NetherlandsVisits and short stays

Netherlands visa for medical treatment

Schengen visa for medical treatment

In short

Patients travelling to the Netherlands for treatment of up to 90 days apply for a Schengen visa, if their nationality needs one, with the medical checklist, showing the Dutch hospital's confirmation and how the costs are covered. Longer treatment requires a residence permit for medical treatment.

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
No.
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.

Short and long treatment

Up to 90 days, a Schengen visa is used. For longer treatment the IND offers a residence permit for medical treatment, which requires an MVV.

Medical documents

Add a statement from the Dutch hospital or doctor about the treatment and its duration, a cost estimate and proof that costs are paid or covered, plus a medical report from your own doctor.

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)
  • Cost estimate and proof that costs are covered

Insurance

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

Other

  • Statement from the Dutch hospital or doctor about the treatment
  • Medical report from your own doctor

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 "medical reasons" 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.

Companions

A companion applies separately with the same checklist and a reference to the patient's treatment.

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 there a separate checklist for medical visits?

Yes, NetherlandsWorldwide publishes country checklists by travel purpose, including medical reasons.

What if treatment lasts longer than 90 days?

Apply for a residence permit for medical treatment with an MVV.

Is travel insurance required?

Yes, the standard Schengen insurance of at least EUR 30,000.

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.

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