How to apply for a Netherlands Schengen visa from the UK

Applying for a Dutch short-stay Schengen visa as a resident of the UK: where to apply, the application form, the documents, the fees and how to get an appointment.

By Visa Catcher · Updated

NETHERLANDS FROM THE UK

EU VISA STATISTICS · 2025

25,711 applications in the UK · 5th most · 1.0% refused

VFS GlobalUK appointment board →
On this page
  1. Where you apply
  2. Step by step
  3. Documents
  4. Fees and processing time
  5. Applications and refusals
  6. What applicants reported
  7. How often new dates appear
  8. Getting the appointment
  9. Questions
  10. Sources

UK residents apply for a Dutch short-stay Schengen visa with the Dutch government's online form and hand it in at VFS Global, at its centres in London, Birmingham, Manchester or Edinburgh. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides.

The Netherlands is on our free Telegram channel in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, so you can follow its new dates without paying. This guide covers the form, the four centres and their booking rules, the documents on the UK checklist and the fees. For the general rules, see how to apply for a Schengen visa from the UK.

Where you apply

Apply to the Netherlands if it is your main destination. NetherlandsWorldwide says you can apply at VFS Global in Birmingham, Edinburgh, London or Manchester only if you live in the UK. VFS sends the files to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which decides; the embassy in London takes applications only from holders of diplomatic or official passports.

  • All four centres take applications Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 14:30.
  • London is at 66 Wilson Street, EC2A 2BT.
  • Birmingham is at 2nd Floor, 5–14 South Road, Smethwick, B67 7BN: VFS moved this joint visa application centre there on 27 July 2026, so check the address on your appointment letter.

Make a separate appointment for each person, under the right category: VFS says that if you chose the wrong one, you cannot hand in the application on the day and you lose the service fee. Miss an appointment and you can book a new one only 24 hours later.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Fill in the online form

    On the Dutch government's visa application form. Only a form you fill in yourself online gets a unique code, so do not use someone else's. Print and sign it.
  2. 2

    Book at VFS Global

    On the Netherlands' VFS page for the UK, up to six months before the trip and at least 15 calendar days before it.
  3. 3

    Gather the documents

    Everything on the checklist for your purpose, as originals with a copy, and the checklist itself.
  4. 4

    Attend the appointment

    Hand in the documents and passport, give fingerprints, have your photo taken, pay the fees, and choose to collect the passport or have it sent. If you are 12 or over and gave fingerprints for a Schengen, transit or entry visa in the past 59 months, someone else can hand in your application with a letter of authorisation signed by you both; VFS says new requirements for this apply from 16 November 2026.
  5. 5

    Wait for the decision

    On average 18 to 21 calendar days, and up to 45. You get an email when it is processed; it does not say whether the visa was granted.

Documents

The country's own checklist is the one that counts. The core of it:

  • Passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages.
  • Proof of your UK immigration status, such as your eVisa and a share code, valid beyond your return.
  • The signed application form and a photo to the ICAO passport standard.
  • Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip.
  • Recent bank statements, and a letter from your employer or proof of studies or self-employment.
  • A flight reservation, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter.

On top of that, the NetherlandsWorldwide tourism checklist for the UK asks for:

  • Your UK residence permit, or a printout of your eVisa from UKVI with the share code letter, valid at least one month after you leave the Schengen Area: the original and a colour copy.
  • A recent, signed employer letter giving your position and salary, the signatory's position and the company's UK registration number, plus payslips for the last three months. The self-employed bring a letter from an accountant, banker or solicitor and their self-assessment.
  • Personal bank statements for the last three months, and credit card statements showing the monthly limit. If a spouse or parents pay, their UK bank statements for three months, proof of the relationship and a statement that they will support you.
  • A hotel reservation for the whole trip, or the confirmation of a tour.

You do not need a photo: VFS takes a digital one at the appointment.

Fees and processing time

Visa fee, adults
€90
Children aged 6 to 11
€45
Children under 6
Free
VFS service fee
€18.00 including 20% VAT, per application (VFS Global, November 2026)
Processing
18 to 21 calendar days on average, up to 45 (NetherlandsWorldwide)

The official pages disagree on payment. VFS's visa page says fees can be paid by card, in cash except in Manchester and Edinburgh, or by postal order to “Netherlands Visa Application Centre”, but its London and Birmingham centre pages list only card and postal order; NetherlandsWorldwide's UK fee page says card only (Visa or Mastercard, not American Express) and no postal orders or cheques at the counter. Fees are non-refundable, and NetherlandsWorldwide warns that high-season waits can be longer.

Applications and refusals

In 2025, the consulates of the Netherlands in the UK received 25,711 short-stay Schengen visa applications: 5.0% of all those lodged in the UK, and the 5th most of any Schengen country. They refused 1.0% of the applications they decided; across every Schengen country in the UK the rate was 10.5%, according to the European Commission's visa statistics.

Applications, 2025
25,711
Rank in the UK
5th of 28 Schengen countries
Refused
1.0%
All Schengen countries in the UK
10.5% refused

The Commission counts applications where they are lodged, not by nationality, so these are residents of the UK of many nationalities. A refusal rate is an average over every applicant and says little about any one file; and the country you apply to is set by your main destination, not by its refusal rate.

What applicants reported

315 applicants in the United Kingdom have reported their Netherlands visa to Visa Catcher's statistics. The median time from appointment to passport back was 20 days.

Reports
315
Appointment to passport back (median)
20 days; typically 14–25 days
Approved
100% of 315 with a known outcome
Validity granted (median)
1 year
Multiple entry
96%

See every Netherlands report from the United Kingdom · how the statistics work

How often new dates appear

London. Our monitors saw new Netherlands appointments appear in London 84 times in the last 90 days, on 28 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 5 hours. The latest release we saw was on 27 October at 06:09 UK time. Over the past year (937 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Manchester. Our monitors saw new Netherlands appointments appear in Manchester 59 times in the last 90 days, on 30 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 10 hours. The latest release we saw was on 27 October at 06:10 UK time. Over the past year (592 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Edinburgh. Our monitors saw new Netherlands appointments appear in Edinburgh 48 times in the last 90 days, on 24 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 7 hours. The latest release we saw was on 27 October at 06:11 UK time. Over the past year (749 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Birmingham. Our monitors saw new Netherlands appointments appear in Birmingham 67 times in the last 90 days, on 34 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 10 hours. The latest release we saw was on 27 October at 06:08 UK time. Over the past year (449 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Getting the appointment

The form is the easy part. The hard part is a free date with VFS Global: when demand is high the calendar can stay empty, and new dates go quickly when they appear. In the last 90 days our monitors saw new dates appear in London 84 times, typically about 5 hours apart.

These are the ways to get a date, including ours:

Check the VFS Global portal yourself

Free

Who books: You

Log in, choose the centre and category, and look at the calendar. New dates appear when the centre releases them or someone cancels, so this means checking again and again.

Visa Catcher free channel (@UKVFSBot)Our service

Free

Who books: You

The Netherlands is on the free channel. It posts new dates on Telegram and you book them yourself.

Visa Catcher personal alertsOur service

£30 / 30 days

Who books: You

Telegram alerts for the route you choose, including routes the free channel does not carry. No passport details needed.

Visa Catcher auto-bookingOur service

£110 / applicant

Who books: Visa Catcher

We watch the route and book the appointment on the applicant's behalf, so it needs their passport details.

Each Netherlands route we track has its own page, and every route is on the UK appointment board page. For how the booking systems work, see how to book a Schengen visa appointment in the UK.

Questions

Where can I apply for a Netherlands visa in the UK?
At VFS Global in London, Birmingham, Manchester or Edinburgh, if you live in the UK. Only holders of diplomatic or official passports apply at the Dutch embassy in London. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides.
Do I need a photo for a Dutch visa application in the UK?
No. NetherlandsWorldwide says that if you apply through VFS Global, a digital photo is taken at your appointment.
Can someone else submit my Netherlands visa application in the UK?
Only if you are 12 or over and gave fingerprints for a Schengen, airport transit or entry visa in the last 59 months. The person brings a letter of authorisation signed by you both, their own passport with a copy, and all your documents. VFS says new requirements for this apply from 16 November 2026.
How long does a Netherlands visa take from the UK?
On average 18 to 21 calendar days, and up to 45, according to NetherlandsWorldwide, which warns that waits can be longer in high season.
What is the refusal rate for the Netherlands Schengen visas in the UK?
In 2025, the consulates of the Netherlands in the UK refused 1.0% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 10.5% across all Schengen countries in the UK, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 25,711 applications, the 5th most of any Schengen country.

Sources

Rules and fees are set by the consulates and their visa centres and can change; check the official pages above before you apply. Our coverage, prices and release statistics on this page are live. Visa Catcher is an independent appointment-tracking service, not affiliated with any visa centre, embassy, consulate or government.

UK guides

More guides for applying from the UK

Applying for a Netherlands visa from somewhere else

Know when a Netherlands date opens in the UK

Free, no registration, on Telegram.

Join the free channelUK appointment board →