Short answer
Identify whether you seek a protected RA/AA title or statutory audit work.
Sources: Business.gov.nl
Who decides
NBA maintains the accountants register; AFM has separate audit licensing responsibilities.
Sources: Business.gov.nl
Check this before paying
Read the protected-title rules and NBA’s foreign-RA guidance.
Open the primary source ↗Sources: Business.gov.nl · NBA
When this applies
The RA pathway has competence requirements and citizenship-sensitive conditions.
Sources: NBA
Which document
The foreign-RA route uses a Certificate of Professional Competence or RA syllabus route.
Sources: NBA
Avoid the wrong purchase
NBA membership alone does not settle statutory-audit licensing.
Sources: Business.gov.nl
What this does not do
This is a professional designation guide, not a requirement for every bookkeeping job.
Sources: Business.gov.nl
Your next official step
Start with the NBA foreign-RA application guidance.
Continue to the official guidance ↗Sources: NBA
Separate title registration from audit permission
The AA and RA designations are protected and require entry in the NBA register. Business.gov.nl separately describes AFM licensing for statutory audits.
Do not use title registration as proof that all audit licensing requirements have been met. This distinction matters when the intended activity is a statutory audit.
Check the RA competence route before examination booking
NBA describes a competence-certificate/test pathway or completion of the RA syllabus, including practical experience. Legal conditions differ for EU/EEA citizens and other applicants.
For the test pathway, obtain the preliminary competence opinion before applying for the test. NBA says oral examinations may be in Dutch or English but the learning materials are in Dutch.
DiploWay activity and designation checklist
Write down the exact intended work: a general finance role, use of a professional designation, or statutory audit. Ask the receiving authority or employer which requirement applies to that activity, rather than ordering a generic diploma comparison as a universal solution.
Keep the qualification country and your citizenship as separate facts; do not fill one from the other. For the RA route, note the competence decision that must precede examination entry and which evidence remains unresolved.
When planning costs or training, separate preparation, examination and professional registration. If an audit activity is intended, identify the additional AFM requirement through the official guidance. This page illustrates the RA route and title/audit distinction; it does not fully document the separate AA qualification pathway or assess your individual application.
Explore another use for the same qualification
Sources and scope
- Accountants register and statutory audit licence
Business.gov.nl · checked 2026-10-13 (UTC date)
- Foreign accountants seeking RA registration
NBA · checked 2026-10-13 (UTC date)