There are no border controls within this area. This means that nationals of these countries may freely travel to the other countries in the Schengen area.
The Schengen area consists of:
- Belgium
- Denmark (excluding the Faroe Isles and Greenland)
- Germany
- Estonia
- Finland
- France (excluding French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte and La Reunion)
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- The Netherlands
- Norway (excluding Spitsbergen)
- Austria
- Poland
- Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira)
- Slovenia
- Slovakia
- Spain (including the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands)
- Czech Republic
- Iceland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Travel in the Schengen area
Passport or other travel document
At all times, you need a valid passport or other travel document if you wish to travel. Your passport or travel document cannot be issued more than 10 years ago. When leaving the Schengen area your passport or travel document is still valid for another 3 months.
Travel with a short stay visa
A valid 'single entry' visa allows you to enter the Schengen area once. You are allowed to stay in the Schengen area for 90 days in any 180 day period. During these 90 days you are allowed to travel to and stay in all Schengen countries. Are you travelling to the Schengen area via another country ? You then have to show that the Netherlands is the destination.
Do you have a valid 'multiple entry' visa for multiple journeys? You are allowed to enter and depart the Schengen area multiple times. The first time that you enter the Schengen area, you show that the Netherlands is the destination.
Do you not need a visa?You are allowed to stay in the Schengen area up to 90 days in any 180 day period during the
'visa-free access period'. You are also allowed to enter and depart the Schengen area during this period.
A valid mvv allows you to enter and depart the Netherlands and other countries in the Schengen area.
Travel with a residence permit
A valid Dutch residence permit allows you to stay in all countries in the Schengen area up to 90 days in any 180 day period.
Has your residence permit expired? When the validity of your residence permit expires, you have to leave the Netherlands. However, if you wish to stay in the Schengen area shortly after, this is possible in one of the following situations:
- You are subject to a visa requirement
If you are subject to a visa requirement, you first must leave the Schengen area and apply for a short stay visa. Once you have a visa, you are allowed to return to the Schengen area. - You are not subject to a visa requirement
If you are not subject to a visa requirement , you can make use of your visa-free access period. If you wish to stay in the Netherlands for a short period, you must first leave the Schengen area. You can then re-enter the Netherlands again straight away. If you wish to shortly stay in another Schengen country, you do not need to leave the Schengen area first. Please first contact the authorities of the country you wish to visit.
