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.
Temporary arrangement for long-distance lovers still applies
Do you have a relationship with a partner from abroad (outside the EU) who requires a visa and do you want to bring him or her to the Netherlands for a maximum of 90 days? Then you can still use the temporary arrangement for long-distance loved ones.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Can my family/partner who requires a visa travel to the Netherlands?
Do you have a partner or family living outside the EU and would you like to know whether they can travel to the Netherlands? You can read that here. Entry restrictions apply during the corona pandemic. But there are also exceptions. If you are fully vaccinated, you can travel to the Netherlands under certain conditions.
Changes for travelers to the Netherlands from outside the EU
On September 4, important changes came into effect for travelers who travel (back) to the Netherlands from abroad.
EU entry ban: Which foreigners can travel to the Netherlands
There are exceptions to the EU entry ban. This applies to travelers from safe countries and certain groups such as business travelers, students, highly skilled migrants, professionals from the cultural and creative sector and long-distance lovers. Fully vaccinated people are also allowed to enter the EU, unless they come from a country that has been designated as a very high-risk area due to the presence of a worrying variant.
Flight ban for the Netherlands replaced by quarantine rules
As of 1 June 2021, there will no longer be a flight ban in the Netherlands for persons from high-risk countries. This ban has been replaced by new quarantine rules.