I’ve Been Self-Employed for Only One Year – Can I Get a Mortgage in the Netherlands?

Have you been self-employed in the Netherlands for just one year and are wondering whether you can already apply for a mortgage?
Many people still believe that entrepreneurs need to have been in business for at least three years before a lender will even consider their mortgage application.

That is not always the case.

In certain situations, your mortgage options can already be assessed after 12 months of self-employment. However, this does not mean that every entrepreneur will automatically qualify for a mortgage after one year.

The lender first needs to determine how much of your business income can be accepted for mortgage affordability purposes.

Is one year of self-employment enough to apply for a mortgage?

When applying for a mortgage as an entrepreneur, your income may be assessed through an Inkomensverklaring Ondernemer – an entrepreneur’s income statement used for mortgage purposes.

One of the basic requirements is that you have been self-employed for at least 12 months.

This means that you do not necessarily have to wait three years before exploring your mortgage options.

However, it is important to distinguish between two things:

being eligible to apply for a mortgage, and the amount of business income that the lender will actually accept when calculating your borrowing capacity.

The accepted income figure can have a significant impact on the maximum mortgage you may be able to obtain.

How is an entrepreneur’s income assessed?

For someone who is employed, a lender can usually assess income based on documents such as their current salary and information provided by their employer.

For self-employed applicants, the process is different.

The lender or income specialist will look at the financial performance of the business as well as its current financial position. If your business has been operating for less than three years, this does not automatically mean that your application will be rejected. Your income may still be assessed based on the shorter period for which the business has been active.

If you have been self-employed for around one year, your actual business results and current performance therefore become particularly important.

It is also essential to understand that business turnover is not the same as the income used to calculate your mortgage affordability.

You may invoice substantial amounts, but this does not mean that the entire turnover will be treated as your personal income.

For a self-employed person, the financial result of the business after relevant business expenses is much more important than turnover alone.

If you report significant business expenses, your taxable profit may be lower, which can also reduce the amount of tax you pay. However, there is another side to this: a lower reported profit may also reduce your mortgage borrowing capacity.

When assessing a mortgage application, it is therefore your accepted income rather than your turnover alone that plays a crucial role.

I was employed last year and now I’m self-employed – does my previous salary count?

This is where it is important to distinguish between previous employment and your current source of income.

Suppose you were employed last year, then left your job and became fully self-employed.

For example:

2025: you were employed and earned €45,000
2026: you now work exclusively as a self-employed entrepreneur / ZZP’er

In this situation, the €45,000 salary from your previous job should not simply be treated as additional current income on top of your business income.

That salary is no longer an active source of income.

Your mortgage assessment will therefore primarily focus on your current position as an entrepreneur and the income that can be accepted based on your business.

Your previous employment history may still be relevant in certain assessment methods or individual situations, but this does not mean that the lender will simply add your former salary to your current business income.

What if I am employed and self-employed at the same time?

That is a different situation.

Suppose you still have a salaried job while also running your own business:

Current employment income: €35,000 per year
Business income: €20,000 per year

If both sources of income are still active, they may, depending on the circumstances, both be taken into account when assessing your mortgage options.

However, this does not automatically mean that a lender will always count 100% of both incomes.

How the different income sources are assessed depends on your individual situation, the type of employment you have, the financial performance of your business and the criteria of the specific lender.

This is why it is important to give your mortgage adviser a complete picture of your employment and business situation.

What will be assessed if I have been self-employed for only one year?

When applying for a mortgage as an entrepreneur, several factors may be taken into consideration, including:

• how long you have been self-employed;
• the income you have generated;
• the financial results of your business;
• your current-year figures;
• the development and stability of the business;
• the company’s liquidity and overall financial position;
• existing loans and other financial commitments;
• additional current sources of income;
• the level and administration of your own salary or withdrawals from the business.

This is why two entrepreneurs who have both been self-employed for exactly 12 months may receive very different mortgage assessments.

Which documents might you need?

Self-employed applicants should generally expect to provide more financial documentation than someone who is employed exclusively on a salary.

Depending on your situation, you may be asked to provide documents such as:

• jaarcijfers – annual financial statements;
• tax returns;
• up-to-date business figures;
• company documentation;
• information about existing debts and financial commitments;
• documents relating to any other current sources of income.

The exact documentation required will depend on your individual circumstances and the method used to determine your qualifying income.

What is an Inkomensverklaring Ondernemer?

An Inkomensverklaring Ondernemer is a document that determines the amount of an entrepreneur’s income that may be used when assessing mortgage affordability.

For mortgages with NHG (Nationale Hypotheek Garantie), the income statement is prepared by an approved rekenexpert.

This can be particularly important for entrepreneurs who have been self-employed for less than three years, as it makes it possible to assess their qualifying income even when three complete years of business history are not yet available.

However, simply having 12 months of business activity does not mean that all the income generated during that period will automatically be accepted for mortgage purposes.

Can I get a mortgage after just one year of self-employment?

Yes, it may be possible.

However, this does not mean that every entrepreneur will qualify for a mortgage after one year in business.

Much will depend on factors such as the financial performance of your business, the amount of income that can be accepted for mortgage purposes, your existing financial commitments, your household situation and the criteria of the lender.

Before you start searching for a property, it is therefore worth finding out:

what income can be accepted, what your approximate maximum mortgage could be, and which property price range is realistic for your situation.

Key points to remember

Have you been self-employed for one year? A mortgage may already be possible.

Were you previously employed but have now left that job? Your former salary should not be treated as additional current income alongside your business income.

Are you still employed while also running your own business? In that case, both active sources of income may potentially be taken into account, depending on your circumstances and the lender’s criteria.

Every entrepreneur’s financial situation is different. An individual mortgage assessment can therefore be very useful before you decide to buy a home in the Netherlands.