I will be visiting two or more Schengen countries. For which country do I need to apply for a visa?
If you want to apply for a visa for the Netherlands but will be visiting other countries in the Schengen area as well as the Netherlands, you should only apply to the Schengen country associated with your main purpose of travel. Otherwise your application will be rejected.
Apply for a visa to the country associated with your main purpose of travel
If you will be visiting two or more countries in the Schengen area, you should apply to the Schengen country associated with your main purpose of travel. This means: your main reason for visiting the Schengen area.
A purpose of travel may be:
- a holiday (tourism)
- business
- visiting family or friends
See what countries are in the Schengen area
More than one purpose of travel
If you have more than one purpose of travel decide what your main reason is for travelling to a Schengen area country. You should apply for a Schengen visa for the country associated with your main purpose of travel.
If you are travelling to the Netherlands for business and want to holiday in Sweden before or after, your business trip is the main reason for your stay in the Schengen area. You should apply for a visa for the Netherlands, even if your stay in Sweden will be longer.
Same purpose of travel for each country
If your purpose of travel is the same for two or more countries (holiday, for example), apply for a visa for the country you plan to stay in the longest. If you plan to spend an equal amount of time in each country, apply for a visa for the country you will be visiting first.
If you want to go to a one-day conference in the Netherlands and a two-day conference in France, your purpose of travel is the same for both countries. Apply for a visa for France, because you will be staying there the longest.
If you want to go on holiday to the Netherlands, Germany and Spain, and plan to spend the same amount of time in each country, apply for a visa for the Netherlands, as this is the first Schengen country you will be visiting.
Applying for a Schengen visa
If your travel plans require you to apply for a Schengen visa for the Netherlands, how and where you do this depends on the country you are in.
Find out how to apply for a Schengen visa for the Netherlands
If you need to apply for a Schengen visa for another country, ask that country’s embassy how and where you can do this.
Contact
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