Attending oSC15? Find out the visa requirements

For people planning on attending the openSUSE Conference in The Hague, Netherlands from May 1 - 4 who are not citizen of the European Union, it’s a good idea to start thinking about getting your visa, which is why I’m going to summarize the requirements here and give you the resources to help you get the process started.

The Travel Support Program has no provisions to cover the cost of a visa, so it’s the travelers responsibility for covering the additional cost.

Alphabet Nation

You must apply for a Schengen visa through the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country if you are from one of the following countries:

• **A - **Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan

• **B - **Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burma (see Myanmar), Burundi

• **C - **Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China (PRC), Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo

• **D - **Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic

• **E - **Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia

• **F - **Fiji Islands

• **G - **Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana

• **H - **Haiti

• **I - **India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq

• **J - **Jamaica, Jordan

• **K - **Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan

• **L - **Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya

• **M - **Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (formerly Burma)

• **N - **Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea

• **O - **Oman

• **P - **Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, The Philippines,

• **Q - **Qatar

• **R - **Russian Federation, Rwanda

• **S - **Samoa, São Tomé e Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria

• **T - **Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu

• **U - **Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan

• **V - **Vanuatu, Vietnam

• **Y - **Yemen

• **Z - **Zambia, Zimbabwe

  • Palestinians also require a visa.

If you are continuing to read this, you’re either liked the video, are interest in what else I have to write or plan on attending oSC15 and come from one of the above countries.

If its the latter, you will need to apply for a visa. The application form for a Schengen visa can be downloaded here.

You should book a flight to Europe that arrive in the Netherlands because some countries might have different requirements for a transit visa.

Additionally, you will need to have documentation that supports the reason for your visit to the Netherlands. The documentation must come from a Dutch party. The organizers of oSC15 in Holland are currently working on this portion, so please contact me at ddemaio@suse.de if you require documentation and I will connect you with the party responsible for this documentation.

Other requirements for a visa state you must:

• have a valid passport;

• have enough money (€34 for each day of their stay);

• be able to demonstrate the purpose of your stay to border officials;

• pose no threat to public order, national security or international relations.

More information is available on the Government of the Netherlands website.

Don’t forget your passport.