Travel information

Planning your trip to Amsterdam

We are delighted to welcome colleagues from across Europe and beyond. This page brings together the practical information you need to plan your trip: entry requirements, how to reach the venue, and how to get around in Amsterdam.

Venue: Van der Valk Hotel Amsterdam Zuidas, Tommaso Albinonistraat 200, 1083 HM Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

1. Entry requirements

Your travel document

You will need a passport that is:

• valid for at least three months beyond your intended date of departure from the Schengen area, and
• issued within the previous ten years.

Citizens of EU/EEA countries and Switzerland may also travel to the Netherlands on a valid national identity card.

Do you need a visa?

• EU/EEA and Swiss nationals: no visa is required.
• Nationals of visa-exempt countries (including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and many others) may enter for short stays without a visa, for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period.
• All other nationalities need a Schengen short-stay visa (type C) before travelling.

You can check whether a visa applies to you on the website of the Dutch government: netherlandsworldwide.nl

Applying for a Schengen visa

If you need a visa, please start early.

• Apply at the Netherlands embassy or consulate in your country of residence, or at the external service provider (often VFS Global) that handles applications on its behalf. In some countries another Schengen state represents the Netherlands.
• Applications may be submitted up to six months before travel and no later than 15 calendar days before departure.
• A decision is normally issued within 15 calendar days, but processing can take up to 45 days in individual cases. Appointment waiting times can be long in peak periods, so we strongly advise applying at least two to three months in advance.
• You will typically be asked for a completed application form, a recent passport photograph, proof of accommodation, return travel booking, travel medical insurance with minimum coverage of €30,000, evidence of sufficient funds and the visa fee (currently €90 for adults).

Letter of invitation

Registered delegates who require a visa can request a personal letter of invitation from the congress organisation. Please note:

• The letter is issued only after your registration and payment have been completed.
• We can confirm your registration and the purpose of your visit, but we cannot intervene in the visa procedure or accept financial or legal responsibility for delegates.
• Please allow sufficient time and send your request no later than 15 October 2026.

To request a letter of invitation, contact info@derksevents.nl stating your full name as shown in your passport, date and place of birth, nationality, passport number, and the address of the embassy or consulate where you will apply.

ETIAS

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is not yet in operation. No applications are being collected, and at the time of writing the European Union has not announced a launch date; it will inform travellers several months before the system goes live. It is therefore unlikely, but not impossible, that ETIAS will apply to travel in December 2026.

ETIAS is not a visa. When it launches, visa-exempt travellers will need to apply online for an authorisation (fee €20) before travelling to 30 European countries.

Please check the official website closer to the event: travel-europe.europa.eu/etias

EES: the new biometric border checks

Since 10 April 2026, the European Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully operational at all external Schengen border crossings, including Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

What this means in practice for non-EU travellers:

• On your first entry after the system came into use, your passport data, facial image and fingerprints are registered. Passport stamping is replaced by this digital record.
• Registration takes a few minutes and is done at self-service kiosks or at the border desk. Queues at Schiphol can be considerably longer than before, particularly during morning arrival peaks, so please allow extra time, especially for connecting flights and on your return journey.
• Once you are registered, subsequent crossings are faster.
• The EU offers an optional “Travel to Europe” mobile app that lets you pre-register your passport data and facial image within 72 hours before arrival, which can shorten your time at the border.

EES does not apply to EU/EEA and Swiss nationals.

Travel and health insurance

We recommend that all delegates travel with adequate travel and medical insurance. Visitors from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland should bring their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Delegates applying for a Schengen visa are required to hold travel medical insurance with minimum coverage of €30,000.

2. Getting to Amsterdam

By air

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) is the main international gateway, with direct connections to most European and many intercontinental cities. It lies approximately 13 km from the venue and is connected to it by a direct train.

By train

Amsterdam is well connected to the wider European rail network. Eurostar operates direct services from London, Brussels and Paris; ICE and Nightjet services connect Germany, Austria and Switzerland. International trains arrive at Amsterdam Centraal; several also stop at Amsterdam Zuid, which is one stop from the venue.

3. Reaching the venue

Van der Valk Hotel Amsterdam Zuidas, Tommaso Albinonistraat 200, 1083 HM Amsterdam. The hotel is located in the Zuidas business district, directly beside Amsterdam RAI station, approximately a four-minute walk. Open in Google Maps

From Schiphol Airport (recommended)

Take a Sprinter train from Schiphol Airport station in the direction of Lelystad Centrum or Hilversum / Utrecht Centraal and alight at Amsterdam RAI.

• Journey time: 9–15 minutes
• Frequency: 2–4 trains per hour
• Fare: approximately €4 (second class), plus a surcharge if you buy a disposable paper ticket
• Trains depart from the station directly beneath Schiphol Plaza, in the arrivals hall

From Amsterdam Centraal

Take metro line 52 (Noord/Zuidlijn) southbound to Europaplein (about seven minutes) and walk a few minutes to the hotel. Alternatively, take a train to Amsterdam Zuid and continue one stop, or take tram 4 towards Station RAI.

From Amsterdam Zuid

Amsterdam Zuid is one stop from Amsterdam RAI by train, or a walk of roughly 15 minutes.

By taxi or ride-hailing

A taxi from Schiphol to the venue takes approximately 20–30 minutes depending on traffic and costs in the region of €50–65. Official taxis have blue number plates and a roof sign. Uber operates in Amsterdam.

By car

The hotel is directly accessible from the A10 Amsterdam ring road, exit S109, between the Amstel and Nieuwe Meer interchanges. Paid parking is available on site, subject to availability. Please note that parking throughout Amsterdam is expensive and that a low-emission zone applies in parts of the city.

4. Public transport and paying for it

OVpay: simply tap your bank card

Dutch public transport uses a contactless check-in and check-out system called OVpay. It works on every train, metro, tram, bus and ferry in the country.

• Tap your contactless credit or debit card, phone or smartwatch on the pink-and-blue reader when you board, and tap out again when you leave. The correct fare is calculated automatically.
• You must check out. Forgetting to do so results in a maximum fare being charged (currently €33.30 on the train).
• Use the same card or device for the entire journey, and remove it from your wallet so that another card is not read by mistake.
• Visa and Mastercard (credit and debit) are accepted. American Express and Diners Club are not.
• Train travel via OVpay is second class only.

There is no need to buy an OV-chipkaart; the anonymous version is no longer sold to new users.

Alternatives

• NS app: for train timetables and e-tickets: ns.nl/en
• GVB day tickets: unlimited travel on Amsterdam trams, buses and metro for 24 hours or longer; good value if you plan several journeys a day within the city
• Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket: bundles the Schiphol train with regional transport
• 9292.nl or Google Maps: reliable door-to-door journey planning across all Dutch operators

5. Practical information

Currency

Euro (€). Cards are accepted almost everywhere; cash is rarely needed and some venues are card-only.

Electricity

230V / 50Hz, plug types C and F (two round pins).

Time zone

Central European Time (CET, UTC+1) in December.

Language

Dutch. English is spoken almost universally.

Emergencies

112 for police, fire and ambulance.

Pharmacies

Apotheek. Pharmacies dispense prescription medication; a drogist sells over-the-counter products only.

Tipping

Service is included. Rounding up or leaving around 5–10% in a restaurant is appreciated but not expected.

Tap water

Safe and of excellent quality.

Weather in December

Cold and often wet, typically 2–8 °C, with daylight from about 08:45 to 16:30. Please bring warm and waterproof clothing.

Smoking

Prohibited in all indoor public spaces, including bars and restaurants.

Cycling

Amsterdam is a cycling city and bicycles have priority in many situations. If you are walking, take care not to step into a cycle path; they are the red-surfaced lanes beside the pavement.

6. Exploring Amsterdam

The venue is a short metro ride from the city centre, and the symposium programme leaves time to enjoy it. The Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Concertgebouw are all near Museumplein, roughly ten minutes away by tram or metro. In December the city centre and the canals are illuminated for the festive season, and the Amsterdam Light Festival normally runs through this period.

7. Questions?

If anything remains unclear, or if you need documentation to support your visa application or your institution's approval, please contact the congress secretariat:

Derkse Events
Email: info@derksevents.nl
Telephone: +31 6 24 19 54 98

We look forward to welcoming you to Amsterdam.