How do you apply for a short-stay Schengen visa?
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A Apply for a Schengen visa for the Netherlands is quite a job that you have to prepare well. That is why you will have to take plenty of time and sit well for it forms and supporting documents to be delivered correctly. When you make sure your application is complete and with the right documenten, then it is already 95% certain on average that you will receive a positive decision.
A visa application for the Netherlands can be submitted at the earliest 6 months and no later than 15 calendar days before the intended travel date. Our advice is to submit an application well in advance of the intended departure date. You must also start collecting and arranging mandatory documents such as the insurance for foreign guests.
The legal decision period for a Schengen visa is a maximum of 15 days. The legal decision period starts on the day that the visa application has been submitted and paid. If more research is needed, the decision period can be extended to a maximum of 30 days.
You must one Schengen visa always request in person if you have not yet provided biometric data. You then have your fingerprints taken. You do this when you submit your application. These remain valid for 59 months. For some applicants, such as children under the age of 12, this is not necessary. Have you provided biometrics (fingerprints and photo) within the last 59 months prior to your current application? Then you can choose to have your application submitted by someone else. You do not have to appear in person.
You always apply for a visa at the Dutch representation in your own country (country of origin). Or in the country where you live with a valid residence permit (country of residence).
Often you have to visa application submission to an external agency: the external service provider (EDV). The Dutch government uses this Vfs global. This office will receive the application and send it to the Dutch representation for processing. In this case, in addition to the costs for the visa application, you also pay an additional amount to the external service provider.
Never buy airline tickets before you are sure you will get the visa. A travel schedule (travel reservation to and from the Schengen area in your name) is sufficient for the visa application.
There are two types of short stay visa (Schengen visa):
- A single entry visa with a validity of up to 90 days. This allows you to stay in the Netherlands/Schengen area for a maximum of 1 days once.
- A multiple entry visa with a validity period of up to 5 years. This permit allows a maximum stay of 90 days per 180 days in the Netherlands/Schengen area. This does not have to be consecutive. You can also distribute this. But the foreigner may never stay in the Netherlands/Schengen area for more than 90 days out of 180 days.
The following applies to both visas: if one has had a consecutive stay of 90 days in the Netherlands or in one of the Schengen countries, the guest must wait at least 90 days before he/she can return to the Schengen area.
Schengen visa information by country
If you do not live in an EU country and want to travel to the Netherlands, there is a good chance that you will first have to apply for a short-stay Schengen visa. Examples include travelers from Turkey, Morocco en Russia. But also people from, for example Indonesia, China, India, Philippines en Thailand must first apply for a Schengen visa before they can visit the Netherlands or other Schengen countries. It's about so-called visa-requiring nationalities.
A traveler out Brazil, Ukraine (with biometric passport) or Canada on the other hand, does not have to apply for a visa for his trip to the Netherlands. These are nationalities that are exempt from a visa requirement.
We have for some countries the details regarding a visa application mention. You can read it here: Iran, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Egypt, Pakistan, Vietnam , United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Ghana, Oman, United States, Algeria, Jordan, Qatar, Syria, Dominican Republic, Suriname en Tunisia.
Frequently asked questions and answers about applying for a Schengen visa
If you have a visa-required nationality, yes. You can read that here: visa-requiring nationalities »
You must apply for a Schengen visa at the embassy of the country you intend to visit. If you plan to visit several Schengen states, you must apply for the visa at the embassy of the Schengen country where you will be staying the longest. If you plan to visit several Schengen states and will stay for the same length of time, you must apply for a visa at the embassy of the country whose external borders you will cross first upon entering the Schengen area.
That is possible, you have to pay extra for that and in the end you still do the work yourself because you have to provide all the documents. In addition, the use of a desk has no influence whatsoever on the decision-making process.
An application must match the situation of the applicant and possibly the referee. Someone claiming to have a full-time job in their country of origin or residence is not very credible when applying for a 90-day visa.
With a first visa application you are usually only eligible for a single entry. A visa can also be issued for two or multiple entries. It is therefore best for someone who travels frequently to ask for multiple entry. Substantiate this as well as possible to demonstrate that you want to travel frequently. If the embassy considers the foreign national bona fide and sees the need for multiple entries, there is a good chance of a multiple entry visa (MEV). If you have been to the Netherlands with a Schengen visa before without any problems, you can apply for a multi-entry next time.
Yes that is allowed. You do not necessarily have to arrive via the Netherlands, provided you make it plausible that the Netherlands is still the main purpose of the trip. You are then free, for example, to cross the external border via Germany and to travel from there to the Netherlands. Make sure you have all supporting documents for your visa application with you.
In normal situations, the embassy will make a decision within 15 calendar days. This decision period is determined by law and is included in the European Visa Code (Term Regulation (EC) 810/2009). The legal decision period starts on the day the visa application is received by the embassy. In some cases, more time is needed to conduct research. In that case, the decision period can be extended to a maximum of 30 days. If this is the case, you will be notified by the IND. If additional documents are required, this period may be extended to 60 days in exceptional cases.
A Schengen visa application can be submitted at the earliest 6 months and at the latest 15 calendar days (due to the normal maximum decision period) before the start of the intended travel date. It is therefore advisable to submit the application well in advance, preferably at least one month before the intended departure date.
Some Schengen states want to know from each other who is applying for a visa. This check (consultation) is mandatory for some nationalities and can take up to 7 days. Your application will also be checked in the Schengen Information System (SIS II). Your application details are also checked and stored in the Visa Information System (VIS). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs works with Information Supported Decisions to make better and faster decisions about your visa application.
A visa for a short stay (up to 90 days) costs € 80 For children aged 6 to 12: € 40 For children up to 6 years of age: € 0 The costs for the VFS service fee Global may amount to a maximum of € 40 (half of the fee for a visa application).
A visa application starts with filling in a visa application form and then collecting the required documents such as proof of a medical travel insurance. It is best to use the checklist from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
You must have a valid passport not older than 10 years. You may not pose a threat to public order, national security or the international relations of one of the Schengen countries.
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