VISAS
Which visas are required
Short Stay
You wish to stay in the Netherlands for a maximum of 90 days for business purposes. It depends on your nationality if you need a visa.
If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen and wish to come to the Netherlands for a short stay, you do not need a visa. You need a valid travel document (passport or identity card). The travel document has to be issued by an EU/EEA country or Switzerland. You may not be a risk to public order. If you are planning to stay in the Netherlands for more than 4 months, you have to register with the Municipal Personal Records Database.
There are several types of visa available for entry into the Netherlands. Applying for a visa usually takes place at the Dutch embassy or consulate in the country of residence, prior to departure. To check whether you need a short stay VISA as a non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, go to IND Short Stay Visa
The following conditions apply:
- You have a valid passport, also being valid 3 months after the end of the visa period and not older than 10 years
- You have a valid reason for visiting the Netherlands
- You are not considered at threat to public order, national security, or international relations.
MVV
MVV: VISA for more than 3 months
You want to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days. In most cases, you will need a residence permit. Sometimes, you will first have to apply for a regular provisional residence permit (MVV).
- The nationals of all countries except the EU/EEA and Switzerland plus a few other countries - see exemptions who want to visit/stay in the Netherlands for an uninterrupted period of time that is longer than 3 months, will need an Authorization for Temporary Stay (also referred to as an Entry Visa or a Type D Visa). A MVV is a special entrance visa, on which you can travel to the Netherlands and subsequently apply for a residence permit. If your nationality requires a MVV, it is impossible to apply for a residence permit without it. A MVV can only be applied for from your country of origin or the country where you legally reside at that moment. If you enter the Netherlands with a short stay visa for a period shorter than 3 months, it is not possible to change this visa into a MVV. Usually, it is the employer in the Netherlands who applies for the MVV.
Note: a country of continuous residence is a country - other than the country of origin - where you may lawfully live for more than 3 months. This means you have a valid residence permit for that country).
- If you do not need a MVV (see exemptions) and wish to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 3 months and you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you must still apply for a residence permit.
- The MVV allows you to multiple enter the Netherlands and move within the Schengen area. You can enter the Schengen area within 180 days from the date of issue. After entering the Schengen area it allows you to stay a maximum of 3 months in the Schengen area.
Note: For more detailed information about the MVV procedure plus the entry conditions for all nationalities for stays both longer and shorter than 3 months, see the website of the Service Desk IND.