Are you a Philippine national looking to travel to Europe?

In that case, you are required to obtain a Schengen Visa in order to enter any of the Schengen Member States.  

The Philippines is one of the countries with the highest number of Schengen Visa applications.

According to the official website of the European Commission, more than 77 thousand Schengen Visa applications have been submitted from the Philippines in 2021. 

After all, seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Colosseum in Rome at least once in a lifetime is probably every Filipino’s wildest dream. 

Plus, the Philippines typically has a high approval rate in comparison with other countries. 

For example, 97.3% of the Schengen Visa applications submitted by citizens and residents of the Philippines have been approved in 2021. 

However, a high approval rate doesn’t give you the guarantee of your Visa approval. 

You still need to carefully prepare in advance for your Schengen Visa interview and make sure you fill in all of your documents correctly. 

In this post, we break down the application process for Filipinos so you can find out about the rules and ensure you have the highest chance of success. 

Table of contents:

  1. General Information About the Schengen Visa for Philippine Nationals

1.1. Who Can Apply for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines?

1.2. Where Should You Apply for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines?

1.3. When to Apply for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines

1.4. How Much is the Schengen Visa Fee in the Philippines?

1.5. How Long Can You Stay in Europe with a Schengen Visa from the Philippines?

1.6. What Type of Schengen Visa from the Philippines Should You Apply for?

  1. How to Apply for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines

1. General Information About the Schengen Visa for Philippine Nationals

Travelling With a Schengen Visa from the Philippines

If you live in the Philippines and want to apply for a Schengen Visa, you might have several questions concerning the application process. 

Let’s start with some basic information. 

1.1. Who Can Apply for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines?

To apply for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines, you need to:

Note: If you’re a third-country national living in the Philippines under a residence permit, please check out this post to see whether you need a Schengen Visa to travel to Europe. 

For example, if you’re an Indian national legally residing in the Philippines, you must apply for a Schengen Visa to enter Europe (because Indian passport holders are required to obtain a Schengen Visa).

But if you’re a Singaporean passport holder residing in the Philippines, you don’t need to apply for a Schengen Visa. 

This is because Singaporean nationals do not need a Schengen Visa to enter Europe.

1.2. Where Should You Apply for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines?

When applying for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines, you have to submit your application:

Do note that some Schengen Embassies and Consulates have outsourced the Visa submission to third-party companies. 

Here’s a list of the Schengen Embassies and third-party companies where you can apply for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines. 

Embassies:

Note: You can apply for a Schengen Visa for Poland in the Philippines through both the Consular Office and VFS Global   

BLS International: 

VIA (Visa Information and Application Centre)

VFS Global:

1.3. When to Apply for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines

According to the Schengen Visa Code, you can apply as early as 6 months before your departure date, but not less than 15 working days before your flight. 

Our default suggestion is to submit your application at least three weeks prior to your departure date. 

1.4. How Much is the Schengen Visa Fee in the Philippines?

The Schengen Visa fee for Filipinos is 80 Euros.

That should be around 4558 Philippine pesos (PHP). However, do note that the Schengen Visa fee in Philippine pesos (PHP) is as per the current exchange rate. 

This means that it may be subject to changes without notice. 

For applicants that meet certain requirements, the Schengen Visa is granted free of charge (read more here). 

1.5. How Long Can You Stay in Europe with a Schengen Visa from the Philippines?

If you get a short-stay Schengen Visa from the Philippines, you can stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days over a 180-day period

You cannot get a Schengen Visa extension for tourism reasons and spend more than 90 days in the Schengen Area using the same Visa.   

1.6. What Type of Schengen Visa from the Philippines Should You Apply for?

There are three main types of Schengen Visas: type A, type C, and type D.

Otherwise known as an Airport Transit Schengen Visa, the type A Schengen Visa enables you to transit through or wait for a connecting flight in a Schengen airport.

The type C Schengen Visa is actually the short-stay Visa that can be requested for various purposes, such as tourism, study, family visit, or medical reasons (just to name a few).

For example, if you’re travelling for tourism, you have to apply for a type C short-stay Schengen Visa for tourism purposes. 

Finally, the type D Schengen Visa is the National Visa that allows you to reside for up to one year in the Schengen Area. 

1.7. How Long Does it Take to Get a Schengen Visa in the Philippines?

As a general rule, you should expect to wait 15 working days to get an answer on your Visa application from the Philippines.

However, depending on factors such as your personal circumstances and the volume of requests, this period may be extended to 45 days. 

2. How to Apply for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines

Philippine Nationals Travelling to the Schengen Area

Follow the steps below in the given order to apply for a Schengen Visa in the Philippines: 

  1. Based on the duration of your trip and your travel purpose, determine what type of Schengen Visa you need to apply for.
  1. Based on your travel destination(s), find out where you need to submit your application. 
  1.  Book your Schengen Visa appointment – We recommend you schedule your Visa appointment before starting to collect your documents because a high volume of requests may leave Embassies – especially during peak season – with few appointment slots available.
  1. Collect all the required documents – click here to access the full list. 
  1. Attend the Schengen Visa interview on the day of your appointment. When submitting your application, you will also be required to pay the Visa fee and provide your biometric data. 
  1. Wait for your Schengen Visa application to be processed. 

If the Embassy approves your application, you will get your Schengen Visa in the form of a sticker placed on your passport. 

Make sure you understand all the labels on your Visa sticker that contain relevant information about you and your trip. 

You can find more information about the Schengen Visa sticker here

In the unfortunate event that your application gets rejected, you have the right to either appeal the decision or submit a new application. 

Visiting Europe With a Schengen Visa for Filipinos

Conclusion: Filipinos love to travel, and there’s no better plan than Europe to discover the best cities in the world. 

Hopefully, this post has cleared up all of your questions concerning the Schengen Visa application for Filipinos.

However, if you still have questions or need further information, please feel free to contact us

At Visas Association, we are striving to simplify the Schengen Visa application process by providing free consultations, expert advice, document templates, and more. If you need a helping hand with your application, get a FREE consultation today and we will share the exact steps you need to follow to ensure you have the highest chance of getting your Schengen Visa and travelling to Europe.