Note that if your connecting flight is to another Schengen area country, you don't need a transit visa. Instead, you will need a regular short-stay Schengen visa for the Netherlands. This also applies if you need to transit through another airport within the Schengen Area, other than a Dutch one.

Whether you need a visa for a layover at Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) depends on your nationality and whether you intend to leave the transit area. If you are a citizen of a country that requires a Schengen visa (such as India, China, or many African nations), you may need an Airport Transit Visa (Type A) just to stay in the international zone of the airport. However, many nationalities are exempt from this and can stay "airside" for up to 24 hours without any visa. The rules change the moment you want to "go through immigration" to see the city or stay in a hotel outside the airport; at that point, you would need a full Schengen Visa (Type C). In 2026, the Netherlands strictly enforces these transit rules, and many "budget" travelers have been caught out by "self-transfer" tickets (where you must collect bags and re-check them), which requires you to pass through immigration and thus requires a full visa. Always verify if your flight is on a single ticket or a "self-transfer."