If you want to come to the Netherlands for a short period of up to 90 days and you come from a country on the list of third countries whose nationals must be in possession of a visa when crossing certain borders, you must apply for a short-stay visa, also known as a Schengen visa. This is because, with such a visa, you have access to all Schengen countries. The Schengen area is a cooperation of 26 European Member States that have a similar border and visa policy. The Member States are bound by the same visa rules, which are laid down in the Common Visa Code, EU Regulation 810/2009/EC. This allows travellers to travel throughout the Schengen area without border checks.

The conditions for obtaining the visa depend on the reason why you are coming to the Netherlands. For example, you may visit the Netherlands for a holiday or family visit , but it is also possible that you wish to obtain a visa for a business trip. In all cases, you must have a valid travel document which must be valid for three months after the visa period expired. You must not constitute a threat to public policy, national security or the international relations of any of the Schengen countries. In addition, you must have a health insurance. The other conditions vary according to the purpose of the visa and will be explained in more detail below.