Schengen Visa Application for Filipinos Working in Singapore

 

Planning to visit a country or countries in the Schengen area? That's awesome and exciting! 😍

But if you are a Philippine passport holder, it is a bummer to know that acquiring a Schengen visa is a must. You need to apply for a visa to be able to transform the plan into a reality. It might sound troublesome and difficult, but if you have the requirements (and good intention) then getting a Schengen visa approval shouldn't be a problem.

How to apply for a Schengen visa, you might ask? Below are the steps in applying for a "short-stay visa" for Philippine passport holders in Singapore (long-term visa may have other requirements). The process is based on personal experience. Note that the process is specifically for Filipinos working in Singapore (or similar nationalities requiring a visa). 

At A Glance

Step 1: Choose the right Embassy

Step 2: Book an appointment at VFS Global

Step 3: Gather ALL requirements & Start application

Step 4: Attend your VFS appointment

Step 5: Collect your passport

I will try to make it short and sweet! 😁 If not, pardon me as I want to make it as clear as possible. 😊So, here we go!

CHOOSE THE RIGHT EMBASSY

Before you can apply for a Schengen visa, you need to decide first which embassy you are going to apply to. If you are planning to visit France, then you need to submit your visa application at the French Embassy in Singapore. If you want to visit Italy, then you need to apply visa to Italy Embassy.

In case you plan to visit more than 1 country in the Schengen area, you will apply the visa in the country that you will be spending more time or longer days. 

Example: 4 days in Italy, 3 days in France, 5 days in Germany

In the scenario above, you will apply your visa at the Germany Embassy.

If you will be spending the same amount of days in each country, you will apply the visa at the first destination.

Example: 3 days in Italy, 3 days in France, 3 days in Germany. Arrival in Italy

The first country that you will land first is Italy, hence, you will apply your visa at the Italy Embassy.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT AT VFS

Most of the time, this step is step 3. It is recommended to only book an appointment once you have the requirements. However, based on my experience, the available slots can easily get fully booked. As such, I would prioritise this step. However, only do this if you are confident that you can collect all the requirements before the scheduled appointment. Otherwise, do step 3 first. 

Once you have decided which embassy to apply to, book a visa appointment. You can either (1) visit the main VFS Global website (www.vfsglobal.com/) then fill out the "I'm applying from" and "I'm going to", click "Take Me To The Website" button - this will direct you to the VFS page for the particular embassy. Otherwise, (2) just search online VFS with the country you want to apply visa to.

Example: France - https://visa.vfsglobal.com/sgp/en/fra - (the last parameter in the url indicates the country)

Create an account, then follow the steps in booking an appointment.

COMPILE ALL REQUIREMENTS + START APPLICATION

 As mentioned, this step can be done first before booking an appointment. But if you know you have all the requirements, then you can do this after booking. Gather the supporting documents below.

• Completed Visa Application Form

• Create an account on the embassy's site.
• Fill out the Schengen visa application form, download and sign it.

The first page should look like the below; there will be a slight difference in the header depending on the embassy as well as the total pages. For France visa, the downloaded form will include "Receipt France-Visas" documents while for Netherlands, it's the "Privacy Statement regarding Short Stay Visa Applications."

• Travel Document / Passport

• Must be valid for at least 3 months from the date of departure in Schengen area.
• Must have at least 2 empty pages.
• Must be issued less than 10 years ago.

• Copy of Older Visas

• Print a copy of all pages of your passport containing visas from other countries or old Schengen visa, and entry and exit stamps, if applicable.

*I printed my active and expired e-visas from Australia and New Zealand, but they didn't took it. But you can still bring in case they will ask for additional supporting documents.

• Legal Residence Evidence

• Copy of residence permit (S-pass, E-pass, Work pass) that is valid for at least 3 months after the return date in Singapore.
• Print out of the Pass Status/Details from the SGWorkPass app (most recent).

*I highly recommend accessing and taking screenshot of the Pass Details a few days before the appointment.

• ID Photograph

• Taken less than 6 months
• Size must be 35 mm x 45 mm (width x height)
• Background must be a plain neutral (eg. light grey, light blue or white)
• Other photo specifications

• Proof of Travel

• Round-trip Airline Ticket (Booking/Reservation)

- If you can find an agency/agent that accepts airline ticket reservation instead of confirmed booking then better, in case the application will not be granted.

• Hotel Accommodation

- Book hotels or accommodations that are free to cancel.

• Travel Itinerary

- Make a table of your day to day activities. I drafted the template below and use it whenever I need to apply for any visa, regardless of which country. I am usually detailed when it comes to the activities. 😂

• Letter from travel agency (for organised trip)

- If you are joining a tour group, you need a letter from the agency confirming that you booked an organised trip + detailed planned programmed.

• Proof of Socio-Professional Status

• Bank Statements (last 3 months)

- Downloaded bank statements from the bank app or website are acceptable.

*On question regarding how much should you have in your bank, it varies. Try to compute the recommended daily budget in the county you are planning to visit then multiple by the no. of days. However, you should have a minimum of S$4,000. The more, the better. 😄

• Employment Certificate

- The employment letter must be recent (within 1 month of the application), dated, and signed. It should also contain the following information: date of employment, monthly/annual salary, dates of leave, and confirmation that the holiday is granted.

• Payslips (last 3 months)

• Health Insurance

• Must cover at least €30,000 of medical costs (including hospital care, emergency treatment, and repatriation)
• Valid throughout the duration of the trip
• Valid at least for the Schengen area

If you are invited by someone (friend or relative), there are additional requirements needed.

• Invitation Letter (dated and signed by the sponsor)
• Bank Statement/Payslip (of the invitee) *To show the sponsor's financial capacity
• Copy of Passport
• Cerfa Form (proof of accommodation)

*If a private individual living in France is inviting you, an original Cerfa form is required. My sponsor only sent me a tenancy agreement/certificate of ownership, however, I was told that the sponsor must send an original Cerfa form issued by the local town hall.

Once you have collected the requirements, you are all set for the appearance at VFS. 

ATTEND YOUR VFS APPOINTMENT

Visit the Visa Application Centre dedicated for the application on the scheduled appointment. Be sure to be on time; arrive at least 10 minutes before your appointment. Wear proper clothing - avoid wearing sleeveless clothes or with low-cut neckline, ripped style, etc. Try to look formal. 😉

A consulate officer will check all your requirements and may ask for additional if deemed needed. They will also ask questions, so just be calm and answer honestly.

The consulate officer will verify your application and enter it into the system. A printed copy of your application will be given to you, double check your personal details if all are correct. 

You will need to pay the visa fee (€80 for France | €90  for Netherlands) and VFS service charge (S$29.20). 

Next, you will be asked to go inside the biometrics collection room. Inside, an officer will take your photo and fingerprints. Once done, you are all good - just wait for the update.

PASSPORT COLLECTION

You will be notified when your passport is ready for collection. For France visa, collection at the centre wasn't available (at that time), hence, I had to have it delivered to my home address.

Other consulate allows personal collection, so just check with the officer or the consulate.

How long does it take to get the visa?

The application will be processed within 5 to 20 working day; in most cases, you will be informed within 15 calendar days. At times, it can take up to 45 calendar days to decide on a visa application, especially during high season. As such, it is recommended to apply as early as possible. 

While you will be give updates via email/SMS on the progress, the consulate will not share the result on these channels. You will just know when you get your passport. 

You can apply as early as 6 months before the intend to travel, and no later than 15 working days before the trip.

In my experience for France visa, I got back my passport with the visa sticker 3 days after the submission. Basically, the process only took 2 days.😃 Meanwhile for the Netherlands visa, it took 11 calendar days. I collected my passport on the 11th day.

So, these are the steps in applying for a Schengen Visa in Singapore for Philippine passport holders. Just follow all the instructions and collect all requirements, then you are all good.

Good luck in your application! 💪

Reminders

- Do not staple the documents

- Short-stay visa = less than 90 days per 180-day period duration

- Long-stay visa = over 90 days duration

- The step-by-step instructions are indicated in the VFS Global website.