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Netherlands · Family visit visa

Netherlands visa guide

Netherlands Family & Friends Visit Visa

A Schengen short-stay (type C) visa to visit family, friends or a partner in the Netherlands for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Family / Friends Visit

₹4,999all-in · GST included

Visa refused? Our consultancy fee is refunded under the Refund Policy. Embassy and VFS fees are never ours to refund. How the refund works

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What’s included

  • Complete application filing
  • Invitation letter — we draft, host signs
  • Ties-to-India cover letter
  • Tracking until decision

Your file is ready to submit within 3 working days of us receiving your complete documents.

Government and VFS fees are paid to them at cost: the embassy visa fee is €90 per adult, set uniformly by the EU for all 29 Schengen states.

What you pay, line by line
Our fee
₹4,999
All-in, GST included. Paid to us.
Embassy visa fee
€90 per adult
Set uniformly by the EU for all 29 Schengen states. Paid to the embassy at cost.
VFS / appointment charge
Varies by centre
Paid to VFS (or the appointment partner) at cost.

Nothing is added to our fee. The number on the page is the number.

Licence No. 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC‑3/20245.0 · 113 Google reviewsPatiala office, Nabha Road

Processing
About 18 to 21 calendar days on average per NetherlandsWorldwide
Support
Your own consultant

Your journey with Lifeset

Netherlands visitor visa, from first message to passport back.

  1. 1Day 0Tell us your planWhatsApp or a call. A consultant asks the right questions and says plainly whether a Netherlands visitor visa is realistic for you.
  2. 2Same dayYour tailored checklistA document list for your case, not a generic one. You collect; we answer every "which one?" on WhatsApp.
  3. 3As documents arriveReview and refusal checkEvery paper is checked. Gaps in funds, ties or travel history are flagged and fixed before anything is submitted.
  4. 4Within 3 working daysFile ready, appointment bookedForms and cover letter done; your the visa centre appointment is booked, subject to the slots the centre has open.
  5. 5Appointment dayBiometrics and submissionYou attend the visa centre with a file assembled in the order the officer reads it.
  6. 6DecisionDecision receivedWe track the file to the decision. Approved: your passport comes back with the visa. Refused: our professional fee comes back under the Refund Policy and we plan the reapplication.

Side by side

Three ways to file your Netherlands family & friends visit visa. Here is what each one includes.

  • Government licence you can verify

    Licence No. 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024, District Magistrate Patiala

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • One fixed, all-in fee quoted upfront

    GST included; embassy and centre fees at cost

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Professional fee back if refused

    Under the published Refund Policy

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Refusal-trigger check before filing

    Funds, ties and history checked against the refusal reasons we see most

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Cover letter written for your case

    Not a template

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Appointment or interview booked for you

    VFS, BLS or consulate, at your nearest centre

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Named consultant on WhatsApp till decision

    The person who reads your file is the one who answers

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • GST invoice from a registered Pvt Ltd

    Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd · GSTIN 03AAOCP3999C1Z5

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

“Varies” means it depends on the agent; ask for their licence number and refund terms in writing. The full, sourced comparison

Netherlands Family & Friends Visit Visa — overview

Start here

The Netherlands family and friends visit visa is a Schengen short-stay visa (type C) for staying with relatives, friends or a partner in the Netherlands, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. You apply in person at VFS Global, which has centres in Chandigarh, Jalandhar and New Delhi, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides, on average in 18 to 21 calendar days per NetherlandsWorldwide and 25 per VFS India.

The host's part matters most. If you will stay in their home, they complete the IND proof of private accommodation form; if you have less than €55 a day, they also sponsor you on the IND sponsorship form. Both must be legalised by their municipality and posted to you.

Earliest slot we saw · Manually checked

Manually checked by LifesetRecent — verify before relying on it

Last manually checked: 13 November 2026 at 10:44 AM IST. Availability can change at any time.

Mumbai
16 Nov
New Delhi
16 Nov

Tourist / short-stay appointments only. A manual observation of the portal at the time above, not a real-time feed. Slots move hour to hour and we never hold or sell them. All Netherlands centres & earliest dates

Do Indians need a visa to visit family in the Netherlands, and which one?

Yes. Parents visiting a daughter in Amstelveen, a brother going to a nephew's graduation in Delft, or a friend spending a month in The Hague all need a Schengen short-stay visa, type C. VFS lists it as "Visit to Family & Friends", and says it also covers visiting a girlfriend or boyfriend.

The visa allows up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area, though the dates on the sticker can be shorter than that. The Consular Services Organisation of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs processes the application, and the ministry decides the validity and number of entries.

What makes this route different is paperwork from the Netherlands. Depending on your situation, your host may need to complete official IND forms for sponsorship and for private accommodation, and have their signature legalised by their municipality, before you can apply.

Netherlands family visit visa: key points

Visa
Schengen type C, visit to family and friends
Longest stay
90 days in any 180-day period
Dutch reference amountBelow that, a sponsor is needed
€55 per day of the visit
Staying in the host's homeLegalised by the host's municipality
Proof of private accommodation form
Apply
Up to 6 months and at least 15 days before travel

NetherlandsWorldwide and VFS Global Netherlands India, checked 14 Oct 2026

Where do applicants from Punjab apply?

At a VFS Global centre. For the Netherlands there are two in this region, Chandigarh and Jalandhar, as well as New Delhi and nine other cities across India, all open Monday to Friday.

Everyone applying must go: NetherlandsWorldwide says this applies to babies and children too. Children under 12 give no fingerprints but must be present, and adults whose fingerprints were taken for a Schengen visa in the past 59 months do not give them again. For elderly parents, this means the whole family plans one trip to the centre together.

At the counter, each applicant hands over the documents with the passport, answers questions about the trip, pays and chooses collection or courier, and gets a reference number to track the file. A digital photo is taken there, so you need not bring prints. Fill in each person's own form online; it carries a unique code, and VFS does not accept handwritten forms. You can see how dates are opening on our Netherlands appointment availability page.

Which documents depend on your situation?

The common checklist appears lower on this page. For a family or friends visit, the Dutch checklist adds documents from the host, and which ones depends on three questions.

  • Will you stay in the host's home?

    If yes
    The host completes the IND proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation form, signs it, and has it legalised by the municipality where they are registered
    If no
    A hotel or rental booking for the entire stay is enough

  • Do you have less than €55 for each day of the visit?

    If yes
    The host also sponsors you on the IND form, legalised in the same way, and must meet the income test
    If no
    Your own bank statements or ITRs show your means

  • Is your host Dutch?

    If yes
    A copy of their Dutch ID card or passport
    If no
    A copy of their valid Dutch residence permit

Your own side of the file is the same as for any visitor. Employees bring the employment contract, a recent leave approval and 3 months of payslips. Business owners bring the company registration with its GST number, business bank statements and an ITR with a verified barcode. Retired parents bring 3 months of pension statements and papers showing money or property, such as a house, land or a business. Someone with none of these can show they are a caregiver, own property, or have children in school in India.

For means, the checklist asks for personal bank statements for the past 3 months, stamped and signed by the bank, or Indian income tax returns for the last 2 tax years. If the host pays, the invitation must say so. And if the person paying for your stay is not the person you are staying with, the checklist says the person you stay with must give a separate invitation or complete a separate sponsorship form.

The Dutch checklist does not list proof of relationship as a separate item, and it is the same checklist for friends as for family. Still, the officer reads the cover letter and the host's forms to understand who you are visiting, so a copy of the birth certificate or marriage certificate that links you to your host makes the purpose easy to check.

How much is the Netherlands family visit visa fee for Indians?

Each applicant pays the standard Schengen visa fee of €90, or €45 for a child aged 6 to 11, with no fee under 6. On top, VFS charges ₹1,890 per application, GST included, according to its fee tab on 14 October 2026. Parents applying together therefore pay two visa fees and two service charges. Payment is in rupees, by cash, card or UPI, and none of it is refunded if the visa is refused. Our filing fee is shown at the top of this page.

How long does it take, and when should you apply?

NetherlandsWorldwide gives an average of 18 to 21 calendar days, and VFS's family visit page an average of 25; both cap it at 45 days. The count runs from the day the ministry's Consular Services Organisation has your documents and passport. During high season the Dutch site warns that processing may be slower than usual.

The legalised forms set the earliest and latest dates as much as your travel plans do:

  • The host's forms must be legalised and posted to you before your appointment, so the host starts first.
  • Once the accommodation form is legalised, NetherlandsWorldwide says the visitor must apply for the visa within 6 months.
  • On your side, apply no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 days before travel. For a fixed family event, aim for 6 to 8 weeks ahead.

Why do Netherlands family visit visas get refused for Indian applicants?

Dutch refusals use the EU's standard form with numbered reasons. In family files, these are the usual weak points.

Copies instead of the legalised original

The accommodation and sponsorship forms must be originals, completed, signed and legalised by the municipality. NetherlandsWorldwide adds that nothing may be changed after legalisation, and data such as the host's BSN may not be blacked out, or the form becomes invalid.

A sponsor who does not meet the income test (reason 3)

A sponsor must live in the Netherlands, be 18 or over, have a citizen service number (BSN), and have steady, sufficient income for at least the next 12 months. Supplementary social security benefits do not count. If the host falls short, the visitor's own money has to carry the file.

Doubts that you will return (reason 13)

When the children live abroad, the officer looks for what keeps the parents in India. Use the checklist's own list: pension statements, property, a business, other family here. A house and land in your name speak louder than a large balance.

One form for the whole family

Each visitor needs a separate sponsorship form and a separate accommodation form, including children. A single form naming both parents is not enough.

Legalised too early

The visa application has to be made within 6 months of the accommodation form's legalisation. A form legalised for last year's plan cannot be reused.

All the numbered grounds are explained on our Schengen refusal reasons page. If you are refused, you can object to the IND within four weeks of the date on the decision, or file a fresh application with the problem fixed.

Tips for a stronger file

  • Match the dates. The invitation, both IND forms, your cover letter, the flight reservation and the insurance should show the same arrival and departure dates.
  • Insurance can come from the Netherlands. NetherlandsWorldwide says a sponsor can take out insurance for you in the Netherlands. Whoever buys it, the schedule must name you, cover all Schengen countries for the whole stay and include at least €30,000 of medical cover with repatriation.
  • Cover letter. Give the reason for the visit, the length of stay, who travels with you, and your transport and accommodation.
  • Bring the originals to the border too. The host's original forms travel with you; the visitor must show them at the Dutch border.
  • Old passports. Colour copies of earlier Schengen stamps, plus the personal data page and the last page of your current passport.
  • Children. A child travelling with only one parent needs the other parent's notarised consent and a recent birth certificate extract.

What does your host in the Netherlands have to arrange?

Your host does most of the Dutch side, and it takes time. Share these steps with them.

  1. Check whether sponsorship is needed

    If the visitor has less than €55 for each day of the visit, the host must sponsor them. A sponsor must live in the Netherlands, be an adult, have a BSN and have steady income for the next 12 months.

  2. Fill in the IND forms

    The IND proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation form, one per visitor, children included. If the host will also cover your stay, medical care and any repatriation, NetherlandsWorldwide says questions 3A and 3B on the form should be answered yes. A spouse who is a joint sponsor fills in the form too.

  3. Have the signature legalised

    Because Indian visitors need a visa, the municipality must legalise the host's signature. Some municipalities let hosts fill in the form online.

  4. Post the originals to India

    Send the original forms and supporting documents by post. The visitor uses them for the visa application and shows them at the border.

  5. Know what sponsorship means

    The sponsor acts as guarantor for the costs of the stay, medical care and repatriation. It ends when the visitor leaves the Schengen area, or 5 years after the form was legalised.

Can family of an EU or Dutch citizen apply free of charge?

Sometimes. The Netherlands has a separate checklist for immediate family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens under Directive 2004/38/EC, and those who qualify pay no visa fee, only the VFS service costs. It applies when you travel with that relative to an EU, EEA or Swiss country that is not their own, or visit them where they are living or staying outside their own country.

The catch for many Punjabi families: if your relative is a Dutch national living in the Netherlands, NetherlandsWorldwide says that in most cases you cannot use this checklist, with some exceptions. A son who took Dutch citizenship and lives in Amsterdam usually means the ordinary route on this page. For trips without a host, see the Netherlands tourist visa guide, and for everything else the Netherlands country page.

Official sources

Documents you need

12 items

  • Online application form

    Each person's own form, completed online with its unique code, then printed and signed.

  • Passport

    Not more than 10 years old, at least 2 blank visa pages, valid 3 months after leaving the Schengen area, and signed.

  • Passport copies

    Colour copies of the personal data page, the last page, and Schengen stamps from previous passports.

  • Host's identity document

    A copy of the host's Dutch ID card or passport, or their valid Dutch residence permit.

  • Proof of private accommodation

    If you stay in the host's home: the original IND form, signed and legalised by the host's municipality, one per visitor.

  • Proof of sponsorship

    If you have less than €55 a day: the original IND sponsorship form, legalised, with the sponsor's supporting documents.

  • Cover letter

    The reason for the visit, the length of stay, fellow travellers, and your transport and accommodation details.

  • Proof of ties to India

    Employment contract, leave letter and payslips; GST registration and business statements; or pension statements and property papers.

  • Proof of means

    Personal bank statements for 3 months, stamped and signed, or ITRs for the last 2 tax years.

  • Travel reservation

    A return reservation in your name, with your travel plans. A paid ticket is not needed.

  • Travel medical insurance

    In your name, for all Schengen countries and the entire stay, at least €30,000 including repatriation. A Dutch sponsor may buy it.

  • Documents for minors

    A birth certificate extract and the notarised consent of any parent not travelling, with copies of the parents' passports.

How the process works

6 steps

Typical processing: About 18 to 21 calendar days on average per NetherlandsWorldwide, 25 per VFS India, and at most 45

  1. Step 1

    Decide where you will stay and who pays

    This decides whether the host needs the accommodation form, the sponsorship form, or both.

  2. Step 2

    Host completes and legalises the IND forms

    One set per visitor. The municipality legalises the signature, and the originals are posted to India.

  3. Step 3

    Gather your own documents

    Proof of ties to India, bank statements or ITRs, a cover letter, the travel reservation and insurance.

  4. Step 4

    Fill in each form online and book VFS

    Every applicant needs their own form with a unique code and must attend in person.

  5. Step 5

    Submit within 6 months of legalisation

    Hand in the file with your passport, give fingerprints, pay, and keep the reference number.

  6. Step 6

    Travel with the originals

    Carry the host's original forms, because you must show them at the Dutch border.

Costs & fees

Transparent

Item

Amount

Schengen visa fee (adult)

Per person, paid in rupees by cash, card or UPI. Not refunded if refused.

€90

Schengen visa fee (child aged 6 to 11)

Under 6, no visa fee.

€45

VFS service charge

Per application, GST included, also payable by fee-exempt applicants.

₹1,890 (checked 14 Oct 2026)

Family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens

Only if they qualify under the EU directive checklist; service costs still apply.

No visa fee

Government and third-party fees change often — we confirm the exact current amounts for your case before you pay anything.

Official sourcesLast verified

Frequently asked questions

13 answers

  • Someone who meets four conditions, according to NetherlandsWorldwide: they live in the Netherlands, are 18 or older, have a citizen service number (BSN), and will have a steady and sufficient income in the Netherlands for at least the next 12 months, such as a salary, pension or income from their own business. Supplementary social security benefits do not count. A spouse or partner can be a joint sponsor and then fills in the form too.

  • No. A sponsor is needed only if you have less than €55 to spend for each day of the visit; NetherlandsWorldwide says that with at least €55 a day, sponsorship is not needed. A separate form, the proof of private accommodation, is needed if you will stay in the host's home. Many parents' files therefore need the accommodation form, and the sponsorship form only when the host is paying.

  • It is the IND form in which your host declares that they will give you accommodation in their home. NetherlandsWorldwide says a separate form is needed for each visitor, children included. Because Indian visitors need a visa, the host's signature must be legalised by their municipality, and the original is posted to you. You must apply for the visa within 6 months of the legalisation and show the form at the Dutch border.

  • Yes, for visitors from India. NetherlandsWorldwide says the municipality must legalise the host's signature on the sponsorship and accommodation forms when the visitor needs a visa; legalisation is unnecessary only for visa-free visitors. After legalisation nothing may be changed on the form, and the host may not black out details such as their BSN or income, or the form becomes invalid.

  • Yes. The Dutch checklist asks for a copy of the host's Dutch ID card or passport or, if they are not Dutch, their valid Dutch residence permit. To sponsor you as well, he must meet the sponsor conditions: living in the Netherlands, aged 18 or over, holding a BSN, and with steady, sufficient income for at least the next 12 months. If you stay in his home, he also completes the private accommodation form.

  • Usually not. The Netherlands has a separate, fee-free checklist for immediate family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens under Directive 2004/38/EC, but NetherlandsWorldwide says that if your relative is a Dutch national living in the Netherlands, in most cases you cannot use it, with some exceptions. It is designed for visiting an EU citizen who lives outside their own country, such as a German national working in Rotterdam. VFS service costs apply either way.

  • No. NetherlandsWorldwide says each visitor requires their own proof of sponsorship, including children, and that a separate private accommodation form is needed for each person. A host inviting both parents therefore completes, signs and has legalised two sets of forms, and both parents apply separately, each paying their own visa fee and VFS service charge.

  • Apply within 6 months of the accommodation form's legalisation, which NetherlandsWorldwide sets as the deadline for using it in a visa application. The sponsorship lasts until the visitor leaves the Schengen area, or 5 years after the form was legalised. For a later visit, NetherlandsWorldwide says a new proof of sponsorship form is needed, so do not plan to reuse an old one.

  • The Dutch checklist for family and friends does not list proof of relationship as a separate document; it is the same checklist for friends. It is still sensible to include a copy of the birth or marriage certificate that links you to your host, because the officer must understand the purpose of the visit from your cover letter, the invitation and the host's forms.

  • Yes. NetherlandsWorldwide says that if you have a sponsor in the Netherlands, you can ask them to take out insurance for you there. Whoever buys it, the policy schedule must name you, cover all Schengen countries for the entire stay, and cover at least €30,000 for hospital treatment, emergency care, prescription medicine and repatriation, including in the event of death.

  • Yes. VFS's Netherlands page says the visit to family and friends visa covers visiting family or friends, including a girlfriend or boyfriend. The same documents apply: an invitation, a copy of your partner's Dutch ID, passport or residence permit, the IND forms if you stay with them or they pay, and your own proof of ties to India and of means.

  • Not necessarily. The Dutch checklist lets retired applicants prove their ties with pension statements for the past 3 months and documents showing money or property, such as a house, land or a business. For means, it accepts stamped bank statements for 3 months or ITRs for the last 2 tax years. If your child is sponsoring the trip, the sponsorship form and the invitation's statement that they pay carry that part.

  • Only if the visa allows it. The maximum is 90 days in any 180-day period, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides the validity, and the sticker may allow fewer days, so read the Duration of stay field. Extensions are possible only in emergencies such as illness, through the IND, and VFS warns that overstaying risks a two-year visa sanction for all Schengen countries.

Going it alone vs filing with us

Why it matters

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.

A refusal isn't the end

Refused before?

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

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