Immigration · Updated 15 Sep 2026 · ~9 min read

Netherlands visa from the UK (2026): VFS appointments for UK residents, and the rules for British citizens

Living in the UK on another passport, or a British citizen planning a trip or a move? This guide splits the rules for both, from VFS appointments to Brexit residence documents.

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Which part applies to me?British citizens

Rules from Netherlands Worldwide, the IND, GOV.UK and the RDW · Checked 15 September 2026

Short answer

A Netherlands visa from the UK means two different things. If you live in the UK on another passport and need a Schengen visa, you book an appointment at VFS Global in Birmingham, Edinburgh, London or Manchester, with proof of UK residence such as your eVisa. If you are a British citizen, you need no visa for trips of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and no MVV or TB test when you move, but you do need a Dutch residence permit to live or work in the Netherlands.

Key facts for 2026

  • 4 VFS Global centres in the UK take Schengen visa applications: Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Manchester.
  • 1 month after you leave the Schengen area is how long your British residence permit or eVisa must still be valid.
  • 90 days in any 180-day period is how long British citizens can visit the Netherlands without a visa.
  • 5 years is how long a temporary Withdrawal Agreement residence document is valid; a permanent one, 10 years.
  • 185 days is how long you can drive on a UK licence after you move; you exchange it without a test.
  • 4 months after arriving is your deadline for Dutch health insurance.
  • €5,942 gross a month is the 2026 salary threshold for a highly skilled migrant aged 30 or over.

This is general information about Dutch law, not legal advice for your situation. Rules change; figures are for 2026. No rights can be derived from this text.

Start here

Netherlands visa from the UK: which part applies to you

Two groups search for a Netherlands visa from the UK: people who live in the UK on another passport, and British citizens. Their rules have almost nothing in common, so find your row first.

Your situationWhat you needRead
You live in the UK on a non-UK passport and want to visitA Schengen visa if your nationality needs one, applied for at VFS Global in the UKUK residents
You are a British citizen visiting for up to 90 daysNo visaBritish citizens
You are a British citizen moving to live, work or studyA Dutch residence permit, but no MVV and no TB testBritish citizens
You are British and lived in the Netherlands before 1 January 2021A Withdrawal Agreement residence documentWithdrawal Agreement

Our Netherlands visa guide explains every route and which nationalities need a visa.

UK residents

UK residents on another passport: booking a Schengen visa appointment

If you live in the UK and your nationality needs a Schengen visa, you apply at VFS Global in Birmingham, Edinburgh, London or Manchester, and only if you live in the United Kingdom (Netherlands Worldwide).

  • Proof of UK residence: for instance a British residence permit, or a printout of your eVisa from UKVI with the letter showing your share code. It must be valid for at least 1 month after you leave the Schengen area (checklist).
  • Booking: make the appointment yourself, not through an intermediary, and one appointment for each person. If you live somewhere else, you apply in the country where you live.
  • Moving on a non-UK passport? If the IND letter says so, you apply for the MVV sticker at the Dutch embassy in London, within 3 months of the letter; slots fill up quickly. Collection is on Tuesdays 13:30-15:30 and Fridays 10:00-12:00 and 13:30-15:30, or by Royal Mail Special Delivery (Netherlands Worldwide).
  • More detail: the fee, the 90/180-day rule and the documents are in our Schengen visa guide; booking tips in our visa appointment guide.

British citizens

British citizens: visits, residence permits and the MVV

British citizens can travel to the Netherlands without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, as a tourist, to see family or friends, for business meetings or for short-term study; working is a different matter (GOV.UK).

  • No MVV: the United Kingdom is on the IND list of exempt nationalities (IND).
  • No TB test: the United Kingdom is on the IND exemption appendix (IND), and British nationals are also exempt from the civic integration exam abroad (IND).
  • A residence permit to live there: GOV.UK lists permits to work, study, do an internship, start a business, do research, live with family or get medical treatment (GOV.UK). Our residence permit guide compares them.
  • Work: for a highly skilled migrant permit, your employer must be a recognised sponsor (IND brochure) and pay at least €5,942 gross a month at 30 or over, or €4,357 under 30, in 2026 (IND). See our highly skilled migrant guide.
  • Applying without an MVV: your sponsor usually submits the application (IND). Once you are in the Netherlands with the confirmation of receipt, you book your photo and fingerprints at an IND desk (IND).

Brexit

Living in the Netherlands before 1 January 2021: the Withdrawal Agreement

If you moved to the Netherlands before 1 January 2021 and have lived there legally since, you and your family have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, and you should hold a Withdrawal Agreement residence document (Article 50 TEU) (GOV.UK).

  • Temporary document: for people who lived legally in the Netherlands before 1 January 2021 and have lived there for less than 5 years; it is valid for 5 years (IND).
  • Permanent document: after 5 years or more; valid for 10 years and renewable every 10 years (IND).
  • Late applications: if the IND grants a late application, your stay counts as legal from 1 October 2021.
  • Frontier workers: a British frontier worker needs a frontier worker’s document to keep working in the Netherlands (IND).
  • Travel: with the Article 50 document you do not have to register with the new Entry/Exit System when you enter or leave.

United Kingdom

Only for the UK: your licence, healthcare, pension and the 30% ruling

Four practical rules change when you move from the UK to the Netherlands.

  • Driving licence: you can drive on a UK licence for up to 185 days; to keep driving you exchange it, and you should apply before the 185 days are over (GOV.UK). The Netherlands exchanges it without a test (GOV.UK), and the RDW list covers Great Britain and Northern Ireland for all categories (RDW).
  • Healthcare: you must get Dutch health insurance within 4 months of arriving, or you could be fined more than 400 euros. UK State Pension recipients may instead register a UK-issued S1 form with the fund CZ (GOV.UK).
  • State Pension: you can claim the UK State Pension abroad if you paid enough UK National Insurance contributions, from within 4 months of your State Pension age, through the International Pension Centre (GOV.UK).
  • The 30% ruling: one condition is that you lived more than 150 km from the Dutch border for more than 16 of the 24 months before your first working day, and the tax authority says parts of the United Kingdom are too close. The 2026 salary must also be above €48,013 (Belastingdienst). Test your case with our 30% ruling checker.

Step by step

Moving from the UK, step by step

For a British citizen, most of the move happens in the Netherlands itself.

  1. Pick your permit Work, study, starting a business, research or family: each has its own permit. Our visa application guide lists the documents.
  2. The application Your sponsor in the Netherlands usually submits it. As a British citizen you need no MVV, so you can travel first.
  3. Photo and fingerprints With the confirmation of receipt, book an appointment at an IND desk; the IND needs both to make your residence document.
  4. Register within 5 days Register in person with your municipality within 5 days of arriving, and you get your citizen service number (Netherlands Worldwide). See our BSN guide.
  5. Insure and exchange Take out Dutch health insurance within 4 months, and apply to exchange your UK licence before 185 days have passed.

Keep reading

Related guides

More of our guides for visiting or moving to the Netherlands from the UK.

Visas

Which Netherlands visa you need

Short or long stay, and every residence permit route side by side.

 Applying

Book a visa appointment

VFS Global, TLScontact or the embassy, country by country.

 Visiting

Schengen visa for the Netherlands

The 90/180-day rule, the fee, the documents and the wait.

 Permits

Types of residence permit

For stays longer than 90 days: the main permits compared.

 Work

Highly skilled migrant visa

Salary thresholds, recognised sponsors and the IND procedure.

 Tax

30% ruling checker

Six questions on whether the expat scheme applies to you.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Netherlands visa from the UK?

It depends on your passport. British citizens need no visa for trips of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. If you live in the UK on another passport and your nationality needs a Schengen visa, you apply at VFS Global in Birmingham, Edinburgh, London or Manchester, with proof that you live legally in the UK.

Where can I book a Netherlands visa appointment in the UK?

At VFS Global in Birmingham, Edinburgh, London or Manchester, and only if you live in the United Kingdom. Book the appointment yourself rather than through an intermediary, with a separate appointment for each person. If you live somewhere else, you apply in the country where you live instead.

What proof of UK residence do I need for a Schengen visa?

For instance a British residence permit, or a printout of your eVisa showing your immigration status, issued by UKVI, together with the letter with your share code. Either must be valid for at least 1 month after you leave the Schengen area. Bring the original and a colour copy to the appointment.

Do British citizens need a visa to live in the Netherlands after Brexit?

Visits of up to 90 days in any 180 need no visa, but living or working in the Netherlands needs a residence permit, for example for work, study or family. British citizens do not need an MVV entry visa, a TB test or the civic integration exam abroad, so the application can be made once you are in the Netherlands.

I lived in the Netherlands before 2021. What document do I need?

You have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement and should hold a Withdrawal Agreement residence document, Article 50 TEU. If you have lived in the Netherlands less than 5 years, it is a temporary document valid for 5 years; after 5 years or more, a permanent document valid for 10 years. Frontier workers have their own document.

Can I exchange my UK driving licence in the Netherlands?

Yes. The Netherlands exchanges UK licences without a test, and the RDW lists Great Britain and Northern Ireland licences for all categories. You can drive on your UK licence for up to 185 days after you move, and GOV.UK advises applying for the exchange before those 185 days are over, because it takes time.

Do I need Dutch health insurance if I move from the UK?

Yes. You must get Dutch health insurance within 4 months of arriving; otherwise you could be fined more than 400 euros. If you receive a UK State Pension and live in the Netherlands, you may be able to register a UK-issued S1 form with the health insurance fund CZ instead. GOV.UK explains both options.

Does the 30% ruling apply if I move from the UK?

It can. One condition is that in the 24 months before your first working day, you lived more than 150 km from the Dutch border for more than 16 months, and the tax authority says parts of the UK are too close. The 2026 salary must also be above 48,013 euros, among other conditions.

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Official sources, checked 15 September 2026

Final notes and legal disclaimer

  • This article provides general information and is not tailored to your personal circumstances.
  • It does not cover all situations, exceptions, or recent legal changes.
  • Reading this article does not create a lawyer-client relationship with findlawyer.nl or any associated entity.
  • No guarantee is given that this information is complete, accurate, or up to date.
  • No rights can be derived from this article.
  • For decisions about a visa or a move to the Netherlands from the UK, or your specific situation, always consult a qualified professional.

FindLawyer is a lawyer-matching and case-preparation service, not a law firm. Legal advice comes from the partner lawyer.

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