NetherlandsVisits and short stays

Netherlands visa for events and short study visits

Schengen visa for study visits and events (culture, sports, academic)

In short

Participants in political, academic, cultural, sporting or religious events and in short study programmes of up to 90 days apply for a Schengen visa, if their nationality needs one, with the checklist for study or events, including the organiser's invitation.

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.
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
Participation in the event or course.
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.

Who uses this checklist

Artists, athletes, speakers, conference delegates, students on short courses and participants in religious gatherings.

Event documents

Include the invitation or registration from the organiser, school or federation with the dates and programme, and proof of who pays for the stay.

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

Insurance

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

Other

  • Invitation or registration from the organiser, school or federation

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 "study or event" 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.

Plan ahead

Book the appointment early and apply at least 15 days before the event; groups should apply together.

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

Can I attend a three-week language course?

Yes, short courses up to 90 days use this Schengen visa.

Do team members apply separately?

Each person submits their own form, but groups should apply together with one organiser letter.

What is the fee?

EUR 90 for adults plus any service fee.

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