Without DigiD you usually cannot register your sole proprietorship with the KvK, and you cannot get into Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk. How you get it depends on where you are registered.
In short
DigiD is your personal login with the Dutch government. As a freelancer you need it to register your sole proprietorship with the KvK and to log in to Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk, the business portal of the Dutch tax office (Belastingdienst). You always need a citizen service number (BSN) to apply. If you are registered at an address with a Dutch municipality (BRP), you apply on digid.nl with your BSN, date of birth, postcode and house number; within 5 working days a letter with an activation code arrives at that address. If you live abroad and have a BSN, for example through the Non-Residents Records Database (RNI), you fill in the application form for abroad and receive a desk code by text message and email. With that code you collect your activation code within 30 days at a DigiD desk — at participating municipalities and at Schiphol, or at a Dutch embassy or consulate — or by video call with Netherlands Worldwide. Make the appointment first, then apply.
The essentials
Always needed
A citizen service number (BSN), a phone that can receive text messages and an email address.
Registered in the BRP
Apply online; letter with activation code within 5 working days at your municipal address.
Home address abroad
Application form for abroad, desk code by text and email, collect the activation code with a passport or ID card.
Where to collect
DigiD desk at participating municipalities, at Schiphol or at a Dutch embassy or consulate; or a video call with Netherlands Worldwide (not while you are in the Netherlands).
Desk code
Valid for 30 days. Not every country has a desk: make an appointment first.
Two routes to a DigiD
As digid.nl describes it. For the route from abroad you already need a BSN, for example from your RNI registration.
Two routes to a DigiD
Registered in the BRP: apply
On digid.nl with BSN, date of birth, postcode and house number; choose a username, password, phone and email
Registered in the BRP: activate
Letter with activation code within 5 working days at your address; you activate your DigiD with it
Home address abroad: first
Make an appointment at a DigiD desk or for a video call with Netherlands Worldwide
Home address abroad: apply
Application form for abroad on digid.nl; you receive a desk code by text and email
Home address abroad: collect
Within 30 days with the desk code, passport or ID card (not a driving licence), BSN and the same phone
What follows from this: without a BSN you cannot apply for DigiD, and for the KvK's online registration form you log in with DigiD or European login. So the order is: first a BSN through the municipality (BRP) or the RNI, then DigiD, then the KvK. If you live abroad, book the appointment before you apply, because at some desks the waiting time is longer than the 30 days your desk code is valid.
Try free for 90 days90 days free · no payment method needed · cancel monthly afterwards
What you need DigiD for as a freelancer
You register a sole proprietorship with the KvK using the online registration form; you log in to it with DigiD or European login. After that you log in with DigiD to Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk, where you find your VAT ID and turnover tax number under 'Btw' and file your VAT return. Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk also accepts eHerkenning as a login method besides DigiD.
DigiD is personal: you may not apply for it or use it on someone else's behalf. If you want someone else to handle things online for you, use DigiD Machtigen (authorisation).
If you live abroad
If you already had a DigiD before you moved abroad, you can simply keep using it. Before you leave, set up the DigiD app with the ID check and switch on text-message verification; from abroad you cannot do the ID check with a foreign identity document.
At more and more Dutch organisations you can also log in with the national login method of the European country where you live. Whether that works depends on the country and the organisation; usually you also need a BSN.
What the software does for you
You don't need DigiD for booxx: you create your account with your email address, and you can try it free for 90 days without a payment method. You get your bookkeeping and your VAT return ready to file in the software, in Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, English or Dutch.
You file it yourself in Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk, and for that you do need your DigiD. So arrange it well before your first return.
Updated October 2, 2026. General explanation of the Dutch rules, not tax advice — for your own situation, decide together with your accountant or the Dutch Tax Administration.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get DigiD without a Dutch home address?
Yes, if you have a BSN, for example from a registration in the Non-Residents Records Database (RNI). You fill in the application form for abroad, receive a desk code by text and email, and collect your activation code within 30 days at a DigiD desk or by video call with Netherlands Worldwide.
What do I need for a DigiD?
A citizen service number (BSN), a phone that can receive text messages and an email address. If you are in the BRP, also your postcode and house number. If you live abroad, a valid passport or ID card; a driving licence does not count.
How long does it take to get DigiD?
If you are registered with a Dutch municipality, the letter with the activation code arrives within 5 working days. If you live abroad, it depends on when you can get an appointment at a DigiD desk or for a video call; your desk code is valid for 30 days.
Do I need DigiD to register with the KvK?
The KvK's online registration form asks for DigiD or European login. If you live abroad, you then also make an appointment at a KvK office to finalise the registration. So first arrange a BSN, then DigiD, then the KvK.
Can I use DigiD for Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk?
Yes, with a sole proprietorship you log in to Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk with DigiD. Under 'Btw' you find your VAT ID and turnover tax number, and you file your VAT return there.
Create a set of books, send your first invoice and see whether it works for you. The first 90 days are free and no payment method is asked for, so there is nothing to cancel later.