Visas and residence permits

To enter the Netherlands, nationals from most countries need a visa. Once in the Netherlands, a residence permit is often required. This section will tell you which requirements apply to go about arranging things.

An entry visa is a sticker placed in your passport at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your own country (or the country in which you legally reside). It must be applied for well in advance by the employer.

Most important is your nationality. Next the duration of your stay. If you will be staying for more than three months, you might need a ‘provisional residence permit’ (Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf, or MVV). This requirement does not apply to citizens of the EU/EEA and Switzerland, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Vatican City, Monaco or South Korea.

Short or long stay

There are three elements which are important to find out which procedures apply to you:

• Your nationality
• The duration of your stay
• The purpose of your stay

Starting point is your nationality. The second step is the duration of your stay. If you are staying for three months or less, different rules apply than when you will be in the Netherlands for longer than three months.

Resident permit

If you need a resident permit, P&O (Irma van Lunenburg) will make an appointment for you at the Expatcenter in Amsterdam.

Please bring the application form and your passport.