Naamloze Vennootschap is the Dutch public limited company by shares, used for listed companies, regulated sectors, and groups requiring freely transferable bearer or registered shares.
A Naamloze Vennootschap (NV) is a Dutch public limited company regulated by Book 2 of the Dutch Civil Code. Shareholder liability is limited and shares are freely transferable. The minimum issued capital is 45,000 EUR, with at least one quarter paid in. Articles of association are passed by Dutch notarial deed.
Governance follows either a one-tier (monistic) or two-tier (dualistic) model, and large NVs (and listed NVs) face additional rules under the Structuurregeling and the Dutch Corporate Governance Code on a comply-or-explain basis. The supervisory board (raad van commissarissen) appoints, monitors, and dismisses the management board (raad van bestuur) under the dualistic model.
The NV is the form behind Euronext Amsterdam listings (Heineken NV, ASML Holding NV, Royal Dutch entities historically), and is also used in regulated sectors such as banking and insurance where supervisors require a public-style structure. Banks and insurers typically must be NV by sectoral law.
Annual accounts and management reports must comply with the Dutch Financial Reporting Act and, for listed entities, EU Transparency Directive obligations.
You will see the NV in any major Dutch-listed group on Euronext Amsterdam, in regulated financial-services subsidiaries, and in long-established multinational holding companies headquartered in the Netherlands. Founders nearly always begin with a BV and convert to NV ahead of a public listing or when entering a regulated sector that requires the form.
International groups may also adopt NV form for prestige in negotiations with European financial counterparties.
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