Knowledge
What is the KvK?
Three letters you meet on day one of Dutch business: KvK. The Kamer van Koophandel is the Chamber of Commerce, keeper of the trade register — and the source of the number that belongs on your website.
Updated 1 August 2026
The short answer
The KvK (Kamer van Koophandel) is the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. Every business in the Netherlands registers in its Handelsregister — the public trade register — and receives an eight-digit KvK number, the company’s official identifier. Registration happens at the start of trading, for a modest one-off fee, and the number then appears on invoices, contracts and, by law, on your business website. Dutch customers and partners routinely look companies up in the register before doing business.
The register as a trust machine
The Handelsregister is public: anyone can check who owns a company, who may sign for it, and where it is established. Dutch business culture uses this constantly — a supplier checks your extract, a customer checks your legitimacy, a bank checks your directors. A correct, current registration is therefore more than compliance; it is the base layer of your credibility in this market.
Your KvK number online
Dutch law requires businesses to state their KvK number on their website; webshops and service providers also display the VAT identification number (btw-id). The natural home is the footer and the contact page — visible, consistent, exact. Displaying it does double duty: it satisfies the rule and it signals to Dutch visitors, within seconds, that they are dealing with a real, registered company.
Frequently asked questions
When do I need to register with the KvK?
When you start offering goods or services commercially — in practice, in the week around your start. Freelancers (zzp’ers) register as an eenmanszaak; a BV is registered by the notary as part of incorporation.
What does KvK registration cost?
A modest one-off registration fee, and extracts of your own or other companies can be ordered for a few euro each. Budget-wise it is a rounding error; skipping it is the expensive route.
Can customers see my home address in the register?
The register lists the business address you provide. Many home-based founders use a registered office or business address service for privacy — arrange this at registration, since changing later is possible but more work.
Further reading
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