Netherlands Visa from UK – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Dutch Schengen Visa

While the Netherlands has vibrant cities, like Amsterdam and Rotterdam where you could spend a good deal of your time, head out into the countryside for an alternative visit to this beautiful Schengen country. You’ll find charming villages and old farms which are especially attractive in the Waterland and Zaan Region. If you time your trip right, you’ll be able to see fields of colourful tulip and the wonderful floral displays at Keukenhof! In this article learn more about how to apply for Netherlands visa at the Dutch consulate in UK, London, Manchester, Edinburgh, 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 London, Edinburgh, Manchester embassy.

Netherlands Schengen Visas

In 2018, there were 682,382 Schengen visas received by embassies and consulates around the world. 86,123 (12.6%) were rejected. The Embassy of the Netherlands in London received 15,330 and 74 of these were rejected.

Applying for a Netherlands Schengen Visa from the United Kingdom         

If you are a citizen of the following countries, you do NOT need to apply for a visa for the Netherlands:

However, if you are currently living in the United Kingdom, but you are not from any of the above countries, you DO need to apply for a visa to be able to enter and stay in the Netherlands. If you not a British citizen, you must prove that you have legal residence status in order to apply for your visa from the UK.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Dutch embassy and consulate. The Embassy of the Netherlands has outsourced some visa applications to VFS Global in the UK, so depending on the type of visa you are applying for (see below), you will submit your application to VFS rather than the embassy:

1. Short-stay visas (up to 90 days) – submit your documents to VFS Global in London, Manchester or Edinburgh
2. Long-stay visas (over 90 days) – submit your documents to the Embassy of the Netherlands in London

It is the embassy who will make the final decision on both short-stay and long-stay visa applications.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Embassy of the Netherlands in London

There are different types of visas and the one you need will depend on the duration of your trip to the Netherlands:

1. Short-stay (Schengen) visa – up to a maximum of 90 days
2. Short-stay (Caribbean) visa – up to a maximum of 90 days in order to travel to Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St Eustatius or St Maarten
3. Long-stay visa (MVV) – over 90 days. You may need a residence permit as well as a visa. For further information, check the embassy’s website
4. Long-stay (Caribbean) visa – over 90 days in Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St Eustatius, and St Maarten
5. Airport transit visa – if you are waiting for a connecting flight in the international zone of the airport

There is a variety of visa categories that you must choose from. The one you choose depends on your reason for traveling to the Netherlands:

1. Tourism
2. Business
3. Visiting family or friends
4. Cultural
5. Sports
6. Study
7. Employment
8. Medical reasons

You can also choose the number of times you wish to enter the country within the dates of the approved visa. For example:

1. Single entry – you can enter once only
2. Double entry – you can enter twice
3. Multiple entry – you can enter as many times as you like

Schengen Visa Application Process at VFS Global/the Embassy of the Netherlands in London

Visa applications are processed within 15 days, so you should aim to apply at least 15 days ahead of your departure date. However, some applications could take as many as 30 – 60 days, so you should apply well in advance, otherwise, there may not be enough time to process your application. You may apply up to 90 days ahead, but no earlier.

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

Step 1: Make an appointment

In order to submit your application, you need to 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 on your own by following the steps below:

For short-stay Schengen and Caribbean applications:

1. Go to VFS Global’s website and click on: “Schedule an appointment”
2. Click on the appointment link
3. If this is your first time using this system, you will need to register as a new user
4. Then, you can log in and make your appointment to submit your application to VFS Global

For long-stay visa applications:

1. Go to the embassy’s website and click on: “Long-stay visa (MVV)”
2. Select your country/region – the United Kingdom
3. Scroll down to “Long-stay visa for residents of this country or region” and click on the appointment link
4. On the next page, click on: “Schedule appointment”
5. Next, choose the application category from the drop-down box – MVV visa for long-stays over 90 days
6. Fill in your details – title, given name, surname, phone number and email address and continue
7. You will then be able to make a convenient appointment to submit your application to the embassy

Step 2: Complete your application 

Go to the embassy’s website and scroll down to “What do I need to do” and click on the visa application form link:

You will be directed to the Consular Services Portal. Click on the type of short-stay visa you are applying for:

Click on: “Start advisor”:

Then, key in the required information and hit “Check advice”:

If you require a visa, click on: “Start application”:

Then you will be able to complete your short-stay visa application form:

For long-stay visas, go to the embassy’s website and click on: “Applying for a residence permit and an MVV”:

Click on the cross next to “Applying yourself at an embassy or consulate”:

Scroll down to “Which documents should I take to my appointment” and click on the MVV issue form link:

Then you will be able to download the long-stay application form for you to complete and sign it.

If you are applying for a long-stay Caribbean visa, you can find the link for the application form here.

Step 3: Prepare your documents

Find out what documents are required for the type of visa you are applying for. If you submit an incomplete application, it may be rejected. You can find this information on VFS Global’s website (for short-stay applications) and the embassy’s website (for long-stay applications).

Make sure you provide original documents, but you must also photocopy everything as well.

Documents include:

1. Visa application form
2. Passport valid for at least 3 months past trip and issued no longer than 10 years ago. Must have 2 free pages
3. Previous passports and previous visas with entry/exit stamps (if applicable)
   
4. Proof of residency and valid residence card for the United Kingdom
   
5. Work permit
6. Passport photo not older than 6 months. Please see the guidelines for visa application photographs.
7. Travel itinerary
8. Hotel booking (s) for the entire trip OR letter of invitation from your host
   
9. Bank statements for the last 3 months
10. Employer’s letter confirming the duration and purpose of your trip, your job and salary
11. Proof of enrollment in school, college or university
12. Schengen Travel insurance valid within the Schengen area. At least €30,000 to cover medical costs, hospital care, emergency treatment, and repatriation
13. Birth and/or marriage certificate
14. Consent of parents with parent’s ID for minors
15. Sponsorship evidence and/or proof of participation in events
16. Employment contract
17. Payslips

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

When the day of your appointment:

1. Arrive early – if you are late, you will have to make a new appointment
2. Remember your documents – if you forget to submit everything that is required, your application may be rejected. In addition, don’t forget to sign where you need to
3. Dress smartly – if you turn up dressed too casually, this won’t make a good impression

The visa officer will examine your application and supporting documents and if they need to clarify anything and/or they want further information, they may ask you questions. All you need to do is to answer honestly.

Typical questions include:

1. Do you know anyone involved with terrorist activities?
2. Are you traveling alone?
3. Do you have any children?
4. What do you know about the EU?
5. How much do you earn in the UK?

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. You can pay by cash (except in Manchester and Edinburgh), credit/debit card or postal orders payable to “Netherlands Visa Application Centre”. If you are applying at the embassy, you can pay in cash or credit/debit card. Please note, VFS Global also charge a service fee. These fees are not refunded if your application is declined.

You will also provide biometric data if this is your first time applying for a visa. A scan of your fingerprints and photograph will be taken to be stored in the Visa Information System (VIS).

Step 5: Receive your visa

After you have submitted your application, you can track short-term applications at VFS Global.

1. Go to their website and click on: “Track your application”:
2. Click on the tracking link:
3. Key in the requested information and click on: “Submit”:

For long-stay applications, you can track the status here.

When a decision has been made, you can collect your passport from VFS Global (London and Edinburgh) or you can arrange for it to be returned by courier. Please note, there may be an additional fee for the courier service. You can collect your passport from the embassy.

If you are collecting your passport from VFS Global, make sure you take your receipt, an extra photocopy of the passport bio data page and copy of the signature page in order to collect your passport.

There are 2 decisions:

1. Approved – if your visa has been approved, you will find it inside your passport
2. Rejected – if your visa has been rejected, there has been a specific reason for the rejection

Common rejection reasons:

1. No accommodation details – you must provide evidence that you have accommodation in the Netherlands whether that is a hotel or hostel or in someone’s home
2. Invitation letter missing – if you are being invited to the Netherlands by an individual or a company, you must provide an invitation letter with your purpose of stay, address etc
3. You already have a Schengen visa – if you have applied for a Schengen visa before and it is still valid, you may not need to apply for a new one
4. Travel insurance is not valid – your travel insurance must be valid (see above requirements). There are no exceptions

Contact details for VFS Global in London

Address: 66 Wilson Street, London, EC2A 2BT

Telephone: 0871 376 0023 Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 5.30 pm

Email: info.schengen@vfshelpline.com

Hours: Monday to Friday, 4.00 pm – 5.30 pm (Passport collection)

Contact details for VFS Global in Manchester

Address: 50 Devonshire Street North, Manchester, M12 6JH

Telephone: 0871 376 0023 Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 5.30 pm

Email: info.schengen@vfshelpline.com

Contact details for VFS Global in Edinburgh

Address: 1 Rennie’s Isle, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6QT

Telephone: 0871 376 0023 Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 5.30 pm

Email: info.schengen@vfshelpline.com

Contact details for the Embassy of the Netherlands in London

Address: 38 Hyde Park Gate, London, SW7 5DP

Telephone: +44 207 590 3200

Fax: +44 207 225 0947

Email: lon@minbuza.nl

You can contact the Embassy by using their contact form

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 12.00 pm and 1.30 pm – 3.30 pm (Application submissions); Monday to Friday, 10.00 am – 12.00 pm and 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm (Passport collection)

Conclusion

There are just 5 steps to follow when you apply for your Netherlands visa:

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

The next step is to jet off to the Netherlands to have an awesome time!

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

Apply Schengen Visa From UK

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Apply Germany Visa From UK

Apply Spain Visa From UK

Apply Italy Visa From UK

Apply Switzerland Visa From UK