Schengen Visa for Philippine Passport Holders

Posted by wanderlass | Mar 16, 2011 | visa challenge |

Updated August 2018

Applying Schengen Visa from French Embassy Online

The process in applying for Schengen Visa through the French Embassy has changed since I applied in 2007 and 2011. It is now more efficient with the submission of documents done online.

Every information you need is now available on the new France-Visas website. After filling the visa application form, you will be redirected to the on-line appointment and tracking systems of VFS Global.

Philippine passport holders are required Schengen visa to visit one or more of the states in the Schengen Region in Europe. This visa is valid in all Schengen states for a stay of up to 90 days within a six-month period for a visit, tourism or business. It is not valid for employment.

Schengen Region

The Schengen area comprises 27 European countries. There is normally no passport control on the borders between these countries. If you have a valid visa or residence permit in one of these countries, you can also visit the other Schengen countries.

The Schengen area consists of the ff countries

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the Czech Republic.

As of 2014, valid Schengen visa (type: double or multiple entry), who have already entered the Schengen area, may travel to the following without additional visa and may stay for period equal to the remainder of the time for which the Schengen visa is valid.

– Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania

Philippine passport holders are required Schengen visa to visit one or more of these Member States. This visa is valid in all Schengen states for a stay of up to 90 days within a six-month period for a visit, tourism or business. It is not valid for employment.

When to apply for Schengen Visa?

Applications can be made earliest three (3) months before the planned entry.

How much is Schengen Visa?

The visa-processing fee is EUR 60. The fee is non-refundable even if application is unsuccessful.

What are the requirements in applying Schengen Visas?

1. Signed and filled up Schengen Visa Application Form (click this) with photo attached, plus 1 additional photo.

Photo Specification

Color photo taken against white background;
Clear and of good quality;
Printed on normal photographic paper;
45 mm high x 35 mm wide in size
Taken with nothing covering the face, without sunglasses or tinted spectacles, or a head covering
The subject should have their mouth closed (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows) and the applicant should be facing forwarding, looking straight ahead.

2. Valid passport with 3 months validity from the end of visa duration. Photo copy of valid and former visas, if any.

3. Cover letter explaining the purpose of your trip and detailed itinerary. If you don’t have this, you have to write one on the spot before they will accept your requirements. Here is the cover letter addressed to the Honorable Consul I made in 2007.

4. Details of your trip

Round trip ticket reservation. Reservations only.
Itinerary of the whole duration including departure and arrival dates.
Accommodations – hotel vouchers, seriously. If you’re staying with a good friend who is a French resident/national, then you need them to provide you with something called Attestation d’accueil (Certificate of Board and Lodging) and your host’s national identity card or residence permit.

Why I said good friend? Because it’s a lot of trouble for them to get this. If you have a French national host, just cut and paste below list for the document you needed from them. These are basically records of their existence in France such as title of property or contract of lease, utility billing statement as address proof, bank statements, medical records, pay slip, and finally they have to go to the city hall to have all these certified. Like I said, lots of trouble. :)

The attestation d’accueil is a form needed to be presented to the City Hall with the following documents:

la carte nationale d’identité ou le passeport, ou la carte de résidence

livret de famille de l’hébergeant

justificatifs de domicile (EDF-GDF, facture Télécom, facture Eau)

titre de propriété (taxe foncière) ou de location (taxe d’habitation)

contrat de bail ou descriptif du logement

2 derniers bulletins de salaires ou justificatifs divers de ressources mensuelles (retraite, CAF)

dernier avis d’imposition ou de non imposition

noms, prénoms de l’étranger, date et lieu de naissance, adresse exacte, n° du passeport et sa copie, copie du document justifiant le lien de parenté s’il y a lieu

attestation d’assurance médicale de l’hôte

un timbre spécifique dit « timbre OMI » d’un montant de 15 euros, il sera demandé à l’issue d’une réponse favorable. Disponible dans les perceptions et chez les buralistes.(Attention : il faut autant de timbres que de personnes accueillies sauf s’il s’agit de l’accueil d’une même famille avec des enfants mineurs).

5. Proof of employment

Certificate of employment stating monthly salary and approved leave of absence.
If self employed, official business registration for current and previous year.

6. Proof of Income

Income Tax Return
Recent Bank Certification
Photocopy of the last 3 months statement of Account of the same bank account.
If someone other than yourself is paying for the the trip, then submit financial document of the sponsor instead.

7. Identity / Marital Status:

Photocopy of First page of Passport and all relevant obtained visas
Authenticated birth certificate from NSO. If married, bring photocopy of your marriage contract.

8. Travel insurance that covers the entire duration of your intended stay with minimun coverage EUR 30,000. The medical policies must state the following points :

Medical attention and treatment will be given in case of illness or accident

The injured or ill traveller can be transported home for treatment + body repatriation in case of death

The insurance coverage is a least 30 000 euros (50 000 US dollars)

The insurance must be valid for all 25 Schengen member states which should be listed on the policy

The insurance company must be re-insured, the name of the re-insurer and his TOLL FREE phone number must be listed on the policy

The policy must allow CASHLESS SETTLEMENTS of claims. The name of the company in charge of such settlements and their toll free number must be clearly stated on the policy.

Where to Buy Travel Insurance in the Philippines

I used to buy insurance with an agent, but I now buy Travel Insurance through Pacific Cross, World’s Nomad

How long does it take for Schengen Visa to be released?

About The Author

wanderlass

Lilliane is the lass who wanders. She travels the world on a quest to live a life not ordinary. An avid traveler, photographer, and scuba diver, she once traveled continuously for 14 months around the world, took over 20,000 photos, and spent too much money on a liveaboard dive trip in the Galapagos.

2,197 Comments

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rye on 10/23/2012 at 9:44 pm

it has been refused and the reason is ur intention to leave the teritory of the member states before the expiry of hte visa is not ascertained………help me what to do for my reapply…….please…..the covered date in my attestation is from oct 10 to nov 30 and reapply appearance is on oct 30 and my travel date plan is nov 18 to dec 8 makakapekto ba yun kung di magtally ung date ng departure sa attestaion ko.
- wanderlass on 10/24/2012 at 12:07 am
  
  theoretically it shouldn’t. the reason it doesn’t tally is because they refused you visa therefore you have to reapply. i don’t think they expect your sponsor to go through securing the same document for the same purpose. i propose that you print out and email from your host saying that they are moving their invitation to the new date stating that bec it was not granted the first time. I hope u have new document to present sa reapplicaiton.
  - jhoanna on 10/24/2012 at 3:34 pm
    
    hello… bukas na po aq bbalik ng embassy para malaman kung nagrant visa ko….. binasa ko po mga message about sa france, ok pla mga requirements ko kahit wala aq acct, kc ssgutin nya 100%lahat ng expenses ko for 26 days at tsaka points din po b yung 4x na xa nakapunta dito sa pinas para mavisit aq??? pti yung stamp ng passport nya from naia pinaxerox ila at kasama ko pa yung bf ko sa fr embassy nung day of my appointment…. Sana po mag grant… Very helpful po talaga tong site na to.. thank you wanderlass…. Goodluck nalang sa akin tomorrow…
    - roma on 10/27/2012 at 8:39 pm
      
      Hello Jhoanna,
      how are you? hope your visa grant.. my expat friends and family is inviting me to have a one week vacation on them and they will shoulders all expense and docs requirments, the only bothers me is bank account requirments, did they specify the required amount on bank, hope you’ll give me light scenario about it as iam a first traveler.
      thank you very much for your help. god bless!!!
Cherry on 10/23/2012 at 2:40 am

Hi! Thank you for a very informative blog. Anyway, just like the majority, i am also new to this visa thing. It’s really different from asian countries. I am planning to go to Italy this December to spend the New Year with my boyfriend who’s going to provide most of the needed documents.
Who among you guys been to Italy? Can you please enlighten me about the whole process of visa application? Do i need to have an appointment first just to submit the requirements? In case of denial, will the guaranty be forfeited or is it refundable? And if i process the visa this nov., will i be able to get it before the christmas?
Hope someone can share their time on me here. I really need your help. Thanks:)
Nan B on 10/16/2012 at 2:07 pm

Hello, Wanderlass! I’m relieved to come across a blog like this. Very insightful. Kudos to you! :) I just have a few concerns that i hope you could enlighten me. I applied for a schengen visa at the The Netherlands Embassy through a travel agency. I was told to make a personal appearance on the 23rd. Is the personal appearance compulsory? I’m just a little bit concerned. Here is my scenario: My brother is in Poland and is inviting me to spend Christmas with him. He already sent his certificate of employment, his guaranty letter, his invitation letter, his authenticated birth certificate, a photocopy of his resident I.D. and Phil. Passport. On my part, i submitted my Certificate of Employment from my previous employer, my ITR, bank certification, bank statement of said account, my birth certificate, and a photocopy of an agricultural land under my name located in the province. Despite this, i cannot help but think of the worst case for the following reasons: First, i am currently “unemployed”. I was with a government agency since march 2010 but my appointment already expired last July 2012 since i was a coterminous employee. My immediate boss already retired and unfortunately i wasn’t able to transfer to another boss. Although my application for the said agency (to be detailed to a different superior) is still pending and I likewise have a pending application with an international law firm with an offshore office here in the Philippines. The agent advised me to still write my previous work and employer in the application form and just explain in the event I will be asked; Second, the bank account i have is a “Special Deposit Account”, more of a trust fund/investment account. I have a personal savings account but it is not well-funded (since most of my money went to that special deposit account and i don’t usually deposit my money in the bank). I only have it for the purpose of doing online payment transactions so i did not submit said bank statements of said personal savings account anymore. I have been to various asian countries for the past 6 years. Having said that, do you think i will be granted a schengen visa? I was advised that I’ll apply the family visa since this will be an all-expense paid trip by my brother. I am also single. Will that affect my application? The consul might think I will go there and find myself a husband-to-be. Sorry if this is quite lengthy. I’m just a bit paranoid since i really wanted to spend Christmas with my bro who i miss so much already. Your response is highly appreciated. Thank you for your time. More power to you!
- REY PICAR on 10/16/2012 at 11:42 pm
  
  YOU’LL BE DENIED TO A CERTAIN REASON, NO EMPLOYMENT,THATS IT.
  - Gemma on 10/17/2012 at 10:35 am
    
    Hi nan b! just proceed with your application and see what happen, I’m un employed last year when I apply at the netherlands embassy for my first schengen visa But still granted visa. Just make sure you’ll explain on how your un employed and still planning to go back to Philippines. Also have your travel insurance ready.
    - Nan B on 10/18/2012 at 2:39 pm
      
      Hi, Gemma! Thanks for your response and for enlightening me. Hope everything goes the same way just like yours. :)
    - MJ on 03/22/2014 at 1:51 pm
      
      Hi Gemma, how are you? My appointment at Dutch Embassy will be on Wednesday and im a bit paranoid of the result of my application if I am granted a visa or not though I am confident that I will be able to answer all their questions. What makes me paranoid is that I am unemployed for 3 months now. I used to work for Qatar Airways for a year. Just wanna ask if how did you exlain to them about your unemployment and planning about going back to the Phils? I also want to make sure that I will go back to Phils but I donnu how to explain it well. Im very nervous even thinking of my appointment. I already have the prebooking ticket, insurance of 30,000 euro, 3 months payslips of my BF, guarantee letter from city hall, his invitation letter, our pics together and the application letter.. Im ready for the interview but i just donnu how to explain further about my unemployment so i just wanna ask how did you explain yours.. thank you and your quick response is highly appreciated
- Gemma on 10/17/2012 at 8:19 am
  
  Hi nan B! I been to schengen country last year, ( thanks to wanderlass I followed what’s written in this website and I will be at the embassy on oct. 23rd to pick up my passport hopefully with visa again). Yes you need to be at the embassy personally, it’s easier if your there because your the only one who knows all the answer about you and your brother. They want to make sure your be returning to Philippines and they wanna make sure your telling the truth, I suggest you tell the truth. You need to prove that you’ll be staying there only to spend Christmas with your brother. You only need to apply for family visa (Mvv) if your staying there for more than 90 days. I guess you have everything you need, as you said your bro is the one who’s taking care of your expenses, you already has everything But you should include your brother’s bank certificate to make sure he has the capacity of supporting you while your there also i suggest ask for his accommodation contract. As to if surely you’ll get your visa it’s all depends on your interview and documents, anyways if you need more documents they will ask you to provide it and return on later date. You still have a lot of time, processing is not that long, base on my experience last year I claimed my visa after ten days, this time only 8 days, I went there last October 15 and ask me to pick it up on 23rd. Submitted documents, proof of my boyfriends employment, his bank statement,his guarantee letter,apartment contract. From me I ask agency for flight reservation which leaving on the 28th of this month and returning next year of January. I hope this will help a little bit. Good luck be honest. :)
  - Nan B on 10/18/2012 at 2:43 pm
    
    Thanks for the head’s up, Gemma! I really appreciate it. I might as well ask for my brother’s bank certificate and apartment contract as early as now so i can present it in the event it will be asked. Good luck to us! :)
Rolando U. Gironella Jr. on 10/11/2012 at 2:33 pm

Hi…I cant find a list of accredited travel insurance for schengen visa application (lodged thru german embassy) and I purchased on-line from AXA-Schengen. This is my first time with this company as I find it more convenient and cheaper. I previously bought from other companies when i went to france (Schengen too) and UK… You think this is fine?
- Rolando U. Gironella Jr. on 10/11/2012 at 3:47 pm
  
  by the way, i enjoyed following your RTW :)
  …when I applied for my first schengen (french) visa, this blog helped me a lot. Thanks!
  - wanderlass on 10/24/2012 at 12:03 am
    
    thanks! it’s always nice to hear that. :)
    - asianflip on 11/23/2012 at 10:16 pm
      
      just came back from france-luxembourg-germany-netherlands-belgium then back to paris!!! thank you wonderlass for making my visa application alot easier!! i just prepared all my requirements in just a week and in so happy for this very informative blog!! thank you again!! i hope ill be back in europe again next year!!
RAP on 10/10/2012 at 6:09 pm

Hi Wanderlass,

I don’t know if these have been asked before, pardon me if they have:

1. I understand that the visa processing time takes 10 days but how long (on the average) is the gap between calling the embassy for an interview and the given appointment date?
2. I read that travel insurance companies (some or all, I’m not sure) are willing to refund your premium payment should you be denied a visa but what about airlines and hotels? They may or may not refund you depending on their cancellation policy, and if one does refund they impose a cancellation fee or something similar. Is there a less painful way to avoid this?
- wanderlass on 10/10/2012 at 11:18 pm
  
  (1) it depends. some months are busier than others. it’s free to call.
  (2) plane tickets you have about 5 days until you have to pay or booking will be void. hotels can be pencil booked with your credit card. cancel booking 3 days before (or whatever the particular hotel requires) to avoid being charged.
  - sandrine on 12/12/2012 at 5:25 am
    
    Hello Wanderlass,
    
    Quick question:
    
    Do I have to apply for a Travel Insurance here in the Philippines or can my boyfriend get me a Travel Insurance there in Germany?
    
    Please help!
    - wanderlass on 12/13/2012 at 10:37 am
      
      you have to have it when u apply for visa, doesn’t matter where you get it.
  - ana on 02/19/2015 at 4:36 am
    
    hi wanderlass,
    my husband and my teen age son was denied from their tourist application in France. I am so disappointed. Doest it affect if they will apply to other embassy?
    salamat po for reading this. have a nice day
    - Rob on 02/20/2015 at 6:23 am
      
      All Schengen (and some other EU such as the UK) embassies kan see your visa history in their system, including denials. So the most important thing would be to try and find a way to convince the embassy that you now meet the criteria you were previously denied over. Then you could apply again at the French or other embassy, depending on which country your main destination would be.
Sofie on 10/08/2012 at 8:29 am

Hi! I’m planning to attend a conference in Germany this coming December and the conference org is going to issue me a visa letter to facilitate my application for a Schengen Visa. I plan to go to Switzerland first to visit a friend, however. May I know if it is strictly required that I go first to the country that will issue me the Schengen Visa ( which is Germany) before I could go to the other Schengen member countries? Thanks.
- wanderlass on 10/08/2012 at 2:45 pm
  
  there’s no border checking within the 26 regions so you can freely go around and about. and no, you don’t have to enter schengen from the country who issued you the visa.
Kytee05 on 10/06/2012 at 2:09 pm

hi wonderlass, you are really a wonderlass hehehe your forum is so helpful.. anyways, im planning to go to italy only but reading your forum gives me idea to get Schengen visa since part sya ng schengen. my question is?

1. ano yung 1st step to apply visa
2. ilang weeks ang pag hihintay
3. kelan kailangan yung mga documents
4. ilang days yung visa approval.

thank you, sensya na dami kong tanong 1st time ko kasi mag apply and i have no idea on it. please advise me. BIG THANK YOU…
- wanderlass on 10/06/2012 at 2:34 pm
  
  did u read the post?
  - Karen Tan on 11/04/2012 at 10:48 am
    
    yes, thank you! can you recommend a travel agency? because the one that i am dealing now is asking for 40% payment for the hotel booking which is so high. thanks!
mandy on 10/06/2012 at 11:41 am

hi everyone, can somebody help me find an insurance provider accepting 83 year old applicant for a travel insurance cover as required by the italian embassy. salamat
honey03 on 10/06/2012 at 10:52 am

hi lil do i need to show bank account pa..even may boyfriend will be the one to shoulder my expenses?and about the travel insurance pwedeng bumili na lang kami sa bansa nila instead sa mga accredited insurance company dito?thank you hope to hear from you again
Mhinetot Nia Acoh on 10/05/2012 at 4:00 pm

hi ma’am wanderlass i just to ask how can i get schengen visa?from israel to spain..but i have a philippine passport..thank you :)
- wanderlass on 10/06/2012 at 3:13 am
  
  If you’re staying in Israel legally (work visa for example), you can apply at the Spanish Embassy or of any Schengen region that they have in Israel.