ETIAS to the Netherlands
With its art cities, cultural hotspot and thriving business community the Kingdom of the Netherlands, also known to many as Holland, is among the top European destinations for incoming visitors from outside of the Union.
Netherlands ETIAS: cardinal details
The Netherlands confirmed to become ETIAS Area Member in early 2025
ETIAS necessary for journeys to Holland to incoming passengers from 60 Visa Waiver Countries
ETIAS allows for a stay in all of EU/Schengen Area, with the exception of the Republic of Ireland, of maximum 90 days out of every 6 months and only for tourism, business, transit or medical treatment
Visa Waiver holders’ passports must have 3 months of remaining validity for the entire permanence in ETIAS Area
About Netherlands
With its art cities, cultural hotspot and thriving business community the Kingdom of the Netherlands, also known to many as Holland, is among the top European destinations for incoming visitors from outside of the Union.
Once homeland of a vast Empire, the now relatively small country of the Netherlands maintained through the centuries a high prestige which reflects and shines both upon its political and trading standing.
Notably the Kingdom of the Netherlands was, in 1957, one of the founding members of the International Organization that later came to become the European Union, together with Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, Italy and France.
As confirmed in 2016 and 2018 by EU Counsil resolutions the Netherlands too will, from 2025, require obtaining an ETIAS for passengers that are Nationals of one of the 60 Visa Waiver Countries coming for short term stays.ETIAS to Holland
ETIAS only permits journeys whose purpose is either:
- Business
- Tourism
- Transit
- Medical Treatment
The combined permanence inside the ETIAS Area as a whole of maximum ninety days within six months. Visa Waiver Nationals aiming to study, work or live in the Kingdom on the Netherlands or any other ETIAS Country on a long-term basis will still be demanded to apply for a specific Consular Visa.
Although ETIAS is not fit for long term study programs, ETIAS Visa Waiver can also be used to enter the Netherlands for short training programs if the stay in the ETIAS countries area will not pass the timing threshold mentioned above.How to apply for ETIAS
Applying for ETIAS Visa Waiver to Holland is a simple electronic process that requires each person just a few minutes of time. The main core of the application protocol consists of a series of basic questions to assess the identity of the candidate like: full name, birth date, birth place, passport number, passport expiry date.
Subsequently each passenger will also be asked to input their contact details that must include a valid e-mail address.
Also, the ETIAS form will ask the citizens each applicant basic details about their scheduled first travel towards Europe and verify their eligibility through a brief set of personal history questions.Security control and pre-clearance
Once the electronic Visa Waiver application has been completed and paid for, all the data will be automatically cross checked by Europol Data, Interpol and various of other security international database that will, usually in a matter of a few hours, establish if the applicant poses any kind of security or migration threat to the EU / Schengen Area.
According to the ETIAS System design plans set by the European Union, once the ETIAS application to the Netherlands has been submitted the result will in most case be available in no longer than 72 hours.
Once the outcome will be available petitioners will receive an e-mail notification with the result of the process.As a Visa Waiver, ETIAS is to be considered a security pre-clearance that European authorities will give to eligible applicants that, based on a background check, do not seem to pose any kind of threat to the hosting nations. Obtaining such a pre-clearance will surely simplify but not eliminate border controls upon arrival in the Schengen Area from abroad. A quick screening and identity check will, as a matter of fact, still be carried out to all incoming visitors. More details on ETIAS enhanced security benefits can be read here.
ETIAS use while travelling
A correctly issued ETIAS to Netherlands is valid for 3 years starting from the application data although in some cases such expiry date might occur sooner if the passport owned by the traveler has less than 3 years of remaining validity. In any case the passport always must have enough validity left to cover for the whole planned stay in the ETIAS Countries as a whole, with a surplus 3 months of further validity, and, in order to prove the duration or scope of the travel, incoming passengers to the Netherlands or other ETIAS Countries could at any point be asked to provide a return ticket or other supporting documents.
Dutch overseas territories
The Kingdom of the Netherlands extends beyond its mainland since it still has control over several overseas territories as listed below:
- Aruba
- Bonaire
- Curacao
- Saba
- Sint Eustatius
- Sint Maarten
Similarly to France’s OCT, the dependencies and constituents of the Kingdom of the Netherlands located outside of geographical Europe are not part of Schengen Area or European Union.
These islands under Dutch control share a common visa policy that is not directly connected with the one in force in continental Netherlands.
As a consequence, some visitors that can enjoy visa-free travel rights to the Netherlands might need a Consular Visa to visit the Caribbean constituents of the Kingdom and vice versa.
Still, being Dutch Overseas Territories outside of the Schengen treaty, no ETIAS will be required to travelers that do not need a Visa.
It is important also to notice that while a Caribbean Visa, good to visit Aruba, Curacao and other Dutch territories, is not valid to access mainland Netherlands a valid Schengen Visa or permit of stay, issued by any Schengen Nation, is valid to visit such regions without the requirement to obtain an additional visa.