Some of you know that I flew to Europe last October for 19 days across 4 countries & numerous cities. While I won’t discuss my itinerary yet in this post, I’d like to share with everyone how I got my Schengen tourist visa from VFS Netherlands.
Visa application process is the most-feared process of all travelers. Why? It’s because this determines whether one’s well-awaited trip to his / her dream destination with push-through or not. The fate of one’s visa only depends on the consul approving these applications.
JANUARY 2023 UPDATE – I recently lodged & received a Schengen tourist visa from the Embassy of Italy in the Philippines via VIA PAISI Center. Check out the latest do-it-yourself Schengen visa application post here.
SchengenVisaInfo.com published in their website that in 2018, the embassies approved 91% of all Schengen Visa applications in the Philippines. The Dutch Embassy ranked 1st with 39,572 approved visas out of 42,341 visa applications. The embassy’s rejection rate is only 4%. The French & Italian Embassies had the highest number of rejection rate of 11% with 6,135 applications rejected out of the combined 56,673 visa applications received.
Given the figures above, I made sure that I will start my Europe trip or I will stay the longest in The Netherlands. The Netherlands Embassy in Manila no longer accepts visa applications in their office. All visa applications have to go through VFS Global (Visa Facilitation Services Global), an outsourced company that processes visa applications for Canada & most countries in Europe.
Last September, I applied for a Schengen tourist visa with VFS Netherlands. I’m happy to share that I was able to get my tourist visa a week after. I was given a multiple entry visa valid for 45 days with an allowable stay of 30 days within the Schengen Zone. My world stopped when I saw the visa stamp. I have other approved visas in Australia, Japan, South Korea & Taiwan, but having a Schengen visa is something else.
Did you know that in 2019 I went on a 19-day solo trip around Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic & Denmark for less than ₱120,000 ALL IN? Yes, airfare & accommmodation included. It even included a 12-hour stopover in Singapore. Check out this blog post to know more!
Allow me to share with you my tourist visa application journey with VFS Netherlands. I did the visa application process by myself, without any help of an agency. I’d like to give a shout out to the blogs of Two Monkeys Travel Group & The Poor Traveler for their super helpful Schengen visa application guides. I will also share with you some tips that will help you throughout the process.
Disclaimer: The process below is for those who already have a fixed itinerary, dates, entry & exit points at the time of visa application. Also, this visa process is only for those who are going there as a tourist with no invitation.
TIP: You need to apply to the embassy of the country you’ll stay the longest. If your itinerary has equal several days in all countries, you need to apply to the embassy of the country you’ll first enter in the Schengen zone. If in doubt, contact VFS or the embassy you’re intending to apply to.
1 – Create a VFS Global Log In & Set Your Visa Application Appointment
The first step is to create a VFS Global log in details. Head over to this link to sign up for an account. After signing up for & verifying your account, you can now set your visa application appointment. This appointment is the date & time where you submit all your application form, passport & visa requirements. Make sure to give yourself ample time in completing your requirements.
To set up an appointment, go to the VFS Netherlands web page. Click Schedule An Appointment; log in with your credentials & chooses the necessary details. Usually the visiting country, residing country & the VFS center has already been pre-selected. You just need to choose the purpose of travel. After that, you need to add the name/s of the people applying for the visa, add in some more details, then choose the desired date & time of application & click confirm.
Minutes after confirming your application, you will receive an appointment confirmation e-mail together with your unique reference number & the appointment letter. Keep this appointment letter until the day of your visa applications schedule.
TIP: Apply for your tourist visa at least 1.5-2 months before your trip. It gives you enough time for everything. At least there’s no need to worry if your visa will make it before your flight or not.
ANOTHER TIP: VFS opens appointment dates 1 month before the scheduled date. I applied for my visa last September 4, I set my appointment a month before – August 4. It’s always good to be early in setting an appointment, you can choose the time slot that’s convenient to your schedule. Choose the earliest time slots, there are close to no people during these times.
2 – Book necessary trip accommodations & buy travel insurance
Schengen visa applications need confirmed accommodation bookings. They ask for the details of your accommodation (name of hotel or hostel, address & contact details) during your stay in Europe. Make sure to book accommodation right before you start with the application form.
TIP: Book your accommodation with Agoda & Booking.com & choose those with free cancellation options. You can always cancel these bookings after & choose your accommodation of choice once you get your visa. I booked all my accommodation with these 2 websites & I didn’t have any trouble during the application process.
Another need for Schengen visa application is a confirmed travel insurance for the application. Applicants must secure a travel insurance that will cover the trip & that can cover up to €30,000 in expenses. I booked my travel insurance with Standard Insurance. I got their Schengen Protect Option which covers claims up to €37,500. The insurance cost me ₱1,918 for 19 days coverage, including flight days.
3 – PREPARE the required documents
After booking your trip accommodation & buying your travel insurance, the next step is complete the list of requirements needed for the application. Here are the documents I submitted to VFS.
Cover Letter – A cover letter is not required but is highly encouraged. I still submitted a cover letter detailing the purpose of my trip as well as how long I will in the Schengen territory.
Accomplished Application Form – I will discuss this in the next step.
Passport – Your passport must be valid for more than 6 months at the time of travel. It must also have at least 2 blank pages.
Photocopy of Passport Bio Page – One copy is enough.
Photocopy of All Passport Stamps & Visas – I submitted a copy of all my passport stamps & visas from both my current & previous passports.
Photo – The photo must meet the Dutch passport requirements. Also, the photo must be taken within the last 6 months.
Bank Certificate & Statement – I submitted both my bank certificate & bank statement for the last six months. These bank documents must be original.
Credit Card Statements – I submitted only a month statement of all my credit cards. This is just a supplementary document.
Confirmed Travel Tickets – I took the risk & booked my ticket with Singapore Airlines early this year so I submitted my confirmed ticket. You can make travel reservations with various travel agencies without having to pay for the ticket. The VFS agent also asked how I’ll travel from one country to the other; good thing I also have my confirmed tickets in between countries.
Proof of Accommodation – I submitted all the accommodation bookings I had for the trip. Make sure that all details (including the dates) are consistent with that from the application form.
Detailed Day-To-Day Itinerary – I submitted a dummy day-to-day itinerary for my trip. I ended up not following this itinerary. They just need to see where you’ll go & what you’ll do while in the Schengen zone.
Certificate of Employment & Certificate of No Objection – I submitted my certificate of employment detailing my position, length of employment & my salary. Our company HR officer also gave me a certificate of no objection where it stated that my employer knows this trip & they are not objecting against the trip. It also stated when I am on leave from work & when they expect me to report back to work.
Income Tax Return – I submitted a copy of my 2018 BIR-stamped income tax return.
Travel Insurance – I submitted a copy of the travel insurance I got from Standard Insurance.
TIP: VFS Netherlands only asks for the photocopy of most these documents. The only documents that they need the original copies are the following: application forms (all pages), bank certificate & bank statements. They also need a photocopy of the passport bio page. Take note that have your documents on A4 size paper only. Some embassies or travel agencies require to photocopy all your requirements. If unsure or in doubt, contact VFS or the embassy.
ANOTHER TIP: You can submit as many financial documents as you can so show your strong ties here in the Philippines. In my case, I submitted statements of all my 4 credit cards & a copy of my life insurance policy. The VFS agents won’t prohibit you from submitting all these documents.
ONE MORE TIP: Make sure your transfers between countries are booked. I took flights from one country to the other so I provided the flight bookings. If you are intending to take the train, mention it in your daily itinerary & tell the visa agent.
For the complete list of requirements for VFS Netherlands Visa Application, check out this link.
4 – Accomplish The Online Application Form & Print
The Netherlands’ Schengen visa application form must be filled out electronically. You can fill out the application form found here. Make sure that all details in your requirements & itinerary are consistent with the one in the application form. After answering all questions, print out the application form in A4 size paper.
TIP: Fill out each question or option slowly & surely. I had to fill out the form 4 times before I got everything correct.
5 – Go to VFS Philippines on your scheduled appointment
After completing all the requirements & printing the application form, make sure to head to the VFS Netherlands Visa Application Center in Makati City. The application center is located in Mezzanine Floor, Ecoplaza Building, Don Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City, Philippines. It is one jeepney ride away from Magallanes MRT Station. Upon arrival, proceed to the mezzanine level & look for the visa application center.
TIP: Arrive at the visa application center at least 15 minutes before your schedule. My appointment was at 8:00 am & the guard allowed me to enter the center even if it’s not yet 8 in the morning.
ONE MORE TIP: Bags are not allowed inside the visa center. They only allow the documents, phones & wallets inside the visa center. There is a locker facility in the visa application center for your bags & things. It is can be found at the right side, after the toilets. From memory, locker fee is ₱75 regardless of size.
6 – Submit Your Documents
The first stage of documents submission is the appointment confirmation & documents check. Once confirmed & check, you will now proceed to the visa application area. Once your number is called, proceed to the designated area & submit your documents. The Embassy of The Netherlands in the Philippines doesn’t require an interview with its applicants. The application is purely based on the submitted documents.
You also need to pay an application fee of €60 (to be paid in Philippine pesos). The rate at the time of my application was ₱4,321 (₱3,420 visa fee + ₱901 VFS handling fee). You will also be give the option to claim your visa once issued or have it delivered via courier. I availed the delivery by courier option & paid a minimal fee.
After submitting your documents & getting your visa fee receipt, you will now proceed to the bio metrics section to get records of your fingerprints. Once done, you may now go out of the application center, claim your bags & leave VFS Philippines.
TIP: They only accept payments in cash. Pay in exact amount for faster transaction.
7 – Claim Your Passport / Wait for Your Passport Delivery
The waiting game begins. The standard processing time is 15 calendar days. You can track the progress of your visa application in the VFS Netherlands website by entering your tracking number found at the back of your receipt.
It took my passport about a week until I got it back & voila, I got a multiple entry visa for 45 days with an allowable stay of 30 days. SUCCESS!
I was so happy when I finally got my passport back & when I saw my first ever Schengen visa. I never thought I’ll get one after doing everything by myself. It was an achievement! I recommend applying your first ever Schengen visa with The Netherlands. The process was quick & easy. They don’t ask for other additional documents.
If you have any questions about your visa application or the process in general, feel free to contact VFS Global Netherlands Visa Application Center at + 632 8528 2503 or via e-mail to info.nlph@vfshelpline.com. The phone line is only open from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
Have you applied for a Schengen visa on your own? Which embassy / VFS application center did you go to? How was the application process? Do you have any questions about the application process or requirements? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. I will try to answer them as soon as I can. If you’re shy, feel free to send your questions & clarifications via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.
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