Business Address Abroad: What You Need to Do

I’ve been working as a digital nomad for 8 years now, and one thing I know for sure: I’ll never trade the freedom of remote work for an open-plan office again. Although I do see remote work going wrong for many fellow entrepreneurs, who still get too caught up in that vacation mindset. It’s a lifestyle in which freedom and responsibility go hand in hand. You decide where you work, who you collaborate with, and what your day looks like, but you also have to take care of everything yourself—from client acquisition to your business administration.

More and more people are working from home, on a flexible schedule, or from abroad. In this article, I’ll walk you through the benefits of remote work for entrepreneurs, the pitfalls I’ve encountered along the way (and have seen others face), and how to solve a specific, practical problem: your business address.

The Benefits: Why More and More Entrepreneurs Are Moving Abroad

Let me start with the good news, because there’s plenty of it. Working from abroad gives you a freedom you’ll never find in an office. You choose your own time zone, your own daily schedule, and your own environment. One week I’m working as a digital nomad from a beach bar in Spain; the next month, from a coworking space in Zanzibar. You get to decide where you work, which lets you see a lot of the world.

This brings you wonderful new experiences—not just on a personal level, but certainly on a professional one as well. Your network becomes more international, your perspective broadens, and you learn to improvise in ways you never would at home. Many entrepreneurs I speak with find that their productivity actually increases once they’re away from the daily distractions at home. No mandatory birthday parties, no routine, no constant stimuli from your usual surroundings.

And then there’s the financial side: the cost of living in many countries is significantly lower than in the Netherlands, while you continue to invoice in euros. Think, for example, of countries like Portugal, Bali, and Thailand. For many freelancers and small business owners, this makes a huge difference in their bank accounts and, along with the better climate, is one of the main reasons for working from abroad.

The Pitfalls: What No One Tells You Up Front

Even though remote work always looks like a success story on social media, working from abroad also has its fair share of pitfalls. Plenty of things go wrong that you don’t read or see about online. I, too, have made my fair share of mistakes along the way.

The first is loneliness. You miss your established social structure, and it takes energy to keep making new connections—especially if you change locations frequently or are constantly traveling. The second is discipline: without an office or coworkers keeping an eye on you, you have to find the motivation to keep working on your own. That sounds easier than it is, especially when the sun is shining and the beach is a 5-minute walk away. So make sure to surround yourself with like-minded entrepreneurs so you can bounce ideas off each other and learn from one another.

Then there are the practical pitfalls. Unreliable internet connections, time zones that throw your schedule off, and finding a comfortable place to work while traveling. And don’t forget this pitfall: underestimating just how much paperwork is actually involved once you leave the Netherlands, even though your business remains registered here. Unfortunately, I’ve already experienced this myself once: I missed an important letter from the tax authorities that was delivered to my home while I was in Africa for two months. That was a costly mistake.

The Challenges Facing Entrepreneurs Abroad

As an employee, you can often work from abroad without too much hassle (aside from tax considerations). As an entrepreneur, it’s a different story. You are your business. That means certain questions are particularly relevant to you:

Will my Chamber of Commerce registration remain valid if I no longer live in the Netherlands? What happens to my business mail? How do I ensure that customers and suppliers take me seriously if I don’t have a permanent office? And am I actually allowed to use my home address for my Chamber of Commerce registration if I no longer live there, or if I’d rather not for privacy reasons?

Many new business owners underestimate that last point. Your Chamber of Commerce registration is public. Anyone can look up your address, including people you’d rather not have at your door. For those working from abroad, there’s an additional consideration: using an address that no longer exists or is no longer yours is not an option for your business registration.

Taking care of practical matters: getting your business address in order

I’ve been told so many times to “keep your paperwork in order”—a cliché when no one tells you how. One of the first things I recommend to anyone who wants to start a business from abroad: get a separate business address, separate from where you happen to be staying. You can easily do this at Postadres.nl. They offer an official business address suitable for registration with the Chamber of Commerce, located in prestigious areas throughout the Netherlands. This way, you can have your mail forwarded or receive it digitally—including mail from insurance companies, tax authorities, suppliers, and your customers.

In practice, this also ensures that your home address remains private. You no longer have to worry that customers, suppliers, or nosy people might look up your home address through the Chamber of Commerce, or worse, show up at your door. Especially if you change locations fairly often, you don’t want your business registration to list an address where you haven’t lived for a long time.

You look professional. An address in a central, prestigious location makes a difference in how customers view your business—even on Google Maps. For an entrepreneur who has to build their credibility largely online, that’s no luxury. Your mail is handled reliably. You don’t need an office to have a legitimate business address; your mail is securely received and processed while you work from wherever you want.

An important point to note: it’s not just a post office box

What is often underestimated is that using a mailing address for your Chamber of Commerce registration isn’t simply a matter of buying an address and calling it a day. The Chamber of Commerce requires that sufficient business activities actually take place at the business address. Exactly what “sufficient” means is a gray area, but if you only have a mailing address—or a workspace that you rent occasionally—you’re taking a risk.

Do you also live abroad yourself? In that case, the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) will want to see that there are sufficient business ties to the Netherlands for your company to be (or remain) established here. Again, there is no strict definition for this, but the business activities must indeed take place in the Netherlands and specifically at that business address.

This is exactly where Postadres.nl goes a step further than a simple post office box. Through their business centers, they facilitate those business activities, so that you not only have an address but can also actually meet the requirements. Are you unsure about your specific situation, especially if you live abroad? Be sure to discuss this with a tax advisor, because this really requires a customized approach.

Can you keep your Dutch business if you emigrate?

More and more Dutch people are living (temporarily) in Spain, Sweden, Indonesia, or Dubai, but want to keep their Dutch business. This is possible in certain situations; it depends on your personal circumstances and, above all, on where your business activities actually take place. Do you still regularly visit Dutch clients, carry out assignments here, or work from the Netherlands for periods of time? If so, a Dutch business address can be part of your business operations. But be aware that the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) assesses on a case-by-case basis whether there are sufficient business activities in the Netherlands and may request proof. If you live and work entirely abroad, you cannot claim a Dutch business address based on having Dutch clients—that does not count.

That’s exactly why the difference between a P.O. box and a real business location is so important. At Postadres.nl, you get a professional Dutch business location where you can actually work (including remotely), meet with clients, and hold meetings, plus we handle your business mail so you remain reachable even from the other side of the world.

Take care of the practical details

Working from abroad as an entrepreneur is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, but it does require that you have your affairs in order and don’t get yourself into unnecessary trouble. It doesn’t have to be very complicated, but you are responsible for things you never had to deal with as an employee.

A business address is one such example: it may seem like a minor detail on paper, but it determines whether your privacy is protected, whether you come across as professional, and whether your paperwork is in order. Want to find out for yourself if a mailing address is right for your situation? Then check out Postadres.nl and always discuss the tax implications with an advisor who is familiar with your situation.