Applying for an MVV visa sticker for the Netherlands in Bulgaria
Has your application for a residence permit for the Netherlands been approved? And does the letter from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) informing you of its positive decision say that you can apply for an MVV visa sticker in Bulgaria? Find out how to apply for an MVV visa sticker to travel to the Netherlands.
Make an appointment
You can only apply for an MVV visa sticker at the Dutch embassy in Sofia if that is what it says in the letter from the IND informing you of its positive decision.
Make an appointment at the Dutch embassy in Sofia online
- Once your appointment is scheduled, you will receive confirmation of this by email.
- Make your appointment in good time. After receiving the letter from the IND informing you of its positive decision, you have 3 months to apply for an MVV visa sticker.
Because of the high number of applicants, appointments fill up quickly. If you are unable to make an appointment, try again at a later date. Slots may become available due to cancellations or re-scheduling.
If you did not receive an email confirming your appointment, check your spam folder. It is possible that it may have ended up there. If the email is not in your spam folder, contact NetherlandsWorldwide.
Bring the correct documents with you
Bring all the necessary documents with you to your appointment. Exactly which documents you need depends on who applied for the residence permit.
If your sponsor applied to the IND for the residence permit in the Netherlands, bring the following documents with you to your appointment:
- A completed and signed MVV issue form.
- Your passport and a photocopy of the page with your photo on it. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of the appointment and contain at least 2 empty pages.
- If you are not a national of the country where you live: your residence permit (or comparable document) and a photocopy of it.
- A passport photo that meets Dutch requirements. Find out how to have a Dutch passport photo taken in Bulgaria
- A photocopy of the letter from the IND stating that your application has been approved (letter informing you of the positive decision) and which includes your alien registration number (V number). If you are applying for an MVV visa sticker because you will be studying in the Netherlands, you do not need to bring a photocopy of this letter. The email from your educational institution containing your V number is sufficient.
- All other documents listed in the letter from the IND and a photocopy of each of those documents.
Keep in mind that you will need to hand in your passport at the appointment. You will get it back when you collect your passport with the MVV visa sticker. This can take up to 10 working days.
If you applied for the residence permit yourself at the embassy, you only have to bring your passport to your appointment. Your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months and have at least 2 empty pages.
Keep in mind that you will need to hand in your passport at the appointment. You will get it back when you collect your passport with the MVV visa sticker. This can take up to 10 working days.
Collecting a passport with an MVV visa sticker
The embassy does not issue MVV visa stickers immediately. This can take up to 10 working days. At your appointment you will receive a tracking number so that you can follow the status of your application online.
You will receive an email from the embassy letting you know when your passport with MVV visa sticker is ready to be collected.
Verify the information on your MVV visa sticker
Verify at the front desk of the embassy that the information on your MVV visa sticker is correct. This includes your name and the period of validity. If any of the information on your MVV visa sticker is incorrect, please inform an employee at the desk immediately.
Find out more about the information on your MVV visa sticker
Contact
If you have any questions about applying for an MVV visa sticker at the embassy, contact NetherlandsWorldwide.
If you have any questions about applying for an MVV or residence permit from the Netherlands, contact the IND.