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Schengen visa, applied for from the UK

Netherlands visa from the UK for non-UK passport holders

If you live in the UK on a non-UK passport, you apply for a Netherlands Schengen visa through VFS Global in London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Birmingham. The visa fee is €90, plus an €18 VFS service charge. VFS quotes an average of 25 calendar days to decide, and up to 45.

Checked against official sourcesLast reviewed · sources at the foot of the page
The Zuiderkerk tower at the end of an Amsterdam canal lined with golden autumn trees and moored boats
Consulate fee, adult. €45 for ages 6 to 11, free under 6.
€90
VFS Global in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham. Its charge is added at the centre.
4 centres
Standard processing after the appointment.
15 days
The earliest you can apply before you travel.
6 months

Who can apply from the UK

You can apply in the UK if you live here, for example on an eVisa as a worker, student, family member or with settled status. The Dutch government only takes UK applications from people who live in the UK.

Your UK residence permit, or your printed eVisa with its share code letter, must be valid for at least one month after you leave the Schengen area.

The Netherlands must be your main destination, judged by the length or the purpose of your stay. If no country stands out, you apply to the Schengen country whose border you will cross first.

You can use any of the four VFS centres. If you do not live in the UK, you must explain why you cannot apply in your country of residence.

Documents for a Netherlands visit visa

You provide

  • Passport Signed, under 10 years old, valid for 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, with at least 2 empty visa pages.
  • UK immigration status Your printed eVisa with its share code letter, or your residence permit, valid for at least one month after you leave. Bring the original and a colour copy.
  • Photo Not needed on paper: when you apply through VFS, a digital photo is taken at your appointment.
  • Bank statements Personal statements for the last 3 months, plus credit card statements showing the monthly limit. If a spouse or parent pays, add proof of the relationship, their 3 months of UK statements and a signed letter of support.
  • Job or study evidence Employees: a recent signed letter with your position and salary and your employer's UK company registration number, plus 3 months of payslips. Self-employed: an accountant's, banker's or solicitor's letter and your self-assessment. Students: a letter from your school, college or university.
  • Children's documents A birth certificate for every child under 18. If a child travels without both parents: both parents' passports, a signed consent form and a UK school certificate.
  • VFS appointment The Dutch government asks you to book your VFS appointment yourself, not through an intermediary, and to book one per person. We tell you when your file is ready and plan everything else around your date.

We provide

  • Application form Completed on the Dutch online form so it carries a unique code, then printed and signed. Handwritten forms are not accepted.
  • Cover letter Sets out your dates, plans, who pays and your ties to the UK.
  • Return flight reservation Proof of a return ticket to the UK or onward travel.
  • Hotel reservation A hotel reservation for your whole trip, or a tour confirmation if you booked a tour.
  • Travel medical insurance In your name, valid in every Schengen country for your whole stay, with at least €30,000 of cover including hospital care, emergency treatment, prescriptions and repatriation.

Where and when to apply

Netherlands takes UK short-stay applications through VFS Global in London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Birmingham. Apply no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 days before you travel.

VFS Global runs four UK centres for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which decides every application. Holders of diplomatic or official passports on official business apply at the Netherlands Embassy in London instead.

Appointments in London →Appointments in Manchester →Appointments in Edinburgh →Appointments in Birmingham →

Worth knowing about this consulate

  • VFS Global says the average processing time is 25 calendar days and the maximum is 45 (notice of 3 August 2026). Plan around the longer figure in busy months.
  • The Dutch government asks you to book your own VFS appointment and not to use an intermediary. Each person needs their own appointment, children included.
  • The Birmingham-area centre moved on 27 July 2026 to 2nd Floor, 5–14 South Road, Smethwick, B67 7BN.
  • VFS charges an €18 service fee including VAT on top of the visa fee. You can pay by card or postal order, or in cash except in Manchester and Edinburgh. All fees are non-refundable.
  • Everyone attends in person, including babies. At the appointment you give fingerprints, answer questions about your trip, pay and choose collection or delivery. Children under 12 do not give fingerprints.
  • When processing ends you get an email that does not say whether you have the visa. Check your name and dates as soon as you get your passport back, and contact the Dutch embassy in London about any mistake.
  • If you are refused, the letter explains why and how to object.

Notes by passport

Pakistani passport holders

  • Pakistan is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at a Dutch airport on the way somewhere else? As a Pakistani national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The EU exemption for UK residents names the Biometric Residence Permit, and all BRPs have now expired, so with an eVisa plan on needing the transit visa unless the Netherlands confirms otherwise.

Bangladeshi passport holders

  • Bangladesh is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at a Dutch airport on the way somewhere else? As a Bangladeshi national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The EU exemption for UK residents names the Biometric Residence Permit, and all BRPs have now expired, so with an eVisa plan on needing the transit visa unless the Netherlands confirms otherwise.

Nigerian passport holders

  • Nigeria is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at a Dutch airport on the way somewhere else? As a Nigerian national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The EU exemption for UK residents names the Biometric Residence Permit, and all BRPs have now expired, so with an eVisa plan on needing the transit visa unless the Netherlands confirms otherwise.

Sri Lankan passport holders

  • Sri Lanka is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at a Dutch airport on the way somewhere else? As a Sri Lankan national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The EU exemption for UK residents names the Biometric Residence Permit, and all BRPs have now expired, so with an eVisa plan on needing the transit visa unless the Netherlands confirms otherwise.

Ghanaian passport holders

  • Only changing planes at a Dutch airport on the way somewhere else? As a Ghanaian national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The EU exemption for UK residents names the Biometric Residence Permit, and all BRPs have now expired, so with an eVisa plan on needing the transit visa unless the Netherlands confirms otherwise.

Turkish passport holders

  • The Netherlands requires Turkish nationals to hold an airport transit visa when changing planes at its airports. Seafarers with a valid seafarer's identity document and holders of service or special passports are exempt. The EU exemption for UK residents names the Biometric Residence Permit, and all BRPs have now expired, so with an eVisa plan on needing the transit visa unless the Netherlands confirms otherwise.

Gambian passport holders

  • EU restrictions on The Gambia (Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1781) mean only single-entry visas and a standard processing time of 45 days instead of 15. Apply well ahead.

Somali passport holders

  • EU restrictions on Somalia (a Council decision of 25 June 2026) mean only single-entry visas and a standard processing time of 45 days instead of 15. Apply well ahead.

Guinean passport holders

  • EU restrictions on Guinea (a Council decision of 10 July 2026) mean only single-entry visas and a standard processing time of 45 days instead of 15. Apply well ahead.

How a Netherlands application runs, day by day

  1. Day 0Eligibility and checklistA yes, a no or a “not yet, because”.
  2. Days 1–5File builtYou send documents on WhatsApp; we do the rest.
  3. VariesAppointment waitWe watch releases daily and book the first that fits.
  4. 15 daysConsulate decisionFingerprints at VFS Global, then we track the file.
  5. DonePassport backThen we confirm your real flights and hotel.

What it costs, and who you pay

Separate payments to separate people. Only ours is set by us, quoted in writing before you commit.

Consulate visa feePaid to the consulate. €45 for children aged 6 to 11. Not refundable if refused.
€90
VFS Global service chargePaid at the centre. VFS Global sets the amount, and we confirm it in your quote.
Fast Travellers, file and appointmentEverything from eligibility to decision, quoted in writing before you commit.
Fast Travellers, urgent or after a refusalAdds a daily slot search and a refusal review, quoted in writing before you commit.

Netherlands visa questions from UK residents

Can I apply for a Netherlands visa on a BRP?

BRPs have been replaced by eVisas. The Dutch checklist accepts a printed eVisa with its share code letter, valid for at least one month after you leave the Schengen area.

Where are the VFS Netherlands visa centres in the UK?

London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham. The Birmingham-area centre moved to South Road, Smethwick on 27 July 2026.

How long does a Netherlands visa take from the UK?

VFS Global quotes an average of 25 calendar days and a maximum of 45. Apply at least 15 days before you travel, and earlier if you can.

How much is a Netherlands Schengen visa from the UK?

The visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 11. Children under 6 pay nothing. VFS adds an €18 service charge.

Can an agent book my VFS appointment for the Netherlands?

The Dutch government asks you to book your appointment yourself and not through an intermediary. We prepare your file and tell you when to book.

Do I need a hotel booking for a Netherlands tourist visa?

Yes. The tourism checklist asks for a hotel reservation for your whole trip, or a tour confirmation if you booked a tour.

Will my passport be stamped when I enter the Netherlands?

No. Since 10 April 2026 the EU's Entry/Exit System records your entries and exits digitally instead of stamping your passport. As a visa holder, the system stores a photo of your face taken at the border; your fingerprints are already on file from your visa application.

Can I visit other Schengen countries on a Dutch visa?

Yes. A Schengen visa covers all 29 Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180, as long as the Netherlands is your main destination.

Where these facts come from

Fees and rules are checked against official and visa-centre pages. Last reviewed . Rules change: we confirm everything again before you pay.

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