Explanation about Schengen visas. What is it, what can you do with it and how do you get it?
A visa is official permission to enter and stay in a country. A visa is usually issued by the embassy or consulate of the country the traveler is going to. The issuance of a Schengen visa is subject to rules. There are also different types of visas; the issuance is determined by the purpose of the trip.
A Schengen visa is a visa that allows a person to travel legally to and within the Schengen Area , an area in Europe where the free movement of persons is permitted. The Schengen visa is intended for tourists and other short-stay travelers who wish to travel to the Schengen Area for a stay of up to 90 days.
There are a number of things you should take into account when applying for a Schengen visa for the Netherlands. For example, you must demonstrate that you have enough money to pay for your stay in the Netherlands and that you have a valid return ticket. You must also demonstrate that you have a valid reason to travel to the Netherlands, such as a holiday, business trip or visiting family or friends.
Once you have a Schengen visa for the Netherlands, it is important to comply with the rules. For example, you may not stay in the Netherlands longer than your visa allows and you must comply with the laws of the country.
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
Conditions for a Schengen visa
The Schengen visa is issued by the embassy or consulate of one of the countries in the Schengen Area. To be eligible for a Schengen visa, a person must demonstrate that he or she has sufficient financial means to travel and stay in the Schengen Area, and that he or she does not pose a threat to public order, national security, or public health of any country in the Schengen Area.
The Schengen visa is valid for the entire Schengen Area, so a person with a Schengen visa can travel to any country in the Schengen Area. However, the Schengen visa is only valid for a stay of a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period.
1 visa for 27 European countries
With a Schengen visa you can travel to and within the Schengen zone. This means that you can travel to any of the 27 countries in the Schengen zone with a Schengen visa without needing a separate visa.
A Schengen visa is intended for tourists and other short-term travelers who wish to travel to the Schengen Area for a stay of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. With a Schengen visa, you can therefore travel freely within the Schengen Area and enjoy everything these countries have to offer, such as beautiful cities, cultural attractions, and natural landscapes. However, a Schengen visa is not a residence permit and does not entitle you to work or study in the Schengen countries.
What is a short-stay Schengen visa?
A Schengen visa is essentially nothing more than a sticker in the passport of a foreign traveler visiting the Netherlands or other Schengen countries. Formally, the name of a Schengen visa is 'Short Stay Visa type C', but the term 'Schengen visa' or 'Schengen visas' is somewhat easier.
A Schengen visa sticker in your passport grants access to the 26 Schengen member states in Europe. With a Schengen visa, you can travel through a large part of Europe without having to apply for a separate visa for each country.
A visa is a sticker that is stuck in the travel document (passport). A Schengen visa indicates that at the time of issue there is no objection to the entry of the foreign national for a short stay (maximum 90 days). The Dutch government always first checks whether you are eligible for a visa.
On the basis of the Schengen Implementation Agreement, which entered into force on 26 March 1995, the member countries in principle issue a 'common' visa (Schengen visa). Usually, the Schengen visa gives access to all countries in the Schengen area. In some cases, a so-called 'territorially restricted' visa may be issued that is only valid for a single country.
Is a Schengen visa a tourist visa?
The Short-Stay Visa/Schengen visa is often referred to as a tourist visa . This is not entirely correct. The visa is always issued for a specific purpose of stay. Tourism is merely one example of such a purpose. Other purposes of stay include: business, visiting family or friends, culture, sports, official purposes, medical reasons, study, transit, airport transit, and others.
Visa Policy
The Netherlands is the implementer of the European visa policy set out in the EU Visa Code . The visa policy for the Schengen countries revolves around two important matters: who is required to have a visa and when is a visa application granted? The key points of the Schengen visa policy are:
- Citizens from Schengen countries and from other countries without a visa requirement may travel freely within the Schengen zone.
- Citizens of visa-requiring countries submit a visa application to one Schengen country to gain access to the entire Schengen zone.
- Schengen countries grant an application (or reject an application) on the basis of criteria jointly established by all countries in the Schengen zone.
- A holder of a Schengen visa can travel freely within the entire Schengen zone.
The 26 Schengen countries
The 26 Schengen countries are listed below. With a Schengen visa, the foreign national may travel freely in the following countries:
| Belgium | Denmark | Germany |
| Estonia | Finland | France |
| Greece | Hungary | Italy |
| Latvia | Liechtenstein | Lithuania |
| Luxembourg | Malta | The Netherlands |
| Norway | Austria | Poland |
| Portugal | Slovenia | Slovakia |
| Spain | Czech Republic | Iceland |
| Sweden | Switzerland | Croatia |
Note: The EU countries Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Croatia and Romania are not Schengen countries.
Any do I need a Schengen visa for the Netherlands?
Whether you need a visa depends, among other things, on your nationality . Check the list of countries requiring a visa for this . Do you have more than one nationality? Then the passport you travel with determines whether you need a visa for the Netherlands. Remember that if you need a visa, you must also take out Schengen insurance.
Frequently asked questions and answers about a Schengen visa
A Schengen visa is a sticker in a foreign national's passport, and this visa grants access to the 27 countries of the Schengen area , including the Netherlands. The visa holder may then stay in the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days.
Stay in the Schengen area is limited to a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. This means that someone who has been in the Schengen area for 90 days cannot return until they have been outside the area for 90 days. The Schengen visa is, in principle, valid for 6 months from the date of issue. The stay in the Schengen area must take place within these 6 months. The return journey may therefore not take place after the expiry date.
The European Commission has one calculator developed to check whether someone's stay is still within 180 days.
If you wish to work in the Netherlands during a short stay, your employer may need a work permit (TWV). The employer must apply for this at UWV. This also applies if you perform volunteer work or carry out an unpaid assignment. Additionally, you may need a citizen service number (BSN). The municipality issues this when you register in the Registration of Non-Residents (RNI). For more information, please visit the website of the municipality where you live/work or www.rijksoverheid.nl.
You can only extend a Schengen visa or visa-exempt period in very exceptional circumstances . For example, if you are unable to leave the Netherlands due to serious illness or force majeure. Your total stay may not exceed 90 days. You must also have sufficient funds to support yourself. To submit the request, you must make an appointment at an IND office.
A 5-year visa for the Netherlands is a multiple-entry visa valid for 5 years. If a foreign national subject to visa requirements has already visited the Netherlands a few times and returned to their country of origin without issues, they can apply for a 5-year multiple-entry visa. The advantage of such a visa is that you no longer need to apply for a visa each time the person travels to the Netherlands. This means much more flexibility and saves significant costs associated with repeated visa applications.
A multiple entry visa (MEV) allows you to enter the Schengen area multiple times within the validity period of the visa. Such a visa is typically valid for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 5 years. Just like with a single-entry visa, the maximum stay is 90 days in any 180-day period. So, if you stay in the Netherlands for 90 days, you must also leave the Schengen area for 90 days.
If you have traveled to the Netherlands with a single-entry visa, you cannot simply change it to a multiple-entry visa . This is only possible in situations of force majeure, humanitarian reasons, serious professional reasons, or personal circumstances that have changed after you traveled to the Netherlands. To submit the request, you must make an appointment at an IND office.
If you wish to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 90 days, entering with a Schengen visa is not the right step. This is because someone who has entered with a Schengen visa/Short-Stay Visa can never apply for a residence permit. You must first return to your country of origin/residence to apply for an MVV (Temporary Residence Permit) .
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