China to Netherlands visa requirements

Chinese ordinary passport holders need a Schengen short-stay (Type C) visa to visit the Netherlands for tourism. There is no visa-free, visa-on-arrival, or eVisa option. ETIAS does not apply to Chinese nationals because it is only for visa-exempt countries. The Netherlands is a Schengen Area country, and China is listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, so Chinese ordinary passport holders must obtain a Schengen short-stay (Type C) visa before travelling for tourism. The visa permits stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the entire Schengen Area. Applications from residents of mainland China are submitted at TLScontact visa application centres in 15 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shenzhen. TLScontact collects the documents, passport, visa fee, service costs and biometrics; fingerprints are required for applicants aged 12 or older unless reusable Schengen biometrics from the last 59 months apply. The visa fee is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6-11, plus TLScontact service costs charged in CNY. The Dutch government currently lists the average short-stay Schengen processing time as 25 calendar days and says it can increase to 45 calendar days, so apply up to 6 months ahead and no later than 45 days before travel. Travel medical insurance with minimum EUR 30,000 coverage throughout Schengen is mandatory, and the IND short-stay guidance lists at least EUR 55 per person per day for the stay. ETIAS starts in the last quarter of 2026 for visa-exempt nationalities only, so it does not replace the visa requirement for Chinese citizens. The EES is now a border registration system for non-EU short-stay travellers and does not remove the visa requirement.