# Netherlands Visa Types for Indians: Which One Fits You

> Tourist, business, family visit, medical, MVV for study or work: how to match your Dutch trip to the right visa category before you book a VFS slot.

_Published: 2026-11-02 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1218_

## TL;DR

Trips to the Netherlands of up to 90 days use a Schengen visa (EUR 90 for adults) under a purpose-based category such as tourism, business, family visit or medical treatment. Longer stays need an MVV and residence permit applied for with the IND, usually by your university, employer or family sponsor, with IND fees of EUR 254 or EUR 423 in 2026.

## Key takeaways

- Short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period use a Schengen visa: EUR 90 for adults, EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11, free under 6, plus the INR 1,890 VFS fee.
- Book the VFS appointment under the right category; a wrong category means you cannot submit and you lose the VFS fee.
- Indians changing planes inside the international transit area of a Dutch airport do not need an airport transit visa.
- Study, work and family stays need an MVV and residence permit through the IND, with 2026 fees of EUR 254 (study, family, seasonal work) or EUR 423 (highly skilled migrant, Blue Card, single permit).
- Dutch consulates in India had a 20.7% Schengen refusal rate in 2025 (European Commission data).

**Indians visiting the Netherlands for up to 90 days need a Schengen short-stay visa, chosen by purpose (tourism, business, family or friends, medical treatment, events or seafarer) at EUR 90 for adults. Stays longer than 90 days need an MVV and a residence permit from the IND, applied for by your sponsor: a university, an employer or a family member.**

## Article

Picking the category is the first real decision in a Dutch application, and it decides which checklist you follow, who applies and what it costs. The categories and fees below are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15.

### Short stay or long stay: which side of the 90-day line are you on?
A Schengen visa allows a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area. Anything within that limit, whether a holiday, a business trip or a family visit, is a short-stay (Schengen) visa that you apply for yourself at a VFS Global centre in India. Anything longer, such as a degree, a job or moving to join your spouse, is a long stay. For that, a sponsor applies to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) for a provisional residence permit (MVV) and residence permit together, and you only collect the MVV sticker in India.

The Netherlands has no eVisa. For a Schengen visa you fill in the form online, then submit in person with fingerprints at one of 12 VFS centres: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, New Delhi or Pune.

### Which Schengen visa category matches your trip?
CategoryUse it forKey document beyond the standard fileTourist VisaHolidays and organised toursTour booking if travelling with a groupBusiness and official visitMeetings, conferences, training, business eventsInvitation from the Dutch company plus your employer's cover letterVisit to Family & FriendsStaying with or visiting people in the NetherlandsProof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation form, legalised by the Dutch municipalityMedical treatmentTreatment at a Dutch hospital or doctorDoctor's or hospital letters and proof of pre-paymentCultural, sports or religious events and film crewsEvents, short study or research, filmingInvitation, registration or ticket; admission letter for studySeafarersJoining or leaving a ship, maritime trainingSeafarer checklist; apply up to 9 months aheadOrange CarpetStaff of companies registered with the EmbassyDocuments named by your company contact; morning walk-in windowsFamily member of EU/EEA/Swiss citizenSpouse or family of an EU/EEA/Swiss nationalProof of the family link; visa fee free, VFS fee appliesEvery category shares the standard file: the signed online form, a passport not older than 10 years and valid 3 months beyond departure, a cover letter, accommodation proof, 3 months' stamped bank statements or 2 years' ITRs, a travel reservation (a paid ticket is not required) and travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000. The fee is EUR 90 for adults, EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11, free under 6, plus the VFS service fee of INR 1,890.

### Do you need a visa just to change planes at a Dutch airport?
No, as long as you stay airside. India is not on the EU common airport-transit-visa list (Annex 7A) or on the Netherlands' own list (Annex 7B), so an Indian who stays in the international transit area of a Dutch airport needs no airport transit visa. Leaving the transit area needs a Schengen visa. Two narrower categories also exist: an Entry visa for holders of a Dutch residence permit lost, stolen or expired abroad, and a Visa after approved appeal, which carries no consular fee.

### Which residence permit fits study, work or family?
Permit (via IND)Who appliesIND fee 2026Headline conditionStudent (university or hbo)Your institution, as recognised sponsorEUR 254Funds of EUR 1,130.77 a month, excluding tuitionHighly skilled migrantEmployer recognised by the IND as sponsorEUR 423Gross salary EUR 5,942 a month (30+), EUR 4,357 (under 30), EUR 3,122 (reduced criterion)EU Blue CardEmployer (recognised sponsor not required)EUR 423Gross salary EUR 5,942 a month (reduced EUR 4,754); contract of at least 6 monthsSingle permit (GVVA)Employer registered with the Chamber of CommerceEUR 423UWV labour-market test; EUR 2,337.00 gross a monthSeasonal labour single permitEmployerEUR 254Work of at most 24 weeksPartner or family memberSponsor in the NetherlandsEUR 254Sponsor income EUR 2,337.00 gross a month; civic integration exam abroadOrientation yearGraduate or researcherEUR 254Looking for work after study, a doctorate or researchAfter the IND approves, you book the MVV sticker appointment at the Embassy in New Delhi or the consulates-general in Bengaluru or Mumbai within 3 months, the passport with the MVV is ready in up to 10 working days, and you travel within 90 days.

### Does the Dutch Caribbean need a different visa?
Yes. The Dutch Caribbean has its own visa group on VFS, with a short-stay Caribbean visa, a long-stay Caribbean visa and the Caribbean Carpet Programme, for which you check eligibility and apply online first, then apply for visas at the centre once the approval email arrives. The Caribbean visa fee is EUR 80 for adults and EUR 40 for children aged 6 to 11, free under 6. A long-stay Caribbean visa can only be applied for after the residence permit application is approved (for Curaçao, provisional approval is enough).

### What happens if you pick the wrong category?
At VFS, booking under the wrong category means you cannot submit on the day and you lose the VFS service fee. A Schengen visa also cannot be used for a job: for work of up to 90 days, the employer usually applies to UWV for a work permit (TWV) and you travel on a short-stay visa, while longer work needs a residence permit. For context, the European Commission reports a 20.7% refusal rate for short-stay Schengen applications lodged at Dutch consulates in India in 2025 (20,156 visas not issued; 97,650 applications lodged). Our Netherlands visa page for Indians walks through the full application, and the fees above appear on NetherlandsWorldwide's consular fees page for India.

For a Schengen file, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, day-by-day itineraries and cover letters, from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for the complete set. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or reach us on the contact page.

### Frequently asked questions

#### Can I work in the Netherlands on a Schengen visa?
Only within narrow limits. For work of up to 90 days, the Dutch employer usually applies to UWV for a work permit (TWV) and you travel on a short-stay Schengen visa. Longer work needs a residence permit applied for with the IND.

#### Can Indians get a multiple-entry Netherlands visa?
Yes. Under the EU decision of 18 April 2024, Indian nationals living in India who have obtained and lawfully used two visas within the previous three years are issued a two-year multiple-entry visa, ending 3 months before passport expiry. Visas valid up to 5 years can be issued in justified cases.

#### How early can I apply for a Netherlands Schengen visa?
You can apply up to 6 months before travel and at least 15 days before travel; seafarers can apply up to 9 months ahead. NetherlandsWorldwide reports an average of 18 to 21 calendar days, which can increase to 45 calendar days.

#### Which category should I choose for a trade fair without an invitation?
Use the Business and official visit category. Without an invitation, show your trade or employment relations, such as contracts, paid invoices, orders or annual accounts, together with your admission ticket.

## FAQ

### Can I work in the Netherlands on a Schengen visa?

Only within narrow limits. For work of up to 90 days, the Dutch employer usually applies to UWV for a work permit (TWV) and you travel on a short-stay Schengen visa. Longer work needs a residence permit applied for with the IND.

### Can Indians get a multiple-entry Netherlands visa?

Yes. Under the EU decision of 18 April 2024, Indian nationals living in India who have obtained and lawfully used two visas within the previous three years are issued a two-year multiple-entry visa, ending 3 months before passport expiry. Visas valid up to 5 years can be issued in justified cases.

### How early can I apply for a Netherlands Schengen visa?

You can apply up to 6 months before travel and at least 15 days before travel; seafarers can apply up to 9 months ahead. NetherlandsWorldwide reports an average of 18 to 21 calendar days, which can increase to 45 calendar days.

### Which category should I choose for a trade fair without an invitation?

Use the Business and official visit category. Without an invitation, show your trade or employment relations, such as contracts, paid invoices, orders or annual accounts, together with your admission ticket.

## Sources

1. [Consular fees in India 2026](https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/countries/india/living-and-working/consular-fees) — NetherlandsWorldwide (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands)
2. [VFS Netherlands India - Visa Types (all categories)](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/nld/visa-type) — VFS Global (for the Embassy of the Netherlands)
3. [IND - Fees: costs of an application](https://ind.nl/en/fees-costs-of-an-application) — Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)
4. [IND - Required amounts income requirements (2026)](https://ind.nl/en/required-amounts-income-requirements) — Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)