If you travel or live abroad, you will need an official travel document (a passport or identity card). This section contains information on:

• When and how must I identify myself?
• In which countries can I make do with a Dutch identity card?
• In which countries do I require a passport?
• Do I also have to identify myself in the Schengen countries?

When and how must I identify myself?

As a Dutch citizen you may be asked to identify yourself when you cross a border, check into a hotel, or withdraw money at a bank. In many European countries, you can make do with a Dutch identity card. But in other countries, you will require a passport and sometimes a visa and a vaccination certificate. A driving licence is not an official identity document and is not accepted as such abroad.

In which countries can I make do with a Dutch identity card?

You can travel freely on a Dutch identity card to:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores), San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (including the Canary Islands), Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.

For more information see: paspoortinformatie.com

In which countries do I require a passport?

To travel to countries other than those listed above, you will require a passport. For more information, see: paspoortinformatie.com

Do I also have to identify myself in the Schengen countries?

If you are travelling in a Schengen country, you will still have to be able to identify yourself. The Schengen countries are the 15 European countries that have stopped checking personal identity on the borders between them. They are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.