Schengen Visa Application

[mama squeak!]

@tr1x, you can send a letter of authorisation with the person who will be claiming your visas. Make sure dala nya passports nyo since it's a stick on visa. That's what I did when my hubby claimed my visa for me at the French embassy.

[italiandoll]

Guys how do you get confirmed flight reservations without paying yet for the visa application? I checked the sites of different airlines, most require the payment already so instead of just reserving, i'd be purchasing the tickets.  Should I call their offices to book through phone and get a flight reservation cert or something? We'll be applying for the visa in Aug since our trip will be in Oct, is it  too early to get  flight reservations? Thanks much! 

[mama squeak!]

^sis, call the airline directly and make reservations with them. They will give you a confirmed itinerary with a deadline option to purchase the ticket. You can also tell them that you need the booking to apply for a schengen visa. Or you can also get in touch with a travel agent.

[italiandoll]

^thanks much 

[mommy_donya]

Has anyone here tried claiming their visas from the french embassy A DAY AFTER THE DATE stamped on the claim stub? Kelangan ba na you claim the visa on that day mismo or ok lang the next day pa? we're not from manila kasi and i was waiting for the embassy to call us before booking airline tickets to Manila.girl from the embassy told me she's going to call so i would know if both nannies should claim the visas personally or just one of them) but i didnt get any call.

[jellyjelly]

hi sis, pwede na bang magpaschedule ng interview kahit wala pa akong passport? sa june 28 pa kasi yung sched ko sa DFA then august yung trip namin. so baka hindi na ako umabot if antayin ko pa yung passport # ko. please help. thanks!:)

[italiandoll]

Guys, just sharing, if any of you will be flying with KLM, I confirmed with their office that just in case your visa gets denied, you'll get a full refund (flight + taxes) except for the booking fee of 10 USD, just present the letter from the embassy.  This is regardless of whether it was booked online or through phone, the only difference is phone bookings require an additional 10 USD/ ticket booking fee (which is nonrefundable).  They said they only implemented this last month.

This might be better than booking your flight through travel agencies coz some agencies' fare rates are steeper than the fares online.

[foxymom]

^ wow! Thanks so much Italiandoll! Extremely good news for us! We are travelling during the holiday season and was worried we wont be able to get seats if we wait for the visa


From which embassy is it easier in getting a visa? Rome/Italy or France? Or first stop is Rome and hubby and I both have US Visas.

TIA!

[Starlust]

^not sure which is easier because I've only applied with the French Embassy but you have to apply at the embassy of the country that's your first destination
I'm going back to the French embassy next week for another visa. Target travel date is September hayyy sana may murang tickets ulit!!!
Last year cheapest was 480 euros round with Saudia!

[foxymom]

^wow, 480 euros? coming from manila? or middle east?

[Starlust]

^Paris CDG-Riyadh-Manila with a 2 hour layover in Riyadh. Not bad no?

My fiancé's cousin who visited us here in May this year was able to get the same but he bought a few months in advance.

[foxymom]

^yes not bad at all! how was the aircraft? di naman smelly? hehe

[Starlust]

Hahaha OK naman On the Riyadh-Manila (or VV) legs halos puro OFW din kasabay mo.

[witch_goddess]

Hi mga sis!
Questions lang

1.Has anyone tried applying for a Schengen visa through German Embassy?
2.How was the experience?
3.How much would be estimated cost for the visa payment?
4.Do you need to show a bank account kung yung pagbisita mo ay sponsored ng relative mo who is a German citizen?
5. What are the chances or grounds na ma deny ang visa application mo?

thanks!

[mama squeak!]

^Applying for a schengen visa at the German embassy is so easy. By nature Germans are so efficient even their website shows this, kumpleto sa mga detalye. Hubby applied for a tourist visa here last year. That time he already had a valid business visa issued by the French embassy kaya di daw sya masyado nahirapan sa application. Check the link below:

http://www.manila.diplo.de/Vertretung/manila/en/01/Visabestimmungen/Visaverfahren__und__downloads.html

 

[italiandoll]

@foxymom: you're welcome!

The difference between my agency's airfare quote and the online fare was almost 460 USD din.

[chubchik]

mga sis, question, has anyone here tried to pass an expedia booking for the flight booking needed for the schengen visa sa french embassy? pwede ba un? kasi diba dapat wag muna mag purchase ng tickets until ma approve yung visa?

[Starlust]

Quicker na pala processing now at the French Embassy compared to last year
10 days nalang. Last year it was an agonizing 2 weeks.

This woman who was chatting me up earlier at the embassy told me her intentions to go TNT, nakakaloka!! I wanted to give her a lecture on how people like her are one of the main reasons why the honest ones have trouble securing tourist visas eh.
@chubchik - not sure about Expedia. The two times I applied kasi (last year and today) I had flight bookings made by my friend's agency - these are temporary bookings lang - no obligation to purchase.

[vhanya]

^hay naku i have an officemate like that too. his japan visa was denied this year so he wants to apply with me again next yr para daw ma-approve sya. he has intentions of going TNT rin! sabi ko, wag na lang kasi baka masama pa ako sa kalokohan nya

[Starlust]

^At one point she even asked me if I had plans of going TNT. Kalokaaa lang!
BTW current visa fee is 3730 at the French Embassy - no coins so prepare 4 20 pesos + 1 50 pesos and whatever combi to come up with the remaining 3600