Staggering canals, marvelous windmills, breathtaking flower gardens, these are only some of the many reasons why one would like to visit the Netherlands.
In 2016, the Netherlands was the 8th most visited country and received as many as 560000 visa applications. Out of this, only about 500000 were issued, making the visa rejection rate more than 8%.
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This is one of the highest visa rejection rates of all Schengen countries. This means that it is absolutely necessary that you understand the right way to apply for your Netherlands Schengen visa to avoid rejection.
The Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York received the highest number of visa applications to the Netherlands in all of the USA. More than 2000 applications were received, out of which, only about 1900 were approved.
But don’t worry, if you’re planning your travel to the Netherlands, you have landed at the right place. This article gives you a detailed explanation of whether or not you really need a Netherlands Schengen visa, and if you do, then how to get it.
What is the first thing that I need to know when applying for a Netherlands Schengen Visa in London?
The very first thing you need to determine is whether or not you really need a Schengen visa to visit the Netherlands from New York. If you are a US citizen, then you need not apply for a Netherlands Schengen visa. But in case you are from another nationality and are settled in America as a US Permanent resident, then you will need to find out whether the Netherlands mandates a Schengen visa for you.
The link below gives you a link to all the nationalities that will need a Schengen visa to visit the Netherlands.
List of all nationalities that need a Schengen visa to visit the Netherlands
I am a US Permanent Resident. Will I need a Schengen visa to visit the Netherlands?
Unfortunately, yes, you will need a Schengen visa if you are planning on visiting the Netherlands. And you can apply for one at the Netherlands Consulate.
What if I am a B1/B2 Visa Holder?
Then you cannot apply for your visa from any Consulate General of Netherlands in America. You will need to head back to your own country and apply for your Schengen visa from there.
What are the steps to applying for a Netherlands Schengen Visa?
Once you have figured out whether or not you can apply for your Schengen visa from the Netherlands consulate, you will need to follow the steps given below to get your Netherlands Schengen visa.
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Book an appointment with the Consulate General of Netherlands that has jurisdiction in your state.
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Arrange all the documents required.
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Attend the interview at the consulate to initiate the processing of your visa.
Want temporary flight, hotel or insurance for your Schengen visa appointment?
What are the steps to applying for a Netherlands Schengen Visa?
Before making your appointment with the Netherlands Consulate, you will need to find out what consulate has jurisdiction over your state of residence in the US. You can only apply for an appointment with the Netherlands consulate in New York city if you are a permanent resident of these states.
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New York
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Rhode Island
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Connecticut
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Massachusetts
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Maine
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New Hampshire
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New Jersey
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Vermont
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Pennsylvania
What if I am visiting other countries along with the Netherlands?
It is important that you apply for your Schengen visa at the Netherlands consulate only if your main travel theme is the Netherlands. If you are planning on spending more time in any other Schengen country, then you will need to apply for your Schengen visa in that country’s consulate.
In case you are planning on spending an equal number of days in all the Schengen countries you plan on visiting, your first destination should be in the Netherlands, i.e. you will need to first land in the Netherlands.
Take a look at the image below to get a better understanding of this.
Do I really need an appointment with the Netherlands consulate?
The Consulate General of Netherlands, similar to most other consulates, doesn’t allow walk-in. You will need to first book an appointment with the consulate online and then visit the consulate with the necessary documents to get your visa application processed.
How do I start booking my appointment with the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York?
You will be taken to a website that looks like the image given below.
Click on “Appointment System United States” on the page.
Once you are here, click on “Schedule Appointment“.
The page will redirect again and you will be asked to pick the consulate you need to go to. Select “New York” from the drop-down options.
After this, you will need to click on “Submit“.
In the next page that you are taken to, enter the number of applicants in the respective dialogue box. In the next dialogue box, you will need to select the reason why you are applying for an appointment with the consulate.
Click on the drop-down, scroll down, and select “Visa – Schengen area, tourism“.
Once you have filled these fields, click on “Continue“. You will need to now fill a form according to the number of applicants entered on the previous page.
Once you have filled in all the required details, select “I confirm the above statement” from the drop-down and then click on “Continue“.
After this, follow the steps as directed by the consulate website to complete your appointment booking with the Consulate General of Netherlands in New York.
This should complete the procedure to book an appointment with the consulate.
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How do I prepare for my interview with the consulate?
You will need to carry all the documents required for your Schengen visa to the consulate on the day of your interview. The list of all the documents you need is quite long, so ensure that you keep all of these papers in place before your appointment with the consulate.
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A filled visa application form
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A valid passport
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US Permanent Residence proof
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A recent photograph in passport size
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Flight itinerary
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Hotel reservations
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Financial sustenance
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Travel insurance
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Proof of employment or studies
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A cover letter for your travel
Don’t worry, each of these documents are explained in detail below to help you with your application.
Visa application form: The very first step to initiate the processing of your visa application is by filling in the Visa application form. You will need to take this along with you on the day of your appointment with the consulate.
Fill this online, print it out, and attach your passport-sized photograph to the form as well. The photo will need to have a clear front face view and a light background. Ensure that you paste your photo and not staple it.
Passport: Ensure that you carry your original passport. It should have a validity of at least 90 days from the day of your return to the US. It will also need to have 2 blank pages.
US Residence Permit: Since you are applying for your Schengen visa because you are a US permanent resident, you will need to provide proof of this as well. Ensure that you carry the original and that it has a validity of at least 90 days from the day of your return.
Financial sustenance: You will need to provide proof of being able to bear all the expenses you will face in the Netherlands. For this, you can show your bank statements, credit card statements, and travel cards.
Flight and hotel bookings: The consulate will ask for your travel details along with your hotel reservations before approving your visa application. So, you will need to carry proof of this as well.
Travel health insurance: You will also need to be capable of taking care of all the expenses you might incur if you face a calamity while you are traveling. Ensure that this insurance is valid in all the Schengen countries and not just in the Netherlands.
Employment or student details: You will need a couple more documents if you are working or if you are a student in the US. Carry the documents listed below according to your occupation.
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Employed: Employment letter and IT returns documents.
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Self-employed: Business registration card, company bank statements, and IT returns documents.
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Student: A letter from your university.
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Retired: Pension statements from the previous 6 months.
Cover letter: This is one of the most important documents that you need to submit along with your form and other documents. Your cover letter will need to describe your purpose of visiting the Netherlands, all the countries you’re going to travel to (if any), and also your travel itinerary and hotel bookings.
Should I really make my flight and hotel bookings before I apply for my Netherlands Schengen visa?
Ideally, no. It is better that you avoid making your flight and hotel bookings before you get your visa approved. With the Netherlands’ high visa rejection rates, it is highly possible that your visa can get rejected for the smallest of reasons. This way, in case you have already made your bookings, you might incur a high cost in canceling them.
What do I do if I should not make my reservations before getting my Netherlands Schengen Visa?
It is important that you provide proof of your flight bookings and hotel stay before you apply for your visa. But that doesn’t mean that you need to mandatorily make permanent bookings. You can make temporary bookings for the sake of getting your visa approved.
Where can I get a temporary flight and hotel bookings?
Travel Visa Bookings offers temporary flight bookings and hotel reservations to get your visa approved. And this also comes in affordable prices.
Travel Visa Bookings has fulfilled more than 100000 orders within a short span of just 5 years. And along with temporary flight and hotel bookings, you can also get a cover letter written especially for your travel. You also have the option of making your temporary bookings permanent once your visa is approved.
What are the visa fares to get my Netherlands Schengen visa?
As you can see in the image above, different types of visas will have different costs. But since you are applying for a visa for the purpose of traveling, you will need a short-stay visa.
In case you want to make temporary reservations and get travel insurance, the total cost you will incur is given below.
How long will it take for my visa to get approved?
It usually takes 15 days for your visa to get processed. This, however, can take slightly longer depending on whether or not you need special documents to get your visa approved. So, ensure that you apply for your visa well in advance to your travel plans (at least 30 days in advance). But the consulate will not allow you to apply for your visa 90 days prior to your travel, so, plan accordingly.
What is the validity of my visa?
Your visa will only be valid for the number of days mentioned in your travel itinerary. So, it is advised that you have a buffer of at least 5-10 days in your travel itinerary so that you are not in a hurry to leave the country before you get to visit all the places you wish to see.
Consulate General of Netherlands in New York
Working hours:
Monday to Friday – 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Phone:
+1 646 557 2200
Fax:
+1 212 370 1954
Address:
666 Third Avenue, 19th floor
New York 10017
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