You may require a visa in order to visit the Netherlands for a short period of time (maximum of three months) depending on your nationality. This procedure takes time, so book your travels after you are certain that a visa has been granted.
Foreign nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland are exempt from the visa requirement. There are also some nationalities outside the EU who do not require a visa. For a list of countries who require a short-stay visa refer to the IND brochure.
Foreign nationals need to apply for tourist visas at the Dutch embassy or consulate in their country of origin. A tourist visa is a sticker issued by the embassy or consulate which is pasted into your passport.
Those visiting a highly skilled migrant in the Netherlands may require a tourist visa. As a highly skilled migrant, you will have to sign a declaration stating that you are personally acquainted with the visitor. Such a declaration is called a garantverklaring, and without this your visitor will not be able to apply for a visa.
In some cases, the person signing the declaration must authenticate their signature.
Staying in the Netherlands for longer than three months is no longer considered a tourist stay. To stay longer than three months, you are required to apply for a temporary residence permit (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf, MVV). For more information see the contacts below.
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken)
Website: www.minbuza.nl
Immigration and Naturalisation Service (Immigratie en naturalisatiedienst, IND)
Website: www.english.ind.nl
If you require further information, call the city information number 14 020 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 18:00).