Topics on this page:
- Visit from Russia and apply for a Schengen visa for the Netherlands
- What is a short-stay Schengen visa?
- What is the validity period of a Schengen visa for travelers from the Russian Federation?
- Where should someone from Russia apply for a Schengen visa?
- Dutch embassy in Moscow
- Documents required for a visa application
- Medical travel insurance? Choose a Dutch insurer!
- Frequently asked questions and answers about a Schengen visa from Russia to the Netherlands (FAQ)
Visit from Russia and apply for a Schengen visa for the Netherlands
If you want to bring family, friends or a partner from Russia to the Netherlands, you must apply for a Schengen visa. Persons from the Russian Federation are required to have a visa for all Schengen countries.
What is a short-stay Schengen visa?
A Schengen visa is a joint visa for all Schengen states and gives access to the 26 Schengen member states in Europe. You can travel through a large part of Europe with a Schengen visa without having to apply for a separate visa for each country.
What is the validity period of a Schengen visa for travelers from the Russian Federation?
The stay in the Schengen area is limited to a maximum of 90 days within a period of 180 days for visa-requiring and non-visa-requiring persons from outside the EU.
This means that a Russian who has been in the Schengen area for 90 days may only return to the Netherlands after he has been outside the Schengen area for 90 days.
A Schengen visa is in principle valid for 6 months from the date of issue. The stay in the Schengen area must take place within these 6 months. The return journey may therefore not take place after the expiry date.
Where should someone from Russia apply for a Schengen visa?
The Dutch embassy in Moscow uses the services of the external service provider VFS Global. You can submit a visa application at the nearest VFS Global office. For all questions, please contact the call center number: +7 (499) 709 83 38 or +7 (499) 703 36 75 (Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 18:00). You may also contact VFS Global by email at info.nethrus@vfsglobal.com .
VFS Global has offices in the following cities in the Russian Federation:
- MOSCOW – Address: Business Center “Sirius Park”, Kashirskoe shosse, 3 bld 2/9 Moscow, 115230
- ST. PETERSBURG - Address: Bolshaya Raznochinnaya, 16/7. Entrance from the side of Chkalovsky prospect, Business Center “Chkalovsky”, St.Petersburg, 197110
- ROSTOV ON DON – Address: 24 / 2v Trolleybusnaya street, 2 floor, Rostov on Don, 344065
- KAZAN – Address: 420021, Kazan, Parizhskoy Kommuny str. 8 (entrance from Moskovskaya street)
- YEKATERINBURG – Address: Yekaterinburg, Kuibysheva str. 44, 2nd floor Panorama Business Hotel
- KRASNODAR – Address: Akademika Pavlova str., 64
- NOVOSIBIRSK – Address: 630132, Novosibirsk, Cheluskintsev str., 15,
- SAMARA – Address: 443001, Samara, Michurina str., 78, office 2, 2nd floor, business trade “Millenium”.
- VLADIVOSTOK – Address: 690091, Vladivostok, Okeanskiy prospect, 17, office 601
Dutch embassy in Moscow
Contact information
- Ambassador: Renée Jones-Bos
- Address: Kalashny Pereulok 6, 115127 Moscow
- Phone: +74957972900 – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Out-of-hours emergencies: +31 247 247 247
- Fax: + 74957972904
- Email: mos@minbuza.nl
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9.00:13.00 - 14.00:17.00 and XNUMX:XNUMX - XNUMX:XNUMX. Check the days on which the embassy closed is.
Contact details for the Consular Section
- Telephone: +7 495 797 29 79 (14:00 PM – 16:00 PM)
- Email: mos-ca@minbuza.nl
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 8.30:10.30 am – 14.00:15.00 am and XNUMX:XNUMX pm – XNUMX:XNUMX pm (by appointment only, unless otherwise specified)
Documents required for a visa application
For a private visit to the Netherlands, your family, friend or partner from Russia can apply for a Short Stay Visa (Schengen Visa). This visa is also called a tourist visa. The following documents, among others, are required for this:
- Fully completed and signed visa application form.
- Two recent passport photos.
- Passport valid for at least three months after the expiry of the desired visa.
- Travel insurance valid for all Schengen countries with a minimum cover of €30.000 for urgent medical treatment, hospitalization and repatriation.
- Official written letter of guarantee/invitation from the sponsor, legalized by the municipality.
The complete list of required documents can be found on the VFS Global website.
Medical travel insurance? Choose a Dutch insurer!
When taking out medical travel insurance, it is important to choose a reliable insurer. There are reports that there are quite a few scams with these insurance policies in Russia. VFS Global also warns about this on their website:
Dear Applicants, Please note that Medical Insurance is a mandatory document. We request that you purchase insurance from an authorized agency. We are unable to guarantee the authenticity of policy purchased from any other sources.
Allianz Global Assistance's Travel Risk Insurance is accepted at all Dutch embassies. You will also receive a refund of the costs paid if a visa application is rejected.
Medical travel insurance and guarantee
If you guarantee a foreign guest or partner who wants to visit the Netherlands, it is advisable to take out medical travel insurance yourself. Not only is this a requirement for your guest's visa application, but it also provides financial protection for you. As a guarantor, you are financially responsible for any medical costs that your guest incurs during their stay in the Netherlands, and these costs can be significant.
By taking out the insurance yourself and sending the policy to the visa applicant by email, you have control over the process. It is advisable to ensure that you are the policyholder (the person paying the premium) and that your guest is the insured person. A major advantage of this is that any damage payments are transferred to you instead of to your guest's bank account.
A good option for this situation is Travel Risk Insurance from Allianz Global Assistance. This is an excellent travel medical insurance policy specifically designed for Schengen visa applications. It provides the necessary coverage and meets the requirements for obtaining a Schengen visa. By taking out this insurance, you ensure that you meet the visa requirements and offer both yourself and your guest financial protection during their stay in the Netherlands.
Please note: This insurance must be taken out before leaving Russia and the travel insurance can only be taken out for persons under the age of 70! Is your guest 70 years or older? Read more information for an alternative here: Schengen travel insurance for persons aged 70 and older.
Stake out Schengen insurance with a Dutch insurer
Taking out medical Schengen insurance with a Dutch insurer has several advantages, especially for those who guarantee a foreign guest or partner. Some important benefits are:
- Dutch law: By choosing a Dutch insurer, the insurance falls under the Dutch legal system. This means that you as a consumer are protected by Dutch law, which offers you rights and guarantees.
- Strict supervision: Dutch insurers are under strict supervision by Dutch supervisors, such as the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) and De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB). This supervision ensures that these insurers are reliable and meet high quality and integrity requirements.
- Reliability: In general, Dutch insurers are considered more reliable than some foreign insurers. This is due to the strict supervision and good reputation of the Dutch insurance market.
- Ease of communication: If you take out insurance with a Dutch insurer, you can communicate in your own language. This is particularly useful for questions, problems or claims. It prevents language barriers and makes the process easier and more understandable.
- No International Call Charges: You do not have to call abroad for questions or claims, which prevents costs and possible complications with international calls.
All these factors make taking out Schengen travel insurance with a Dutch insurer an attractive choice, especially in case of high costs or complex situations. It provides security, convenience and accessibility, contributing to a smoother experience for both the guarantor and the visa applicant.
Allianz Travel Risk Insurance for Schengen Visas
| Premium per person per day | from € 2,- | |
| Maximum age up to | 70 years | |
| SOS costs (including assistance, rescue and search) | ✔ | |
| Medical costs (including hospital, specialist and doctors) | ✔ | |
| Illness, accident or loss of the insured | ✔ | |
| Accident or death of non-accompanying family of the insured | ✔ | |
| Death of co-insured travel companion | ✔ | |
| Repatriation (including ambulance plane and transport of mortal remains) | ✔ | |
| Funeral/cremation costs and family travel costs | ✔ | |
| Travel documents (purchase costs) | ✔ | |
| Replacement clothing and/or toiletries | ✔ | |
| Damage to lodgings | ✔ | |
| Damage to insured property in the country of origin | ✔ | |
| Forced delay | ✔ | |
| Options to be insured: | ||
| Winter sports and special sports | ✔ | |
| Cancellation | ✔ | |
| Global coverage | ✔ |
Take out medical travel insurance here!
The Travel Risk Insurance from Allianz Global Assistance is an international medical travel insurance for foreign travelers under the age of 70 who do not live in the Netherlands. The insurance is the best choice for applying for a Schengen visa and meets all requirements.
Taking out Travel Risk Insurance is simple and fast. You will receive the policy within 24 hours by e-mail on working days (if you want it sooner, please call or send a message).
√ EU approved medical insurance for foreign travelers.
√ Schengen visa guarantee: In case of visa rejection, you do not have to pay.
√ Medical costs covered up to € 30.000. Repatriation: all necessary costs.
√ Policy conditions in Dutch and/or English.
√ Expandable with coverage for special sports and world coverage.
√ Cancellation insurance is possible (provided the trip is booked with a Dutch tour operator).
Insurance Card Travel Risk Insurance »
Insurance conditions Travel Risk Insurance in Dutch »
Insurance terms and conditions Travel Risk Insurance in English »
Allianz Global Assistance is the largest travel insurance and assistance provider in the world. The trusted address to take out medical travel insurance online!
Frequently asked questions and answers about a Schengen visa from Russia to the Netherlands (FAQ)
Yes, Russians are required to have a visa for the Netherlands and the Schengen area.
De Travel Risk Insurance from Allianz Global Assistance is an excellent insurance for travelers from Russia as it meets all requirements and is always accepted by the embassy and VFS Global. Allianz Global Assistance is the largest travel insurer in the world and has been chosen several times as the best travel insurer in the Netherlands.
Yes, we recommend that too. Foreign insurers can be less reliable. The medical travel insurance may be taken out by a guarantor, sponsor or family member in the Netherlands. The sponsor is then the policyholder and the visa applicant is the insured.
No, if the visa has been rejected and the insurance has not yet taken effect, the policy will be canceled and you will not have to pay anything. So you run no risk.
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 from Russia to ask for multiple entry. If you have been to the Netherlands with a Schengen visa before without any problems, you can apply for a multi-entry next time.
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 for the Netherlands can be submitted at the earliest 6 months and at the latest 15 calendar days (due to the normal maximum decision period) before 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.
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 for the Netherlands starts with filling in a visa application form and then collecting the mandatory documents such as proof of travel medical insurance. It is best to use the checklist from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
You must have a valid Russian biometric 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. In addition, there are a number of conditions, which you can read here: about the visa procedure »
