Self-Employment and Business Residence in 2026

The Caribbean Netherlands has an official fixed-term residence purpose for a self-employed person. The current application form covers directors and one-person businesses and asks for evidence tied to the actual company/profession.

This is the correct starting point for many searches such as “Bonaire freelancer visa” or “Bonaire entrepreneur visa.” It is not a standalone startup visa.

Core self-employment test

IND-CN's current means guidance says the profession or business must provide sufficient means equal to at least the gross monthly minimum wage on the island.

For 2026, the official 40-hour monthly equivalents are:

  • Bonaire: $1,852.93;
  • Sint Eustatius: $1,839.07;
  • Saba: $1,847.73.

For a first self-employment residence application, IND also asks for a bank statement in the name of the business or applicant showing at least the relevant gross annual minimum-wage amount:

  • Bonaire: $22,235.16;
  • Sint Eustatius: $22,068.84;
  • Saba: $22,172.76.

Business evidence

The current RCN application materials list, depending on the structure:

  • business/corporate licence where applicable;
  • recent Chamber of Commerce trade-register extract;
  • shareholder register;
  • business CRIB number from the Tax Inspectorate;
  • current tax declaration/evidence;
  • self-employment income declaration;
  • bank evidence;
  • annual accounts for an existing company; or
  • business plan for a starting company.

A criminal-record certificate and other general immigration documents also apply.

Is there a digital nomad visa?

No dedicated digital-nomad category appears in IND-CN's residence-purpose list.

A foreign remote worker should not assume that a tourist stay allows ongoing work simply because the clients or employer are abroad. The legal analysis depends on the person's nationality, business/employment structure, whether the activity is self-employment, and whether work-permit rules apply.

ReloTide therefore maps “Bonaire digital nomad visa” searches to the actual residence framework rather than inventing a programme.

Is there a startup visa?

No separate startup/founder residence category was identified in current IND-CN materials.

A founder operating a local business generally needs to analyze the self-employed residence purpose and the island's company/licensing/tax requirements. A person investing significant capital without fitting ordinary self-employment should compare the investor residence route.

2026 fee

The 2026 IND-CN fee is:

  • $922 for an MVV or first fixed-term self-employment permit;
  • $724 for extension;
  • $922 for a change of restriction into self-employment.

These are immigration fees, not business-licensing or tax-registration costs.

MVV and filing

Whether an MVV is required depends on nationality. MVV-required applicants should obtain that entry authorisation first. Applicants in the no-MVV group can generally enter and file the fixed-term residence application on-island.

Permanent residence

Self-employment is not itself permanent residence. The general permanent-residence page uses five years of lawful continuous fixed-term residence as the starting point, subject to conditions.

Keep residence renewals, business evidence and income/tax filings consistent if long-term residence is the plan.

Return to the Caribbean Netherlands immigration hub, browse visa types, explore the Caribbean region, review our methodology, and read the legal disclaimer.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba