Frequently used terms and concepts with a Schengen visa
Below are frequently used terms and concepts with a brief explanation, which you may encounter when it comes to applying for a Schengen visa.
Apostillation : The (legal) certification by a competent authority of declarations, signatures, etc. (by affixing the necessary stamps, etc.). For example, after the translation of an official document, it must also be apostilled.
Appeal : In the event of a negative decision on your notice of objection following a visa rejection, you can appeal to the court. More information: Objection and appeal »
Decision : This is a (written) decision by the government. A foreign national who has submitted a visa application is informed of the decision via a decision. The verbal notification by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee that you are not admitted to the Netherlands is also a decision against which you can lodge an objection.
Objection : If your visa application has been rejected, you can lodge an objection. If the objection is unsuccessful, you can appeal to a court. More information: Objection and appeal »
Biometrics : Passport photos and fingerprinting. More information: Biometrics »
Consular Service Organisation (CSO) : Since 8 January 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been working with one CSO. Prior to that date, various RSOs (Regional Service Organisations) were used. The former RSOs have been centralized in The Hague. The CSO is subdivided into three clusters.
Consular Affairs : Department at the embassy responsible for issuing travel documents (passports for citizens of the country of origin and visas for citizens of the host country).
Third countries : These are countries that are not members of the European Union. The term 'third countries' is also often used when referring to agreements between two or more EU member states and another country.
EES: This is the abbreviation for the EU Entry-Exit System. To enhance security in the EU, the EU will use a new entry and exit system at the external borders of the Schengen area starting in 2020. More information: EES »
ETIAS : European Travel Information and Authorisation System introduced by the EU in 2021 for visa-exempt nationalities. More information: ETIAS »
EU citizen/national : All citizens of countries belonging to the EU.
EU/EEA (EEA) : European Union, European Economic Area. Cooperation of European countries.
EU Visa Code : This is EU Regulation 810/2009/EC , which sets out the uniform visa rules for all Schengen countries. More information: EU Visa Code »
European Union : The European Union (EU) is an economic and political cooperation of 28 European countries (member states). These countries have granted the EU powers to pursue common European policy. The Netherlands is part of the EU.
Europol : Europol (European Police Office) is a multinational investigative organization and the cooperation body of the police services of the European Union.
External Service Provider (ESP) : External service providers are internationally operating commercial companies engaged and managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the visa process for the intake of visa applications and the issuance of visas. An example of this is VFS Global.
Schengen Visitor Insurance OOM
Please note: Allianz no longer offers Travel Risk Insurance for a Schengen visa. Fortunately, there is an excellent alternative: the Schengen Visitor insurance from OOM Insurance. This Dutch insurer from Rijswijk specializes in Schengen insurance.
The policy offers visa guarantee (if the visa is rejected, you will get the premium back) and extensive coverage up to €500.000. With a low premium starting at €1,60 per day, it is a reliable and affordable choice. You can take out the policy online immediately, and you will receive it within an hour.
✔ Meets all requirements for a Schengen visa application with ease.
✔ Affordable and good: From just €1,60 per person per day.
✔ The policy by email within 1 hour (iDEAL, credit card or PayPal).
✔ Also for persons over 70 years of age
✔ Coverage for medical expenses up to a maximum of €500.000
✔ VISA GUARANTEE: If your Schengen visa is rejected, you will receive a refund of the premium.
✔ Liability can optionally be included in the insurance.
The Schengen Visitor insurance is the best choice for a successful Schengen visa application!
Would you prefer to receive the policy in English? Click here: Calculate premium and finalize.
More information about OOM's Schengen insurance:
- Coverage overview Schengen Visitor Insurance
- Policy conditions Schengen Visitor Insurance
- Schengen Visitor Insurance Insurance Card
Guarantor : Someone who provides a financial guarantee for a foreign national subject to visa requirements.
Guarantee : Completing the Proof of Guarantee and/or Provision of Accommodation form and the legalisation of the signature by the municipality. More information: Guarantee »
Information-Supported Decision Making : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs uses a data-analysis-based method, Information-Supported Decision Making, for visa applications. More information: Information-Supported Decision Making »
IND : The IND is the Immigration and Naturalisation Service of the Ministry of Justice. More information: IND »
Entry ban : If the validity of your visa has expired, you must leave the Netherlands and the Schengen area. If you do not, you may receive an entry ban for Europe. More information: Entry ban »
KMar : Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the border guard at the Dutch border and at airports such as Schiphol.
Legalizing a signature : Legalization of a signature means that a civil servant declares, on behalf of the mayor, that your signature on a specific document is 'authentic'. More information: Legalization of signature »
Fees : Fees are an amount that must be paid to the government for the use of their services or products. More information: Fees »
Accommodation provider : The private accommodation provider is the person with whom the visa applicant will stay in the Netherlands on the basis of a short-stay visa. More information: Accommodation provision »
Medical travel insurance : Travel insurance for foreigners that is valid in the EU and provides coverage for, among other things, emergency medical assistance and repatriation. More information: Medical travel insurance »
MEV : Multiple entry visa.
MVV : This stands for Machtiging Voorlopig Verblijf (Authorization for Provisional Residence) and is a type of visa that allows a foreign national to travel to the Netherlands to apply for a residence permit. Before the MVV is granted, it is checked whether the foreign national meets all the conditions for staying in the Netherlands. The MVV is applied for and issued at a Dutch embassy or consulate. More information: Machtiging Voorlopig Verblijf »
Dutch resident : A resident is another word for an inhabitant of a particular country. The person must actually be registered in the Netherlands and live there as well. A non-Dutch resident is someone who does not live in the Netherlands.
Right to free movement : For family members of EU/EEA nationals and citizens of Switzerland who exercise (or have exercised) their right to free movement, there are special arrangements for visiting Schengen states: More information: Right to free movement »
Referee : The referrer is the person or organization in the Netherlands who invited you and with whom you wish to stay. The referrer acts as a contact person and may be asked to provide more information regarding the background of the visa application. The referrer may also act as a guarantor.
Traveling with minor children : For travel to the Netherlands with children under the age of 18, additional rules apply, such as mandatory forms and identity checks. More information: Traveling with children »
Schengen Area : See Schengen countries.
Schengen countries : Schengen countries are 27 countries between which no border controls for persons take place. Therefore, within the Schengen area, there are no checks at the border. This is laid down in the Schengen Border Code and the Schengen Implementing Agreement (SIA), which stem from the Schengen Agreement, also known as the Schengen Treaty. The Schengen countries have made joint agreements regarding visa policy, asylum policy, and cooperation between police and judicial authorities. More information: Schengen countries »
Schengen States : See Schengen countries.
Schengen insurance : Schengen insurance is medical travel insurance required for a Schengen visa application. When applying for or collecting a Schengen visa for the Netherlands, the visa applicant must be able to demonstrate that insurance has been taken out. The reason for this is that Schengen countries do not wish to bear the potential costs of a foreign guest, such as hospital expenses. Insurance also provides (financial) protection for a guarantor.
Schengen visa/Schengen visas : The Short-Stay Visa (or C-visa). With this, a foreign national may travel freely within the Schengen area. A Schengen visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days. More information: Schengen visa »
Schengen Area : The 27 countries that are part of the Schengen Agreement.
SIS : Schengen Information System , EU register with international investigative information.
SOLVIT : A kind of online ombudsman that mediates cross-border problems and complaints from EU citizens and businesses regarding infringements of their EU rights by public authorities in EU countries, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein: Solvit »
Emergency visa : For visiting family in the Netherlands due to the death or terminal illness of a person. An emergency visa is usually not a Schengen visa and only grants entry to the Netherlands. More information: Emergency visa »
TEV : Access and Residence procedure , an application to the IND for migration and settlement in the Netherlands.
Travel Risk Insurance : The medical travel insurance from Allianz Global Assistance that is suitable for applying for a Schengen visa. More information: Travel Risk Insurance »
Invitation letter : An outdated term; the Proof of Guarantee and/or Provision of Accommodation form is now used for this. More information: Invitation letter »
V-number : 10-digit foreigner number. This is a unique number used to identify every foreign national by the embassy, IND, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, Aliens Police, etc.
VAC : Visa Application Centre. An external submission point for applications.
Schengen Agreement : The Schengen Agreement aims to abolish controls at the common borders between the 26 participating countries. In addition, the agreement provides for the establishment of a system for the free movement of all citizens from the participating states, the other states of the European Union, and a number of third countries. The name comes from the Luxembourg town of Schengen, where the agreement was signed on June 14, 1985.
VFS Global : A private company designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an external service provider. More information: VFS Global »
VIS : Visa Information System, EU system for the mutual exchange of visa-related data. More information: Visa Information System »
Visa : The word 'visa' comes from the Latin charta visa: 'document that has been viewed'. In some languages, such as English and French, the singular form of the word visa is therefore visa. In Dutch and German, for example, visa is the plural of visum.
Visa required : A person with a specific nationality who must apply for a visa for their trip to the Netherlands or other Schengen countries. More information: Nationalities requiring a visa »
Visa sticker : A sticker that is affixed to your passport: the Short-Stay Visa type C (Schengen visa). More information: Visa sticker »
Visa-free travel : 62 nationalities may travel to the Schengen area visa-free. More information: Visa-free travel »
VKV : Short-stay visa , Schengen visa type C. Visa for a stay of up to 90 days, also known as a Schengen visa.
Foreign national : A person who does not have Dutch nationality and is not treated as a Dutch national on the basis of a statutory provision.
Aliens Police (AVIM) : The Aliens Police, Identification and Human Trafficking Department (AVIM) monitors compliance with the Aliens Act. Furthermore, the Aliens Police conducts identity investigations and combats criminal activities such as human smuggling.
