How do I apply for a visa?

Don't wait too long with the application because it can take a while (up to three months). When you apply for a visa, you'll need a passport that's valid until at least three months after your visit. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs homepage lists all information in English. You can download your visa application form (pdf) from their homepage.

How much does a visa cost?The cost of a visa is around €30/40,- depending on the administrative cost from the country you are applying in.

Do you want to stay longer than three months? If you want to stay more than 3 months in The Netherlands, you’ll have to ask beforehand for a national Visa: MVV (“Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf”) at the embassy or consulate in your own country. You can also contact the Visa Service’s information line by phoning the Immigration and Naturalisation Service. The information line is open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its staff should be able to answer all your questions about MVVs and other questions about admission to the Netherlands. You can also phone the information line if you are already in the Netherlands and want to extend your visa.

Immigration and Naturalisation Service: 0900 123 4561 (€0.10 per minute)
Calling from outside the Netherlands: +31 20 889 3045

If you have the nationality from one of the members of the EU or EER, Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zeeland, Vatican City, USA of Switzerland then you don’t need an MVV!

Residence permit?
"verblijfsvergunning voor bepaalde tijd regulier" - VVR BEP

The IND will assess whether you are eligible for an extension of your residence permit. A residence permit [dutch: verblijfsvergunning] is usually extended for 1 year each time. A residence permit for the purpose of, among others, work as an au pair, work experience, practical experience or a family visit cannot be extended.

Download some brochures about "Staying in the Netherlands" and the "Costs overview for residence permits" from the IND (see Related Documents below).

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For the specific rules about work or study in The Netherlands, check also the chapters Working/Training and Studying.

Related Documents
Staying in the Netherlands.pdf Staying in the Netherlands.pdf (292.27 KB)
Overview_Costs.pdf Overview_Costs.pdf (443.89 KB)