A short stay visa

With a multiple entry short stay visa you are allowed to travel in and out of the Netherlands during the validity of your visa. During this period, you are also free to travel through the Schengen countries and back and forth to your home country or country of residence.

With a single entry short stay visa you are also allowed to travel in and out of the Netherlands and the other Schengen countries, but once you have left the Schengen area you can not return without a new Schengen visa. If there is a valid reason, you can change your single entry visa to a muliptle entry visa.

If you want to change your visa you will need to make an appointment with the IND. In some cases a VKV might only be valid for one or a few Schengen countries. If this is the case, then you are only allowed to travel through the countries that are mentioned on your visa.

To find out if you will need a short stay visa, fill in the Student Visa Wizard.
  

Procedure

To obtain a visa, you must apply in person to the Netherlands embassy or consulate in your home country (or the country in which you legally reside). The procedure involves completing a standard Schengen application form and presenting all the relevant documents. Processing your application can take between a few days and up to two months if more information is required. Be sure to apply for a visa on time.

Remember: if you are in the Netherlands on a short stay visa, you can in principle never stay longer than three months or be issued a residence permit! If you want to stay longer, you need to follow the procedure for a provisional residence permit, which means that you have to return to your home country or country of residence first.

Once in the Netherlands, non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens need to register with the Aliens Police.
  

Documents required when applying for a short stay visa

In all cases you will need to present:

• valid travel document
• items substantiating the purpose of your trip (e.g. a letter of invitation from the host institution)
• proof that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay (€34 per day) and to travel back home or to a third country where you have the right to stay
• proof that you have adequate health insurance (must cover medical emergency evacuation/repatriation costs for the entire duration within the Schengen area)

For an exact list of all required documents, please consult the website of the Dutch embassy in your home country or the country in which you legally reside. 
  

Administration fees for short stay visa

When you apply for a short stay visa, you have to pay a handling fee (administration fee). Applying for a short stay visa costs €60*. Paying the fee does not automatically mean that your application for a visa will be granted! The fee must be paid even if your application is turned down.

*For nationals of Russia, Ukraine, Macedonia, Bosnia, Albania, Moldavia and Serbia the fee is €35.