Netherlands Schengen Visa Interview

You will likely need a Schengen visa to visit multiple countries in Europe if you are from a state that does not have visa-free access to the Schengen area (Click here for a list of countries whose citizens need visas to enter the zone) If you are applying for a Dutch Schengen visa, you will likely have to attend an interview at the Dutch Embassy, Consulate, or visa application center you are applying through. In any case, it’s good to familiarize yourself with the general and Dutch Schengen visa interview questions so you can be prepared in the event you are interviewed. Read on for an overview of country-specific Netherlands Schengen visa interview questions, including tourist visa interview questions and answers, and for general Schengen visa interview questions. 

Dutch Schengen Visa Interview

• If you are applying for a visa to the Schengen area, and you plan on spending the majority of time on your trip in Holland, you should apply for a Dutch Schengen visa. 
• When you apply for a Schengen visa for Holland, you will likely be asked to attend a Schengen visa interview at the Dutch Embassy, Consulate, or visa application center you are applying through. 
• During your Schengen visa interview, your interviewer will likely ask you basic biographical questions and information about yourself, as well as more detailed information about your trip to Holland and travel in Europe. 
• Your interview will likely be a part of your general Schengen visa appointment, where you will formally submit your application, have your photos and fingerprints collected (biometric information) and pay your Schengen visa fee (normally €80). 
• At some point during your online visa application process, you will be asked to schedule a Schengen visa appointment. Your interview (if you have one) will be conducted during this appointment. 

Visa Frequently Asked Questions

• The following visa frequently asked questions are asked of all people, regardless of what country they are applying to or from. 
• Keep in mind that you may be asked different questions depending on what kind of visa you are applying for. For example, the tourist visa interview questions and answers for Dutch visas will be different from those for Dutch medical visas, business visas, etc.
• Typical questions include the following: 
  • When and where were you born?
  • Where do you live currently? Do you own your own house/apartment? 
  • Where do you work?
  • What is your monthly/yearly salary? 
  • Are you married/in a relationship? Do you have children?
  • Do your parents live near you? Do you see them often? 
  • Are you currently a student, or did you attend university? If so, what do/did you study?
  • Are you, or have you ever been, a member of a terrorist organization? Have you ever been arrested?
• As you can see, the above questions might appear basic and unnecessary. However, your responses to them will shape whether or not you are perceived to be a good Schengen visa candidate. Therefore, by asking you basic questions, your interviewer is trying to determine the following essential information about you: 
  1. Whether you can financially afford your trip to the Netherlands.
  2. Whether you have reasons to return to your home country (i.e. whether you will try to overstay in Holland).
  3. Whether you present a security risk to the Netherlands/the Schengen area.
• For example, by asking about your marital status and your relationship with your parents, your interviewer is trying to determine how strong your ties to your country of residence are. Applicants who are married, and/or have children, and/or are close to their parents, are considered less likely to abandon them for a new life in Holland/the Schengen area. 
• Similarly, candidates who have good, stable jobs, and own their apartment/house are thought to have stronger ties to their country of residence than those who do not (as are students who are enrolled in a degree-seeking program). 
• In asking about your job, your interviewer is trying to establish whether or not you can financially afford your trip to the Netherlands. 
• Finally, in asking your relationship to terrorist organizations, your interviewer is trying to make sure that you will not commit any crimes in Holland or in the Schengen area generally. If you are asked this seemingly sensitive question, do not be offended. This is a standard question asked of many candidates, regardless of the nature of their application. 

Netherlands Embassy Interview Questions

• Because these Netherlands Schengen visa interview questions will be country specific, rather than generic, you should familiarize yourself with basic information about Holland in order to answer them intelligently. 
• Likely Netherlands Embassy interview questions include: 
  • What is your reason for travelling to Holland?  
  • Do you have any family or friends in the Netherlands?
  • Where do you intend to stay in Holland?
  • What do you plan on doing on your stay? 
  • Why do you need to spend so long in Holland?
  • How do you intend to fund your trip to Holland?
  • Do you know how long you can stay in Holland for, as per the terms of your Schengen visa?
  • Do you know where you can travel on your Dutch Schengen visa?
  • Have you obtained travel medical insurance in the event that you experience a medical even in the Netherlands?
  • Is Holland your first point of entry to the Schengen area? If so, how are you arriving in the country? How are you exiting the country, and when?
  • Have you previously travelled to Holland before? Or anywhere in the Schengen area?
• In asking these questions, your Schengen visa interviewer is again trying to assess whether you would make a good Schengen visa candidate by being able to afford your trip and not overstaying your visa, etc. 
• Many of the questions, such as “what is your reason for travel” may seem redundant, as you will have already provided the written responses to these questions on your Schengen visa application. However, your Schengen visa interviewer is trying to make sure that the answers you gave on your form match the ones you give orally in your interview. If there is a significant discrepancy between the answers you provided on your application and your interview answers, your application will likely be considered suspect. Therefore, while answering as truthfully as you can, make sure that your interview answers match what you said on your application. 
• In asking where you will stay in Holland, your interviewer wants to make sure you a) can afford your living expenses and b) that you have a serious plan for your trip. You should therefore have an idea about where you will stay prior to your interview. And if you have family or friends in Holland (especially if you are staying with them, you should say so).
• In asking you how long you can stay in Holland for, your interview is trying to determine that you are familiar with the terms of your Schengen visa. Make sure you demonstrate your awareness of the Schengen visa duration: 90 days within a 180-day period. Emphasize that you know you are limited to up to 90 days in Holland, and that you intend to leave before your visa expires. Similarly, when asked where you can go on your visa, you should state the scope of its validity: the entire Schengen area—26 countries in Europe. Unless you receive a Limited Territorial Visa (LTV) for Holland, you will be able to go to any and all of the Schengen countries on your trip. 
• Similarly, at some point during your interview, you may be asked why you need to spend so much time in Holland. Don’t be put off by this question-your interviewer just wants to make sure that your reason for travelling is credible and legitimate.  
• If asked about why you are travelling to Holland, go into detail. If you are traveling for tourist reasons, talk about everything you want to see in the country. Talk about specific intended trips you intend to take, museums you want to go to, etc.
• If asked how you intend to fund your trip, respond honestly. Keep in mind that your interviewer knows the average cost of living in Holland and will assess whether or not you can afford your trip based on your financial information. Because of this, it is a good idea to go into your interview with a basic idea of how much things cost in Holland (food, housing, transportation), so you can integrate this information into your responses to financial questions.  
• Your interviewer will likely ask how you plan on enter/exiting the country. Again, these kinds of questions go back to the overriding issue of whether or not you will overstay your time in Holland/the Schengen area. Essentially, your interviewer wants to know that you will leave Holland before your visa runs out. You should have a good idea of your travel plans prior to entering your interview. If you haven’t yet purchased tickets into/out of the country, have specific dates in mind, and talk about why you need to enter Holland  (and leave it) when you do. Your exit plans are more important than your entry plans, so talk about why you have to leave the Netherlands by a certain date.