The majority of foreign nationals wishing to stay in the Netherlands for up to three months require a short stay visa or Schengen visa (Schengenvisum). Foreign nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland as well as some other countries are exempt from the visa requirement.

In 2026, whether you need a visa for Amsterdam depends on your nationality, but there is a major new requirement for everyone: ETIAS. If you are from a "visa-exempt" country like the USA, Canada, or the UK, you do not need a traditional Schengen Visa for stays under 90 days, but as of late 2026, you must apply for an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) before departure. A supportive peer "warning": ETIAS is not a visa, but a mandatory electronic security clearance. If your nationality is not on the exempt list (e.g., many countries in Asia and Africa), you still require a full Schengen C-Type Visa, which involves an embassy interview and biometric data. Always check the official EU "Travel Europe" portal before flying in 2026, as the transition to ETIAS has made "showing up with just a passport" a thing of the past for almost all non-EU citizens.