Between 2018 and 2023, visa applications to the Netherlands have seen significant fluctuations, with various nationalities leading the numbers at different points in time.
In 2023 alone, the Netherlands received 669,291 visa applications, with Turkish nationals representing the largest group of applicants. However, a deeper look into the trends over the last six years shows that the leading countries of origin have shifted, particularly in the wake of the global pandemic.
Prior to the pandemic, nationals from India, China, and Turkey were consistently at the forefront of Schengen visa applications to the Netherlands. Yet in the years marked by the pandemic—especially 2020 and 2022—applicants from the Philippines surged, becoming the most frequent group filing for visas.
The breakdown of the top nationalities applying for visas to the Netherlands during this period paints a dynamic picture:
1. Indian nationals filed 337,628 applications, making them the most frequent applicants.
2. Turkish nationals followed closely with 330,851 applications.
3. Filipino nationals submitted 245,014 applications, particularly dominating the pandemic years.
4. Chinese nationals accounted for 226,245 applications.
5. Indonesians rounded out the top five with 179,318 applications.