Schengen Visa Application (Visit Family/Friends)

In 2019, I invited my favorite cousin to attend my wedding in Germany. She was sponsored by my-then fiancé and she applied for a Visitor Visa. She was a government employee at the time of visa application and submitted a different set of documents as proof of employment. I asked her to kindly share her experience. This is her story.

A couple of years ago I won an all-expense-paid-trip to Europe. Just kidding. Here’s the story. My cousin chose me to be her Maid of Honor and the wedding took place in Germany. The entire trip was sponsored by her fiancé. I was ecstatic. Who wouldn’t be? It was a special family event set to happen in the heart of Europe. So before I get too excited (and nostalgic) and ramble on my dream turned reality Euro experience, let’s start from the very beginning.

Part I: The Documentation

It was in the middle of January 2019 when my cousin told me to make the necessary preparations for the trip which was scheduled at the end of May. There are two things on top of the list. First, I needed to have my application for leave approved by the company so I can secure a Travel Authority. Confident that I have enough leave credits and that my work assignments can be managed, I submitted the application to our head office and two weeks later the documents were released. The Travel Authority is a requirement of the Bureau of Immigration for government employees who will be going out the country either for personal or official business. Yes, I was a government employee at the time and the trip was personal.

If the first one was manageable, the second thing posed a challenge. I needed to apply for a Schengen Visa. I have heard of it but I haven’t tried getting one. So what is it and why is it important? It is an official document which will allow its holder a short stay in the Schengen area, which covers 26 countries or Schengen States, without border controls between them. “Short stay” meaning not to exceed 90 days over a 6 month period starting from the entry date stated in the visa. Since I am a Filipino traveler who will be visiting Germany which is a Schengen State, I needed to have one. Simply stated, the “No visa, No entry” policy applies.

To have a better grasp of the visa application procedure, I visited the German Embassy Manila website where I gathered more details on the type of visa, the documentary requirements and where to submit. It was on the same year that the embassy transferred the receiving of short stay visa applications to VFS Global, a service provider company.

After having a thorough understanding of the type of visa which I needed to apply for, I started gathering documents and most importantly, accomplished the online Visa Application Form. It required some personal information of both my sponsor and I and of course the details of my trip such as:

• Main Purpose(s) of the Journey: Visit of family or friends
• Member State of first entry: Germany
• Number of Entries Requested: Multiple entries
• Duration of intended stay or transit (number of days): 24
• Cost of traveling and living during the applicant’s stay is covered: By a sponsor

While waiting for the VFS Global website to become available and for me to be able to book an appointment, I made sure that I have all the necessary documents based on the checklist (an updated version can be found here). Other than the ones listed, my sponsor went the extra mile by writing a letter addressed to the Embassy to further state in detail the purpose of my trip, my close relationship to his fiancé, our relationship as sponsor and applicant, and additional information proving my rootedness or deep ties to my country. Hereunder is the list of documents we have gathered/prepared:

1. VFS Visit Visa Checklist

2. Passport

3. Two current biometric passport pictures

4. Visa Application Form

5. Declaration according to § 54 AufenthG

6. Formal Obligation (provided by the sponsor)

7. Travel Health Insurance (also provided by the sponsor)

8. Proof of Employment -

• Income Tax Return
• Certificate of Employment
• Appointment Paper and Company ID
• Travel Authority

9. Approved Application for Leave Abroad

10. Employee Clearance

11. Proof of Real Estate Property – Land Title

12. Letter addressed to the Embassy (prepared by Sponsor) and copies of the following:

• Wedding Invitation
• Marriage Registration (Form 11/121)
• Birth Certificate of my cousin and I
• Marriage Certificate of our parents
• My cousin’s passport
• Flight and hotel bookings (proof that my cousin and I are traveling together to Manila for our respective visa appointments)
• Sponsor’s passport (proof of his travels to the Philippines)
• My roundtrip airline ticket (Manila to Frankfurt and vice versa) --- note that this is not a requirement, an Itinerary will suffice. It just happened that my sponsor has decided to buy the airline tickets for me and my cousin ahead of our visa applications.
• My Certificate of Registration to the University of the Philippines Open University (I was enrolled in a master’s program at the time)

The process of booking an appointment at the VFS Global website was easy. First, I created an account which required an email address. After the email validation, I was redirected to the booking page to fill in the application details, personal information and pick an appointment date. Upon successful booking, I received an email confirmation with instructions and a pdf copy of the Appointment Letter.

Part II: The Visa Application Experience

The day came for me to personally submit my application for visa at VFS Global Manila. It was an estimated 15 minute taxi ride from the hotel we were staying but considering the traffic in the area, I traveled early. When I got there, I noticed that the ground floor was a bit crowded. It wasn’t a surprise though since they cater to visa applications for several countries.

The Visa Application Centre (VAC) is on the mezzanine floor and applicants will only be allowed at the entrance 5 minutes before their scheduled appointment time. There was no designated waiting area but there were cafés and food stalls at the ground floor. Some went in for coffee, others sat on the stairs while most just stood by the rails. I opted to find a corner spot and waited until it was my turn to come up.

At the entrance, we waited in line for instructions from the security personnel. I made sure to have my Appointment Letter and Passport ready. After the security check, we were directed to the Reception Area where documentary requirements were pre-screened. I was also notified that per security requirement only a clear envelope containing application related documents will be allowed inside. I had with me a shoulder bag so I rented a locker.

The VAC was divided into small offices with signs as to which country. After the baggage deposit, I went directly to the Germany Visa Application Centre. I was given a priority number and was advised to get inside, take a seat and wait for my number to be called. It was also at this point that the Courier and SMS Request Form was given for us to fill in while waiting.

When it was my turn, I handed over the documents to the screening officer at the counter. She began checking it and notified me that my application needed to be re-typed and reprinted since I missed to indicate details on Item No. 2 Surname at Birth (former family name). I told her that I left it blank considering that my civil status is single however she said I need to indicate therein my middle name. I had the option to do it myself but that would certainly cause much delay.

After signing the updated application form, there was a brief interview. The questions as far as I can remember were as follows:

• Saan pupunta?
• Purpose of travel?
• Sino ikakasal? (repeated a couple of times during the conversation)
• Lalabas ng Germany?
• First travel overseas?
• Ano na ang mga napuntahan? (while browsing my passport)

When the interview was completed, she started removing some documents from the set I’ve submitted but I politely informed her that those were supporting documents as mentioned in the letter addressed to the German Embassy, hence they must be included. Fees were paid then I was instructed to proceed to another counter for the collection of biometric information (finger print and digital photo). This was the final step in the document submission process at the Germany Visa Application Centre. The processing would normally take about two to three weeks.

To give you an idea of the processing cost, below is a rundown of fees at the time:

• Visa                             Php 4,650
• VFS Service Fee                   960
• Re-typing Fee*                      480
• Courier Service                     400
• SMS Tracking Service*         150
• Baggage Fee                          75

      *optional

Four days after I submitted my documents, the German Embassy Manila contacted me through my mobile number. After confirming that it was I on the line, she mentioned my application and threw in some questions.

• What’s the purpose of your visit?
• May role sa wedding?
• You are working at…do you have an approved application for leave?
• Is it “with pay”?
• How many leave credits in a year? Paano ba ma-earn?
• How old?
• Civil status?
• May anak?
• Sino kasama papunta?
• She applied for what type of visa and when?
• Who will shoulder the expenses?
• Lalabas ng Germany?
• May other relatives in Germany or in Europe?
• Ikaw lang ba invited?

She ended the interview by saying that my passport will be delivered via courier to my address. Nine days later, I received the pouch containing my passport with the approved 30-day, multiple entry Schengen Visa in one of its pages.

For a first time visa applicant I must admit that there was some sort of anxiety while I anticipate the process and how it would turn out. Fortunately, everything went well. It took preparation and a lot of valuable inputs from my cousin and her fiancé. You have to know your documents by heart, answer truthfully and it might be a cliché but remember to always be your (awesome) self.