Find here all the answers to the most frequently asked questions by British travellers looking to visit the Netherlands.
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Find here all the answers to the most frequently asked questions by British travellers looking to visit the Netherlands.
No, UK citizens are exempt from visa requirements to the Schengen area. However, in 2025, the new ETIAS visa waiver system will go live and impact the lives of millions of foreign travellers to Europe. ETIAS is a new prescreening system meant to improve the security of European borders and the traveller experience for foreign visitors. What does this mean for British citizens? Before travelling to the Netherlands, UK visitors must apply for ETIAS and receive a travel permit by submitting biometric data and answering a number of security questions. The process is entirely online-based and should be at most20 minutes. Travellers must pay the ETIAS fee to submit their application, after which the system will cross-check the traveller’s data against a number of security databases to understand whether the traveller can be a threat to European countries and citizens. In the vast majority of cases, an ETIAS travel permit will be issued to the applicant within minutes. Rarely, authorities may request supporting documentation or an in-person interview at the nearest Embassy if they deem it necessary.
Yes, the United Kingdom is a visa-exempt country, and as such, its citizens are eligible for ETIAS. UK citizens can use ETIAS for short-stay trips related to tourism, business, or transit. ETIAS applications can be completed within 10 minutes, and ETIAS authorisation scan be sent in no time, provided that the information submitted by the applicant is precise and correct. A UK citizen with an ETIAS travel permit will be able to enter the Netherlands for a period of 90 days over a 180-day period. Moreover, they will be able to use their ETIAS for multiple entries into Europe. The visa waiver has a validity of 3 years and is connected to the traveller’s passport: if the passport used to apply expires, so will the travel permit.
No, the ETIAS travel permit cannot be used as a basis to stay in the country for working or studying purposes. ETIAS does not constitute a traditional visa; therefore, it can only be used for purposes of short-stay trips for tourism, business, or transit intents. If UK citizens are looking to work or study in the Netherlands, they will need to apply for a Dutch national work visa or study visa, depending on their wishes.
It is no longer necessary to provide any proof of vaccination, recovery, or a negative test to enter the Netherlands from the UK. UK citizens also do not have to complete entry forms of any kind to enter the country. However, from 2025, UK citizens must present an ETIAS travel permit to enter the Netherlands or any other country in the Schengen area, plus Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Croatia. Ireland will not require an ETIAS because the country will maintain its single travel zone policy with the UK
At present, there are no COVID-related requirements for UK citizens visiting the Netherlands. British visitors must possess a biometric passport valid for at least 3 months after their planned return date. If you are planning to stay for more than 90 days in the country to work or study in the Netherlands, you will need a national visa and should consult the closest Dutch embassy to you for more information. Make sure your passport also has blank pages for passport stamping. You may have to show a return ticket as well as proof of sufficient funds to the border guard at the port of entry. From 2025, British citizens must hold an ETIAS travel permit to enter the Netherlands for short trips related to tourism, business, or transit.