Company Registration in India from the Netherlands

Planning company registration in India from the Netherlands? This guide covers why Dutch businesses already represent one of India's largest sources of foreign investment, what the Apostille process means for your paperwork, the entry structures available to you, and the practical steps involved in incorporation.

Why Dutch businesses are entering India

The Netherlands is India's 4th largest source of cumulative foreign direct investment, with roughly US$55.6 billion invested between April 2000 and December 2025 — behind only Singapore, Mauritius and the USA. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached around US$27.8 billion in FY 2024–25, and Dutch FDI into India alone stood at approximately US$4.6 billion that year. Beyond direct Dutch corporate investment, the Netherlands has long served as a structural holding-company jurisdiction that many multinationals — Dutch and otherwise — use to organise their India investments, reflecting the depth of the Netherlands' own commercial and legal ties to the Indian market.

Documents for company registration in India from the Netherlands: apostille, not embassy legalisation

The Netherlands has been a member of the Hague Apostille Convention since 1965, and India joined in 2005. In practice, this means documents executed in the Netherlands for Indian company registration — director and shareholder documents, board resolutions, powers of attorney — generally only need an apostille from the relevant Dutch authority, rather than the more time-consuming embassy legalisation process required for non-member countries.

Entry structures for company registration in India from the Netherlands

Most Dutch companies choose a wholly owned subsidiary — a separate Indian company that gives you full operational control and can trade, hire and generate revenue directly. A Branch Office extends your existing Dutch company into India for permitted activities such as consultancy, export/import or technical support, without incorporating a new entity. A Liaison Office suits businesses that only need a representative presence, for market research or coordinating with Indian partners, without conducting commercial activity. We help you work through which structure actually fits your plans, rather than defaulting to one.

One requirement that catches many Dutch boards by surprise: under Section 149(3) of the Companies Act, 2013, every Indian company — including a wholly owned subsidiary with 100% Dutch shareholding — needs at least one director who is resident in India for 182 days or more in the financial year, even if the rest of the board is entirely based in the Netherlands. If your directors will only visit occasionally, this is usually addressed with a professional resident director alongside your own board. See our complete guide to the resident director requirement for how it works, what it costs, and the three ways foreign companies typically satisfy it.

Once your subsidiary is running, two further annual filings apply on top of standard RoC compliance: the FLA Return to the RBI, and — if your Indian company transacts with its Dutch parent, such as management fees or intercompany charges — Form 3CEB transfer pricing documentation. See our guide to FLA Return and transfer pricing compliance for the deadlines and what each actually requires.

For the full document checklist and how India's FDI automatic-vs-government-approval route split works by sector, see our step-by-step incorporation guide.

Company registration process in India from the Netherlands, step by step

For a subsidiary, incorporation typically follows this sequence:

Obtain a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) and Director Identification Number (DIN) for your directors.
Reserve your company name with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Prepare and apostille the required Dutch director and shareholder documents.
File the SPICe+ incorporation form and supporting documents.
Complete post-incorporation steps — PAN, TAN, a bank account and any applicable GST registration.

Branch, Liaison and Project Offices instead go through an RBI-authorised bank rather than the MCA. For the full walkthrough — DSC, DIN, SPICe+ filing and what happens after your Certificate of Incorporation — see our step-by-step incorporation guide.

FAQs: company registration in India from the Netherlands

Do I need to travel to India for company registration in India from the Netherlands? Often, the incorporation filing can be handled remotely using appropriately authenticated documents and an India-based team. Whether travel or an in-person step is needed depends on document execution, identity checks, banking and the circumstances of the case, so confirm the requirements before proceeding.

Can profits be repatriated back to the Netherlands? Dividends may generally be remitted to the foreign shareholder through the applicable banking and foreign-exchange process, subject to corporate approvals, tax withholding and supporting documents. The relevant tax treaty may affect the tax rate only where its conditions are met; confirm eligibility and the current rate for the recipient.

Is there a minimum capital requirement? No. India abolished the minimum paid-up capital requirement for private limited companies years ago, so company registration in India from the Netherlands can start with any authorised capital amount your business plan calls for.

How long does company registration in India from the Netherlands take? A straightforward case may take several weeks after complete, correctly authenticated documents are available. Timing depends on digital-signature and director-identification steps, name availability, filing review and any requests for correction. Banking and funding often continue after incorporation.

How much does company registration in India from the Netherlands cost? The MCA government filing fee for the SPICe+ incorporation form itself is nil for authorised capital up to ₹15 lakh — which covers most new subsidiaries outright — under Schedule I of the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014. On top of that, state stamp duty applies and varies depending on which Indian state you register your office in, plus DSC, apostille and professional fees. We quote a fixed total once we know your structure and registered office state.

Explore other markets

AU Corporate publishes dedicated guides for businesses entering India from other markets, and a full introduction to our team on the About AU Corporate page.

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