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The Netherlands flag — visa destinationSchengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Orange Carpet Business Verified 2026-04-24

Netherlands Orange Carpet Visa (Facilitated Business — Schengen Type C)

Fast-track business Schengen visa for employees of companies registered with the Netherlands Embassy in India as Orange Carpet eligible. Walk-in submission, priority processing, simplified documentation.

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Processing time
Up to 45 days
after you submit

No visa is ever guaranteed — the final decision always rests with the The Netherlands visa authority. We make sure your file is presented at its strongest.

Processing

Average 15 calendar days

Stay Duration

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period

Starting Fee

₹9,790

Apply At

12 VFS centres

Done-for-you · End-to-end filing

Your whole The Netherlands Orange Carpet Visa, handled for one honest price.

A strong The Netherlands file clearly explains your travel purpose, funds, and ties to India. We structure and submit everything properly — so your case is presented clearly and professionally.

All-in · 18% GST included · no hidden charges

₹14,999all-in · GST incl.

File-ready in 3–5 working days after documents

5★ · 100+ reviews · reply in 5 min

Everything below — included, nothing extra

  • Document checklist
  • Application form guidance
  • Document review
  • Cover letter
  • Purpose of travel structure
  • Financial proof review
  • Sponsor document guidance
  • Submission & appointment support
  • Post-submission guidance
Licensed consultant files it Govt/VFS fees paid direct — never marked up

Not sure you qualify? Start with a refundable ₹499 possibility report — an honest Yes / Maybe / No, credited to this fee.

Price is for our consultancy service only and includes 18% GST. No agency can guarantee a visa — the final decision rests with the visa authority.

Your fee, in one glance

What the ₹14,999 fee covers for a The Netherlands file

  • We work out what your case actually is, before touching a form
  • We build the checklist around your profile, not a template
  • We read your documents against each other, not against a list
  • Financial proof review
  • Purpose of travel structuring
  • Cover letter / explanation support
  • Return ties review
  • Sponsor / invitation guidance
  • Application form guidance
  • Submission & appointment support
  • Biometrics guidance
  • Post-submission support

Government, VFS, insurance, ticket and hotel costs are separate and charged at cost. Read what each item means, in full.

Good to know before you apply

Rules that apply to every The Netherlands visa type — worth a quick read so nothing trips up your file.

  • 1Your travel document (passport) must NOT be more than 10 years old, have at least 2 blank visa pages, be valid for at least 3 months after your intended departure from the Schengen area, and carry your signature.
  • 2Not all travel documents are recognised by the Netherlands — non-recognised documents will result in an INADMISSIBLE application. Check the European Union website if you are uncertain.
  • 3Diplomatic and Official passport holders can use the walk-in facility at all Netherlands VFS centres between 09:00 and 10:00 on working days — no prior appointment needed.
  • 4In most cases you must submit your application in person. This applies to babies and children too.
  • 5Pilots and flight attendants do NOT need to hand over their passport during processing — all other applicants must submit it for the duration of processing.
  • 6At the appointment you will sign a declaration acknowledging (a) you understand that all documents must be submitted for the application to be processed, and (b) an incomplete application may be rejected with no refund of visa fees.
  • 7If you overstay a Schengen visa, you risk a two-year visa sanction across all Schengen countries.
  • 8If you notice a mistake on your visa when collecting it at VFS, notify the agent immediately. If you notice it later or received the visa by courier, contact the Dutch embassy without delay.

Who Can Apply

  • Employees of companies registered with the Netherlands Embassy in India under the Orange Carpet Programme
  • Trade delegations and corporate teams attending approved events
  • Non-paid business activities only — meetings, conferences, training, trade fairs

Not eligible under this visa:

  • Paid work for a Dutch entity — requires MVV + work permit
  • Employees of non-Orange-Carpet-registered companies — use the standard Business Visa
  • Personal or leisure travel — use the Tourist Visa
  • Family / private visits — use Visit to Family & Friends

What it costs

Government & VFS fees

Paid directly to The Netherlands / VFS — these are not our service fee, and we never mark them up.

ItemAmount
Schengen visa — adult (normal fee)₹9,790
Schengen visa — child 6 to 11 years₹4,890
Schengen visa — child under 6 yearsFREE
VFS service charge (per application, with biometrics)₹1,855

Fees effective 1 April 2026 as published by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Payment accepted in cash, debit/credit card, or UPI at VFS. All fees (visa + service charge) are non-refundable, regardless of visa outcome. Schengen "low fee" of €35 applies only to citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus under visa facilitation agreements — not applicable to Indian nationals.

Flights · Hotels · Insurance · Itinerary

What The Netherlands actually requires — and what it does not.

The Netherlands applies the Schengen rules, so travel insurance is not a nice-to-have — it is a legal condition of the visa.

2 of 4 are compulsory for The Netherlands

Expected

Flight reservation

The The Netherlands consulate wants a return itinerary with a real PNR covering your exact dates. It does not want a paid ticket, and buying one before a decision puts your money at risk for nothing.

Where people slip: Flying into one city and out of another with nothing showing how you travel between them. Officers read the whole route, and an unexplained gap reads as a plan that does not hold together.

How to hold a flight without paying
Required

Hotel booking

Accommodation for EVERY night of the stay. Not most nights — every one. A gap is a documented refusal ground under the Schengen code.

Where people slip: Free-cancellation bookings are accepted, but if the entire file is free-cancellation the officer sees a trip nobody has committed to. Some of it should be real spend.

Refundable hotel booking, explained
Required

Travel insurance

Minimum EUR 30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen state, including repatriation and emergency medical evacuation, for the full period of stay. Regulation (EC) 810/2009 — this is law, not preference.

Where people slip: Buying cover for the adults and forgetting the children. Every traveller needs their own EUR 30,000, infants included — a real refusal we have seen on a family of four.

What the cover must actually say
Expected

Travel itinerary

A day-by-day plan matching your flights, your hotels and the country you applied to. The Netherlands must be your main destination or your first point of entry, or you are at the wrong consulate.

Where people slip: Spending more nights in another Schengen country than in The Netherlands. That gets a file rejected before it is even assessed.

The letter your itinerary attaches to

We arrange all four for your The Netherlands file.

We are a B2B travel agency as well as a visa consultancy, working with partners including Riya Travel — so the flight, the hotel and the policy all come from us, issued the same day, and you deal with one team instead of four. Every booking is a real one under your own name.

What to gather

Documents required

Having a document isn't the same as presenting it right — that's the part we handle.

Company-specific documents (ask your Orange Carpet contact person)

2 items
  • Customised documents checklist from your company's Orange Carpet contact personRequired

    Each Orange Carpet employer maintains a tailored checklist. Always submit every document they request — missing items will cause rejection despite the fast-track.

  • Letter from your Orange Carpet employerRequired

    Confirms your employment and the purpose/duration of the business trip.

Standard Schengen core documents

5 items
  • Completed and signed Schengen visa application form (with unique code)Required

    Filled ONLINE only.

  • Valid passport + colour copy of bio-data, last page, previous Schengen stampsRequired
  • Biometric photograph (3.5cm × 4.5cm, white/light background, ≤6 months old)Required

    May be waived if biometrics given for a Schengen visa in last 59 months.

  • Invitation from the Dutch host company/partnerRequired
  • Travel itinerary + accommodation proof + travel medical insurance (€30,000+)Required

Required · optional / if applicable

The journey.

6 steps from intake to approval. Curved spine on the right shows the natural pace — never as linear as government sites pretend.

  1. 01

    Confirm your company is Orange Carpet registered

    Ask your HR or internal travel desk. Only employees of formally registered companies qualify. If not registered, use the standard Business Visa route.

  2. 02

    Get tailored checklist from company's Orange Carpet contact

    Each registered company maintains a custom documents checklist. Submit every item they request.

  3. 03

    Complete the online Schengen application form

    Fill online, print, sign.

  4. 04

    Walk in during designated Orange Carpet hours (no appointment needed)

    Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai: 09:00–10:00. New Delhi: 08:30–09:30. Pune: 08:00–09:00. Or book a regular online appointment if those hours don't suit you.

  5. 05

    Submit + pay fees

    €90 visa fee + ₹1,855 VFS service charge (cash / debit / credit / UPI).

  6. 06

    Track + collect

    Processing is prioritised — often faster than the standard 15-day window. 45 days maximum.

What works

12 levers that flip a borderline case.

  • Complete the Schengen visa application form ONLINE only — forms without a unique code can cause processing issues. Handwritten forms are rejected.
  • Travel medical insurance covering minimum €30,000 is MANDATORY and must be valid across all Schengen states for the entire duration of your trip, including arrival and departure dates.
  • Personal bank statements must be from the last 3 months, stamped and signed by your bank. Plain print-outs without a bank stamp are not accepted.
  • Photo must be colour, no more than 6 months old, 3.5cm × 4.5cm, with a white or light-coloured background. If applying through VFS, a digital photo may be taken at your appointment instead.

What kills cases

Top 3 refusal triggers we see.

  • 1Missing documents from the tailored company checklist
  • 2Applicant not actually registered under the Orange Carpet employer (verification fails)
  • 3Ambiguous business-trip purpose (suggests paid work)

VFS application centres

VFS Global AhmedabadVFS Global BangaloreVFS Global ChandigarhVFS Global ChennaiVFS Global CochinVFS Global HyderabadVFS Global JalandharVFS Global KolkataVFS Global LucknowVFS Global MumbaiVFS Global New DelhiVFS Global Pune

Schengen Business Visa Eligibility Check

Answer 10 questions focused on business visa criteria. Business applications face different scrutiny — the embassy wants clear purpose, genuine business relationships, and verifiable host.

0 / 10
1

Who is inviting you to Denmark / the Schengen country?

2

What form will the invitation take?

3

How long have you had a business relationship with the Danish host?

4

How long is your business trip?

5

What's your role in your Indian company?

6

What's your Indian company's annual turnover?

Helps establish legitimacy of the business case.

7

How often do you travel internationally for business?

8

Have you used a Schengen visa before?

9

Any previous visa refusals (business or otherwise)?

10

Your return-to-India anchor?

Indicative only — final decision is always with the Embassy.

Frequently asked

Questions, answered straight

Ask your HR or internal travel desk. Only companies formally registered with the Netherlands Embassy in India qualify. An internal embassy list is maintained.

Yes — any Indian company with frequent legitimate business travel to the Netherlands can apply for registration. The embassy evaluates each application.

No. Standard Schengen visa and VFS fees apply (€90 + ₹1,855). The benefit is speed, multi-entry validity, and simplified documentation.

Typically 1, 3, or 5 years depending on travel history and company reputation.

No — Orange Carpet is strictly for business travel under your registered employer. Personal travel uses the Tourist or Family & Friends category.

Yes on your first application. For subsequent applications within 59 months, biometrics can be re-used from earlier Schengen submissions.

The visa was granted under that employer's auspices. For continued business travel, your new employer must either be Orange Carpet registered or you'll need to apply under the standard Business Visa route.

Reviewed by Sherbir Singh Grewal, SureshotVisa — a government-licensed consultancy (Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024). Verify us.

How we get it done

Your The Netherlands Netherlands Orange Carpet Visa, from your first message to your passport back.

7 questions about this visa specifically. The first two are open — tap any other to read it.

Refused? Our full service fee comes back.Government and visa-centre fees are the one part nobody can refund.

+Who has to sign my The Netherlands business invitation, and what must it say?

The inviting company signs it, on its letterhead, naming you personally, the exact dates, the purpose of the meetings and — crucially — who is paying for what. Officers verify these: a letter with no signatory title, no company registration detail and no reachable phone number is worse than no letter, because it fails a verification call. Your own side matters just as much: a leave sanction or board resolution, your employment or directorship proof, and a travel history that fits the seniority the letter claims for you.

+Can I attend meetings, sign contracts or get paid on this visa?

Meetings, negotiations, conferences, trade fairs and training you attend are normally fine. What is not permitted is gainful employment — being paid by an entity in The Netherlands, or doing work that a local would otherwise be hired for, even unpaid in some categories. That line is where business visas get refused and, worse, where they get cancelled at the border. If your trip involves anything close to it, tell us the actual plan and we will tell you which route it needs.

+How long can I actually stay on a The Netherlands Schengen visa?

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period (Schengen area-wide). The window rolls: on any given day the authorities count backwards 180 days and add up the days you were inside. It is not 90 days per country and it does not reset when you leave and come back. Entries are multi-entry, long validity — typically 1, 3, or 5 years. Getting this arithmetic wrong is how people end up overstaying without realising, which follows you into every future application.

+Should I apply to The Netherlands or to another Schengen country?

You apply to the country you will spend the most nights in. If the nights are equal across several, you apply to the one you enter first. Applying to the "easier" consulate when your itinerary says otherwise is a well-known refusal ground and, if the mismatch looks deliberate, it reads as misrepresentation rather than a mistake. Send us your itinerary and we will tell you which mission is the correct one for your trip — sometimes that is not The Netherlands.

+How long does a The Netherlands Netherlands Orange Carpet Visa take, start to finish?

Three things sit between today and your trip: preparing the file properly, waiting for an appointment, and the mission's own processing. The Netherlands currently states Average 15 calendar days from submission; maximum 45 calendar days. Apply up to 6 months before travel. Processing cannot be expedited by contacting NetherlandsWorldwide or the embassy. for the decision itself. We control the first, which is usually days. The middle depends on slot releases. The third is entirely the mission's and no consultant can shorten it — anyone telling you otherwise is selling something they cannot deliver. Tell us your travel date and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic.

+How much of what I pay for the The Netherlands visa is actually your fee?

Most of it is not ours. The The Netherlands government fee (currently ₹9,790) goes to the mission and the visa-centre fee goes to VFS — both charged to you at cost, never marked up, and shown as separate lines on one GST invoice in the registered company name. Our service fee is the only part we set, and it is published rather than quoted case by case.

+How does SureshotVisa handle my The Netherlands Netherlands Orange Carpet Visa, from first message to passport back?

You send what you have on WhatsApp and a licensed consultant says the same working day whether the case is ready. We build the file around your profile, check every document against the others, write the cover letter to match them, and hold the file complete so the first workable appointment can be taken the moment it appears. You attend biometrics; we track the file to the decision (The Netherlands currently states Average 15 calendar days from submission; maximum 45 calendar days. Apply up to 6 months before travel. Processing cannot be expedited by contacting NetherlandsWorldwide or the embassy.). Government and visa-centre fees (₹9,790 for this visa) are charged at cost; our own fee is published, and if the visa is refused that fee comes back in full.

Before you file

A The Netherlands Netherlands Orange Carpet Visa goes one of two ways.

Filed on a guessed checklist, the government fee is gone on a refusal and the refusal follows every future application. Filed after a licensed consultant has read the papers against each other, the file answers the officer's questions before they are asked. Same The Netherlands rules, different outcome. How we do that is written once, in full, on the method page rather than repeated here.

Other The Netherlands Visa Types

Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Tourism

Netherlands Tourist Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)

Apply for a Netherlands Tourist Visa (Schengen Short-Stay Type C) from India. Official fees, complete document checklist, processing time, and VFS application guide — sourced from the Dutch embassy and VFS Global.

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Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Business / Official Visit

Netherlands Business & Official Visit Visa (Schengen Type C)

Apply for a Netherlands Business or Official Visit Visa from India. Covers meetings, conferences, training, trade fairs, and official visits. Complete fees, documents, and VFS application guide sourced from the Dutch embassy.

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Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Visit to Family & Friends

Netherlands Visit to Family & Friends Visa (Schengen Type C)

Apply for a Netherlands Visit to Family & Friends Visa from India. Covers visits to Dutch resident family, friends, and partners. Sponsorship form requirements, complete checklist, fees, and processing time.

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Schengen Airport Transit (Type A)

Netherlands Airport Transit Visa (Type A)

Information on the Netherlands Airport Transit Visa (ATV) for changing aircraft at a Schengen airport. Indian passport holders typically do NOT require an ATV — check before applying.

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Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Entry / Return

Netherlands Entry Visa (Return Visa for Residence Permit Holders)

Apply for a Netherlands Entry Visa (Return Visa) if your Dutch long-term residence permit was lost, stolen, or expired while you were abroad. Complete documents, fees, and process.

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Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Facilitated under EU Directive 2004/38/EC

Netherlands — Family Member of EU/EEA/Swiss Citizen (Facilitated Schengen Visa)

Facilitated Schengen visa for family members of EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens travelling to or joining them in the Netherlands. Visa fee is WAIVED under EU Directive 2004/38/EC. Includes Chavez-Vilchez route for parents of Dutch minor children.

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Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Seafarer / Blue Carpet

Netherlands Seafarer Visa — Blue Carpet Programme (Schengen Type C)

Facilitated Schengen visa for Indian seafarers joining a ship in a Dutch port under the Blue Carpet Programme. Priority processing, multi-entry visas, 9-month advance application window. Complete documents and invitation requirements.

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Schengen Short-Stay (Type C) — Cultural / Sports / Religious / Film

Netherlands Cultural, Sports, Religious & Film Crews Visa (Schengen Type C)

Apply for a Netherlands Schengen visa to attend cultural events, sports competitions, religious gatherings, or as a film crew member. Only for travellers not paid by a Dutch entity. Complete documents, fees, and process.

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Source & Disclaimer

Data on this page is sourced from the official VFS Global The Netherlands website and Embassy of The Netherlands. Last verified 2026-04-24. Always verify with the official embassy before applying — fees and requirements change without notice.

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