Business address for the KVK: rules, PO boxes and virtual offices
The KVK registers your business at a visiting address (bezoekadres) where the work is actually done and where you are regularly present; a PO box is not accepted. Your home works, and so does an office or business centre with a lease or service contract. A virtual office only qualifies if the package gives you genuine access to a workplace; mail handling alone counts as a postal address, not a business address (kvk.nl, 2026).
Visiting address, postal address, registered seat: what is what?
| Term | KVK definition | PO box allowed? |
|---|---|---|
| Visiting address (bezoekadres, vestigingsadres) | Where the business does its work and can receive clients, suppliers or the Tax Administration; must exist in the national address register (BAG) | No |
| Postal address (postadres) | Where business mail goes if that is elsewhere | Yes |
| Registered seat (statutaire zetel, BV and foundation) | The municipality named in the articles, usually that of the visiting address | n/a |
Every business and every branch has both a visiting and a postal address in the Business Register, usually identical. Owners, directors or employees must be regularly present at the visiting address (kvk.nl, proof of visiting and postal address).
Which addresses does the KVK accept for expats?
- Your rented flat or house, if you work there and your landlord or the tenancy agreement allows business use. Living with someone else requires a declaration of consent.
- Your own office with a lease or purchase contract.
- A business centre, coworking space or virtual office with a workplace, backed by a business lease or service agreement. The KVK sets three conditions: access during opening hours, the provider itself registered in the Business Register with the activity "renting out or brokering business premises", and more than occasional use, because renting a hot desk or meeting room now and then does not qualify (kvk.nl).
- Not accepted: a PO box, an address outside the BAG register, or an address abroad. A physical address in the Netherlands is mandatory even for digital nomads; the KVK says a virtual office or postal address can offer a solution, a PO box cannot (kvk.nl press release, 28 August 2025).
What proof does the KVK ask for?
If the visiting or postal address differs from your home address in the Personal Records Database, you must prove that the business uses it. Accepted proof: a Land Registry title or copy of the purchase deed; a lease for self-contained space; for a business centre, a business lease or service agreement; and in exceptional cases a declaration of consent. Bring it to the appointment: without proof the KVK can refuse the address.
When do you need a declaration of consent?
A declaration of consent (toestemmingsverklaring) is for registering at an address you neither rent nor own, such as a partner's or friend's home. The owner or main occupant signs it by hand and attaches a copy of their ID showing only document number, name, date of birth and signature (kvk.nl, declaration of consent). Office providers do not need one: their contract is the proof.
Can you rent a business address for the KVK?
Yes, from a business centre, coworking operator or virtual office provider, provided the contract covers more than mail. Check four points before signing:
- Workplace: does the contract grant use of a desk or hot desk, and during which hours? A contract that only says "postal address" or "domicile" is a postal address in the KVK's eyes.
- Access during opening hours, not only by reservation.
- Provider registered with the KVK under renting out or brokering business premises; look them up on kvk.nl.
- Notice period and what happens to your registration when you leave: you must report a new address to the KVK within a week.
This catalogue lists 119 buildings with a virtual office in Amsterdam from €73 a month and 309 across 40 Dutch cities. Choose a package with workplace access if you intend to use the address as your visiting address. What a virtual office includes is explained in Virtual office Amsterdam: KVK registration and business address.
Can you keep your home address out of the public register?
Sole proprietors can shield their visiting address in the Business Register, even if it is not their home. You must then register a public postal address that is neither your home nor the shielded visiting address. Shielding is arranged in Mijn KVK or during registration; the old address stays visible in the history of the registration (kvk.nl, shielding your visiting address). A virtual office then serves as the public postal address while you work from home.
When is a virtual office not enough?
- If the package only forwards mail: that is a postal address, and you still need a real visiting address such as your home.
- If clients or stock are physically handled somewhere else: that place is your visiting address.
- If you work from abroad and are never in the Netherlands: the presence requirement still applies, and your business address often determines where you are taxed (kvk.nl, digital nomads press release).
- For a BV the same visiting-address rule applies, plus the registered seat in the deed; a BV in formation can already use the address at its provisional registration.
Looking for an Amsterdam business address with a desk included? Compare virtual offices in Amsterdam and coworking in Amsterdam; the operator confirms at enquiry which contract you receive for the KVK.