An airport transit visa (LTV) allows you to enter an airport at an airport Schengen country transfer to continue your journey to a destination outside the Schengen area. This visa (also known as A visa) does not grant access to the Netherlands or any other country Schengen country. So you are not allowed to leave the airport.
When you pass through the transit zone of 2 or more Schengen countries transit, instead of an airport transit visa you will need an Short stay Schengen visa required.
Without an airport transit visa or a 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.
You can check whether you need an airport transit visa here: https://www.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/visum-nederland/luchthaventransitvisum/aanvragen
Currently, nationals of the following third countries require a transit visa if their flight stops in the Netherlands: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Guinea, Guinea -Bissau, Nepal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey and Yemen.
What is an Airport Transit Visa?
The airport transit visa allows you to transfer at a Dutch airport to a destination outside the Netherlands 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.
Airport Transit Visa Exemptions
In some situations you do not need an airport transit visa. For example if you:
- have a visa or residence permit for a Schengen country, EU country or EEA country;
- have a visa for Canada, Japan or the United States;
- have a residence permit that guarantees unlimited return for Andorra, San Marino, Canada, Japan, United States;
- are related to a national from the EU, EEA or Switzerland;
- have a diplomatic passport;
- have a service or official passport. Please note: this only applies to a number of nationalities;
- are flight crew and you have the nationality of a country that is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) (in English);
- From February 2, 2020, you do not need an airport transit visa if you have a visa or residence permit for Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius or Saba.
Whether or not you need a transit visa, the airline ultimately decides whether you will be allowed on your flight. Even if you do have the right documents for your trip.
Apply for an airport transit visa
Do you need to apply for an airport transit visa for the Netherlands? Check out which rules apply and how to apply for a visa.
What Do You 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 do your application submit 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 to get the Follow the status of your application onlinet.
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 to The Netherlands want to travel, after corona travel restrictions are eased 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 data is also checked and stored in the Visa Information System (VIS) (information in English).
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.
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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