Visa required?
You are considered to be in transit at a Dutch airport if:
- you change planes on the way to your next destination without leaving the international transit zone. This means you do not go through passport control;
- your plane makes a brief stop and you stay on the plane or wait in the international transit zone until your plane leaves for your next destination.
If any of these situations applies to you, you may need an airport transit visa. This will depend on your nationality and destination. Answer several questions to find out what applies to you.
If you are a family member of a national of an EU or EEA member state or Switzerland, you may not need an airport transit visa. Check below whether you meet the requirements regarding family members.
What are the 3 requirements that family members must meet?
- You are a family member of a national of an EU or EEA member state (other than the Netherlands) or Switzerland. And you can prove this with a birth certificate or marriage certificate (legalized if necessary). In this case a family member is a: spouse, registered partner, parent or stepparent, grandparent or stepgrandparent, child or stepchild, or grandchild or stepgrandchild.
- You are travelling to or with this family member.
or;
You have a valid visa or valid residence permit as a family member of an EU citizen. And this visa or residence permit was issued by an EU or EEA member state or Switzerland. - You have a valid visa or valid residence permit for your final destination.
If you meet the requirements
If you meet all 3 requirements you do not need an airport transit visa for the Netherlands. But you must be able to show various documents. Check the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) to see which documents you need in order to transit through the Netherlands.
If you do not (or may not) meet the requirements
If you don’t know whether you meet the requirements, or you can’t prove that you do, apply for an airport transit visa.
If you are a family member of a Dutch national and you live/lived with your Dutch family member in another EU/EEA member state, Switzerland or the United Kingdom (UK), you may not need an airport transit visa. Select your situation below to find out whether you meet the requirements:
You live/lived with your Dutch family member in another EU/EEA member state or Switzerland
You do not need an airport transit visa if you meet all 5 requirements:
- You are a family member of a Dutch national and can prove this with a birth certificate or marriage certificate. In this case, a family member is a: registered partner, parent or stepparent, grandparent or stepgrandparent, child or stepchild, or grandchild or stepgrandchild. Are you another family member, for example an uncle, aunt, nephew or niece? Check the website of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) to see if you meet the requirements.
- You live/lived in another EU/EEA member state or Switzerland with your Dutch family member for at least 3 consecutive months.
- You and your Dutch family member live/lived in that EU/EEA member state or Switzerland under EU law. Your Dutch family member is/was registered there as an EU national, for instance. You have/had a valid residence document for that country as a family member of an EU national. If you no longer have a valid residence document, you must be travelling to or with your family member on this trip.
- After living in the EU/EEA member state or Switzerland with your Dutch family member, you have not spent more than 6 months outside the EU.
- You have a valid visa or valid residence permit for your final destination.
If you meet all 5 requirements you do not need an airport transit visa for the Netherlands. But you must be able to show various documents. Check the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) to see which documents you need in order to transit through the Netherlands.
If you don’t know whether you meet the requirements, or you can’t prove that you do, apply for an airport transit visa.
You lived with your Dutch family member in the United Kingdom
If you lived in the United Kingdom (UK) with your Dutch family member before 1 January 2021, the Brexit withdrawal agreement applies to you. You do not need an airport transit visa if you meet all 5 requirements:
- You and your Dutch family member had an established family relationship on or before 31 December 2020. The family relationship still exists and you can prove this with a birth certificate or marriage certificate. In this case, a family member is a: registered partner, parent or stepparent, grandparent or stepgrandparent, child or stepchild, or grandchild or stepgrandchild. Are you another family member, for example an uncle, aunt, nephew or niece? Check the website of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) to see if you meet the requirements.
- Your Dutch family member moved to the UK on or before 31 December 2020.
- You and your Dutch family member lived in the UK for at least 3 consecutive months.
- You and your Dutch family member lived in the UK under EU law. Your Dutch family member was registered there as an EU national, for instance. You had a valid residence document for the UK as a family member of an EU national. If you no longer have a valid residence document, you must be travelling to or with your family member on this trip.
- You have a valid visa or valid residence permit for your final destination.
If you meet all 5 requirements you do not need an airport transit visa for the Netherlands. But you must be able to show various documents. Check the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) to see which documents you need in order to transit through the Netherlands.
If you don’t know whether you meet the requirements, or you can’t prove that you do, apply for an airport transit visa.
If you live in the UK, and you change planes at a Dutch airport on you way from or to the UK, you may need a visa due to Brexit.
Check whether you need a visa as a resident of the United Kingdom
Not in transit?
If you are not in transit, because you will leave the international transit zone, check whether you need a Schengen visa.
Check whether you need a Schengen visa
No visa required?
You still need other documents to travel to the Netherlands.
Check what documents you need to travel to the Netherlands
Contact
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.