Dutch Consulate Houston – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Netherlands Schengen Visa

The Netherlands, a popular Schengen country, sits nestled in between Germany and Belgium and it has a lot going on. You can visit cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or Groningen for their museums, art galleries, and a buzzing nightlife. Or there’s Arnhem if you want to gaze at the impressive houses or wander around the old part of town. If it’s the outdoors you crave, head to Hoge Veluwe National Park, with its beautiful forests, lakes, or dunes, or Texel Island where you can cycle, swim or horse ride to your heart’s content! In this article learn more about how to apply for Netherlands visa at the Dutch consulate in Houston, Texas, Netherlands visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Dutch visa application center, flight itinerary for Netherlands visa, hotel bookings for Netherlands visa, Schengen travel insurance for Netherlands visa application, and Netherlands Visa Application Process at the Dutch consulate.

Netherlands Schengen Visa

In 2017, there were 621,431 Netherlands Schengen visa applications received worldwide. Out of this total, just over 10% were rejected. The Consulate General of the Netherlands in Houston received 574 applications and rejected 23 (4%) of them.

Applying for Netherlands Schengen Visa from the United States         

If you are a US citizen and you wish to visit the Netherlands for up to 90 days you do NOT need a visa to enter the country. However, if you are not a US citizen, but you live in the US on a permanent basis, you need to apply for a visa.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Dutch embassy and consulate. The Consulate General of the Netherlands in Houston is no longer active in the processing of Netherlands Schengen visas, so the best place to get information is on the website of the Netherlands and you. This is a new website for all Dutch representatives worldwide.

If you live in Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Washington you can apply through any of the Visa Application Centers at VFS Global located in these areas.

If you live in the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico or any other other neighboring islands, you can apply to VFS Global in Miami.

Your application will be received by VFS Global and subsequently processed by the Regional Support Office of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Washington.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at VFS Global Houston 

When you apply for your Netherlands visa, there are several types offered by VFS Global:

1. Short-stay Schengen visa – this type of visa is for tourist, business, visiting family/friends, sports, cultural, or study purposes for up to 90 days. Schengen visas are issued as single, double, or multiple entry
2. Short-stay Caribbean visa – for travel to other destinations that form part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean, i.e. Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St Eustatius, and St Maarten
3. Long-stay visa (MVV)– this is for employment, study, medical etc., for over 90 days
4. Airport Transit – you will need this if you are connecting with a second flight to your final destination which is outside the Schengen area

So, the type of visa you need to apply for really depends on how long you are planning on going to the Netherlands for and your reason for traveling there. Spend time looking at the types of visas available before you do anything else, this will really help as you continue through the application procedure.

Schengen Visa Application Process at VFS Global Houston

If you are applying for a short-term Schengen or Caribbean visa, or an Airport Transit visa you will submit your application to the Visa Application Center at VFS Global. If you are applying for a long-term (MVV) visa, you will submit your application to the Embassy of the Netherlands in Washington.

Don’t leave it too late when applying. Visa applications are generally processed within 15 days, but it could take as many as 30 or 60 days depending on your circumstances and type of visa you are applying for. You can apply anytime from 15 days up to 90 days beforehand, so leave plenty of time for your application to be processed.

Here are a few steps to help you apply for your Netherlands visa.

Step 1: Complete your application

The first thing you need to do is to complete your application form. Go to the website of Netherlands and you and click on: “Applying for a short-stay Schengen visa”:

Select your country or region. In this case, the United States:

Scroll down to: “What do I need to do” and you’ll see the link for the application form. Click on this:

You’ll be directed to the Consular Services Portal. Choose either Schengen visa or Caribbean Visa:

On the next page, you’ll find instructions on how to use the portal. Once you’ve read these, click on: “Start advisor:”

Then, key in the requested information and click on: “Check advice”:

The system will tell you if you need a visa. Click on: “Start application”:

Then, you’ll be able to complete your application:

Once you have completed your application, print it off as you will need to sign it.

You are only able to use this application portal if your main destination is the Netherlands or you are transiting through a Dutch airport. If this does not apply to you, you must download the application form for completion.

For long-stay (MVV) visas, you can find the application form by going to the website of Netherlands and you. Scroll down to: “Applying for a residence permit and MVV”. Then, expand the overview regarding applying at an embassy or consulate:

You’ll find the MVV issue form link where you can download the application for completion and signing:

Step 2: Make an appointment 

Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can also make an appointment at the VFS global yourself. To be clear, all short-stay visa applications will be dealt with by VFS Global in Houston or one of the other Visa Application Centers in the US, so you will be handing over your application to them. In order to do this, you must make a pre-arranged appointment. Go to VFS Global’s website and click on the “Schedule an appointment” tab:

1. You will be directed to the appointment booking system where you will need to log in
2. Or, create a new account
3. Once you’ve done that, you can book a suitable appointment.
4. If you are applying for a long-stay (MVV) visa, you must make an appointment on the website of Netherlands and you. Scroll down, to where it says: “How to apply for an MVV in the USA” and you’ll see the link for making an appointment via the online appointment system
5. On the next page, choose: “Schedule an appointment”
6. Then, choose the embassy or consulate you wish to deal with
7. Then choose: “MVV” and the category of visa you are applying for
8. On the next page, you need to enter your details and you’ll be able to make an appointment

At the end of this step, you’ll get a confirmation of your appointment emailed to you. Please take this with you when you attend your appointment.

Step 3: Prepare your documents

You need to take extra care with preparing your documents for your visa application. If you hand over your file with missing information and/or documents, it could lead to your application being rejected. So, spend time looking at the website of Netherlands and you OR VFS Global to understand what is required and what you need to do.

In addition, whether you are applying for a short-stay or long-stay visa, you need to provide photocopies of all your documents, so don’t forget to do this either.

Documents include:

1. Visa application form
2. Passport or other travel documents with at least 3 months left after your trip and issued within the last 10 years. Plus, there must be 2 free pages. Also, any previously issued visas with entry/exit stamps
3. Previous passports (if applicable).
4. Proof of legal residence and valid US residence card or US visa including re-entry to the US
5. Work permit
6. Passport photo issued within the last 6 months. Please see the full list of guidelines for acceptable photographs.
7. Proof of flight reservation
8. Hotel bookings and full travel itinerary
9. Proof of financial sufficiency – 3 x bank statements
10. Letter from employer stating the length and purpose of trip, position, and salary
11. Evidence of enrollment in an educational institution (in the Netherlands and the US)
12. Schengen Travel insurance valid within the Schengen area and to cover a minimum of €30,000 for medical costs, hospital care, emergency treatment, and repatriation
13. Birth and/or marriage certificate
14. Permission of parents including their ID in the case of minors applicants
15. Proof of sponsorship
16. Proof of participation in any type of event
17. Employment contract, pay slips, invitation letter of host and host’s ID

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2. Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 4: Attend your appointment

On the day of your appointment, you should arrive at VFS Global in Houston early. If you miss your appointment because you are late for any reason, you will have to reschedule. The same applies if you are going to the embassy in Washington or one of the other visa offices.

Remember to take all the required documents and don’t forget to sign in the relevant places. The number of visa applications rejected for this type of error is fairly high.

Dress smartly too – even the smallest things help to make a good impression.

When the visa staff begins to look over your application, don’t be surprised, or annoyed, if they ask you for further information. They are simply gathering all the facts in order to make a fair decision about whether to give you the visa or not.

They could ask you interview questions like:

1. Are you married?
2. Why are you going to the Netherlands at this time? Could you reschedule?
3. What are your plans in the Schengen area?
4. What do you do in the US?

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You will also pay the fee for your visa. or debit card (Except, American Express, Discover, or Diners Club). Please note, this visa fee is non-refundable even if your application is declined.

VFS Global also charge a service fee of $33 on top of the visa fee. Plus, if you wish to have your passport mailed back to you by UPS courier from VFS Global the charge will be $30 per passport.

Netherlands Schengen Visa Fees

You may have to provide biometric data which is a scan of your fingerprints and a photograph. If you have previously applied for a Schengen visa and your data can be retrieved from the Visa Information System (VIS), it can be reused within a 5 year period.

Step 5: Receive your visa

Once you have handed your application over, you can track the status of it. Go to VFS Global’s website and click on: “Track your application”:

Then, you can enter the requested information and you’ll be able to find out the status of your application:

If you submitted your application to the embassy, you can track your application through the website of the Netherlands and you. Go to their website and click on: “Check the status of your application”:

Key in your country and language:

Then, key in your unique tracking number and click on: “Submit”:

If a decision has been reached, you can either collect your passport from the VFS Global or other offices where you submitted your application.

You can also arrange for your passport to be returned to your via courier from VFS Global or by UPS, FedEx or DHL from the embassy or other offices. See the website of Netherlands and you for further mailing instructions.

With any luck, you’ll find your Netherlands visa in your passport, but it could have been rejected for any number of reasons such as:

1. Invalid passport
2. The visa office think you might not return to the US before the visa expires
3. Lack of funds
4. Purpose of the trip is not clear
5. Documents not signed

If your passport is not valid, i.e. it doesn’t have 3 months remaining, issued longer than 10 years ago, or it doesn’t have 2 blank pages, you need to obtain a new one before applying for your visa. You must ensure that the visa office knows that you will return to the US before the visa expires. You can do this verbally or with the documents you provide, such as an employment contract. You must be able to afford the trip, so you should provide bank statements or other documents that will prove this. Similarly, you must prove the reason for going to the Netherlands, like a travel itinerary. Lastly, you must sign the documents in the relevant places, so check that you have done this before parting with your documents.

Contact details for VFS Global in Houston

Address: 2425 West Loop S, Suite 330, Houston, TX 77002

Email: Netherlands.usa@vfshelpline.com

Telephone: +1 347 329 2738

Call center: Monday to Friday, from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm. Appointments are not to be booked by email or phone

Hours:

Monday to Friday, 8.00 am to 3.00 pm (Application submissions)

Monday to Friday, 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm (Passport collection)

Contact details for the Embassy of the Netherlands in Washington DC

Address: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Email: nid@the-netherlands.org

Telephone: +1 202 244 5300

Fax: +1 202 362 3430

You can contact the Embassy by using their contact form

Hours:

Tuesday to Friday, 8.50 am – 12.30 pm (Consular section)

Tuesday and Thursday, 11.00 am – 12.30 pm (Collection)

Conclusion

Overall, there are just 5 easy steps to apply for your Netherlands visa:

1. Complete your application
2. Make an appointment
3. Prepare your documents
4. Attend your appointment
5. Receive your visa

Follow these steps one-by-one and you’ll soon have your visa. The next step? Jetting off to Europe and your exciting stay in the Netherlands!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

How To Apply for Netherlands Schengen Visa at Dutch Consulate in Miami, Florida
How To Apply for Netherlands Schengen Visa at Dutch Consulate in NYC, New York
How to apply for Netherlands Schengen Visa at the Dutch Consulate in Washington DC
How To Apply for Netherlands Schengen Visa at Dutch Consulate in San Francisco, California

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