Netherlands

Data Sources

The Netherlands uses a single official registry — the KVK (Kamer van Koophandel / Chamber of Commerce) — accessed through multiple channels. Data retrieval follows a two-phase model: basic structured data from the KVK Search API, and detailed data (legal representatives, shareholders, capital, RSIN) from the HTML trade register extract via AI parsing.

KVK Search API (web-api.kvk.nl/zoeken) — Provides basic company data in structured JSON: legal name, legal form, status, address, activity description, and trade names. This is a free, fast API that returns data immediately. Used for search results and base company profile data.
KVK Trade Register Extract (Uittreksel Handelsregister) — The official HTML extract from the KVK online trade register. Contains detailed data including legal representatives (Bestuurders, Gevolmachtigden), shareholders (Aandeelhouders, Vennoten), SBI activity codes, RSIN, share capital, and employee count. This HTML is AI-parsed to extract structured data.

Two-phase data retrieval: Basic company data comes from the KVK Search API (fast, structured JSON). Detailed data (legal representatives, shareholders, capital, RSIN, SBI codes) requires fetching and AI-parsing the HTML trade register extract, which takes longer but provides comprehensive information. The trade register HTML is fetched once and reused by multiple data sources (company enrichment, legal representatives, shareholders) via document factorization.

Company Identifiers

Query Identifiers

Company Type	Source	Format	Example	Notes
All entities	KVK	8 digits (KVK number)	`53781066`	Kamer van Koophandel number — the universal Dutch business identifier

KVK Number Format: The KVK number is always exactly 8 digits. The system validates this with the regex pattern ^\d{8}$. There is no prefix, no check digit algorithm exposed to the API consumer — just 8 numeric characters.

Identifiers in API Response

Once you retrieve company data, the identifiers object contains all available identifiers for that entity:

Identifier Type	Format	Example	Found In
`KVK`	8 digits	`53781066`	All entities (from Search API)
`RSIN`	9 digits	`123456789`	Tax/fiscal identification number (from trade register extract, AI-parsed)

Identifier Casing: The system uses consistent uppercase KVK for the identifier key — not kvk or KvK. Always reference identifiers using this casing in API requests and responses.

Search Capabilities

Search Type	Pattern	Example	Match Type	Expected Results
By KVK Number	8 digits	`53781066`	Exact	Single company (1 result)
By Name	Text string	`"Philips"`	Fuzzy	Multiple results

Search Performance: Use KVK number searches for exact matching and best performance. Name searches query the KVK Search API and return multiple results. Both search types have built-in retry handling for reliability. Name search results are filtered to main establishments only (Hoofdvestiging).

Quirks & Gotchas

Quirk	Details
Two-phase data retrieval	Basic company data comes from the KVK Search API (fast, free); detailed data (legal reps, shareholders, capital) requires fetching and AI-parsing the HTML trade register extract. Legal reps and shareholders take longer to return.
KVK website access	KVK website access requires automated session handling. Search and establishment number retrieval are performed against the KVK website.
Legal form is deterministic	Unlike most countries, Dutch legal form mapping uses a fully pre-computed lookup table (25 entries) with no AI involvement.
No UBO data	Ultimate beneficial owner information is not available from the KVK API or trade register extract. The UBO register in the Netherlands is not publicly accessible.
Null ownership percentages	Ownership percentages are only extracted when explicitly stated in the trade register extract. `null` means “not stated”, not “0%”. The system never infers or calculates percentages.
Null nationality	Nationality is always `null` unless explicitly stated in the document. The system does not assume Dutch nationality for shareholders of Dutch companies.
SBI codes via AI	SBI activity codes are AI-extracted from the trade register extract HTML, not from a structured API field. Quality depends on AI parsing accuracy.
Establishment number required	Document listing and fetching requires the `vestigingsnummer` (establishment number), which is obtained automatically before documents can be listed.
Partial document failures	The three document listing calls (extract, financials, statutes) run in parallel. If one fails, partial results are returned. Only if all three fail is an error thrown.
KVK identifier casing	The system uses consistent `KVK` casing (uppercase) for identifiers, not `kvk` or `KvK`.
Statutes filtering	Only statutes with `tapedForAvg === true` are included in the document list. This filters out draft or internal documents.
Document delivery via email	Financial statements and statutes are ordered from KVK, delivered via email, then downloaded. This adds latency (~30 sec). Trade register extracts use a direct online flow.
AI model for legal reps	Legal representative parsing uses GPT-5.1 exclusively (no model racing). The AI extracts birth dates, start dates, roles, and authorization scope.
Company self-filtering	AI parsing sometimes includes the main company itself as a legal representative or shareholder. The system automatically filters these out by matching on KVK number.

Company Status

Company status is determined deterministically from the KVK actief boolean field. No AI inference is involved in status determination.

Local Status	English	Standardized Status	Notes
Ingeschreven	Registered	Active	`actief` = true
Uitgeschreven	Deregistered	Closed	`actief` = false

The KVK provides only a binary active/inactive status. There are no detailed closure reasons (bankruptcy, liquidation, etc.) or insolvency statuses available from the structured API. More detailed status information may occasionally be available in the trade register extract via AI parsing, but it is not systematically extracted.

Legal Forms

The Netherlands uses a pre-computed mapping of 25 legal forms from the KVK rechtsvormOmschrijving field to standardized categories and ISO 20275 codes. This mapping is fully deterministic — no AI inference is involved.

Key Business Forms

Dutch Name	Abbr.	English	Standardized	ISO 20275
Besloten Vennootschap	BV	Private Limited Company	Limited Liability Company	`54M6`
Naamloze Vennootschap	NV	Public Limited Company	Corporation	`B5PM`
Eenmanszaak	—	Sole Proprietorship	Sole Proprietorship	`4QXM`
Vennootschap Onder Firma	VOF	General Partnership	Partnership	`62Y3`
Commanditaire Vennootschap	CV	Limited Partnership	Partnership	`CODH`
Maatschap	—	Partnership	Partnership	`9AAK`

Cooperatives & Non-Profits

Dutch Name	English	Standardized	ISO 20275
Cooperatie	Cooperative	Cooperative	`NFFH`
Onderlinge Waarborg Maatschappij	Mutual Guarantee Company	Cooperative	`DEO1`
Vereniging	Association	Nonprofit Organization	`33MN`
Stichting	Foundation	Nonprofit Organization	`V44D`
Kerkgenootschap	Religious Society or Church	Nonprofit Organization	`L7HX`

European & Foreign Forms

Dutch Name	English	Standardized	ISO 20275
Europese naamloze vennootschap (SE)	European Public Limited-Liability Company (SE)	Corporation	`BBEB`
Europees economisch samenwerkingsverband	European Economic Interest Grouping	Other	`5WU6`
Europese cooperatieve vennootschap (SCE)	European Cooperative Society (SCE)	Cooperative	`BBEB`
Kapitaalvennootschap binnen EER	Capital company within the EEA	Corporation	`BBEB`
Kapitaalvennootschap buiten EER	Capital company outside the EEA	Corporation	`BBEB`
Buitenlandse Rechtsvorm	Foreign Legal Form	Other	`M1IZ`
Overige buitenlandse rechtspersoon of vennootschap	Other foreign legal entity or company	Other	`M1IZ`

Other Forms

Dutch Name	English	Standardized	ISO 20275
Publiekrechtelijke Rechtspersoon	Public Law Legal Entity	Government-Owned Entity	`A0W7`
Rederij	Shipping Company	Corporation	`UNJ2`
Eenmanszaak met Meerdere Eigenaren	Sole Proprietorship with Multiple Owners	Other	`4QXM`
Rechtspersoon in oprichting	Legal entity in formation	Other	`EZQW`
Vereniging van Eigenaars	Owners’ Association	Other	`GNXT`
Overige Privaatrechtelijke Rechtspersoon	Other Private Law Legal Entity	Other	`M1IZ`

The Dutch legal form mapping is fully deterministic with pre-computed mappings for all 25 legal forms. Unlike many other countries, no AI enrichment is needed for legal form classification. If an unknown legal form appears from the KVK API, it is returned with only the localName field populated and no standardized mapping.

Legal Representatives

Legal representatives are extracted from the KVK trade register extract HTML via AI parsing. The HTML content is fetched from the KVK website, converted to Markdown (stripping scripts, styles, navigation, and images), and then processed by GPT-5.1 (exclusively, no model racing) to identify legal representatives.

Common Roles

Director & Management Roles

Dutch Role	English Translation	Typical Classification
Bestuurder	Director / Manager	Legal Representative
Directeur	Director	Legal Representative
Enig aandeelhouder/directeur	Sole Shareholder / Director	Legal Representative
Bestuurder - Alleen/zelfstandig bevoegd	Director - Sole/Independent Authority	Legal Representative
Bestuurder - Gezamenlijk bevoegd	Director - Jointly Authorized	Legal Representative

Authorized Representative Roles

Dutch Role	English Translation	Typical Classification
Gevolmachtigde	Authorized Representative	Legal Representative
Gevolmachtigde - Beperkte volmacht	Authorized Representative - Limited Power of Attorney	Legal Representative
Gevolmachtigde - Onbeperkte volmacht	Authorized Representative - Unlimited Power of Attorney	Legal Representative

Partnership Roles

Dutch Role	English Translation	Typical Classification
Vennoot	Partner	Legal Representative
Beherend vennoot	Managing Partner	Legal Representative
Commanditaire vennoot	Limited Partner	Other Key Person

AI Parsing Details

The AI extracts the following fields for each legal representative:

Field	Dutch Source Term	Description
Birth date	Geboortedatum	Date of birth
Start date	Datum in functie	Date the person started in the role
Role	(Section header / context)	Role title (Bestuurder, Gevolmachtigde, etc.)
Name title	(Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.)	Honorific prefix only

AI Parsing Behavior: The system does not extract authorityDetails or scope of authorization fields for legal representatives. Title extraction is limited to honorifics (Mr., Mrs., Dr.) as part of individual.name.title — role information is captured separately. The AI is instructed to only include explicitly mentioned legal representatives and to exclude the main company itself from the results.

Other Key Persons

Other key persons are not systematically extracted as a separate category for the Netherlands. The AI parsing classifies all extracted persons from the trade register extract as either legal representatives or shareholders based on context. There is no separate “other key persons” data source.

Shareholders

Shareholders are extracted from the KVK trade register extract HTML via AI parsing, using the same HTML document as legal representatives (fetched once via document factorization).

Dutch Terms for Shareholders

Dutch Term	English	Entity Type	Found In
Aandeelhouders	Shareholders	BV, NV companies	Capital companies
Vennoten	Partners	VOF, CV partnerships	Partnerships
Eigenaar	Owner	Eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship)	Sole proprietorships

Extraction Logic

Source	When Used	Data Extracted
Trade Register Extract HTML	Always (AI-parsed)	Partners, Shareholders, Owners with names and optional share percentages

Ownership Fields

Field	Description	Source
`sharePercentage`	Ownership percentage	Only if explicitly stated in document (null if not stated)
`type`	Individual or Company	Determined from AI parsing context
`nationality`	Nationality	Only if explicitly stated (null by default — never assumes Dutch)

Critical: Ownership PercentagesShare percentages are only extracted when explicitly stated in the trade register extract (e.g., “50%”, “33,33%”). The system does not infer or calculate percentages. If no percentage is mentioned, sharePercentage is null. Do not assign 100% to each shareholder. Nationality is also null unless explicitly stated — the system does not assume Dutch nationality.

Shareholder data is available for BV/NV companies, VOF/CV partnerships (as partners), and Eenmanszaak (as owner). Stichtingen (foundations) and Verenigingen (associations) do not have shareholders.

Activity Code Mapping

The Netherlands uses the SBI (Standaard Bedrijfsindeling) classification, which is the Dutch implementation of NACE Rev. 2. SBI codes are extracted from the trade register extract via AI parsing. When only an activity description is available (from the Search API), the system enriches it to NACE/ISIC codes via AI.

SBI (Dutch) -> NACE Rev. 2 (European) -> ISIC Rev. 4 (International)

Classification	Source	Example	AI Inferred?
SBI	Trade register extract (AI-parsed)	`6201`	Partially (AI-extracted from HTML)
NACE	Derived from SBI or AI-enriched from description	`6201`	Sometimes
ISIC	Derived from NACE or AI-enriched	`6201`	Sometimes

Activity Codes by Source

Source	Classifications Returned	Notes
Trade Register Extract	SBI + NACE + ISIC	All SBI codes from document (AI-parsed). Multiple codes extracted.
KVK Search API (fallback)	NACE + ISIC (AI-enriched from `activiteitomschrijving`)	When trade register extract is not available (e.g., onboarding profile)

AI Enrichment: SBI codes are AI-extracted from the trade register extract HTML. When the search API provides only an activiteitomschrijving (activity description text), the system enriches this to NACE/ISIC codes via AI. Every activity item includes an isAIInferred flag to distinguish official vs. AI-derived codes.

Data Availability Matrix

Data Type	BV/NV	VOF/CV	Eenmanszaak	Stichting/Vereniging	Notes
Company Profile	✅ Async	✅ Async	✅ Async	✅ Async	Basic data from Search API + AI enrichment from trade register
Legal Representatives	✅	✅	✅	✅	AI-parsed from trade register extract HTML
Shareholders	✅	✅ (as partners)	✅ (as owner)	❌	AI-parsed; VOF/CV show partners, EMZ shows owner
Ultimate Beneficial Owners	❌	❌	❌	❌	Not available from KVK (UBO register not publicly accessible)
Establishments	❌	❌	❌	❌	Not yet implemented
Activity Codes	⚠️ AI-inferred	⚠️ AI-inferred	⚠️ AI-inferred	⚠️ AI-inferred	SBI codes from trade register extract + AI enrichment

Legend: ✅ Available | ❌ Not Available | ⚠️ Conditionally Available | Async = Asynchronous processing

Documents by Company Type

All Companies

Document Type	API Category	Format	SKU	Availability	Notes
Uittreksel Handelsregister (Trade Register Extract)	`tradeRegisterExtract`	PDF	`NLD_REGISTER_EXTRACT`	✅ When available	Online extract from KVK (~30 sec, 24h cache)
Jaarrekening (Financial Statements)	`financialStatements[]`	PDF	`NLD_FINANCIAL_STATEMENTS`	✅ When filed	Annual accounts from KVK (delivered via email, 99-year cache)
Statuten (Articles of Association)	`articlesOfAssociation[]`	PDF	`NLD_STATUS`	✅ When filed	Corporate statutes from KVK (delivered via email, filtered by `tapedForAvg`, 99-year cache)

Trade Register Extract: The Uittreksel is an HTML document fetched from the KVK website and converted to PDF for delivery. The HTML content is AI-parsed to extract structured data.

Document Delivery Methods: The trade register extract uses a direct online flow (fast, ~30 sec). Financial statements and statutes use a mail flow: the document is ordered from KVK, delivered via email, then downloaded and saved. This adds latency but is the only retrieval method available for these document types.

Document Listing: Documents are listed via three parallel KVK API calls: (1) trade register extract availability, (2) financial statements, (3) statutes. If one source fails, partial results are still returned. Only if all three fail is an error thrown.

Example API Responses

All examples use placeholder data. Query: POST /company with { "id": "<id>", "countryCode": "NL", "dataPoints": ["companyProfile"] }

Active BV (Source: KVK)

{
  "company": {
    "id": "12345678",
    "countryCode": "NL",
    "identifiers": { "KVK": "12345678", "RSIN": "123456789" },
    "legalName": "Voorbeeld Tech B.V.",
    "activityDescription": "Ontwikkeling van software en IT-diensten.",
    "status": { "localName": "Ingeschreven", "active": true, "statusDetailsBeta": { "status": "ACTIVE" } },
    "legalForm": { "localName": "Besloten Vennootschap", "englishTranslation": "Private Limited Company", "standardized": "Limited Liability Company", "iso20275Code": "54M6" },
    "capital": { "amount": 100000, "currency": "EUR" },
    "activities": {
      "SBI": [{ "code": "6201", "description": "Ontwikkeling en productie van software", "isAIInferred": true }],
      "NACE": [{ "code": "6201", "description": "Computer programming activities", "isAIInferred": true }],
      "ISIC": [{ "code": "6201", "description": "Computer programming activities", "isAIInferred": true }]
    },
    "legalAddress": { "addressLine1": "Herengracht 100", "city": "Amsterdam", "postalCode": "1015 AA", "countryCode": "NL" }
  },
  "legalRepresentatives": [
    { "type": "individual", "role": { "localName": "Bestuurder", "standardized": "Director" }, "individual": { "name": { "fullName": "Jan de Vries" }, "birthDate": { "year": 1980, "month": 5, "day": 15 } } },
    { "type": "individual", "role": { "localName": "Gevolmachtigde", "standardized": "Authorized Representative" }, "individual": { "name": { "fullName": "Anna Bakker" }, "birthDate": { "year": 1985, "month": 9 } } }
  ],
  "shareholders": [
    { "type": "individual", "sharePercentage": null, "individual": { "name": { "fullName": "Jan de Vries" } } },
    { "type": "company", "sharePercentage": 60, "company": { "legalName": "Holding Groep B.V.", "id": "87654321" } }
  ]
}

Closed NV (Source: KVK)

{
  "company": {
    "id": "98765432",
    "countryCode": "NL",
    "identifiers": { "KVK": "98765432" },
    "legalName": "Oude Fabriek N.V.",
    "activityDescription": "Vervaardiging van textielproducten.",
    "status": { "localName": "Uitgeschreven", "active": false, "statusDetailsBeta": { "status": "CLOSED" } },
    "legalForm": { "localName": "Naamloze Vennootschap", "englishTranslation": "Public Limited Company", "standardized": "Corporation", "iso20275Code": "B5PM" },
    "activities": {
      "SBI": [{ "code": "1320", "description": "Weven van textiel", "isAIInferred": true }],
      "NACE": [{ "code": "1320", "description": "Weaving of textiles", "isAIInferred": true }],
      "ISIC": [{ "code": "1312", "description": "Weaving of textiles", "isAIInferred": true }]
    },
    "legalAddress": { "addressLine1": "Industrieweg 25", "city": "Rotterdam", "postalCode": "3024 AA", "countryCode": "NL" }
  },
  "legalRepresentatives": [
    { "type": "individual", "role": { "localName": "Bestuurder", "standardized": "Director" }, "individual": { "name": { "fullName": "Pieter Jansen" }, "birthDate": { "year": 1965, "month": 3 } } }
  ]
}

Note: Closed companies have active: false and status Uitgeschreven (Deregistered). No detailed closure reason is available from the KVK.

VOF Partnership (Source: KVK)

{
  "company": {
    "id": "87654321",
    "countryCode": "NL",
    "identifiers": { "KVK": "87654321" },
    "legalName": "Bakkerij van den Berg V.O.F.",
    "activityDescription": "Vervaardiging van brood en banketbakkerswerk.",
    "status": { "localName": "Ingeschreven", "active": true, "statusDetailsBeta": { "status": "ACTIVE" } },
    "legalForm": { "localName": "Vennootschap Onder Firma", "englishTranslation": "General Partnership", "standardized": "Partnership", "iso20275Code": "62Y3" },
    "legalAddress": { "addressLine1": "Kalverstraat 50", "city": "Utrecht", "postalCode": "3511 AA", "countryCode": "NL" }
  },
  "legalRepresentatives": [
    { "type": "individual", "role": { "localName": "Vennoot", "standardized": "Partner" }, "individual": { "name": { "fullName": "Pieter van den Berg" } } },
    { "type": "individual", "role": { "localName": "Vennoot", "standardized": "Partner" }, "individual": { "name": { "fullName": "Maria van den Berg" } } }
  ],
  "shareholders": [
    { "type": "individual", "sharePercentage": null, "individual": { "name": { "fullName": "Pieter van den Berg" } } },
    { "type": "individual", "sharePercentage": null, "individual": { "name": { "fullName": "Maria van den Berg" } } }
  ]
}

Note: VOF partners (Vennoten) appear as both legal representatives and shareholders. Ownership percentages are typically not stated for partnerships, so sharePercentage is null.

Eenmanszaak -- Sole Proprietorship (Source: KVK)

{
  "company": {
    "id": "11223344",
    "countryCode": "NL",
    "identifiers": { "KVK": "11223344" },
    "legalName": "Consultancy Van Dijk",
    "activityDescription": "Advisering op het gebied van management en bedrijfsvoering.",
    "status": { "localName": "Ingeschreven", "active": true, "statusDetailsBeta": { "status": "ACTIVE" } },
    "legalForm": { "localName": "Eenmanszaak", "englishTranslation": "Sole Proprietorship", "standardized": "Sole Proprietorship", "iso20275Code": "4QXM" },
    "legalAddress": { "addressLine1": "Keizersgracht 200", "city": "Amsterdam", "postalCode": "1016 AA", "countryCode": "NL" }
  },
  "shareholders": [
    { "type": "individual", "sharePercentage": null, "individual": { "name": { "fullName": "Sophie van Dijk" } } }
  ]
}

Note: For sole proprietorships, the owner (Eigenaar) appears as a shareholder. The entrepreneur is the company itself.

Stichting -- Foundation (Source: KVK)

{
  "company": {
    "id": "55667788",
    "countryCode": "NL",
    "identifiers": { "KVK": "55667788" },
    "legalName": "Stichting Kunstbehoud Nederland",
    "activityDescription": "Behoud en promotie van Nederlands cultureel erfgoed.",
    "status": { "localName": "Ingeschreven", "active": true, "statusDetailsBeta": { "status": "ACTIVE" } },
    "legalForm": { "localName": "Stichting", "englishTranslation": "Foundation", "standardized": "Nonprofit Organization", "iso20275Code": "V44D" },
    "legalAddress": { "addressLine1": "Museumplein 10", "city": "Amsterdam", "postalCode": "1071 DJ", "countryCode": "NL" }
  },
  "legalRepresentatives": [
    { "type": "individual", "role": { "localName": "Bestuurder", "standardized": "Director" }, "individual": { "name": { "fullName": "Willem de Groot" }, "birthDate": { "year": 1970, "month": 8, "day": 20 } } }
  ]
}

Note: Foundations (Stichtingen) have no shareholders — they are non-profit entities with a board of directors (Bestuurders). No UBOs are available from the KVK.

Available Documents (company example)

Documents are returned when "dataPoints": ["availableDocuments"] is requested.

API Category	Document	Notes
`tradeRegisterExtract`	Uittreksel Handelsregister PDF	When available (~30 sec, online flow)
`financialStatements[]`	Jaarrekening (annual accounts)	When filed, PDF format (mail flow)
`articlesOfAssociation[]`	Statuten (corporate statutes)	When filed, PDF format (mail flow, filtered by `tapedForAvg`)

Western Europe

Northern Europe

Southern Europe

Central & Eastern Europe

Crown Dependencies & Offshore

Asia & Indian Ocean

Data Sources

Company Identifiers

Query Identifiers

Identifiers in API Response

Search Capabilities

Quirks & Gotchas

Company Status

Legal Forms

Key Business Forms

Cooperatives & Non-Profits

European & Foreign Forms

Other Forms

Legal Representatives

Common Roles

AI Parsing Details

Other Key Persons

Shareholders

Dutch Terms for Shareholders

Extraction Logic

Ownership Fields

Activity Code Mapping

Activity Codes by Source

Data Availability Matrix

Documents by Company Type

All Companies

Example API Responses

Western Europe

Northern Europe

Southern Europe

Central & Eastern Europe

Crown Dependencies & Offshore

Asia & Indian Ocean

​Data Sources

​Company Identifiers

​Query Identifiers

​Identifiers in API Response

​Search Capabilities

​Quirks & Gotchas

​Company Status

​Legal Forms

​Key Business Forms

​Cooperatives & Non-Profits

​European & Foreign Forms

​Other Forms

​Legal Representatives

​Common Roles

​AI Parsing Details

​Other Key Persons

​Shareholders

​Dutch Terms for Shareholders

​Extraction Logic

​Ownership Fields

​Activity Code Mapping

​Activity Codes by Source

​Data Availability Matrix

​Documents by Company Type

​All Companies

​Example API Responses

Data Sources

Company Identifiers

Query Identifiers

Identifiers in API Response

Search Capabilities

Quirks & Gotchas

Company Status

Legal Forms

Key Business Forms

Cooperatives & Non-Profits

European & Foreign Forms

Other Forms

Legal Representatives

Common Roles

AI Parsing Details

Other Key Persons

Shareholders

Dutch Terms for Shareholders

Extraction Logic

Ownership Fields

Activity Code Mapping

Activity Codes by Source

Data Availability Matrix

Documents by Company Type

All Companies

Example API Responses