Going abroad, you should not forget about the timely application for Schengen. In particular, this applies mainly to European countries. For example, you need a visa to the Netherlands. And you can apply for it either at a specialized Visa Center at the Russian Federation, at the embassy or at the Consulate General. How it's done? Where does it all start? And how long does the clearance take?
Important points when applying for a visa
Before taking any steps before applying for a visa, the purpose of the visit should be determined. This must be done in order to correctly select the category of your visa. For example, it can be tourism, visiting friends, acquaintances and relatives, transportation, preparing a journalistic report, buying real estate or a car, and much more. For this, we will discuss in more detail the types of visas. What are they like?
Visa categories: what, how and why
So you need a visa to the Netherlands. And it can be short-term and belong to the category “C”, or national, with the corresponding category “D”. In the first case, such a visa is suitable for you if the goals of your visit include a tourist trip, a trip to friends or relatives, or business negotiations.
When applying for a category "C" visa, it is worth considering that obtaining it requires you to comply with certain rules. In particular, it is allowed to stay in the Netherlands for no more than 90 days for six months.
If you are interested in a Schengen visa to the Netherlands of category “D”, therefore, you plan to arrive in the country for more than 90 days in half a year. For example, students and people who travel to the Netherlands to earn money resort to applying for a visa of this category.
What documents are needed for a visa "C" (purpose: a tourist trip)?
To obtain a category “C” visa, where the purpose of your visit is tourism, you must write an application in one of the visa centers or the official representative of the Netherlands in the Russian Federation.
Further obtaining a visa (the Netherlands is one of the countries included in the Schengen zone) provides for the provision of the original of your passport. Moreover, it, firstly, should not be expired, and, secondly, it must contain blank pages for subsequent gluing of visas into them. It is also necessary to provide old passports, but only if there have already been marks on a visit to the Schengen agreement. And this is just the beginning.
Next you need to fill out a special form - application form. Moreover, this must be done in English (to travel to the Netherlands), German or another language, which is mandatory for a particular country. At the same time, the application form itself can either be downloaded via the Internet, or obtained with a personal visit to the Visa Application Center.
The third important point: a visa to the Netherlands is issued in the presence of two color photos measuring 3.5x4.5 cm, made on a light, for example, white or beige background. At the same time, these photos should not contain corners, ovals and frames, as well as additional accessories (glasses, hats or scarves).
Ideally, one of your photos is glued to the completed questionnaire, and the second is pinned to it from above (using a paper clip, the use of a stapler in this case is unacceptable).
Application form (Netherlands visa) and other documents
In addition to all of the above, you will need:
- provide evidence of hotel reservations, taking into account the entire stay;
- show an insurance policy with a minimum coverage of 30,000 euros;
- demonstrate the availability of air tickets in both directions;
- A completed application form;
- prove your financial well-being (your account must have an amount that allows you to stay at the hotel for the entire specified period);
- show a printout of the invitation to the embassy or consulate (issued upon preliminary online contact at the visa center at the department);
- provide a certificate from the place of work, where the position and salary will be indicated.
Individual entrepreneurs will also need to provide a copy and the original of their certificate of registration of an individual entrepreneur or company.
The purpose of the visit - study: additional documents
If you applied to the Dutch Embassy in Moscow with the hope of obtaining a visa to study abroad (corresponds to category “D”), you should show a certificate from the place of your study. Moreover, it must contain information about the university, the selected faculty and the corresponding form of training. And, of course, in the case of your referral from an educational institution, this purpose of the visit also needs to be documented.
Additional documents for senior citizens in Europe
If a pensioner goes on a tourist trip, he needs to provide his pension certificate. When confirming income, you should also show an extract from the bank account of the sponsor (for example, one of the relatives) or bring a certificate from his place of work. Moreover, the size of his salary in this case should not be lower than 20,000 rubles. And, of course, the final addition to the package of the above documents will be a copy of the passport and an application signed by the sponsor of the trip.
Visa category "C" for transit
There is such a thing as a transit visa to the Netherlands. It means that in this country you do not plan to be long, but immediately fly to another, or even the third, using the first as a kind of transition between states. For example, Amsterdam - Munich - Warsaw.
If you plan to fly within one day without leaving the airport zone, then this is called visa-free transit (i.e. for such a flight there is no need to open a visa from the Netherlands or any other Schengen transit country).
To open a transit visa through the Embassy of the Netherlands in Moscow, you must follow these steps:
- confirm (documented) the reservation in the country of transit and throughout the rest of the stay;
- show a visa to the country of your final destination (if any);
- Provide tickets matching your entire itinerary.
A trip with one or more children
Buying tickets to Amsterdam or the Netherlands not only for yourself, but also for children, get ready to provide an additional package of documents. So you will need:
- copies of passports of both parents;
- copy of the birth certificate of one or more children;
- a notarized copy of the permission to export children (if the child is transported only by one of his parents);
- a completed application form for each child (even if he does not have a personal travel document and is inscribed on his relative’s passport);
- the original of a notarized power of attorney to accompany children (if the child is transported with the participation of a third party);
- two photos.
Important! A visa to the Netherlands is issued on their own or with the assistance of intermediaries, for example, travel companies and agencies can act in their role. In the last two cases, you will have to fork out not only for the purchase of the visa itself, but also for paying for the services of your assistants.
Where is the Moscow representative office of the Netherlands?
The embassy is located in Moscow, Kalashny Lane, 6. Office contact phone for questions and entries: +7 495 797 2900. In order to apply for a visa, you must first go to the website of one of the official visa centers "netherlandsvac-ru.com" and pre-make an appointment at the consulate from 9 to 12 noon.
If you already have permits to Amsterdam and you plan to visit the official department in Moscow, you should be aware of his opening hours. The embassy itself is open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (from 13: 00 to 14:00 a break).
Biometric verification: how important is it?
Starting in September 2015, everyone who wants to get a Schengen visa must undergo the so-called biometric verification. To do this, you need to come to the Netherlands Visa Application Center and take all your fingerprints. Later, information about you will get into the Visa Information System, where it will be stored. Telephone of the help desk of the Visa Center: +7 (499) 709-83-38 (calls can be made from 9 am to six in the evening).
In addition, when applying for a visa, you must give consent to the processing of your personal data. You can pick up the finished documents after putting down the corresponding mark in about 4-14 calendar days.