Hello, dutch person here!

My partner is coming to visit me in the Netherlands in July/August/September. I am currently with my partner in the United States.

We did our due dillligence. We read up about what visa he needs (none), got his ticket and travel insurance (required) and already found a cute place the two of us can stay at together, as I live with my grandparents in a home that cannot accommodate a fourth person.

We are running into a final roadblock. We bought all these things with the understanding that my grandpa would fill out a form to sponsor my partner, as he doesn’t have enough money to show having €55 a day for the period he is staying (which will not be a problem, as I will be working and making enough to buy groceries during that time).

Unfortunately as I am currently in the US and don’t have a home that I am the main resident for in the Netherlands, I don’t think I can sponsor my partner myself (if the home is not the problem, there is still the matter of being unable to bring the form to the gemeente to have it legislated). My grandpa thus agreed to do it, but has now backed out as he can’t show where he works (he is retired) and doesn’t want to send a copy of his ID to my partner, who he doesn’t personally know very well.

My question now for other US travelers who came into the Netherlands is: will dutch customs really ask to see bank statements/cash proving my partner has €55 a day? I’m asking because when I came into the US I was only asked questions about money (which, for the record, I answered truthfully) but I was not asked to actually show proof that I had the amount I said I had.

€55 a day in euros comes up to a whole of $4009 in dollars for the time he is staying. That is not an amount he ever has in a single go and is not doable for him to save up before then. What do?

Edit: partner will be staying a total of 69 days (no joke).

On what I can only assume is a government website, as I got there originally from de rijksoverheid, it says the following as one of the conditions for visa free travel:

-You must have proof that you have enough money to cover your costs for the duration of your stay (€55 per day). If you cannot meet this requirement, you can ask someone to act as a guarantor for you.

Source: https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/travel/visas-for-the-netherlands/entering-the-netherlands-without-a-visa

He is not entering on a tourist visa. As he will be in The Netherlands for less than 90 days he does not require one according to the rijksoverheid website.

7 comments

  1. I have never heard of customs really checking this. I think it’s mainly a possibility for very suspect travellers from low-income countries, that might not want to return to their home country after their stay is over. There are so many travellers entering the country every day, that customs most probably has no interest whatsoever to check the amount of money a random American has.

  2. i don’t think customs (Douane) would check, that would be the Marechaussee at border control. No idea if they do, though.

  3. When they have reason to believe you can’t pay for your stay without working and thus violating your “visa” they can dig deeper.

    Often they don’t ask, sometimes they do ask and a positive answer is enough, but there is small chance that they don’t trust it and then they will want to speak to sponsors.

    It’s is basically the same as US customs.

  5. If you declare it, it is no problem.

    Just don’t carry it in your pocket all the time, or the cops will assume it’s from drug dealing.

  6. I came over to NL wasnt asked anything nothing was checked passport signed in iceland. they never questioned me i got health insurance had to use dutch health care and it was never checked. there was no issues but just so you know american bank cards dont work at stores only atms.

  7. If they even bother to ask anything about it: access to a credit card also counts as proof of financial sufficiency.

    > The verification of sufficient means of subsistence may be based on cash, travellers’ cheques and
    **credit cards** in the third-country national’s possession.
    >
    > The validity of a credit card can be verified by contacting the issuing company or by using other
    facilities available at the border crossing point (e.g. exchange offices).

    Source: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/visa_waiver_faqs_en.pdf

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