How to apply for a tourist Schengen Visa at the Netherlands embassy

Philippine passport holders are required Schengen visa to visit one or more of the states in the Schengen Region in Europe. The Schengen area consists of these countries. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Hungary.

There are several types of visa but I’ll be focusing on Tourist Schengen Visa. This visa is valid in all Schengen states for a stay up to 90 days within a six-month period for a visit, tourism or business.

Which Country you should submit your visa application?
You should submit your visa application to the country where you will stay longer. So if you’re planning to spend 5 days in Netherlands and 4 days in France, you should apply in the Netherlands. If you are staying an equal number of days in every country, you should choose the one you are going first.

The earliest you can apply is 3 months before your travel plan.
Example: You can submit your application by May if you plan to travel in August.

I’m currently residing in Malaysia so my application has been submitted to The Netherlands Embassy and applied through official partner VFS Global located in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

To begin with the application, please refer on below steps:

Application Form
Complete your visa application form and attach your photo. You may download the form from this website.
You have to ensure that you provide all the required documents.

Appointment
Book your appointment at Visa Application Center.
Submit your application and enroll your bio-metric on the day of your appointment at the Visa Application Center

WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING TO THE APPOINTMENT?

• • A printed and signed copy of your Schengen visa application form
  • Your current valid passport  (Note: The Netherlands Embassy will retain your passport until they have reached a decision on your visa application.)
  • Previous passports
  • Confirmation of legal residence, if you are not a national of the country in which you are applying ( Your holding Visa if you’re not in the Philippines) or your right to reside there is not included in your passport.
  • Original supporting documents, with photocopies.
  • A printed copy of the supporting document checklist.
  • Cash for your visa application fee.
  • Travel insurance that covers the entire duration of your intended stay with minimum coverage EUR 30,000.
  • 1 recent photograph (not more than 6 months old) according to on below specification.
    Photograph Strict Specification
    Taken against a light grey or cream 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 unless worn for religious or medical reasons. The subject should have their mouth closed (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows) and the applicant should be facing forwarding, looking straight ahead.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
These are the types of documents that you may need to provide which help to consider your application. You must show evidence that you have ties either in Philippines or Malaysia and you are coming back home such as below.

• Family ties evidence (marriage certificate, proof of relation etc.)
• Assets and this includes a land or house title, mortgage or investments that you have.
• Proof of earnings such as certificate of employment (detailing your role, salary, length of employment and company contact details), leave of absence, payslips etc.
• Documents that show you are capable of supporting yourself while in Schengen region without the need to find employment and these could be Bank statements (3 months), credit cards, etc.
• You also need to submit details of accommodation plans and trip itinerary.
• Previous travel documents/passports, which show previous travel.

If you’re not paying for your own way, or have friend(s) or relatives who are either in the Schengen region at the time of your visit is providing financial support to you, should present them with the following documents:

• Valid Citizen/Residence ID or Passport
• Bank Statement (3 months)
• Address and contact details
• Proof of relation
• Invitation letter stating their support

If Self-employed Business registration documents confirming the business owner’s name and the date the business started trading.
All these should be submitted to the appointment.

HOW MUCH IS SCHENGEN VISA FOR PHILIPPINE PASSPORT HOLDERS?
Tourist Visa {short term up to 90 days} 69.00 USD.

HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE?
You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before your travel plan.
Example: You can submit your application by May if you plan to travel in August.

AFTER SUBMISSION
You can choose to have an SMS & Email updates to track your application at the time of submission at Visa Application Centre but this has additional charges. You can also track your application status on VFS website, using passport & Reference Number. During the collection of passport at Visa application centre, the officer may verify the identity of the person who’s collecting your passport on your behalf with the Receipt and ID card.

WAITING FOR RESULT
The Standard Service will process within 15 working days. In my case, I have submitted my documents to Visa Application Centre in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on 29 June 2017.

I opted to have an SMS & Email updates. On the 10th July 2017, I received an email from VFS Global that my application is ready for collection. After a decision has been made, your documents will be delivered to you by post, or you can collect your documents personally from the visa application centre.
I collected mine on the next day and I’m so happy that they have granted multiple entry visa.

Note: They would not notify you whether your application has been approved or refused before the collection.

If you have no idea on how to make a travel itinerary or those who are asking for the sample, please refer to the image below for your reference.

It’s in excel format, if any of you wants it, you may contact me on below contact form and I will email it to you. You just need to change the details and fill in the dates according to your travel schedules with specific information such as flight confirmation number or hotel booking no.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

VFS Global Netherlands Visa Application Center – Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Address:
Suite 19-04,19th Floor
Wisma MCA, 163 Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Submission of Application: 09:00 to 15:00
Passport Collection: 15:00 to 17:00
Office Hour: Monday to Friday (Except Public Holidays)

VFS Global Netherlands Visa Application Center – Manila
Address:
VFS Global Office Address:
Netherlands Visa Application Centre,
Mezzanine Floor, Ecoplaza Bldg.,
Don Chino Roces Ave., Makati City
1231 Philippines

Submission (Regular Appointment)    07:00- 13:00 (Monday – Friday)
Submission (VIP Premium Lounge)    07:00- 15:00 (Monday – Friday)
Submission (Primetime Appointment) 16:00 – 18:00 (Monday – Friday)
Passport Collection   14:00 – 16:00 (Monday – Friday)

Good luck to those who are applying soon!
If you have more questions or something to add to this post, please comment on the section below.

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Australian Tourist Visa: How To Apply Online

Photo by Leio McLaren on Unsplash

Australian tourist visa is one of the easiest visas that we can get if you are holding a Philippine passport like me.
You can also opt to submit your visa application via VFS Global Malaysia or VFS Global Philippines However, online application is more hassle-free as you can submit your application without getting out from your house.

First, you need to determine what kind of visa you need. If you are applying for tourist visa then you need to choose Visitor Visa (Subclass 600). This mainly for people traveling to Australia for a holiday, recreation or to visit family and friends and for other purposes not related to business or medical treatment. You can actually use the Visa Finder to see what options are available for you. I’m currently residing in Malaysia so my application has been submitted to Australian Embassy located in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

1. Lodge your application online

To begin with your application you will need to access to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. If you do not have an ImmiAccount you will be prompted to create one.
This will be your primary contact point any update about your application will be sent to this email including the acknowledgment of receipt of your application and the actual visa grant.
So you need to ensure that you type in your email address correctly and check this email regularly.

Application Form

Once you have created an ImmiAccount, you can start filling up your application Form 1419, even if you have not completed compiling your documents yet. You need to provide all the information required to complete your visa application. This includes your relevant details such as personal information, plan travel dates, financial capabilities, etc.
It is advisable to fill in all the information and add in as much as possible before you submit your application. Applications with missing information might take longer to finalize.
You need to ensure that the information you have given or declared in your application form will match the supporting documents that you are submitting.
You can save each page of your application as you go along and come back to it if you want to check and make changes at a later stage when you have more time.

Once you are ready to submit your application and upload your supporting documents, just click on Submit.

Here is the list of the documents that you need to submit. Remember that this varies depending on your circumstances. You’re not required to submit all of these, but it is advisable that you submit as much of supporting documents as you can to prove how you are going to fund your travel to Australia and you have a strong reason to come back to your home country.

Personal Documents:
Original passport
2 original passport size photographs
Certified copy of Birth Certificate
Photocopy of the personal details page of both old and new passport

Financial Documents
Bank Certificate 
Bank book history or Bank statement (3 months) 
Copy of last 3 months payslip
Latest Income Tax Return (BIR Form 2316)
Copy of credit card statements (preferably last 3 months)

Other supporting documents
Certificate of Employment issued by your employer
Support for approved leave 
Car registration (if you have any)
Other supporting documents to show that you have an incentive and authority to return to your home country

Trip documents
Flight information (if you already had it booked)
Hotel/accommodation information (if booked)
Travel insurance (if any) If you have a sponsor in Australia (either Australian citizen or permanent resident), their invitation letter for you

Supporting documents of your sponsor such as Copy of his or her passport, Land tittle (if any), certificate of employment, contact address, phone no.
A travel itinerary during your visit (ideally showing when, where and what you will be visiting).
Previous passport along with the pages detailing your travel history.
Any bookings or travel inquiries you have made in relation to your trip.
Evidence showing your relationship with your sponsor (such as birth certificate, photos for example and giving a brief caption to it).

2. Upload the required documents
You will be asked for a scanned copy of all your documents to upload.

3. Pay
Once the documents have been uploaded online, I suggest to double check your application form and uploaded documents then only proceed to payment.
An online application can only pay using the credit card. The cost will vary depending on the visa that you are seeking and the exchange rate for the day, a surcharge will apply to the credit card too.

You are done! Once you have submitted your application, you should receive an Acknowledgment Receipt of your application in your email. You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks. I got mine in 4 days.

Below is the Australian Electronic Visa looks like that you will receive thru email. You just need to print it out and bring a copy and show to the Immigration Officer during your airport clearance.

If you have more questions or something to add to this post, please comment on the section below. Good luck to those who are applying soon!

 

UK Tourist Visa for Philippine Passport Holders

Photo by Marcin Nowak on Unsplash

This is for all citizens of unfortunate countries like the Philippines. We are required to apply for a visa if you are traveling outside Southeast Asia and the UK is one of them. Those who have experienced applying visas to Japan, US and Europe can relate to this agony as it is not easy, I swear! Looking through the list of requirements and preparation is really stressful.

There are several types of visa but I’ll be focusing on Tourist Visa.

Please take note that UK visa is applied through official partner VFS Global in Malaysia or VFS Global in Philippines . So here are few steps on how to apply for UK Visa especially for Philippine Passport holder like me.

Before you apply online you need to ensure that you have all these on hand.
Current passport, previous passport, your parent’s details such as Full Name, birth date, UK address (hotel booking or relatives/friend’s address), email address and begin your online visa application. You can save each page of your application as you go along and come back to it at a later stage when you have more time.

• Register online.
• Fill in the application form in English.
• Pay the visa fee online (in most cases).
• Print out your form.
• Book an appointment at a Visa Application Centre

WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING TO THE APPOINTMENT?

• A printed and signed copy of your online visa application form.
• Your current valid passport  (Note: The UK Border Agency will retain your passport until they have reached a decision on your visa application.)
• Previous passports
• Confirmation of legal residence, if you are not a national of the country in which you are applying (You’re holding Visa if you’re not in the Philippines) or your right to reside there is not included in your passport.
• Original supporting documents, with photocopies and translations.
• A printed copy of the supporting document checklist.
• Payment or proof of payment of your visa application fee.
• 1 recent photograph (not more than 6 months old) according to below specification.
  Photograph Strict Specification
  Taken against a light grey or cream 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 unless worn for religious or medical reasons. The subject should have their mouth closed (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows) and the applicant should be facing forwarding, looking straight ahead.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
These are the types of documents that you may need to provide which help to consider your application. You must show evidence that you have ties either in Philippines or Malaysia and you are coming back home such as below.

• Family ties evidence (marriage certificate, proof of relation etc.)
• Assets and this includes a land or house title, mortgage or investments that you have.
• Proof of earnings such as the certificate of employment (detailing your role, salary, length of employment and company contact details), leave of absence, payslips etc.
• Documents that show you are capable of supporting yourself while in the UK without the need to find employment and these could be Bank statements (6 months), credit cards, etc.
• You also need to submit details of accommodation plans and travel itinerary. (Flight and hotel confirmation is not required, so you shouldn’t pay for your accommodation until the visa is issued.
• Previous travel documents/passports, which show previous travel.

If you’re not paying for your own way, or have friend(s) or relatives who are either in the UK or who will be legally in the UK at the time of your visit is providing financial support to you, should present them with the following documents:

• Valid Citizen/Residence ID or Passport
• Bank Statement (6 months)
• Address and contact details
• Proof of relation
• Invitation letter stating their support

If Self-employed Business registration documents confirming the business owner’s name and the date the business started trading.

All these should be submitted during your appointment. No further documents will be accepted after. Now, while the absence of these documents may result in unsuccessful visa application, submission does not guarantee visa issuance. More info on UK Visa Supporting Document.

Note:

If you submit a document that is not in English, it must be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the Home Office. Each translated document must contain:
– Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original   document
– The date of the translation
– The translator’s full name and signature
– The translator’s contact details
– All documents must be A4 size
– Any documents which are smaller or larger than A4 size must be photocopied onto A4 sized paper. This includes the pages of any previous passports.

HOW MUCH IS UK VISA FOR PHILIPPINE PASSPORT HOLDERS?
Tourist Visa {short term up to 6 months} 119.00 USD.

HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE?
You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before your travel plan.

Example: You can submit your application by May if you plan to travel in August.

WAITING FOR RESULT

The Standard Service will process within 15 working days. Priority Service is within 5 working days, this you have to pay additional 247.00 USD.
In my case, I have submitted my documents to Visa Application Centre in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on 15 June 2017.

I received SMS saying that my documents are ready for collection on 20 June 2017.

I actually opted for Priority Service which is by right 5 working days process. I want it to be as soon as possible as I still need to apply for Schengen visa for my Europe trip.
Please take note that the application which is lodge in Malaysia will be sent to British Embassy in Manila for the decision making process.

After a decision has been made, your documents will be delivered to you by post, or you can collect your documents personally from the visa application center.
I didn’t have time to collect my documents, so I make an authorization letter for my husband to collect on my behalf along with my passport photocopy. They would not notify whether your application has been approved or refused before the collection. They have given my passport along with my original documents and Voila! Thank God! 🙂

You can also choose to have an SMS & Email updates to track your application real time. I opted to have an SMS & Email updates.

If you have no idea on how to create a travel itinerary or those who are asking for the sample, please refer to the image below for your reference.

It’s in excel format, if any of you wants it, you may contact me on below contact form and I will email it to you. You just need to change the details and fill in the dates according to your travel schedules with specific information such as flight confirmation number or hotel booking no.

 

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

UK VISA APPLICATION CENTRE – Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Address
Suite 19.06 19 Floor,
Wisma MCA,
163 Jalan Ampang, 50450

Opening hours:
Application submission and Document collection
Monday to Friday (Excluding public holiday)
08:00 – 14:00

UK VISA APPLICATION CENTRE – Manila
Address
VFS Global Services Philippines Private Inc., MANILA
Mezzanine Floor Unit M01, Ecoplaza Building,
2305 Pasong Tamo Extension Makati City, Metro Manila 1231

VFS Global Services Philippines Private Inc., CEBU
9th Floor, Keppel Center, Unit 905, Samar Loop
cor. Cardinal Rosales Avenue,
Cebu Business Park, Cebu City 6000

RESTRICTIONS IN VISITING UK AS A TOURIST:
Visit UK cannot be for more than six (6) months;
Leave the UK at the end of your visit;
Have enough money to support yourself during your stay in the UK without working or needing help from public funds.
Will not take paid or unpaid employment.
Will not marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership.
Will not get private medical treatment.

I hope you find this helpful and If you have more questions or something to add to this post, please comment on the section below.

Good luck to those who are applying soon!