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Schengen

The Schengen Area is a large part of the European continent in which checks at common internal borders have been lifted. The participating countries apply common rules for checks at the external borders of the Schengen Area, as well as for the issue of visas and cooperation between police and judicial services in criminal matters (see the link below for a list of Schengen countries).

What is the Schengeninformatiesysteem (SIS)?

The Schengen Information System (and the second generation of the system — SIS) is at the heart of Schengen coperation. It is an information system that allows national border control, customs and police authorities responsible for checks at the external Schengen border as well as within the Schengen Area to circulate alerts about wanted or missing people and objects such as stolen vehicles and documents. SIS II therefore, continues the important role of compensating for the abolition of internal border checks and facilitates the free movement of people within the Schengen Area.SIS II provides information on individuals who do not have the right to enter or stay in the Schengen Area, or on those who are sought in relation to criminal activities. SIS II also contains information on missing persons, in particular children or other vulnerable individuals who are in need of protection. Details of certain objects are also recorded in SIS II, for example, cars, firearms, boats and identity documents that may have been lost or stolen or used to commit a crime.

In essence, a customs, police, judicial or relevant administrative authority in one country may issue an ‘alert’ which describes the person or object being sought. Reasons for issuing an alert are:

  • to refuse entry to persons who do not have the right to enter or stay in the Schengen territory;
  • to find and detain a person for whom a European Arrest Warrant has been issued;
  • to assist in locating individuals as requested by judicial or law enforcement authorities;
  • to find and protect a missing person;
  • to find stolen or lost property.

Right of access, correction or deletion

If you want to know whether there exists an alert concerning you in SIS II, you can submit a request for access in any of the Schengen countries. Furthermore, you can submit a request for correction or for deletion of the alert if in your opinion the data are incorrect or the alert should not have been recorded in SIS II. If you have a Schengen entry ban other than from The Netherlands and want to have it lifted or removed, we kindly advise you to contact the competent authorities of the Schengen member state that has issued that ban.

To submit a request in The Netherlands, you can send a letter to:

Politie (Police)
Landelijke Eenheid (Central Unit)
Attn. the Data Protection Officer
PO Box 100
3970 AC Driebergen
The Netherlands

Or you can fill in the form on this page.

To prove your identity, you have to enclose/attach a copy of your passport.

More information

More information about the Schengen Information System and the right of access can be found on:

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