Do you need a permit for a small windmill in the Netherlands?

As the owner of an agricultural business, you’re probably not thrilled at the prospect of dealing with bureaucratic hurdles, permits included. You’d rather spend your time running the farm, planning your energy use, and making decisions that actually move the business forward.

But if you’re considering placing a small windmill to cover some of your energy needs, the permit process determines whether your project can move forward at all.

In our experience, that process can be confusing because there is no single set of rules. National technical requirements apply across the Netherlands, while local regulations determine what is possible at your specific location. That means a project that is possible in one municipality may face very different conditions in another.

In this guide, we’ll explain when a permit is required, where local rules come into play, and how the application process works from the first check to the final decision.

Is it possible to place a small windmill without a permit in the Netherlands?

Technically, yes, but only in rare cases.

Under the Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving (Bbl), the national set of rules for how buildings and other structures must be built safely, a windmill higher than 5 meters requires a permit for the technical building activity.

But even if you’re considering a turbine smaller than 5 meters, you will still need to check whether building one is even allowed at your specific location under your municipality’s environmental plan.

For most agricultural businesses, a windmill below 5 meters is unlikely to be the most practical option. If you want wind energy to make a meaningful contribution to your electricity use, you will have to look for a larger turbine with a higher energy yield. And once you move into that category, the permit process becomes an inevitable part of the project.

What permits do you need for a small windmill?

If your small windmill project requires permission, you will need to seek the answers to two separate questions:

• Is the wind turbine itself technically safe and compliant? - This is the technical building activity and is governed by national building rules.

• Are you allowed to place that turbine in this specific location? - This is the environmental-plan side of the permit, where the municipality looks at its omgevingsplan, which sets the local rules for what activities and developments are allowed at a specific location.

If you’re considering an EAZ-model windmill by Ecoways, answering the first question is pretty straightforward: Because the turbine is higher than 5 meters, a permit is required for the technical building activity. The second question varies much more by location. A municipality may already allow small wind turbines under certain conditions, or the project may need additional permission to deviate from the environmental plan.

That distinction matters because a turbine can meet all the technical requirements and still not be approved for a particular location.

Which municipalities allow small windmills?

Whether you can place a small windmill depends heavily on your municipality. Some have created specific policies that support them under certain conditions, while others have more restrictive rules or assess projects individually.

It’s important to note that just because a municipality supports small windmills does not mean you can simply install one. In the case of the EAZ-model, the turbine itself requires technical permission because of its dimensions, while the municipality also needs to determine whether the proposed location is allowed.

Unfortunately, there is no single ‘yes/no overview’ that lists the stances of all Dutch municipalities on the matter. If you want to find out what is possible in yours, the best starting point is the Omgevingsloket, where you can check the rules that apply to your location, followed by your municipality’s own small-wind policy or kansenkaart (opportunity map).

Let’s use one municipality to illustrate this. Hollands Kroon introduced a dedicated small-wind policy in 2025, creating a clear route for agricultural businesses in the countryside to apply for a small wind turbine.

Projects still need to meet several conditions, including:

• The turbine has to be placed within the agricultural building plot
• Only one small windmill is placed per plot
• The hub height is no higher than 15 meters
• Minimum distances to homes and infrastructure are respected
• The location does not fall within excluded nature or landscape areas

The permit application must also include supporting information such as technical drawings, ecological checks, landscape justification, and a participation plan, detailing how you will involve your neighbors in the project. .

At the moment, small wind turbines do not generally fit directly within Hollands Kroon’s existing environmental plan. The municipality can therefore grant permission to deviate from that plan through a BOPA (buitenplanse omgevingsplanactiviteit).

In other words, Hollands Kroon has already said that small windmills are allowed in principle, but the permit process then determines whether the project actually meets the rules.

>>> Want to know more about the location requirements for placing a small windmill on your farm? Read our guide

How to apply for a small windmill permit step by step

The process can feel a little complicated at first because it covers both the technical side and the location itself. In practice, though, you can usually tackle both through a single request in the Omgevingsloket, rather than treating them as two completely separate processes.

How Ecoways helps

If you’re interested in your own EAZ-model windmill, you won’t have to work through the permit process alone.

We’ll handle the application, including any necessary pre-consultation with the municipality. We help determine which rules apply to the location, gather the required technical documentation and supporting studies, and prepare the application on your behalf.

That means the technical and location requirements can be handled as part of one wider windmill project, rather than leaving you to work out which document belongs where.

Step 1: Check the technical permit requirements

Start by reviewing the specifications of the windmill itself.

As we mentioned previously, turbines higher than 5 meters require a permit for the technical building activity. This part of the assessment is based on the national rules in the Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving (Bbl) and focuses on the technical quality and safety of the structure.

In practice, this means making sure the technical documentation for the turbine is ready for the application (see step 4 for more information).

Step 2: Check whether your location is allowed

Next comes the question that varies much more from farm to farm: Are you even able to place a small windmill on your property?

Start with the Omgevingsloket and check whether your municipality has its own small-wind policy.

There are three possibilities:

• The municipality already has rules that allow small windmills under certain conditions
• Small windmills are possible, but your project needs permission to deviate from the current omgevingsplan (as was the case in our previous Hollands Kroon example)
• Local or provincial rules make the proposed location unsuitable

Step 3: Discuss the project with the municipality if needed

If the local policy is clear and your project fits neatly within it, the route forward may be relatively straightforward.

But if there is no dedicated policy, the environmental plan is unclear, or a BOPA may be required, booking a pre-consultation can be a useful next step.

During this meeting, the project can be discussed with the municipality before the formal application is submitted. This helps identify potential issues around the location, landscape, ecology, or other local requirements early in the process.

Step 4: Gather the documents for both sides of the application

Once you know which route applies, you can assemble your supporting documentation.

It helps to think about these in two groups.

For the technical side (technical permit), you may need:

• Technical specifications for the windmill
• Construction and foundation drawings
• Dimensions and height information
• Information demonstrating compliance with applicable technical and safety requirements

For the location side (environmental permit), the municipality may ask for:

• A site plan and overview map
• Ecological research
• Acoustic or shadow studies
• A landscape integration plan of the windmill
• Information about nearby buildings and infrastructure
• A participation plan, explaining how nearby residents have been informed or involved
• Other location-specific studies

The exact requirements differ by municipality and project.

Step 5: Involve your neighbors

Participation sits mainly on the location side of the process.

When applying for an environmental permit, you will be required to answer whether you have involved your neighbors and, if so, what that looked like and what came out of those discussions. Participation is not automatically required for every permit request, although municipalities can make it mandatory for certain BOPA applications.

In practice, we’ve seen that it’s worthwhile to involve nearby residents early on in your project process. Giving people a clear idea of what you are planning, where the turbine would be placed, and what they can expect can help address concerns before they turn into objections later on.

Step 6: Submit the permit application

Once the documents are ready, the application can be submitted through the Omgevingsloket.

This is where the two parts of the process come back together. If you need permission for both the technical building activity and the location, the relevant permit activities can be included in the same request through the portal. The Omgevingsloket then determines which party needs to handle the application.

The official decision period starts when the application is received.

Step 7: Wait for the assessments

The relevant parties will now assess the different parts of the project.

For the technical side of things, the assessment looks at whether the windmill meets the applicable technical requirements under the Bbl. The technical assessment does not decide whether the location itself is suitable.

For the location aspect, the project is assessed against the environmental plan and other applicable rules. If the proposal does not fit the environmental plan, the municipality may assess whether permission can be granted through a BOPA.

For the regular permit procedure, the normal decision period is 8 weeks. This can be extended once by up to 6 weeks. If formal approval from another government authority is required, the standard period becomes 12 weeks. A BOPA also usually follows this regular procedure.

However, the full process can take longer, as research, pre-consultation, and preparing the application all happen before or around that official decision period.

Step 8: Check the decision and prepare for installation

Once the required permissions have been granted, check the decision carefully before scheduling installation.

The decision will confirm:

• Which activities have been approved
• The exact location covered by the permit
• Any conditions that need to be met
• When the permit takes effect

Under the regular procedure, an environmental permit will generally take effect the day after the decision is published, while a six-week objection period begins at the same time. There are exceptions, so always check the effective date stated in your specific decision before starting work.

Once the necessary permissions are in effect and all permit conditions have been incorporated into the project, you can start the installation of your windmill.

Useful links for the permit process

If you’re researching a permit for a small wind turbine, these are some useful official starting points. We recommend bookmarking this page so you have the key links in one place when you need them.

• Omgevingsloket - For checking which rules apply to your location, doing a permit check, and submitting an application
  
  
• IPLO: building rules for wind turbines - For the national technical rules that apply to wind turbines
  
  
• IPLO: technical building permit - For more detail on how the technical side of a permit is assessed
  
  
• IPLO: BOPA explained - If your project does not fit directly within the municipality’s environmental plan
  
  
• IPLO: regular environmental permit procedure - For official information on the application process and decision periods
  
  
• Hollands Kroon: small wind turbine policy - fFor a practical example of how one municipality sets its local conditions

FAQ: Permit process for small windmills

Do you need a permit for a small wind turbine in the Netherlands?

Usually, yes. A turbine higher than 5 meters requires a permit for the technical building activity, and you also need to check whether the proposed location is allowed under your municipality’s environmental plan.

What are the two types of permits involved with a small wind turbine?

A small wind turbine may need a technical building permit, which covers the turbine itself, and location-based permission, which determines whether it can be placed at that specific location.

How do I know if my municipality allows small wind turbines?

Start with the Omgevingsloket to check the rules for your location. You should also look up whether your municipality has its own small-wind policy or kansenkaart. There is currently no single national overview covering every municipality.

How long does a small wind turbine permit take?

For the regular procedure, the official decision period is normally 8 weeks and can be extended by up to 6 weeks. The full process can take longer when pre-consultation, ecological research, participation, or additional documentation is needed.

Can Ecoways help with the permit application?

Yes. Ecoways can help check the local rules, prepare the required technical and location documents, coordinate pre-consultation where needed, and guide the permit application as part of the wider windmill project.

The Takeaway

For most small windmills, getting the go-ahead to build comes down to proving that the project is both technically compliant and suitable for the proposed location.

The technical side is largely determined by national rules. The location aspect is where municipalities, landscape requirements, and local policy come into play.

That makes it worth looking into permits early. A quick check can tell you whether the project has a clear route forward, additional research is needed, or another location on the farm would be more suitable.

The good news is that you don’t have to manage the process yourself. Ecoways can help check the local rules, prepare the required documents, coordinate with the municipality, and keep the application moving. That takes a lot of the paperwork and back-and-forth off your plate.

Considering a small windmill for your farm or business?

Get in touch, and we’ll help you work out what is possible.