If you’ve read more than one DAFT guide, you’ve probably noticed they don’t all say the same thing: sometimes by a little, sometimes by a lot. Here are five places where that happens, and what we could actually pin down.
1. How long the €4,500 has to stay invested
Several sites describe this differently. Some say “throughout your stay,” others “never fall below the minimum,” others don’t say at all. None of the ones we checked, including the IND’s own page, state an exact test (like a specific date each year). Read the full breakdown in Opening balance sheet & the €4,500 capital.
2. The “BV break-even” income figure
Depending on which site you read, the income where a BV supposedly becomes “worth it” is €67,000, €69,000, or €70,000. Looking closely, these look like three different years’ worth of the same indexed government salary threshold (the 30%-ruling minimum), not three genuinely different rules. See ZZP vs. BV for the full explanation, and why we’re not publishing any of those three numbers as fact.
3. Whether the faster review process is temporary
A process change around April 2024 made the IND’s first-application review lighter. One law firm wrote it would run “until April 1, 2026,” pending an IND evaluation. As of October 2026, ind.nl still describes the same procedure without an end date. See What Changed for DAFT Applicants in 2024.
4. How long the whole process actually takes
The IND’s statutory maximum is 90 days. That part is confirmed, directly from ind.nl. The “in practice” estimates other sites quote range from about 4 weeks to about 3 months. That’s not a small gap. See Costs and timeline for the one number you can actually plan around.
5. What renewal requires, beyond the basics
Everyone agrees the IND wants annual accounts and a balance sheet or income statement. That part is confirmed. Beyond it, you’ll see specific rules of thumb (like a suggested minimum annual revenue) presented as official that are one firm’s own interpretation. See Extension and renewal for which is which.
Why this happens
Most of this isn’t anyone lying. DAFT rules have changed in the last couple of years, firms update at different speeds, and a figure that was accurate when written becomes stale without anyone going back to fix it. That’s exactly why we track every factual claim on this site against its source, how reliable we judge it, and whether the IND itself has confirmed it, so you can see for yourself, not just take our word for it either.