Travelling with a residence permit and a return visa
Documents for a trip abroad
You are going on a trip abroad. You need the following documents:
- A valid travel document
For example, a passport or an identity card. This can also be an foreign national’s passport or refugee’s passport. The residence permit is not a travel document. - A valid residence permit
You need the residence permit to travel back to the Netherlands. Using the residence permit, you can show that you are allowed to be in the Netherlands. - A visa
There are a few countries that require a visa. Always find out if you need a visa before you leave. You must apply for a visa to the embassy or consulate of the country you want to visit.
Travelling within the Schengen Area
Do you have a valid Dutch residence permit and a valid travel document? Then you do not need a visa for travel within the Schengen Area.
Travelling but no passport
Do you not have a (valid) passport? You can apply for a passport at the embassy or consulate of your country of origin.
Alien's passport
Are you not able to get a passport from the country of your nationality? Or do you have an asylum residence permit? In some situations you can get an alien's passport. You apply for this passport at your municipality. With this passport you can travel to all countries, but not your country of origin. For many countries you do still need a visa.
Return visa
Are you of a nationality that requires a visa for short stay to travel to the Netherlands? And are you going on a trip abroad, but your residence permit is temporarily no longer valid? Or does your residence permit expires during your trip? Then you need a return visa to travel back to the Netherlands. With the return visa, you show that you are allowed to be in the Netherlands. Find out more about the return visa.
List of Travellers for school trips
The List of Travellers is a visa replacement document for pupils (all school years) that are going to make a school trip within the EU. The List of Travellers is meant for pupils from outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland with a nationality who require a visa for travel. With the List of Travellers they are allowed to travel without a visa. They do have to meet any national entry requirements of the country they will visit with the school trip. The List of Travellers also replaces the passport if a pupil does not have one.