In 2020, considerably fewer foreign visa holders traveled to the Netherlands with a Schengen visa for a short stay. In 2019, 739.967 visa applications were registered, in 2020 that number fell to 169.620, a decrease of no less than 77 percent. The forecast for 2021 is that the number of visa applications will be a maximum of 145.000.
Applying for a Schengen visa during the corona pandemic
Those who want to travel to the Netherlands from abroad and are not an EU citizen will have to deal with strict entry conditions that have been introduced to combat the corona pandemic. For example, there is a ban on non-essential travel for travelers who are not on the list of safe countries.
The Netherlands: Entry ban for Canada, Georgia and Tunisia
From 27 October 2020, the Netherlands will reinstate the entry ban for travelers with permanent residence in Georgia, Tunisia and Canada. This decision was taken on the basis of a risk assessment with criteria that are as objective as possible about the health situation in those countries and the measures in force there.
Entry ban and travel restrictions for the Netherlands due to Corona
Due to the corona crisis, travel restrictions or sometimes an entry ban apply to travelers from outside the EU who want to travel to the Netherlands. However, there are also exceptions such as for essential travel and long-distance relationships.
Short-stay visa (Schengen visa) and the corona crisis
Read frequently asked questions and answers about short-stay (Schengen) visas during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Entry ban for Serbia and Montenegro
As of 8 July 2020, the Netherlands has reintroduced the entry ban for Serbia and Montenegro. This decision was taken on the basis of a risk assessment with criteria that are as objective as possible about the health situation in those countries and the measures in force there.