I am a family member of a Dutch national. Can I get visa facilitation for the Netherlands?
If you live or previously lived with your Dutch family member in another EU/EEA member state, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you may be eligible for free Schengen visa facilitation if you meet certain conditions.
Choose your situation
If you are a family member of a Dutch national and you live or previously lived with this family member in an EU member state (other than the Netherlands), an EEA member state (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein), Switzerland or the United Kingdom, select your situation to check whether you meet the conditions.
If you are the parent of a Dutch child under the age of 18, other conditions apply.
Check the conditions for parents of a Dutch child under 18
I live in an EU/EEA country (other than the Netherlands) or Switzerland
You can get visa facilitation if you meet the following 5 conditions:
You are an immediate family member of a Dutch national. In the following situations, you are an immediate family member:
- You are the spouse of a Dutch national.
- You are the registered partner of a Dutch national and the partnership is registered in an EU/EEA member state or in Switzerland.
- You are the partner of a Dutch national. And you have been living or previously lived with your partner for at least 6 months, or you have been in a durable relationship with your partner for at least 6 months. You have a durable relationship if you can prove, for example, that you and your partner:
- have lived together
- have one or more children together
- have purchased a home together
- have frequent and significant contact
- You are a child or grandchild of a Dutch national and you are under the age of 21.
- You are a child or grandchild of a Dutch national and you are 21 years old or older; and you are financially dependent on your parent or grandparent.
- You are a child or grandchild of the spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national and you are under the age of 21.
- You are a child or grandchild of the spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national and you are 21 years old or older; and you are financially dependent on your parent or grandparent or their spouse or registered partner.
- You are the parent or grandparent of a Dutch national and you are financially dependent on your child or grandchild.
- You are a parent or grandparent of the spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national and you are financially dependent on your child or grandchild or their spouse or registered partner.
- Another of your family members is a Dutch national, such as an aunt, uncle or cousin, and one of the following applies to you:
- you are financially dependent on this family member; or
- you live with the family member; or
- you are seriously ill and need to be cared for by this family member.
You can prove your family relationship, for instance with a marriage certificate or birth certificate.
If you are financially dependent on this family member, or you need to be cared for by this family member, you must be able to prove this too.
You have been living, or previously lived, for at least 3 months in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland with your Dutch family member.
If you no longer live in that country, you must not have spent more than 6 months outside the EU following your residence in that country.
You and your Dutch family member live or previously lived in an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland under EU law and you have documents proving this. Your Dutch family member was registered there as an EU national, for instance. You had a valid residence document as a family member of an EU national.
You are travelling to visit your family member in the Netherlands or your family member is travelling to the Netherlands with you.
I live with my family member in the United Kingdom (UK)
You can get visa facilitation if you meet the following 6 conditions:
You are an immediate family member of a Dutch national. In the following situations, you are an immediate family member:
- You are the spouse of a Dutch national.
- You are the registered partner of a Dutch national and the partnership is registered in an EU/EEA member state or in Switzerland.
- You are a child or grandchild of a Dutch national and you are under the age of 21.
- You are a child or grandchild of a Dutch national and you are 21 years old or older; and you are financially dependent on your parent or grandparent.
- You are a child or grandchild of the spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national and you are under the age of 21.
- You are a child or grandchild of the spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national and you are 21 years old or older; and you are financially dependent on your parent or grandparent or their spouse or registered partner.
- You are the parent or grandparent of a Dutch national and you are financially dependent on your child or grandchild.
- You are a parent or grandparent of the spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national and you are financially dependent on your child or grandchild or their spouse or registered partner.
- Another of your family members is a Dutch national, such as an aunt, uncle or cousin, and one of the following applies to you:
you are financially dependent on this family member; or
you live with the family member; or
you are seriously ill and need to be cared for by this family member.
You can prove your family relationship, for instance with a marriage certificate or birth certificate.
If you are financially dependent on this family member, or you need to be cared for by this family member, you must be able to prove this too.
Your Dutch family member moved to the UK on or before 31 December 2020 and you have documents proving this.
You and your Dutch family member lived in the UK for at least 3 consecutive months and you have documents proving this.
You and your Dutch family member lived in the UK legally. Your Dutch family member was registered there as an EU national, for instance. You had a valid residence document for the UK as a family member of an EU national.
You are travelling to visit your family member in the Netherlands or your family member is travelling to the Netherlands with you.
If you meet these conditions
If you meet all of these conditions, you can apply for free Schengen visa facilitation. When you apply, please keep the following in mind:
- You will need specific documents for your application.
See the document checklist for family members of nationals of EU/EEA member states and Switzerland
See the document checklist for family members of UK residents - When you make your appointment at the application location, state that you are a family member of a national of an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland.
- You will not have to pay an application fee, although you may have to pay a service fee in some situations.
- A Schengen visa that you get through visa facilitation allows you to stay for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period in the Netherlands and the other countries in the Schengen area.
If you do not meet the conditions for visa facilitation
If you do not meet all of the conditions, or if your situation is not on the list, you are not eligible for free Schengen visa facilitation. You must submit a regular Schengen visa application to travel to the Netherlands.
If you are unsure whether you need a visa
Contact
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.