Schengen Visa Part 3: How do you apply for a Schengen Visa?

How do I apply for a visa for the Netherlands?

You can apply for a visa at the Dutch mission (embassy or consulate) in the country where you live. You can also apply for a visa at a mission of another Schengen country representing the Netherlands in the country where you live. A Schengen visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days stay in any 180-days period (short stay visa). You may also stay for longer in the Netherlands. You may need an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV). You can apply to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) for an MVV.

Single-entry Schengen visa

It is not possible for someone in the Netherlands to apply for a Schengen visa on your behalf. This is because you must submit biometric information (10 fingerprints and a digital photo). This information is saved in the Visa Information System (VIS). Fingerprints stored in this Europe-wide database can be used if you apply for a visa again in the next five years.

The list of embassies responsible for short-stay visas for the Netherlands shows you where you can apply for a visa in each country. On the websites of these embassies you will find lists of documents to be submitted for e.g. tourist visa, business visa and visa for visits to family and friends.
Multiple-entry Schengen visa

When you apply for a Schengen visa you should specify that you need a multiple-entry visa. If such a visa is granted, it allows you to stay up to a maximum of 90 days in any 180 days period.

Applying for a visa for longer than 90 days: authorisation for temporary stay (MVV)
Do you want to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 90 days? You may need an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV). You can read more about the application procedure for an MVV on the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

Transit visa or airport transit visa
If you make a stopover at the airport in the Netherlands? Then you may need a visa to transit. This visa is called airport transit visa or Type A visa. Whether you need an airport transit visa or not depends on your nationality. With an airport transit visa you may only change to another airplane to a destination outside the Schengen area. You may not leave the airport and you do not have access to the Schengen area. When you are traveling from the airport (by plane, car, train or bus) to another Schengen country, you need a Schengen visa (C-visa).

Processing times for visa applications
The processing of visa applications usually takes up to 15 days. But it can sometimes take up to 60 days, if more information is needed. For instance, you may need to undergo screening. You cannot apply for a visa more than 3 months before your intended departure.

Questions about visas: IND
The Dutch mission may not be able to answer all your questions about visas. For more information, contact the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

Visa application fees
The fee for a Schengen or transit visa is € 60. Visas for children aged 6 to 11 cost € 35. There is no charge for visas for children aged 5 and under.

Adult visa applicants from the following countries pay a reduced fee of € 35:
Armenia
Azerbeidzjan
Georgia
Kosovo
Ukraine
Russia

Fees for an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV) vary. The IND also sets certain income requirements.

Next time I will blog about the opportunities to study in the Netherlands. Stay tuned!

Schengen Visa Part 2: In which countries is a Schengen Visa required?

In part 2 about my information about the Schengen Visa, here is the list for which countries is a Schengen Visa required.

A) List of third countries whose nationals must be in possession of a visa when crossing
the external borders
AFGHANISTAN
ALGERIA
ANGOLA
ARMENIA
AZERBAIJAN
BAHRAIN
BANGLADESH
BELARUS
BELIZE
BENIN
BHUTAN
BOLIVIA
BOTSWANA
BURKINA FASO
BURMA/MYANMAR
BURUNDI
CAMBODIA
CAMEROON
CAPE VERDE
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
CHAD
CHINA
COMOROS
CONGO
COTE D'IVOIRE
CUBA
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
DJIBOUTI
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
ECUADOR
EGYPT
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
ERITREA
ETHIOPIA
FIJI
GABON
GAMBIA
GEORGIA
GHANA
GUINEA
GUINEA-BISSAU
GUYANA
Annex 1
HAITI
INDIA
INDONESIA
IRAN
IRAQ
JAMAICA
JORDAN
KAZAKHSTAN
KENYA
KUWAIT
KYRGYZSTAN
LAOS
LEBANON
LESOTHO
LIBERIA
LIBYA
MADAGASCAR
MALAWI
MALDIVES
MALI
MAURITANIA
MONGOLIA
MOROCCO
MOZAMBIQUE
NAMIBIA
NAURU
NEPAL
NIGER
NIGERIA
NORTH KOREA
OMAN
PAKISTAN
PAPUA NEWGUINEA
PHILIPPINES
QATAR
RUSSIA
RWANDA
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
SAUDI ARABIA
SENEGAL
SIERRA LEONE
SOMALIA
SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH SUDAN
SRI LANKA
SUDAN
SURINAME
SWAZILAND
SYRIA
TAJIKISTAN
TANZANIA
THAILAND
Annex 1
TOGO
TUNISIA
TURKEY
TURKMENISTAN
UGANDA
UKRAINE
UZBEKISTAN
VIETNAM
YEMEN
ZAMBIA
ZIMBABWE
KOSOVO (Entities and territorial authorities not recognised as States by at least one Member State)
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (Entities and territorial authorities not recognised as States by at least one Member State)

B) List of third countries whose nationals are exempted from holding a visa when crossing
the external borders
ALBANIA
ANDORRA
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
ARGENTINA
AUSTRALIA
BAHAMAS
BARBADOS
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
BRAZIL
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
CANADA
CHILE
COLOMBIA
COSTA RICA
DOMINICA
EL SALVADOR
FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OFMACEDONIA
GRENADA
GUATEMALA
HOLY SEE (STATE OF THE VATICAN)
HONDURAS
ISRAEL
JAPAN
KIRIBATI
MALAYSIA
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MAURITIUS
MEXICO
MICRONESIA
MOLDOVA, REPUBLIC OF
MONACO
MONTENEGRO
NEWZEALAND
NICARAGUA
PALAU
PANAMA
PARAGUAY
PERU
SAMOA
SAN MARINO
SEYCHELLES
SERBIA
SINGAPORE
SOLOMON ISLANDS
SOUTH KOREA
ST KITTS AND NEVIS
ST LUCIA
ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
TIMOR-LESTE
TONGA
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
TUVALU
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
URUGUAY
VANUATU
VENEZUELA
HONG KONG (The visa exemption applies only to holders of a "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" passport)
MACAO (The visa exemption applies only to holders of a "Região Administrativa Especial de Macau" passport.)
TAIWAN

In Schengen Visa Part we will tell you how to apply for a Schengen Visa. Stay tuned!

Schengen Visa Part 1: What and when a Schengen Visa

If you want to visit the Netherlands from outside of Europe, you will need a Schengen Visa. On this day I will explain everything about it.

Which visa do I need to travel to the Netherlands?

You may need a Schengen visa to stay in the Netherlands for a period of maximum 90 days in any 180-days period (short stay visa). Do you want to pass through the Netherlands? You may need a transit visa. Different rules apply if you wish to stay longer than 90 days in the Netherlands. In that ca
se you may require an authorization for temporary stay: 'machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf' (MVV).Whether you need a Schengen visa or not depends on your nationality.

Schengen visa: where and how to apply?
If you intend to travel in more than one country in the Schengen area, you must apply for a visa at the mission of the Schengen country where you intend to stay longest. If you intend to stay in each Schengen country for the same length of time, you must apply for the visa at the mission of the Schengen country to which you will travel first when entering the Schengen area.

Do you intend to travel to the Netherlands as your main destination? You will have to apply for a Schengen visa at one of the embassies or consulates of the Netherlands. In general, you must apply for a Schengen visa at the embassy or consulate in the country where you legally reside.

Is there no embassy or consulate of the Netherlands in the country where you reside? The list of embassies and consulates responsible for short stay (Schengen) visa for the Netherlands shows where you can apply for a visa in each country.

If no embassy or consulate is available and there are no visa representation arrangements with other Schengen countries, apply at an embassy or consulate of the Netherlands in a country nearby.

An application for a Schengen visa must be submitted to the consulate at least 15 working days before the intended visit. In general, an application cannot be lodged earlier than 3 months before the start of the intended journey.

Transit visa or airport transit visa
Do you make a stopover at the airport in the Netherlands? Then you may need a visa to transit. This visa is called airport transit visa or Type A visa. Whether you need an airport transit visa or not depends on your nationality. With an airport transit visa you may only change to another airplane to a destination outside the Schengen area. You may not leave the airport and you do not have access to the Schengen area. When you are traveling from the airport (by plane, car, train or bus) to another Schengen country, you need a Schengen visa (C-visa).

Taking supporting documents with you when travelling on a Schengen visa
A short stay Schengen visa does not automatically entitle you to enter the Schengen area. At the border or during other controls you may, for instance, have to provide information on your means of support, how long you intend to stay in the Schengen country, and why you are visiting the Schengen country.

You also should be able to prove you have sufficient funds for your stay in the Schengen area. In the Netherlands this is a minimum of € 34 per person per day. In some cases, such checks may result in a refusal for the visa holder to enter the Schengen country or the Schengen area.

It is therefore recommended that you carry with you copies of the documents which you presented when you applied for the visa (for example letters of invitation, travel confirmations, medical health insurance, other documents stating the purpose of your stay). This will help to make the border control procedure easier and avoid delays at the border.

Visa for staying in the Netherlands for longer than 90 days: authorization for temporary stay (MVV)
Do you want to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 90 days? You may need an authorization for temporary stay: a 'machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf' (MVV). Read more about the application procedure for an MVV on ind.nl.

Visiting the Netherlands without a visa
In a few cases you can visit the Netherlands without a visa. For example, if your nationality is on the list of nationalities that do not require a Schengen visa, you may stay in the Netherlands for a period of maximum 90 days in any 180-days period.

If you wish to stay longer than 90 days in the Netherlands, you may not need an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV). This applies for example to residents of the EU and their family members. You can read more about this on the IND's page on registration for EU citizens.

You can visit Aruba, Curaçao, St Maarten, Bonaire, St Eustatius or Saba without a visa if your nationality is on the list of countries whose nationals do not require a Caribbean visa.

End Schengen

So far part 1 of the Schengen Visa. Tommorow I will explain how to get a Schengen Visa and wich rules there for it.

Goodmorning from the Netherlands! This day we are starting at the dutch is land of Texel! Have a good day!

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Read everything about it here on the official site of the Dutch Public Transport organisation!

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