Schengen Visa For Filipinos

Europe is undeniably one of the most desired holiday destinations for Filipinos. How can it not be? You can walk through the ancient city of Rome, enjoy a romantic sunset in Paris, eat the best dishes in Spain, or soak up all the sun around the Greek islands.

Although the first time I went to Europe was neither of these destinations. Instead, I admired the colourful houses along Nyhavn in Copenhagen (Denmark), tried my first ever rugbrod (rye bread), and learnt how to drink beer without ice (yep!).

As of 2023, I had four Schengen visas from three different embassies. My goal here is to show you how to get a Schengen visa for Filipinos if especially for first-time applicants.

BASIC INFORMATION ON THE SCHENGEN VISA

First things first, the process and expectations when applying for a Schengen visa vary depending on which embassy or consulate you will be applying to. The following information will help you figure out basic yet important details.

Visa difficulty

This varies a lot. In my personal experience, your first Schengen visa is the hardest to get. From there, it gets a bit easier. I would give the Schengen visa a 6 out of 10 in difficulty (compared to US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand tourist visas).

Although according to the EU official site, in 2021, 13.4% of visa applications to Europe were refused. AXA released an article saying Lithuania is the easiest country to apply for a Schengen visa, followed by Estonia and then Finland.

It says that Belgium, Malta, Portugal, Sweden, and France have the highest probability of refusing a Schengen visa.

What makes a Schengen visa even more difficult (or frustrating) is the facts that you must reserve your flights, accommodations, tours, and other travel arrangement as a requirement on the application.

Compared to the US and Australian tourist visas, booking anything is actually discouraged until you receive your visa.

However, EU countries recommend that when you book anything, make sure it’s cancellable or it’s on “reserve” status without requiring you to pay too much in advance.

The thing about Schengen visas, you won’t find out if your application was approved or denied until you receive your passport back and open it up.

I remember applying at VFS in 2018, I didn’t want to open my passport in front of the VFS staff in case it was denied. I feel like a visa application like this is something personal, I don’t want to worry about a stranger judging me in some way. Luckily, they didn’t ask me to open the packet.

However, in 2022, the VFS agent asked me to open the packet to make sure that the passport I was receiving was actually mine. If you chose the “delivery passport” service, you can avoid the situation I was in.

How much does a Schengen visa cost

It doesn’t matter where you’ll be submitting your Schengen visa application, the price is the same. It costs €80 for adults, €40 for children 6 to 12 years old, and free for those below 6 years old.

That’s approximately €40 (2,400 PH) and €80 (4,800 PHP). If the embassy is working with a third-party company such as VFS, there’s an additional cost which is around 1,200 PHP (it varies).

How long does a Schengen visa take to process

This also depends on how many Schengen visas you have under your belt, which embassy you’re applying to, or the season. The common processing days are usually 14 working days.

For example, my first Schengen visa was through the Danish Embassy, and it took about 10 working days. This was in 2013, and Denmark was sharing an embassy with Norway at that time.

My fourth visa via the German Embassy (2022) took only 2 working days. I submitted it on Friday, and by Tuesday, I received a message that my passport was ready to be picked up.

Where can I use my Schengen visa

Schengen visa or Schengen area is a program under the European Union. This is when members of the EU agree to have an open shared border, although not all EU members are part of the Schengen area.

For Schengen visa holders, this means that one Schengen visa allows you to travel to all Schengen countries as long you leave before or on the day of your visa expiration.

Here’s a list of countries part of the Schengen Area where your Schengen visa is valid:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Czechia (Czech Republic)
• Croatia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

Other countries that recognises valid Schengen tourist visa:

• Albania
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Belarus
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Colombia
• Northern Cyprus
• Georgia
• Gibraltar
• Kosovo
• Mexico
• Montenegro
• North Macedonia
• Monaco
• Romania
• San Marino
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Serbia
• Turkey
• Vatican City

Where to apply for Schengen visa

The first thing you have to remember when deciding where to send your Schengen visa application is your destination. If you’re going to Italy, you must submit your documents to the Italian Embassy.

But what if you’re going to multiple countries in Europe?

It’s true; your Schengen visa is valid throughout the entire Schengen Area. But if you’re visiting more than one country, you must apply to the Embassy of:

1. Your first destination (a.k.a your point of entry)
2. The country where you’ll be spending most of the number of days
3. If two countries are an equal number of days, then you apply to your port of entry

We have various articles for Schengen visas depending on which embassy you’re applying to:

• visa to Germany from the Philippines
• Lithuania Schengen visa from the Philippines

How long is a Schengen visa valid for

It is valid for the number of days you applied for or got approval for. The maximum of days you can apply or stay in the Schengen Ares is 90 days.

However, and this is important, if it’s your first time applying, do not apply for 90 days. Asking for that many days will raise a lot of red flags.

If you declared that you have a job, how come you’re able to be away from your work for that long period of time. Plus, Europe is expensive; you’ll have to show nearly €15,000 (a million pesos). Even if you have that, it’s just better to apply for a realistic number of days than an average person would.

In this situation, I recommend you apply for 2-3 weeks or even 4 weeks, but not if it’s your first time.

How much money should I have

The cost of the Schengen visa for Filipinos depends on the country you’re applying to. About €100 (6,000 PHP) is fine for affordable destinations such as Eastern Europe, but for more expensive countries such as Norway or the Netherlands, €150 is the common (9,000 pesos).

So, if you’re going for 14 days, you should be able to show €2,100 (126,000 pesos) and more because of flights, travel insurance, and emergency money.

It’s better to be self-funded than have someone fund your trip. If you’re travelling with someone, you can mention that this person is paying for your flight, but other costs will be self-funded.

When submitting a bank statement, avoid having a “parked money”. This is when you have one transaction on your account with a large sum as a “show money”.

This is usually done by people who want to show they have the required amount of money for this trip, but they don’t actually own this money.

You must be able to showcase that you’re building your savings account to reach the “travel fund”.

How soon can I apply for a Schengen visa

You can apply for a Schengen visa no more than 6 months in advance before your planned date but no later than 15 working days.

So, if you want to go on December 20, you can submit your application as early as June 20. But no later than November 28.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A SCHENGEN VISA

Here’s a list of the common requirements for a Schengen visa application. You must check the embassy you’re applying for to make sure you have everything listed. Some embassies will ask for more or less than the following:

• Passport
• 2 passport photos (coloured, 35-40 mm /3.5×4.5 cm, 70-80% must be your face, white background, showing both ears, no glasses, have a digital and printed copy)
• Application form
• Travel itinerary (day-to-day, get a copy of what my travel itinerary looks like)
• Hotel bookings (reserve; I use this site because I can cancel if my visa is denied)
• Roundtrip flight (reserved)
• Tour bookings (reserve, I use this site because I can cancel)
• Travel Insurance (you can email the company if they provide a refund in case of visa refusal; must have €30,000 coverage, including emergencies)
• Bank statements (from the last 90 days; you can print this on your own)
• Bank certificate (certified by your bank)
• Investments (land title, stocks, dividends, etc)
• Work certificate (request from your workplace)
• Approved request for vacation days (from your workplace)
• Work ID (photocopy)
• Business certificate (if applicable)
• Cover letter (get a copy of the cover letter I always use)
• Application fee
• Appointment
• Passport copy of your travel companion (and visa if they already have a visa)
• Sponsorship letter (each country has their own rules on this one; you must ask the person sponsoring you to contact the immigration office)

IMPORTANT: When it comes to travel insurance, some embassies have a list of “approved” travel insurance companies, such as Germany, while Lithuania doesn’t. So, make sure you check on that.

I always print a checklist to help me track and ensure that I don’t forget anything. You can get a copy of my checklist to print.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE ON APPLYING FOR SCHENGEN VISA FOR FILIPINOS

Now that you have some ideas about what documents you need, the amount of money to prepare, and when you must submit your application, it’s time to walk you through the process.

Again, the processes could vary depending on the embassy. Some embassies use a third party such as VFS, while others process the applications directly at the embassy.

1. Decide on the date you plan to visit and the embassy you plan to apply from.
2. Book your first hotel (you will be asked for the address of your first hotel or the address of your host).
3. Prepare your bank card (you might have to pay for the application fee online, or during your appointment)
4. You can also prepare all your documents now or do it after you get an appointment. You need ti reserve your flight, hotels, tours, go to your bank, print your bank certificate, get a certificate from work, etc.
5. Fill out the application (this can be found at the embassy’s website or via VFS).
6. You will be asked to enter your personal information (have your passport ready) and travel plans.
7. You will also get asked if you had a Schengen visa before; you must include the date and which embassy you got it from or the visa number.
8. You might also be asked to upload your passport photo.
9. Review the application form twice before submitting it.
10. When done, print the application form.
11. Next, check how you can book an appointment (the embassy website will show you if you must book at the embassy or via VFS).
12. When booking your appointment, you will be asked to fill out the application number, which you will find on top of the application form.
13. If booking via VFS, you will be asked if you want to pay for extra services such as delivery of passport, express fee, passport photo (if you won’t be bringing your own photo or you might pay for a passport photo of your photo is not accepted on the day of the appointment).
14. When done, print your appointment document.
15. While waiting for your appointment, make sure you have all the documents you need.
16. Show up no later than 15 minutes before your appointment date. You must wear smart casual (jeans and a shirt with a collar are fine, closed shoes), and bring cash.
17. You might be asked to surrender or check in your smart gadgets such as phone, smartwatch, and other liquids), and there might be a fee for the locker use. You will only be allowed to bring your documents.
18. When you get in, someone will pre-screen all your documents to make sure nothing is missing or if you need to take a new passport photo.
19. Then, you will be lined up to officially submit your document. This is when there’s a small interview, just the basic questions to double-check your personal details and that you have booked accommodation for every night you’re staying in the Schengen Area.
20. If you submitted your application 15 days before your flight, you should mention this to the person receiving your documents. This allows them to mark your application to be prioritised since you don’t have a lot of time before your booked flight.
21. After this, you will be asked to collect your biometrics (fingerprints and/or photos) and then pay the application fee (if applicable, or pay for the VFS fee if applicable).
22. You will be given a paper that proves that your application has been received.
23. Wait for an email or text that your passport is ready to be picked up or is on the way to be delivered.
24. You should hear from them within 10 to 14 working days, if no updates within this time frame, you can call up (the embassy first, before VFS), especially if your flight is scheduled in less than 3 days. But if you’re not in a hurry, give it a little more time.

FAQ

• Can my foreign boyfriend/girlfriend sponsor my trip?
  • Yes, but it’s best if you’re self-funded and can prove that you can take care of yourself during this trip. You can say that half is covered by your partner, and half is shouldered by you. If you have never met this boyfriend/girlfriend before, it’s best to fund yourself.
• Where can I reserve my flights?
  • Airlines such as Turkish Airlines allow you to “reserve the price”; this booking could work. But Turkish Airlines only allows a 3-day reserve. For me, what I do is that I book a flight with “cancellation or refund”. I typically have to pay an extra €100, but then it gives me peace of mind that I can get my €800 back in case my visa is denied. I discourage you from booking “dummy tickets” for this because it could hurt your application.
• Where can I reserve hotels and tours?
  • For hotels, I use booking.com; for tours, I use getyourguide or viator – all of these offer free cancellation at least 24 hours before the arrival date.
• Where can I buy my travel insurance?
  • If the embassy allows you to use any travel insurance, I personally buy from IMGlobal or SafetyWing. But if they require a local company, MAFRE is my go-to.
• How to find out where I can book my appointment
  • Google country embassy in Manila (e.g. French Embassy in Manila) or VFS Manila for France. If there’s a French Embassy here, you will find all the information on their official website. On the other hand, VFS will tell you if they handle the applications for the French Embassy.
• Do I need a cover letter?
  • You don’t really need one, but I always submit it. Since there’s no official interview, a cover allows me to explain further about my trip. For example, I can mention here the countries I have travelled or that I’m travelling with my senior parents and I will be sponsoring them for this trip.

FINAL TIPS

Travelling to Europe is easily one of my favourite destinations in the world. It’s so diverse, well-preserved, and just gives an incredible experience.

Getting the first Schengen visa for Filipinos can be a challenge, but once you get past that, it really helps with your second, third, and future Schengen visas.

Things you must remember; don’t ask for too much number of days, self-fund your trip, and make a compelling cover letter. If you feel nervous, that’s okay, it’s normal. Even with four Schengen visas, I still get nervous because the consul who will process my application might not be in a great mood on the day their reviewing my submission.

I hope that this Schengen visa for Filipinos guide has been helpful in your visa application.c