NetherlandsBusiness and self-employment

Netherlands business visa (Schengen type C)

Schengen visa for business or official visits

In short

Business and official visits to the Netherlands of up to 90 days require a Schengen visa if your nationality is visa-required, with the business checklist: an invitation from the Dutch organisation and proof of your employment or company in your country of residence.

Apply on Dutch consular portal – Schengen visa application checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Fee
€90Adults EUR 90; children 6–11 EUR 45; under 6 free. An external service provider, where the mission uses one, charges a separate service fee. The fee is not refunded after a refusal.
Funds required
€55 per dayEUR 55 per person per day, also for minors; applied flexibly according to the length and purpose of the stay. A Dutch host can sponsor you with IND form 1310 legalised by the municipality.
Processing time
Usually within 15 days, up to 45 days in individual cases. You receive an e-mail when processing ends; it does not say whether the visa was granted.
Work
Business activities only.
Where to apply
The Dutch embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or the external service provider it uses; the form is completed on the Dutch consular portal.

Business, not work

Meetings, negotiations, fairs and official visits are allowed; working for a Dutch employer requires a work permit and, for longer stays, an MVV.

Business documents

Add to the general list an invitation from the Dutch company or organisation describing the purpose and dates, and the employer letter or company documents showing your position. If the inviting company pays, it should say so.

Required documents

Identity

  • Printed and signed online application form with its unique code (each applicant their own form)
  • Passport no more than 10 years old, two empty visa pages, valid three months after leaving Schengen, signed

Travel

  • Reservation to and from the Schengen area (no paid ticket needed)

Money

  • Bank statements of the last three months and three recent payslips (at least EUR 55 per day)

Work

  • Proof of your situation in your country of residence: employer letter with position, start date, leave and pay; for business owners company registration and tax documents; for students a student certificate
  • Invitation from the Dutch company or organisation

Insurance

  • Travel medical insurance valid in all Schengen states, minimum EUR 30,000, covering hospital, emergency care, medicines and repatriation

Lodging the file: proxies, children and collection

You lodge the application at the Dutch embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or at the external service provider it uses. Applicants who gave fingerprints for a Schengen visa in the past 59 months may not need to appear again, and some missions then accept a file lodged by someone else with a signed authorisation; children under 12 give no fingerprints. Ask where you apply how the passport is returned, keep the reference number to track the file, and report errors on the visa sticker to the mission straight away.

  1. Complete the Schengen application form on the Dutch consular portal (one form per person), print and sign it.
  2. Download the NetherlandsWorldwide checklist for "business or official visit" for the country where you apply and gather the documents; bring the checklist itself to the appointment.
  3. Book an appointment with the Dutch embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or its external service provider, one booking per person.
  4. Attend in person, give fingerprints and pay the EUR 90 visa fee plus any service fee.
  5. Wait for the e-mail that processing has ended and collect the passport, or have it returned in the way offered where you applied.

Processing

Decisions usually take 15 days. Frequent travellers with a good visa history can be issued longer, multiple-entry visas.

Refusal and objection

A refusal letter states the reasons. You can lodge a free objection (bezwaar) with the IND within four weeks, counted from the day after the decision. Write in Dutch, English, German or French to IND Visadienst, Postbus 2, 9560 AA Ter Apel, or by secure e-mail, with your name, date of birth, address, the date, why the decision is wrong, your signature, a copy of the decision and translated supporting documents; for a family or friends visit the host can object online instead. The IND decides within six weeks, extendable by six, although objections currently take about six months. If you win, you collect the visa where you applied and must enter within six months; if not, you can appeal to court. You can also simply apply again with the missing documents, but the visa fee and any service fee are not refunded.

Frequently asked questions

Is an invitation mandatory?

Yes, the business checklist asks for an invitation from the Dutch organisation.

Can I do paid work during the visit?

No, paid work needs a work permit.

How long does it take?

Usually 15 days, up to 45 in individual cases.

How do I object to a Dutch visa refusal?

Send a free written objection to the IND within four weeks of the decision, in Dutch, English, German or French; for family visits your host can object online.

Can someone else hand in my application?

Only where the mission allows it, and generally only if you are 12 or older and gave fingerprints for a Schengen visa in the past 59 months; the proxy then brings an authorisation signed by both of you and all documents.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for the Netherlands

Visits and short stays

Business and self-employment

Study and training

Work

Family

  • Family reunification visa Validity: Ends with the sponsor's permit; five years if the sponsor is Dutch or holds permanent residence.

Residence

Protection

Netherlands visa guide