Application procedure
19 May 2010
This page contains information on how to apply for a Schengen visa, or short stay visa.
Where to apply
You must apply for a Schengen visa in person at a Dutch embassy or consulate. It is not possible to authorize somebody else to apply on your behalf. You may visit the nearest Dutch diplomatic post in your home country.
It is also possible to apply at a Dutch diplomatic post in another country, as long as you have lawful residence in that particular country. Lawful residence means that you have a valid residence permit for that country. If you hold a tourist visa, you do not qualify as a lawful resident. You can find the nearest Dutch embassy or consulate on the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Visiting more than one country
It may be that you also need to travel to another Schengen country apart from the Netherlands. In that case, you must apply for the visa at the embassy or consulate of the country where you are planning to stay the longest.
For example, you intend to spend two weeks in the Netherlands and four weeks in France. In that case, you apply for the visa at the French embassy. It does not matter which country you will visit first, or which country is your point of entry in the Schengen area.
Waiting period
The application procedure for a Schengen visa may take anything from a few days to around two months. It would be wise to start the procedure as soon as you have assembled all the necessary documents.
Once in the Netherlands, non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens need to register with the Aliens Police.
Administration fees
In general when you apply for a short stay visa, you have to pay a handling fee (administration fee) of € 60*. Note that paying the fee does not automatically mean that your application for a visa will be granted!
If the purpose of your stay in the Netherlands is study you will not be asked to pay a handling fee. If you are a student visiting the Netherlands on a holiday you will have to pay the fee.
* For nationals of Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Moldavia, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine, the fee is € 35.