Immigration · Updated 13 Sep 2026 · ~13 min read

Netherlands visa guide 2026: every visa type, who needs one, and how to apply

Whether you need a visa for the Netherlands depends on your nationality and how long you stay. This guide sorts that out in two minutes, then shows the right permit, its 2026 IND fee and where to apply.

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Every fee and deadline links to the IND or another official source · Checked 13 September 2026

Short answer

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens never need a visa for the Netherlands. Citizens of about 60 visa-exempt countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Brazil, can visit without one for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; most other nationals need a Schengen visa. To stay longer than 90 days, everyone else needs a residence permit for a set purpose, such as work, study or living with a partner, and, depending on nationality, an MVV entry visa. In 2026 the IND charges €423 for most work permits and €254 for study or a partner permit.

Key facts for 2026

90 days in any 180-day period is the longest you can stay in the Schengen area on a Schengen visa or visa-free.
€90 is the standard Schengen visa fee for adults; children aged 6 to 11 pay €45 and children under 6 pay nothing.
15 days is the normal EU processing time for a Schengen visa, extendable to 45; Netherlands Worldwide currently gives an average of 25 calendar days.
€423 is the 2026 IND fee for most work permits, including the highly skilled migrant permit and the EU Blue Card; study and partner permits cost €254.
90 days is the IND’s legal decision period for most residence permits; study and research applications have 60.
90 days is how long an MVV entry visa sticker stays valid once it is issued.
5 days is the deadline to register with your municipality after you arrive, if you will stay 4 months or more.
4 months is how long you have to take out Dutch health insurance, which then covers you from your first day.

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

Do you need a visa for the Netherlands?

It depends on your nationality first, and on how long you stay second. Answer these questions in order:

Are you a citizen of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland? Then you need no visa and no residence permit, and you do not report to the IND. If you stay longer than 4 months, you register with your municipality (Government.nl).
Staying 90 days or less? If your nationality is on the EU’s visa-exempt list below, you need no visa. Otherwise you apply for a Schengen visa.
Staying longer than 90 days? You need a residence permit for a set purpose, such as work, study or living with your partner.
Is your nationality on the MVV-exempt list? Then you only apply for the residence permit. If not, you apply for an MVV entry visa and the residence permit together.

The EU’s visa-exempt countries and territories (59)

Nationals of these countries and territories can visit the Netherlands without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period:

Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kosovo, Macao, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, The Bahamas, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.

A few need a particular passport, such as a biometric passport for Albania, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Once the EU starts ETIAS, these travellers will need an ETIAS travel authorisation; no start date has been set. Source: European Union, travel-europe.europa.eu, checked 13 September 2026.

Up to 90 days

Short stay: the Schengen visa

A Schengen visa lets you stay in the Netherlands and the rest of the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

To check the 90 days, count back 180 days from each day of your stay and add up the days you spent in the Schengen area. The European Commission’s short-stay calculator does the sum for you.

The standard fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 11; children under 6 pay nothing (Netherlands Worldwide fee list). If you apply through VFS Global or TLScontact, you also pay their service charge (visa costs). Applying from Dhaka? Our guide to the Netherlands visa from Bangladesh explains the VFS route for short stays and the embassy route for the MVV.

Apply no earlier than 6 months and at least 15 days before you travel. The consulate normally decides within 15 days, or up to 45 when it needs a closer look (European Commission); Netherlands Worldwide currently gives an average of 25 calendar days (waiting times). Pick your country on the Schengen visa pages for the exact steps where you live.

Visiting more than one Schengen country? Apply to the country that is the main purpose of your trip. If the purpose is the same everywhere, apply to the one where you stay longest, and if the stays are equal, to the one you enter first (Netherlands Worldwide).

Our Netherlands Schengen visa guide covers the documents, the purpose checklists and what to do after a refusal.

More than 90 days

Long stay: MVV and residence permit

For a stay longer than 90 days you need a residence permit, and depending on your nationality an MVV as well.

The MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf, provisional residence permit) is a visa sticker in your passport for travelling to the Netherlands on a long stay. You do not apply for it on its own: the MVV and the residence permit are one application, the entry and residence procedure (Toegang en Verblijf, TEV).

Your sponsor in the Netherlands, such as your employer, school or partner, usually submits it. Without a sponsor, you apply yourself at a Dutch embassy or consulate (IND). Once issued, the MVV sticker is valid for 90 days (Netherlands Worldwide). Our MVV visa guide walks through the TEV procedure and the sticker appointment. Refused a long-stay permit? See how to object to an IND rejection. Canadian citizen? Our guide to the Netherlands visa from Canada covers visa-free stays, the working holiday permit and the MVV exemption.

You do not need an MVV if you are a national of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vatican City or an EU or EEA country. You still need the residence permit. The IND can also exempt you because of your situation, for example if you already hold a valid Dutch residence permit (IND).

Which permit fits depends on why you come. The table below lists the main ones, and our guide to residence permit types compares temporary and permanent permits.

2026 fees

Netherlands visa types by purpose

Each purpose has its own permit, conditions, IND fee and decision period. These are the main routes.

Visa or permit	Who it is for	IND fee 2026	IND decision period	Read more
Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant)	Employees of an employer recognised by the IND who meet the salary threshold	€423	90 days	Our guide
EU Blue Card	Highly qualified employees with a recognised higher education qualification	€423	30 days via a recognised sponsor, otherwise 90	Business.gov.nl
Intra-corporate transferee (ICT)	Managers, specialists and trainees moved temporarily from the same company outside the EU	€423	90 days	Business.gov.nl
Single permit (GVVA) for other paid work	Employees in jobs the employer could not fill from the EU or EEA	€423	90 days	Our guide
Study	Students at a Dutch university or university of applied sciences	€254	60 days (IND target: 2 weeks if complete)	Our guide
Orientation year (zoekjaar)	Graduates, PhD graduates and researchers looking for work, within 3 years of finishing	€254	90 days	Our guide
Partner or family member	Partners, spouses and children joining a family member in the Netherlands	€254	90 days	Our guide
Start-up	Founders working with a facilitator recognised by RVO, for up to 1 year	€423	90 days	Business.gov.nl
Self-employed	People who want to start working on a self-employed basis in the Netherlands	€423	90 days	IND
DAFT (US citizens)	Americans setting up as self-employed under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty	€423	90 days	IND fees
Au pair or exchange	People getting to know Dutch culture as an au pair or on a cultural exchange	€423	90 days	IND
Working holiday	Nationals of countries with a working holiday programme or scheme with the Netherlands	€85	90 days	IND

Fees: IND, valid from 1 January to 31 December 2026. One fee covers the MVV and the residence permit (Netherlands Worldwide), and Turkish nationals pay less for many permits. Decision periods: IND, updated 21 August 2026. A decision period is the legal maximum, and the IND can extend it.

IND refused, asked for more evidence, or missed its decision date?

Whether you are the applicant or the person sponsoring them in the Netherlands, tell Finn what happened and the dates on the letters. We prepare the case and introduce you to an independent immigration lawyer who works in English. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day.

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Applying

Where to apply

You apply for a Schengen visa in the country where you live; a residence permit is usually filed by your sponsor in the Netherlands.

Schengen visa: apply in your country of residence, at a Dutch embassy or consulate or at the visa centre used there, such as VFS Global or TLScontact (Netherlands Worldwide).
MVV and residence permit: your sponsor applies to the IND; without a sponsor, you apply at a Dutch embassy or consulate. For a highly skilled migrant permit, only an employer recognised by the IND can apply (IND).
After you land: you collect your residence permit card at an IND desk or an expat centre (Business.gov.nl).
Already living here? Extending a permit is a separate application, explained in our residence permit extension guide.

Guides by country: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, Dubai and the UAE, the UK, Canada, the US, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain.

Timelines

How long it takes

Expect about 25 calendar days for a Schengen visa at the moment; for most residence permits the IND has a legal decision period of 90 days.

The IND’s period starts on the day it receives your application. Study and research applications have 60 days, and an EU Blue Card filed by a recognised sponsor has 30. If documents are missing, you get 2 weeks to send them and the period moves back by 2 weeks. The IND can also extend it: by 30 days for a first application for paid employment, highly skilled migrant work or an orientation year, and otherwise by several weeks, up to 6 months (IND decision periods).

If the IND misses its deadline, you can send a notice of default (ingebrekestelling). If it still has not decided 2 weeks later, you can go to court. Since April 2025 there is no automatic penalty payment (IND). Our IND processing times guide explains each step.

Already applied? Our guide to Netherlands visa tracking shows where to check your status.

First weeks

After you arrive

Three things come first: registering with your municipality, collecting your residence card and taking out health insurance.

Register within 5 days. Staying 4 months or more? Register in person at your municipality within 5 days of arrival, or later if you are waiting for a residence permit. Your BSN (burgerservicenummer, citizen service number) comes with it (Government.nl).
Collect your residence card at an IND desk or an expat centre; our IND appointment guide shows how to book.
Health insurance within 4 months. Take out Dutch basic health insurance within 4 months of starting to live or work here; cover and premiums then backdate to day one (Government.nl).

Bringing a partner or child: sponsor income, housing and the MVV steps.

Permits

Permanent residence

Staying for good after 5 years, and how it compares with citizenship.

Permits

Extending your residence permit

The IND application, the documents and the timing of an extension.

Arrival

BSN number

Citizenship

Dutch citizenship

Naturalisation, the requirements and the steps to a Dutch passport.

Citizenship

Dutch citizenship by descent

Whether a Dutch parent already made you Dutch, and how to keep it.

Overview

All immigration guides

Every immigration guide in one place, plus the pages for your city.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for the Netherlands?

Not if you are a citizen of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Citizens of about 60 visa-exempt countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, can visit for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Most other nationals need a Schengen visa. For a stay longer than 90 days, everyone else needs a residence permit.

How much does a Netherlands visa cost in 2026?

A Schengen visa costs €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 11, plus a service charge if you apply through VFS Global or TLScontact. For a long stay, one IND fee covers the MVV and the residence permit: €423 for most work permits, €254 for study, an orientation year or joining a partner, and €85 for a working holiday.

How long does it take to get a Netherlands visa?

EU rules give the consulate 15 days to decide on a Schengen visa, or up to 45 when it needs a closer look; Netherlands Worldwide currently gives an average of 25 calendar days. For most residence permits the IND has a legal decision period of 90 days from the day it receives your application; for study and research it is 60 days. Missing documents add 2 weeks, and the IND can extend the period in some cases.

What is the difference between an MVV and a residence permit?

The MVV is a visa sticker that lets you travel to the Netherlands for a long stay. The residence permit is your right to live here for a set purpose, such as work or study. You normally apply for both in one procedure, usually through your sponsor. Nationals of countries such as the United States, Canada and Japan need no MVV but still need the permit.

Can I apply for a Dutch residence permit without a sponsor?

Sometimes. The IND says your sponsor in the Netherlands usually submits the application, but without a sponsor you can apply for the MVV and residence permit yourself at a Dutch embassy or consulate. The highly skilled migrant permit is different: only an employer recognised by the IND can apply for it, so for that route you need the job offer first.

Which country do I apply to if I visit several Schengen countries?

Apply to the country that is the main purpose of your trip. If the purpose is the same everywhere, apply to the country where you will stay longest, and if the stays are equal, to the country you enter first. You apply in the country where you live, at the embassy or consulate or at the visa centre that country uses.

Do US and UK citizens need an MVV for the Netherlands?

No. The IND exempts nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vatican City and all EU and EEA countries from the MVV. For a stay longer than 90 days, US and UK citizens still need a residence permit, and they collect the residence card at an IND desk or an expat centre.

What should I do first after arriving in the Netherlands?

If you will stay 4 months or more, register in person at your municipality within 5 days, or later if you are still waiting for a residence permit; your BSN comes with that registration. Collect your residence permit card at an IND desk or an expat centre. Take out Dutch basic health insurance within 4 months of starting to live or work here, so that your cover backdates to your first day.

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Official sources, checked 13 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 residence permit application, 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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