Although travellers no longer have to show their passports when crossing borders between Schengen countries (see our section on Schengen), this does not mean that travelling within the Schengen Area is the same as travelling within a single country - many tourists will require a visa.
This visa is intended for you if you are not a Dutch national and need a visa to visit the Netherlands for a short stay of up to 90 days. The visa you will apply for is called a Schengen visa.
A Schengen visa is a visa for the Schengen Area: 25 countries with no border controls between them. The Schengen Area countries are the following: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
For the purpose of entering the Schengen area with a visa, the Schengen countries require visitors to obtain one common visa, for the entire Schengen Area. These countries have uniform requirements for entry and a common visa application form.
You can apply for your visa at any Schengen country's consulate or embassy, but it is expected that you will do it at either the embassy of the country that is the primary destintation of your trip, or the country which is the first point of entry for your trip. Each country charges different rates, but on average a Schengen visa will cost around €30.
Whether you need a Schengen visa depends on your nationality. The list for those that require a visa for a tourist visit to the Netherlands is listed here.
See the list here of countries whose nationals do not need a visa to travel to the Netherlands for up to 90 days (in any 6 month block).
If I don’t need a Schengen visa, are there any limitations on entering the Netherlands at any time?
As a rule, yes. If you do not need a visa, you may enter the Netherlands as long as you meet the following conditions:
• You have a valid passport,
• You have enough money (at least 34 euros for each day of your stay) and you have travel insurance that covers a minimum of €30,000,
• You have a bonafide reason for visiting the Netherlands (know which hotels you are staying at and where you plan on visiting),
• You are not considered a threat to public order, national security, or international relations.
If you have more than one nationality, whether you need a visa will depend on which passport you intend to travel on. If it is a passport of a country whose nationals need a visa, you will also need a visa, even if you have another nationality for which no visa is required. The country in which you are residing is irrelevant to whether you need a visa.
Nationals of certain countries will need an airport transit visa to change from one aircraft to another at an airport in a Schengen country (even if they do not go through security at the airport).
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Goed gezelschap maakt korte mijlen.
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