Netherlands · Visa guide
Netherlands · Visa guideNetherlands Family & Friends Visit Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa to visit family or friends living in Netherlands — up to 90 days.
- ProcessingUsually about 15 calendar days from submission
- Visa categoryFamily & Friends Visit Visa
- Your guideOne consultant
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Netherlands Family & Friends Visit Visa — overview
The Netherlands Family & Friends Visit Visa is a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) for visiting relatives or friends who live in the Netherlands, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
The heart of this application is the host: an invitation from the family member or friend with their address and contact details, and evidence of their legal residence in the Netherlands. Where you are visiting relatives, proof of the family relationship is also needed.
Lifeset Overseas coordinates the host's documents and your own into one consistent file built to the embassy checklist.
Netherlands visa to visit family and friends from India
Visiting a relative or friend in the Netherlands uses the short-stay Schengen visa, "a maximum period of three months (90 days) within any period of 180 days", listed in the Dutch overview as "Visiting Family/Friends". It is the visa Punjabi parents and siblings use most for the Netherlands, and the file is built with the host.
Which country you must apply to
"You will have to obtain the Schengen visa from the country where the main purpose of travel lies." For several Schengen countries, apply "with the country where you will be staying the longest", or, for equal stays, where you arrive first. If the trip also covers a non-Schengen country, "apply for the other visa first".
What the file contains
An invitation from your host with a copy of their passport or Dutch residence permit and proof of your relationship; where the host guarantees your costs, the Dutch proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation form, legalised by the host's municipality; your own employment or business evidence and three months of bank statements with income-tax returns; travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 valid across Schengen; and flight bookings for the dates in the invitation. Applications from India are lodged at VFS Global for the Netherlands.
Official sources
- Netherlands Worldwide — Applying for a Schengen visa in India: https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/visa-the-netherlands/short-stay
- VFS Global India — Netherlands: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/nld
Checked against the Netherlands short-stay visa overview held in our Knowledge Base on 30 September 2026. Fees and rules change; the official page always prevails.
8 items
Documents you need
Schengen application form
Completely filled and signed by the applicant.
Valid passport
Issued within 10 years, valid 3 months beyond return, with 2 empty pages.
Host invitation
An invitation from the family member or friend in the Netherlands, with their address, contact details and the intended period of stay.
Host residence proof
A copy of the host's passport, national ID card or residence permit.
Proof of relationship
A certificate proving the family relationship, where you are visiting relatives.
Travel medical insurance
Schengen-wide cover of at least EUR 30,000 for the trip.
Transport & accommodation
Proof of itinerary and a return flight reservation.
Financial means
3 months bank statements, 2 years income-tax returns and proof of occupation.
5 steps
How the process works
Typical processing: Usually about 15 calendar days from submission — may extend up to 45 calendar days. Apply at least 2-3 weeks before travel.
Step 1
Free eligibility review
We assess your profile and build a document checklist matched to the embassy's requirements.
Step 2
Build the file & cover letter
Every document — finances, bookings, insurance and the cover letter — is prepared and verified.
Step 3
Book the VFS Global appointment
Applications in India are submitted through VFS Global — we schedule your slot.
Step 4
Submit & give biometrics
You attend the VFS centre to submit the file and provide fingerprints and a photograph.
Step 5
Decision & passport return
The embassy decides the application and your passport is returned through VFS.
Transparent
Costs & fees
Item
Amount
Schengen visa fee (adult)
EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11; under 6 exempt. Payable in INR.
EUR 90
VFS Global service charge
Plus optional add-ons such as courier.
Confirmed at booking
Government and third-party fees change often — we confirm the exact current amounts for your case before you pay anything.
3 answers
Frequently asked questions
A relative or friend legally resident in Netherlands can host you. They provide an invitation with their address and contact details, plus evidence of their legal residence.
Through certificates — such as birth or marriage certificates — proving your relationship to the host you are visiting.
Up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the Schengen Area.
Why it matters
Going it alone vs filing with us
On your own
- Guessing the document list — one missing or wrongly formatted paper triggers a refusal.
- Generic cover letters copied from the internet that officers recognise and flag.
- No read on peak rejection windows or what this visa post is strict about.
- Government and VFS fees are non-refundable — money lost if you are refused.
- A refusal stamp follows you and weakens every future visa application.
With Lifeset Overseas
- An honest case assessment before you spend a rupee on government fees.
- A file built to the embassy's exact checklist and in the exact order.
- Weak finances, ties or purpose identified and fixed before submission.
- Previously refused? We can rescue and rebuild the file.
- Every case handled by one consultant, end to end.
Refused before?
A refusal isn't the end
A refusal is not a permanent bar — but it only improves if the actual reason is found and answered, and nobody can tell you a second application will succeed. If a Netherlands visa has been refused, we:
- Read the actual refusal letter and pinpoint the real gaps.
- Advise whether to pull the officer's notes (CAIPS / GCMS) for the true reason.
- Identify which part was weak — funds, employment, purpose or ties.
- Tell you honestly whether to reapply now or strengthen the file first.
Visa refused? Our consultancy fee is refunded under the Refund Policy. Embassy and VFS fees are never ours to refund. Read the refund policy
Your next step
Start small. Go as far as you need.
Every price is all-in with GST included. Embassy and VFS fees are paid to them, at cost.
- / 01Free
Free readiness check
A few questions, a plain score. See where your Netherlands file is weak before you spend anything.
Open - / 02₹499
Visa File Readiness Report
A consultant reads your actual papers and writes down what is missing and what an officer will doubt.
Open - / 03Priced per fix
Fix one problem
Checklist, cover letter, financial proof, SOP or a slot — buy only the piece you need.
Open - / 04From ₹3,999
Full filing, done for you
Every form, every document, VFS booking and tracking until the decision — one consultant end to end.
Open
WhatsApp replies within about 60 minutes during office hours; otherwise a consultant calls you back within 24 hours.
Other Netherlands visas
Netherlands Tourist Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for tourism and holidays in Netherlands — up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Netherlands Business Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for business meetings, conferences and training in Netherlands.
Netherlands Study & Research Visa
A visa for study, research or an internship in Netherlands — short stays use a Schengen visa; longer study needs a residence permit.
Netherlands Cultural, Sports & Religious Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for cultural, sporting and religious events and film crews in Netherlands.
Start here · One message away
Netherlands visitor visa: get a straight answer before you pay the fee.
- Honest assessment
- Fixed all-in fees
- No handovers between staff
- Licensed in Patiala
Let’s discuss your case
Message us your travel month and who is paying. A consultant from our Punjab-licensed consultancy checks your ties and funds and tells you what to fix.