Netherlands Visa from the UK: Appointments, Checklist & Fees

Do UK residents need a visa for the Netherlands?

British, Irish and EU citizens do not need a visa for the Netherlands. If you live in the UK on a passport from a country that is not visa-exempt for Schengen, such as India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh or China, you need a Netherlands Schengen visa: your UK residence permit or eVisa does not let you travel to the Netherlands.

The UK centres only take applications from people who live in the UK. If you are in the UK on a visitor visa, you will generally need to apply in your home country instead; Netherlands Worldwide has a country selector that shows where, and a page on when you may be able to apply outside your country of residence.

British citizens can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and the EU Entry/Exit System, fully operational since 10 April 2026, records your fingerprints and a facial image at your first Schengen crossing, for example at Schiphol or the Hook of Holland ferry port. ETIAS, the €20 travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, has no confirmed launch date. Our EES and ETIAS guide tracks both.

You prove your UK status with a UKVI eVisa and share code, not a BRP. Our eVisa share code guide shows how to generate one.

Netherlands visa appointments in the UK

You book a Netherlands visa appointment in your own name on VFS Global’s official system, and attend in London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Birmingham. Netherlands Worldwide lists all four centres with no regional split: the only condition it gives is that you live in the UK.

VFS collects your documents, fingerprints and fees on behalf of the Dutch authorities; it does not decide your application. Netherlands Worldwide says only holders of diplomatic or official passports can apply at the Embassy of the Netherlands in London, by emailing for an appointment; everyone else applies through VFS. Processing is done by the Consular Services Organisation of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the processing clock starts when it has received your documents and passport.

Important: We do not book, hold or supply visa appointments. Every Netherlands appointment is booked in the applicant’s own name on the official VFS Global system. Netherlands Worldwide itself advises booking your own appointment and not using an intermediary, because that may add unnecessary costs. We explain how the system works, help you complete the booking correctly and make sure your file is ready for the day.

London

London suits applicants from London, the South East, the East of England and the South West. The full street address and opening hours are shown on the VFS Netherlands UK site and on your appointment confirmation; always check them there, as VFS addresses do change.

Manchester

Manchester suits applicants from the North West, Yorkshire and North Wales. Your documents still have to reach the Dutch processing office before the clock starts, so allow some courier time. The address appears on your confirmation letter.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh suits Scotland, the North East and, with a short flight, Northern Ireland. As with every centre, check the current address on the VFS site and your confirmation.

Birmingham

Birmingham suits the Midlands, South Wales and the Welsh borders. VFS addresses can change, and older guides and maps may show an out-of-date location, so use only the address on the VFS Netherlands UK site and your booking confirmation.

How to book

1. Complete the Dutch online application form first on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal (consular.mfaservices.nl). Print the version with its unique code and sign it.
2. Create a VFS Global account on the Netherlands UK site with your own email address.
3. Book one appointment per applicant. Netherlands Worldwide says each person needs a separate appointment, including children, so book family slots side by side.
4. Enter names exactly as in each passport, choose a date, and print the confirmation.

You can apply up to 6 months before travel. Demand rises before Easter, during the spring tulip season, ahead of the summer holidays and before December trips; Netherlands Worldwide warns that processing can take longer than usual in high season. If London is full, compare Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham, and check at different times of day for cancellations. To change or cancel an appointment, contact VFS.

On the day

Bring every document on your checklist, plus the checklist itself. At the appointment you hand in your documents and passport, give fingerprints, answer questions about your trip and pay the visa fee and VFS charge. Applicants aged 12 and over give fingerprints unless they were taken for a Schengen or entry visa application in the last 59 months. You also sign a declaration that an incomplete application may be rejected without a refund. A smooth counter check is not a sign of approval.

You choose at the appointment whether to collect your passport or have it sent back, and you receive a reference number to track your application online. To collect, bring valid ID and the VFS proof of payment; a representative needs their own ID, your signed authorisation letter and the proof of payment. Any optional services VFS offers do not affect the decision.

Netherlands visa document checklist for UK residents

Every applicant needs the coded application form, a valid passport, proof of UK status, insurance, bookings and three months of bank statements, plus evidence of ties to the UK that depends on your situation. Netherlands Worldwide publishes UK-specific checklists for each purpose of travel; use the one for your main purpose.

The coded form is the first thing VFS checks. Netherlands Worldwide warns that a form without the code may cause processing problems, and that you must not use someone else’s form. Check that names, passport number and dates match your passport exactly.

Your passport must be signed, issued within the last 10 years, have 2 blank visa pages and be valid for 3 months after you leave Schengen. The Dutch checklist says a separate photo is not needed when you apply through an external provider such as VFS, because a digital photo is taken at the appointment; the Dutch photo standard is colour, 3.5 x 4.5 cm, a white or light background and no more than 6 months old. Bring old passports with previous Schengen visas: a clean travel history helps.

For UK status, the Dutch UK checklist asks for a printout of your UKVI eVisa showing your immigration status, plus the letter with your share code, and says the eVisa must be valid for at least 1 month after you leave Schengen. Bring the original and a colour copy. Insurance must give at least €30,000 cover across all Schengen states for the whole trip, including hospital care, emergency care and repatriation; our travel insurance guide explains what to check. For travel, show a reservation of your trip, such as proof of a return ticket to the UK or of onward travel.

For funds, the UK checklists ask for your personal bank statements from the last 3 months and credit card statements showing your name, address and monthly limit. If a spouse or parent in the UK pays instead, add the marriage or birth certificate, their last 3 months of bank statements and their written statement that they will support you.

The Dutch checklists distinguish originals from colour copies: originals of the signed form and passport, an original and a colour copy of your proof of UK residence and of children’s birth certificates, and colour copies of most supporting papers. Bring the originals of anything you copy.

Employed

A recent, official and signed letter from your employer with your name, position and salary, your address, the date, the signatory’s position and the company’s UK registration number, plus your payslips for the last 3 months. The salary credits should match your bank statements.

Self-employed

The Dutch UK checklist asks for a recent, signed letter from an accountant, banker or solicitor, showing their position and UK registration number, the nature of your business and the annual salary you draw, plus your HMRC self-assessment form. Our self-employed guide covers irregular income.

Students

A recent, signed letter from your UK school, college or university stating your type of studies, weekly lessons or study hours and your attendance record, plus your own funds or a parent’s support evidence. See our students guide.

Retired

Retirement is not listed separately on the Dutch checklist, so show your ties and income in other ways: a pension statement or award letter, bank statements showing the pension being paid in, and, if relevant, proof of a home you own in the UK.

Sponsored

If a host in the Netherlands is paying or housing you, add the proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation form, legalised at the municipality where your host is registered (submit a colour copy and show the original at the counter). The family-visit checklist also asks for a copy of the host’s Dutch ID card or passport (or Dutch residence permit), proof of family ties for relatives, and, if the host pays your costs, their 3 recent payslips and an employment certificate or a contract valid for at least 12 months.

Children

Every child under 18 needs their own coded form, passport and insurance, plus a birth certificate (original and colour copy). If the child travels without one or both parents, add a consent form signed by the parents, both parents’ passports or certified copies of the data pages, and a certificate from the child’s UK school, plus sole custody, death certificate or court papers where relevant. Our children’s guide covers consent letters.

How much money do you need for a Netherlands visa?

Netherlands Worldwide says you need at least €55 per person for each day of your trip, and the family-visit checklist adds that this also applies to under-18s. If you cannot show this yourself, someone in the Netherlands can sponsor you.

These are minimums. It helps to show that the money is genuinely available after your regular outgoings and that your balance has been stable over the 3 months of statements. A large unexplained deposit shortly before applying can raise questions. If you cannot meet the figure yourself, a Dutch sponsor’s legalised form can cover your costs. Our guide to bank statements for a Schengen visa explains how to present them.

Netherlands visa fees from the UK

The Netherlands visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 11; children under 6 pay nothing. VFS Global adds its own service charge on top, which Netherlands Worldwide says you pay even when the visa fee is waived.

The Dutch consular fees page for the UK lists the €35 reduced fee for citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus, and says payment is by Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card; American Express, cheques and postal orders are not accepted. Netherlands Worldwide also lists fee exemptions: children under 6, pupils and students travelling for their studies and their accompanying teachers, researchers attending academic events, and people aged 25 or under representing a non-profit organisation at a sporting, cultural or educational event. Its checklist for family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens says they pay no visa fee either, but the VFS service charge still applies to every exempt applicant. Netherlands Worldwide says the visa fee and any VFS service charges are not refunded if the visa is refused. Our Schengen visa fee guide compares charges across countries.

How long does a Netherlands visa take from the UK?

Netherlands Worldwide gives an average processing time of 18 to 21 calendar days for a Schengen visa, which can increase to 45 calendar days in high season, when more checks are needed or when extra documents are requested. The clock starts when the Ministry’s Consular Services Organisation has received your documents and passport.

You receive an email when processing ends, but it does not say whether the visa was granted; you find out when you collect or receive your passport. You can apply up to 6 months before travel (9 months for seafarers) and no later than 15 days before. Netherlands Worldwide asks applicants not to contact the embassy or VFS about status; use the online tracking instead.

For Easter, the tulip season and summer, allow extra time. Our processing time guide explains what causes delays.

Netherlands visa types for UK residents

Most UK residents apply for a short-stay Schengen visa (type C) for tourism, a family visit or business, valid for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

• Tourist: a hotel reservation for the whole trip or a tour confirmation. A short outline itinerary, such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and a day at Keukenhof, is not on the Dutch checklist but can help show your plans hang together.
• Family or friends visit: your host completes the IND proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation form. A sponsor must be 18 or over with a steady and sufficient income, and because you need a visa, the host’s signature must be legalised at a Dutch municipality. You must apply within 6 months of legalisation, and each traveller needs a separate form, valid for one trip only. Add evidence of your relationship.
• Business: an invitation from the Dutch company or event stating your personal details, the dates and the reasons for the visit; an admission ticket for a trade fair or congress.
• Short study or training: Netherlands Worldwide has a separate UK checklist for study and for political, academic, cultural, sporting or religious events.
• Medical treatment: use the Dutch UK checklist for medical reasons.
• EU/EEA family member: free and simplified, with proof of the relationship and the EU, EEA or Swiss citizen’s passport.
• Airport transit: some nationalities need an airport transit visa even to change planes at Schiphol. Check whether yours does before you book a connection.

UK students travelling on holiday apply as tourists, with a university letter as proof of ties. Stays longer than 90 days, such as work or study, need a Dutch residence route through the IND (often an MVV provisional residence permit), not a Schengen visa.

Netherlands-specific tips

The Dutch process trips UK applicants up in a handful of predictable places.

• Legalisation takes time. Your host needs to get the sponsor form legalised at their municipality and post you the original; Netherlands Worldwide says some municipalities let sponsors complete the form online. Ask them to arrange it before you book your VFS slot, and remember the 6-month window.
• One form per traveller. A family of four needs four sponsor forms, four coded application forms and four appointments.
• The 1-month eVisa rule. The Dutch UK checklist asks for an eVisa valid at least 1 month after you leave Schengen. Share codes last 90 days, so generate yours within a few weeks of your appointment.
• The Caribbean is not Schengen. A Netherlands Schengen visa does not cover Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius or Saba.
• Benelux trips. Amsterdam with day trips to Brussels or Antwerp is still a Netherlands application, but if you sleep more nights in Belgium or France, apply there. Our guide on which country to apply to explains the rule.
• Check the sticker. If the visa contains an error, or its validity conflicts with your travel dates, tell the VFS agent at collection or, if you notice later or it arrived by courier, contact the Dutch embassy in London as soon as possible, as Netherlands Worldwide and VFS both advise.

Tip: Keep the original sponsor or accommodation form, your insurance and your return booking with you when you travel. Netherlands Worldwide says border control may ask for documents, and a sponsored visitor must show the original form there.

Why Netherlands visas are refused (and how to avoid it)

Most Netherlands refusals come from a small number of avoidable gaps in the file.

• Funds below €55 per day, or statements that show the money only arrived recently. Show a stable 3-month history.
• Weak ties to the UK, such as UK leave ending soon after the trip or no employer letter. Make sure your eVisa covers the 1-month margin, and document your job, studies or business.
• Wrong country of application, when more nights are spent elsewhere in Schengen.
• Missing or unlegalised sponsor form for family and friends visits, or one form shared by a whole family.
• Insurance gaps, such as cover below €30,000 or policies that exclude some Schengen states.
• Inconsistent dates across the coded form, bookings and cover letter. A short cover letter helps tie them together.

If you are refused, the decision letter explains the reasons. You can lodge a free objection (bezwaar) with the IND within 4 weeks, counted from the date on the decision letter, and only if the Netherlands made the decision. Objections are made in writing (by letter or secure email) in Dutch, English, German or French, with a copy of the decision and your supporting documents; for family or friends visits, your Dutch sponsor can object online. The IND has 6 weeks to decide, extendable by another 6, but says objections can currently take about 6 months; if the objection is rejected, you can appeal to a court. The visa fee and VFS charges are not refunded. If your travel dates are close, Netherlands Worldwide says a new application that fixes each reason is often the better option. Our refused Schengen visa guide explains both routes, and our pricing page covers refusal review.