Go to content
Logo GovernmentTo the homepage of www.netherlandsworldwide.nlGovernment of the Netherlands
NetherlandsWorldwide

Frequently asked questions about VFS Global

VFS Global is an international company that the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a contract with. People can submit visa applications for the Netherlands to VFS Global. In some countries Dutch nationals can apply for a Dutch passport or ID card via VFS Global too.

How does VFS Global work?

VFS Global processes passport and visa applications on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and handles the administrative procedures. For instance, VFS Global checks whether your application is complete and collects the required documents and biometric data. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains responsible for making a decision on your application.

Dutch passport or ID-card

Due to high demand, appointment slots at the Dutch embassy are often fully booked. As a result, you may not always be able to make an appointment immediately. You may be able to get an appointment sooner at VFS Global. In addition, some countries have multiple application centres, which may reduce your travel time. Please note that VFS Global charges a service fee for processing your application.

You need a number of documents for your application. The required documents depend on your personal situation. Check the step-by-step guide for applying for a Dutch passport or identity card in your country of residence. In Step 1, you can create your personal checklist, which will show you which documents you need.

VFS Global has application centres in Australia, Canada, Iraq, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and South Africa.

To apply for a passport, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the VFS Global website.
  2. Click ‘Passport Services’.
  3. Under  ‘I’m a resident of’ select the country you live in. Under ‘and a citizen of’ select ‘The Netherlands’.
  4. Click ‘Go’.
  5. Click ‘Book an appointment’.

Are you applying for multiple people? Or are you applying for both a passport and an ID card? Make a separate appointment for each person and for each document.

Appointment slots can fill up quickly. If you are unable to make an appointment, please try again later. Slots may become available when someone cancels or reschedules an existing appointment.

The Dutch embassy cannot arrange appointments at VFS Global. Do you have a question about your appointment? Contact VFS Global

Do you have questions about making an appointment to apply for a Dutch passport or ID card? Or about submitting additional documents relating to an ongoing application? Or about the status of your application?

In most cases you can only contact VFS Global by email. Below you can find the email address of the VFS Global location in question.

Australia

Canada

Iraq

New Zealand

Spain

United Kingdom

United States of America

South Africa

To track the status of your passport or ID card application, follow these steps:

  1. Open the VFS Global track & trace system.
  2. Select the country where you submitted your application.
  3. Click ‘Go’.
  4. Select when you submitted your application.
  5. Fill in your name and the reference number you received when you submitted your application. You can find the reference number on the invoice/receipt you were given by the application centre. The number always begins with the first two letters of the city where you submitted your application, followed by ‘NL’ and then the date. If you applied in London, for instance: LONL/180424/0034/01.
  6. Click ‘Submit’ to view the status of your application.

Visas for the Netherlands

To make an appointment to submit a visa application, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the VFS Global website.
  2. Click ‘Visas, eVisas & Permits’.
  3. Under  ‘I’m applying from’ select the country you live in. Under ‘and I’m going to’ select ‘The Netherlands’.
  4. Click ‘Take me to the website’.
  5. Click ‘Book an appointment’.

If you are applying for visas for multiple people, make a separate appointment for each person.

Appointment slots can fill up quickly. If you are unable to make an appointment, please try again later. Slots may become available when someone cancels or reschedules an existing appointment.

The Dutch embassy cannot arrange appointments at VFS Global. Do you have a question about your appointment? Contact VFS Global

To find out how to contact VFS Global, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the VFS Global website.
  2. Under  ‘I’m applying from’ select the country you live in. Under ‘and I’m going to’ select ‘The Netherlands’.
  3. Click ‘Go’.
  4. At the bottom of the page, click ‘Contact us’. Here you’ll find the telephone number or email address of the VFS Global location where you can submit your visa application.

To track the status of your visa application, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the VFS Global website.
  2. Click ‘Visas, eVisas & Permits’.
  3. Under  ‘I’m applying from’ select the country you live in. Under ‘and I’m going to’ select ‘The Netherlands’.
  4. Click ‘Take me to the website’.
  5. Go to ‘Track your application’.
  6. Fill in your name and the reference number you received when you submitted your visa application. You’ll find the reference number on the invoice/receipt you received from the VFS Global location where you submitted your application.
  7. Click ‘Submit’ to view the status of your application.