› A-Visa: Airport / transit permission
If you are planning on transiting in the Netherlands and continuing your trip to another country. You need an A-Visa in case you originate from Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Sri Lanka.
› B-Visa: Travel through
You need to get a B-Visa if you are about to enter the Schengen area for a maximum period of five days in order to reach your final destination.
› C-Visa: Short stay / three-month permission
C-Visa (Visum Kort Verblijf - VKV) or "Schengen visa" allows you to stay in the Netherlands for a maximum period of three months (within six months) for holidays, tourism, business etc.
However, please note that residence and work permit is not an option while, if you leave the Schengen area, you have to get a new visa. Finally, VKV may be valid only for specific countries.
To obtain a VKV, you must apply in person at the Dutch consulate or embassy in the country you legally reside. The application involves a standard Schengen form, official documents (for the exact list you should visit the website of the Dutch embassy in your country) and a standard fee (depends on your country).
It should be stressed that this fee is not refundable as well as that the whole procedure can take up to two months.
› D-Visa: Long stay / three to twelve months
D-Visa or MVV (Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf) or "Provisional Residence Permit" is absolutely necessary in order to enter the Netherlands for a maximum period of one year (and minimum three months) after which you can renew it without leaving the country.
As opposed to C-Visa, this document allows you to apply for work permit or residency but you may need to take an Inburgeringscursus (i.e. immigration and citizenship exam) at the Dutch embassy of your home country.
MVV does not apply to EU / EEA countries (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom), Switzerland, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Vatican City and South Korea citizens.
As expected, obtaining an MVV is more complicated than applying for a VKV. Before completing your MVV, your Dutch host institution has to be advised by IND (Dutch Immigration Service) and if they accept your request, you must apply in person at the Dutch consulate or embassy in the country you legally reside. Note that the procedure is much more costly (250 to 433 euros) and since this entry visa is actually a sticker in your passport, it can not be obtained when you are in the Netherlands.
› MVV D+C visa: Combined MVV & traveling visa
If you want to travel outside the Netherlands during the first three months and still be able to get a work permit, you must apply for an MVV D+C visa.
