For Turkish travelers who want to transfer at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, the so-called transit passengers, different rules will apply from 1 December 2022. From that date Turks who want to transfer at Schiphol to another flight, first a airport transit visa .
Without this Schengen visa the airline may refuse to allow you to board the aircraft. You make a transfer at a Dutch airport if:
- You change planes on your way to your next destination, without leaving the international transit zone. So you do not go through passport control.
- Your plane has a stopover. And you wait on the plane or in the international transit area for your plane to depart for your next destination.
What is an Airport Transit Visa?
With the airport transit visam you may transfer at a Dutch airport to a destination outside the Schengen area. The visum (also known as A visa) does not give access to the Netherlands or another Schengen country. You are therefore not allowed to leave the airport and the international zone of the airport.
I am Turkish, do I need a visa for a transfer in the Netherlands?
Do you have Turkish nationality? And are you making a transfer at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on or after 1 December 2022? Due to new rules you need an airport transit visa. Unless one of the exception rules applies to you.
Exceptions: no visa required
You do not need an airport transit visa for your transfer in Amsterdam if one of the following situations applies to you:
- You have a valid Schengen visa.
- You have a valid long-stay visa (mvv) issued by a country in the Schengen area for a country in the EU or EEA, Canada, the United States or Japan.
- You have a valid residence permit issued by a country in the Schengen area, Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States.
- You have a valid Caribbean visa or residence permit for 1 or more Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba).
- You travel with a Turkish diplomatic, service or service passport.
- You are related to someone with the nationality of a country in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.
- You are an airplane crew. And the airline is registered in a country that is a party to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).
Apply for airport transit visa in Turkey
Do you live in Turkey? And do you want to apply for an airport transit visa for the Netherlands? Check out which rules apply and how to apply for a visa.
What do I need?
- You must present a passport or other travel document with at least 2 blank pages. Your travel document must have been issued within the past 10 years. It must be valid for at least 3 months after your transfer.
- You provide a completed and signed form Schengen visa application form in. In the online form you enter 'airport transit' as your destination. Each person traveling on your travel document must submit their own form. Forms for children under the age of 18 must be signed by a parent or guardian.
- You provide one passport photo according to Dutch requirements .
- You have your fingerprints taken. You do this when you submit your application. These remain valid for 59 months. For some applicants, such as children under the age of 12, this is not necessary. Have you provided biometrics (fingerprints and photo) within the last 59 months prior to your current application? Then you can choose to have your application submitted by someone else. You do not have to appear in person.
Please note: If, when assessing your application, it turns out that your fingerprints are not in the system, you must still provide them. You can also always be called for an interview if your request gives cause to do so.
In addition, there are documents that are required for a careful assessment of your application. View the airport transit checklist.
What does a visa application cost?
If you submit your application to a Dutch embassy or consulate, you pay fees (costs). You can find the amount on the rates page (look at the prices of a Schengen visa). Are you applying for your visa through an external service provider, such as a visa agency? Then you also pay a fee to the service provider.
You do not pay a visa fee if you fall into one of the following categories:
- children up to 6 years;
- schoolchildren, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers traveling for study or vocational training;
- researchers* who travel for scientific research, participate in a scientific seminar or a scientific conference;
- representatives of non-profit organizations up to the age of 25 who participate in seminars, conferences, sporting, cultural or educational events organized by non-profit organizations.
*as defined in Article 3(2) of Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 1 )
How long does an application take?
You can submit your application at the earliest 6 months before your trip. For seamen this is 9 months. And at least 15 working days before your departure. You will usually know within 15 calendar days whether you will receive the visa. Sometimes more time is needed: the application can then take 45 days, for example if additional documents are required.
Have you applied for a visa for the Netherlands? See how you can track the status of your application online.
Longer waiting time for visa applications
It may take longer to make an appointment. The processing of your request may also take longer than 15 days. This is because more and more applicants want to travel to the Netherlands, after corona travel restrictions have been relaxed worldwide. The Dutch government is working to expand the number of available appointments and increase our capacity. New appointments are added regularly, so keep an eye on the appointment system. Plan your trip well in advance. And make sure you have all the documents ready for your appointment.
How will my application be assessed?
Some Schengen states want to know from each other who is applying for a visa. This check (consultation) is mandatory for some nationalities (information in English) and can take up to 7 days. Your application will also be checked in the Schengen Information System (SIS II) (information in English). Your application details are also checked and stored in the Visa Information System (VIS) (information in English).
Apply through VFS Global
You can apply for an airport transit visa from VFS Global in Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Erdine, Gaziantep, Istanbul or Izmir. Send your flight details by email to ANK-ATV@minbuza.nl. You will be called by VFS Global to make an appointment.
See which documents you need for your application on the VFS Global website (information in English).
Note: Making an appointment is free. Do not make an appointment through an intermediary agency or an organization posing as the Dutch embassy in Ankara or the consulate general in Istanbul.
Denied visa application
Due to privacy reasons, no correspondence will be entered into about refused visa applications. If you do not agree with a refusal, you can submit a notice of objection. Information for this can be found on the rejection decision.
Iraqi and Syrian travel documents
Are you applying for a visa with Iraqi and Syrian travel documents? Then your application will not always be processed by the Dutch embassy or consulate general. The application can be sent to the authorities in the Netherlands for decision. In this case, take into account a processing time of at least 10 working days and at most 2 months.
Source: Nederlandwereldwijd.nl – the above text is for information only, no rights can be derived from it. Always check with the official authorities for the latest information and regulations.
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