How to Apply for a Schengen Visa (Belgium)

  

       For the multiple-entry Schengen visa required for our Baltic cruise, we applied through the Embassy of Belgium. Please note that, in applying for a Schengen visa, you will have to apply in the Schengen country where: (i) you will stay longest, in case you will visit several countries during your trip; or (ii) your first port of entry, if you will be spending equal amounts of time in the Schengen countries you will visit.

Below are the steps in applying for a multiple-entry Schengen visa:

1.  Book flight and accommodation. I usually use the comparison sites Skyscanner (https://www.skyscanner.com.ph/) and Kayak (https://www.kayak.com/). Should you wish to reserve your flight first and opt to pay later after approval of your visa, I read somewhere that there are websites offering to hold your booking for a fee. Alternatively, you may also ask a travel agency to reserve a booking for you for visa application purposes for a fee.

  In looking for accommodation, I use the comparison site Trivago (https://www.trivago.com.ph/). You may want to book an accommodation that would allow you to cancel for free prior to your arrival at the hotel. This is in case you would, later on, find better accommodation or, for a worse reason, if your visa application gets denied.  Do be careful, however, when making multiple bookings and ensure that you cancel all accommodations that you wish to forego before the deadline/penalty period kicks in.

2.      Gather documents. Even before I started our UK and Schengen visa applications, I already requested two (2) originals of the following documents from the pertinent offices/banks/agencies:

a.       Birth and marriage (for my parents) certificates issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (“PSA”). You can request these at any Customer Service of SM Department Stores where the fee is cheaper vis-a-vis when you request at the PSA website. Turnaround time is 7-10 working days;

b.       Bank statements for 3 months and bank certificate;

c.       Certificate of employment and leave of absence;

d.      Passport photo. Only one is required. You can just go to any photo studio and say that you need your photo taken for your Schengen visa application.

Tip: Use white background. I tried to submit my photo in gray background but Visa Facilitation Services (“VFS”) Manila refused to accept it and asked me for a photo with white background (good thing I had a spare); 

e.      Travel insurance. As I mentioned in my UK visa post, it is very important that you have travel insurance, not just because it is a visa requirement. We were in Paris once when my father got sick and we did not pay a cent for his hospital visit and lab tests.

     I suggest that you get travel insurance on a no cash-out basis in case something happens. While the premium for this type of insurance is higher compared to the reimbursement type of insurance, I’ve heard horror stories where some were not able to get reimbursed by their insurance companies for their hospital expenses during their travels.

We used FPG Insurance (Travel – Plus Elite Plan) for our Baltic cruise and UK tour. While we did not get to use our insurance (thankfully!) during our trip, I chose this company as it was highly recommended by my travel agent who attested that they were able to use it in European hospitals without issue; and

  f.     Travel itinerary.Breakdown of your travel, i.e. date/s where you will be staying at each of the Schengen countries you will visit and a general description of what you will do on said dates.

3.         Commence online application.  While waiting for the release of your documents, proceed with the online visa application. Visit the website - https://www.vfsglobal.com/Belgium/Philippines/, where you will be directed to make an online application account using your email and chosen password.

4.           Needed information for the online application. VFS Belgium has a dedicated line (+ 63 2 790 4908; Monday-Friday 7AM – 4 PM) that you can call in case you have questions about your application. I called this number several times while I was preparing our application and they were very generous in answering my queries.  

In the online portal, you will need to input the following:

a.         Personal information. Address, nationality, telephone number and number of years that you have lived in the indicated address;

b.         Passport details;

c.          Job details. Occupation, employer’s name, address and telephone number;

d.         Schengen visa/s issued for the past 3 years. Issuing authority and validity dates;

e.          Travel details. Dates of arrival and departure in the Schengen area;

f.           Accommodation details. Name, telephone number and address of accommodation

g.   Details of family member in the Schengen area. Name, nationality, relationship with applicant and passport number;

h.     Means of support during travel. Who will pay for cost of travel and living during applicant’s stay in the Schengen area and means of support (ex. cash, credit card, etc.)

5.      Print/prepare requirements. Once you are done filling up your application online, print the same and prepare supporting documents. Please do not sign your application yet as you need to sign the same at the VFS in front of their personnel. While not required, I also included a cover letter and checklist of our supporting documents.

Aside from the originals, prepare 2 sets of photocopies of your documents listed below. Tip: While it was mentioned in VFS’ website that an applicant need only bring the original plus 1 set of photocopies of supporting documents, we were required to submit another set of photocopies so please bring at least 2 sets of photocopies. VFS charges P15.00 per page for their photocopy services.

         a.    Schengen visa application form
b.    Photocopy of valid and former visa/s
c.    Round-trip airline ticket
d.    International travel insurance
e.    Bank certification
f.    Bank statements
g.   Certificate of employment with leave of absence
h.   Proof of accommodation
i.    Travel itinerary
j.    Birth certificate
k.   Marriage certificate 

6.    Personal appearance and visa fees. Once all your documents are ready, you may already schedule personal appearance at VFS Manila. VFS Manila is located at Ecoplaza Building, Mezzanine Floor, Don Chino Roces Ave, Extension, Makati. Upon submission of your application, you will be required to pay the visa fee of 60 Euros and the VFS service fee of Ph1,260.00.

Your photograph and biometrics shall likewise be taken during your personal appearance.

   7.          Waiting time and release. Turnaround time is fifteen (15) working days but we got ours a little bit earlier. You will receive a text message saying that there is already a decision on your application (without mentioning what that decision is)  and you may proceed to VFS. You just need to bring your receipt to be able to claim. 

8.      Products you may buy at the VFS Center. As mentioned in my UK visa post, VFS sells products that you may use for your travel such as travel insurance, international driver’s license, and the Vodafone sim card. While the sim card is a UK sim, it proved to be very useful in Schengen countries as well. I was able to use its data roaming (for free) during our cruise when we travelled to Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Poland.

    For PhP 975.00, it comes with 20GB 4G data, unlimited UK texts, 250 minutes of UK calls and 5GBP free international calls (which, I was told, translates to 50 mins. of calls to the Philippines). 

 You may notice that the Schengen visa application process is simpler/easier/less tedious (in terms of the information required) compared to the US and UK visa application process. Whatever may be the visa you are applying for, I wish you all the luck and, as always, have a safe travel!!

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