General 

Foreigners who come to the Netherlands often need a visa. Below you can find information about visas. The Netherlands Embassy in Tel Aviv is authorized to issue visas; the Netherlands Representative Office in Ramallah is not authorized.

Introduction

The Netherlands is not an immigration country. Only under certain circumstances can a person enter the Netherlands. Foreign nationals who wish to visit the Netherlands are divided into two categories: those who wish to visit the Netherlands for a period shorter than 90 days and those who wish to visit the Netherlands for a period longer than 90 days.

What is a visa?

A visa is an authorization or a decision that is visibly shown by a sticker in a passport or another valid border crossing document. The visa shows that at the time it was issued there is no objection for the visa holder to enter the Netherlands for a temporary stay or transit journey to a third country. Being in possession of a visa does not give a person the irrevocable right to enter the Netherlands. When entering the Netherlands one has to show that the conditions for entering have been met.

Visits shorter than 90 days

In principle an Israeli passport holder does not need a visa, but there are a number of exceptions. Therefore carefully read the following information. Israeli passport holders who wish to visit the Netherlands or another Schengen country for a period shorter than 90 days do not need a visa. Holders of Israeli nationality in possession of a national Israeli laissez passer/travel document do not need a visa. Holders of an Israeli laissez passer/travel document in possession of another nationality do need a visa. Other nationalities with a temporary or permanent status in Israel might need a visa.

Only foreigners with a valid residence permit for Israel can apply for a visa. Information about whether you need a visa for your visit to the Netherlands, the requirements for a resident permit and all other questions concerning entry to the Netherlands, can be found at the website of the Immigration and Naturalization Office.

Below at the "relevant links" there is a list of countries of which the subjects do not need a visa, a list of countries for which a transit visa is applicable and at the same time a list of countries for which a visa is needed.

Visits longer than 90 days

Foreign nationals, including Israeli passport holders, who wish to stay in the Netherlands for a period longer than 90 days, are required to apply for an authorization for temporary residence (in Dutch: Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verlijf - MVV). An MVV can be applied for by the person requesting the MVV or by a person in the Netherlands. Information about the MVV, including the MVV application form can be found and downloaded at the website of the Immigration and Naturalization Office (IND).

On the following page there is more information about the Schengen visa.