarter starts. You then charge no VAT and cannot deduct VAT on your costs.

Does the withdrawal button apply to my Shopify store?

Yes. Since 19 June 2026, stores selling to EU consumers need a clearly labelled button or link to withdraw from a purchase online. Shopify says its self-serve returns can meet this from the customer account or order status page.

The short version

Register at KvK, wait for your BTW-id and set up Dutch VAT in Shopify. Launch with iDEAL | Wero through Mollie or a similar provider, and move it to Shopify Payments once your store qualifies. Publish the legal notice, the withdrawal button and the GPSR product details before your first order, and price in the €3 duty if you dropship from outside the EU. If you would like someone to look over your launch plan, you can start a conversation with us.

This article was drafted with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources linked above before publishing.