In certain cases, foreign nationals wishing to come to the Netherlands for brief periods of less than three months require a visa. The rules are vary depending on the participant’s country of origin. To see whether you require a visa, please check the list of countries on page 6 and further, stating which nationalities require a Schengen visa for entry in the Netherlands.

Processing the application may take up to three months, so make sure you apply for a visa in time!

A visitor’s visa for the Netherlands is a Schengen visa, entitling the holder to stay in the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxemburg, Portugal and/or Spain for up to three months. The purpose may be business, pleasure, a visit to friends or relatives, participation in conferences, or sports events.

Foreign nationals need to apply for a Short stay visa in person at one of the Dutch diplomatic representative missions (Embassy or Consulate) in their country of origin or permanent residence. Simply complete a standard Schengen visa application form at the Dutch Embassy in your country.

Make sure you meet all requirements necessary for your visit to the Netherlands.

You need to be able to present the following items at the Embassy:

a.  A valid passport (travel document).

b.  A document to substantiate your travel destination. Ask the secretary of the summer school you want to attend for a letter of invitation (in Dutch or in English).

c.   Documentary evidence showing that you have sufficient means of support for the duration of your stay, transit and/or return journey. You can prove this by submitting one or more bank statements or travellers cheques, or by showing that you have enough cash funds to have a minimum of € 34 available per perdon per day for the period of validity of your visa. Someone else can also accept responsibility for any and all financial consequences of an individual’s stay in the Netherlands. This person must then sign a guarantor’s declaration.

d.  Documentary evidence showing that you have health insurance.

e.  Two (2) passport photographs.

f.     In case you don’t live in your country of origin, you will need a residence permit for the country in which you apply for your visa.

Before going to the Embassy, it is wise to check whether you need to bring

additional documents.

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Sometimes, authorisation from the visa service in the Netherlands may be necessary for issuing a visa. In such cases, the application will be sent to the chief of police (in the Netherlands) with a request for information and recommendation.This can take a few weeks.

You may still be denied entry at the Dutch border if you fail to meet all the requirements for admission to the Netherlands. A visa is but one of several conditions for entering the Netherlands. In such cases, your visa will be revoked, and you will be sent back to your native country.

When you arrive in the Netherlands, you must report to the foreign police department in the municipality where you will be staying, within three days of your arrival. Discuss this with the summer school committee, they will let you know where to go.

Requests for visa extensions must be filed with the foreign police in the town where you are staying. Extensions are granted for visits within periods that total no more than three months. On a visitor’s visa it is not possible to stay for a period longer than 90 days.

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If you are in need of an invitation letter, one will be sent to you by the secretary of the summer school you are going to attend. The contents are like the example below, but the letter will be written in Dutch. Here you can see which information the summer school will need to receive from you.

To the Royal Dutch Embassy at ……….  1                                    date:.........

..........                                                                                 ref:............

.......... 2

..........

Dear Sir,

This letter is to clarify for a visa application that

Mr. / Mrs. ……….

..........  3

..........

medical student/professor at …….…  4 University / Medical School has been registered to participate in the International Summer School ……....  5, to be held in Groningen at University Medical Centre Groningen, from …....... till …......  6.

The registration of ……….  7 has been completed, including payment. The registration fee includes among others accommodation in the guesthouse:

..........

..........  8

..........

Yours sincerely,

..........  9

.......... 10

1       Location of Embassy

2       Address of Embassy (in your country)

3       Name and address of guest

4       Name of university/medical school of guest

5       Name of Summer School *

6       Date of Summer School *

7       Name of guest

8       Name and address of residence *

9       Signature of referent *

10     Name of referent *

* This will be filled in by the secretary of the Summer School.

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List 1: Countries that have visa requirement for a stay of a maximum of three
          months:

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More information about applying for a visitor’s visa can be obtained from the following addresses:

            Immigration and Naturalisation

            Short Stay Visa Service

            PO box 30124          

            2500 GC Den Haag

            The Netherlands

The Visa Service information line can be accessed from Monday to Friday between from 9.00 am – 5.00 pm.

Telephone: +31 20 889 30 45 (only for calls from countries other than the Netherlands. The number is not available from the Netherlands)

Telephone: 0900 1234561 (this number is only for calls in the Netherlands, € 0.10 per minute. A selection menu will direct you further)

            Fax:       +31 70 370 36 55

            E-mail:    voorlichting@ind.minjus.nl

            Internet: www.ind.nl

8. REFERENCE

Immigration and naturalisation service, Short Stay Visa, Den Haag, February 2005.

Secretariat:

Ms H.F. Dragt            telephone: +31 50 363 6121

       telefax:     +31 50 363 7390

Ms I.K. Trouw             telephone: +31 50 363 7919

        telefax:     +31 50 363 7390

University Medical Centre Groningen

Institute for Medical Education

P.O. Box 196

9700 AD Groningen

The Netherlands

E-mail:                        info@summer-schools-groningen.nl

Internet:                     www.summer-schools-groningen.nl

Co-ordinator:

Drs C.S.M. Wachters-Kaufmann

Groningen, The Netherlands, February 2005

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