Netherlands tourist visa from India: the official document checklist, decoded

The checklist, as published

Condensed from the official document linked above; wording is the mission's, shortened. Where the mission names an official form it is listed under "Forms". Always download the current version from the source link on the day you apply.

1. Application form: completed and signed Schengen visa application form, filled in online (unique code), printed; original.
2. Travel document (original): max 10 years old, 2 blank visa pages, valid 3 months after departure, signed.
3. Colour copies: biometric data page, last page of passport (Indian nationals), previous Schengen entry and exit stamps.
4. Photo: colour, no more than 6 months old, 3.5cm by 4.5cm, white or light-coloured background.
5. Proof of legal residence in India (original + colour copy): passport, residence permit valid 3 months post-departure, visa, work permit.
6. Proof of social/economic ties, employee: employment contract, recent employer letter approving leave, payslips from past 3 months.
7. Self-employed/company owner: company registration certificate with GST number, business bank statements, income tax return with verified barcode.
8. Retired: pension statements from past 3 months plus other proof of money or property (business, house, land).
9. Student: statement from educational institution; others: caregiver proof, real-estate ownership, children attending school in India.
10. Cover letter: reason for visit, duration of stay, names of fellow travellers, transportation and accommodation information.
11. Proof of accommodation: reservation (hotel, holiday rental, campus) for entire trip; proof for each Schengen country visited.
12. Travel and costs of stay: bank-stamped personal statements past 3 months, OR Indian income tax returns last 2 tax years.
13. Travel reservation in your name to/from Schengen (paid ticket not needed) plus travel plans; organised-tour booking if applicable.
14. Travel medical insurance in your name: all Schengen countries, entire stay, at least EUR 30,000 incl. hospital, emergency care, repatriation.
15. Minors: recent birth certificate extract, notarised consent of non-travelling parent(s)/guardian(s), parents' ID and passport copies, custody/guardianship/death documents if applicable.

Forms named by the mission

• Online Schengen visa application form at consular.mfaservices.nl/schengen-visa/short-stay (only online forms get the required unique code)
• Consent letter for minors travelling abroad (government.nl form, cited on the VFS Netherlands India tourist page)

Notes the mission attaches

• Apply in person at VFS Global (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi); babies and children too.
• At the appointment you sign a declaration that an incomplete application may be rejected and the fee will not be refunded.
• If applying through the external service provider (VFS) you do not submit a photo; a digital photo is taken at the appointment.
• Handwritten forms not accepted (VFS page); apply up to 6 months and no later than 45 days before travel (netherlandsworldwide apply-india page).
• Diplomatic passport holders are exempt from proof of travel medical insurance; the Ministry may request an interview or additional documents.
• VFS Netherlands India 'Tourist Visa' Documents Required tab links to this exact checklist and lists an approved travel-insurance company list (Approved-TMI-Companies-List-Mar-2026.pdf).

What each item is for

Every Schengen checklist is Article 14(1) of the Visa Code made specific: (a) purpose of the journey, (b) accommodation, (c) means of subsistence for the stay and the return, (d) information enabling an assessment of your intention to leave before the visa expires. Read the list above with those four heads in mind: bookings and invitations answer (a) and (b); bank statements, salary slips and tax returns answer (c); employment, business, family and property papers answer (d). Our documents guide explains each head, and the cover-letter guide shows how to make them agree.

For tourism the itinerary is the anchor: coherent dates, cities and bookings that stay live through the decision. Cancelled-looking reservations are the classic route to ground 10 on the refusal form.

Processing time, as stated by the mission

"Short-stay Schengen visa 25 calendar days; in some situations the processing time can increase to 45 calendar days; you can apply for a visa up to 6 months before you travel." (source) The Visa Code sets 15 calendar days from an admissible application, extendable to 45 (Article 23).

Fee, as stated by the mission

"The official Dutch fee page states euro amounts only (Schengen visa normal fee 90.00; child 6 to 11 45.00; child under 6 free of charge) and that you can pay by credit card or in cash in Indian rupees. VFS Netherlands India: a VFS service charge of INR 1820 (for submission with biometrics) inclusive of GST per application will be levied; payment in cash, debit or credit card and UPI." (source) The euro amounts are fixed by Article 16: EUR 90 adults, EUR 45 children six to eleven, free under six.

Netherlands's record for applications lodged in India

In 2025 Netherlands decided 97,650 applications lodged in India and refused 20.6% (all-India average 15.7%); 55.1% of visas issued were multiple-entry. Its consulates: Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi (20.6%). Which one handles you depends on your state of residence: see the Netherlands country page.