Note: This information is no longer current. Since September 17, 2022, there are no longer any corona rules for travelers to the Netherlands. You can travel to the Netherlands without a long-distance relationship statement, proof of vaccination, proof of recovery or negative test result. If you are subject to a visa requirement, you must of course first apply for a Schengen visa.
The European Commission has asked the Schengen member states to start admitting third-country nationals again from 1 July. This will then concern countries outside Europe where the epidemiological situation is comparable to the countries in Europe or countries where the corona outbreak is under control.
In order to achieve this, the Member States must also re-issue Schengen visas start up. The European Commission has made a number of recommendations for this:
- Once travel restrictions are lifted for a particular country, all member states must restart visa facilities in that specific country.
- Persons classified as “essential travellers” must have a Schengen visa can apply even if general travel restrictions apply.
- With limited visa processing capacity, priority should be given to applications from essential travellers.
- Where possible, Member States should commit to resuming activities simultaneously in each location and, where appropriate, resume full representation of other Member States for processing visa applications.
- Member States should follow the general rules of the Visa code continue to apply when processing applications and issuing visas.
- Health checks on visa applications are ineffective and should not be imposed as applications are made at least 15 days before the planned trip and can take up to six months before (nine months for seafarers).
- In addition, the Commission recommends that Member States impose hygiene measures for both staff and applicants, including physical distancing, mandatory use of face masks, use of disinfectant gel, etc.
The EC also advises member states to make prior appointment mandatory and to limit physical interaction as much as possible. This can be done by enabling payment of fees via contactless systems such as online payment or remote payment.
As regards the processing of visa applications, the Commission stresses that the implementation of the common visa policy must remain uniform, as deviating from the general rules can lead to negative consequences.
“Member States should refrain from limiting the validity of visas, as this is not an effective tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In addition, possession of a visa does not give the holder an absolute right to cross the external border, as entry conditions under the Schengen Borders Code will be rechecked at the time of travel,” the Commission recommends.
Finally, the EC urges that as many multiple entry visas as possible (multiple entries), as long-validity visas reduce the workload for Member States' embassies as regular travelers need to apply for a new visa less often.
Source: Schengenvisainfo.com
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