20.6% of the 97,650 Schengen applications made to Netherlands from India in 2025 were refused — high refusal by Schengen standards.
The Netherlands turned canals, bicycles, and Golden Age painting into a way of life. Amsterdam's gabled houses and museums draw the crowds, but tulip fields, windmills, and canal villages make the whole country feel like a painting.
Applying from India · the real numbers
High refusal- 97,650
- Applications
- 78.9%
- Approved
- 20.6%
- Refused
Handled by VFS Global. Consulates in Mumbai, New Delhi.
2025 figures · European Commission DG HOME (applications made in India). Across all applicants — not a forecast for your file.
Don't-miss places
- Canal Ring & museumsAmsterdam
- Keukenhof tulip gardensLisse
- Historic centre & harbourRotterdam
- Kinderdijk windmillsSouth Holland
- Van Gogh & RijksmuseumAmsterdam
- Giethoorn 'village of canals'Overijssel
Things to do
- Cruise Amsterdam's canal ring
- Wander the Keukenhof tulip gardens
- See Van Gogh and the Rijksmuseum
- Photograph the Kinderdijk windmills
What to eat
- Stroopwafels
- Bitterballen
- Herring (haring)
- Dutch cheeses (Gouda, Edam)
- Poffertjes
The culture
Stroopwafels, cheese, herring, and bitterballen. The Dutch are direct, pragmatic, and cycle-obsessed. Tolerance and design-forward thinking run deep in the culture.
When to go
Apr–May for tulip season; Jun–Sep for warm canal-side weather and festivals.
Good to know
- Capital
- Amsterdam
- Language
- Dutch
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Flight from India
- ~9-10 hrs (often direct)
- Ideal trip length
- 4-6 days
Did you know? There are more bicycles than people in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands is a top Schengen entry point and tulip season slots go fast. Check your file early to secure spring dates.
Photo: Colorful windows and canal houses at blue hour with water reflection in Damrak Amsterdam Netherlands · Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons