The Netherlands, like 26 other EU countries, is part of the Schengen zone, also known as the Schengen area. What does that mean for Dutch citizens and foreign visitors from outside the EU?
Going to Europe with a Schengen visa is becoming more difficult for Russians
From September 12, it will be more difficult for Russian tourists to travel to Europe. A visa agreement between Russia and the EU, which was concluded before the war, is suspended as long as the war lasts.
The Netherlands supports European ban on Schengen visas for Russian tourists
The Netherlands advocates that Russian tourists no longer receive a Schengen visa in order to travel to Europe. That is what Minister Wopke Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs says to RTL Nieuws. In the coming days, the European foreign ministers will meet in Prague on this subject.
EU postpones launch of ETIAS to November 2023
The European Union has postponed the launch of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) by another six months to November 2023.
EU wants to lift Schengen visa requirements for Qatar and Kuwait
Under this proposal, nationals of Qatar and Kuwait holding biometric passports would no longer need a visa when traveling to the EU for a short stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period for business, tourism or family purposes .
EU wants to digitize Schengen visa application
The European Commission is working on the possibility of applying for a Schengen visa online and replacing the visa sticker. This digitization should put an end to the bureaucratic and cumbersome method that is currently used. The aim is to fully digitize visa procedures by mid-2025.