Applying for Schengen Visa at the Consulate of Netherlands in Cebu

As fate would have it, I found myself gathering documents for Schengen Visa again but this time it’s for the purpose of tourism where the expenses are fully paid by me and me alone.

My planned destination this time is Netherlands and Germany but since Netherlands is my main destination and first point of entry, I went to the Consulate of Netherlands located in Metaphil Building, Tipolo to submit my application. At least I save money because I’m so tired of going all the way to Manila just for visa processing.

NOTA BENE: Please wear proper attire with closed shoes when going to the consulate of Netherlands

So, based from the Embassy of Netherlands website, the list of documents for tourism were:

1. A passport, valid until at least three months after completion of the intended journey. CHECKED

2. One fully, correctly and clearly completed application form, duly dated and signed. CHECKED

3. Two recent* passport-size (3.5 by 4.5 cm) photograph, against light (e.g. white) background. CHECKED

4. All previous passports. CHECKED

5. For employees: An original letter from your employer or company, approving your leave of absence. Proof of employment: a recent employer’s’ statement that should mention salary, date of entry and duration of absence. CHECKED

6. A flight-reservation upon submission of your application. Do not purchase your ticket before your visa application has been approved! CHECKED

7. Confirmed hotel reservation for the whole travel period, including all other countries that you are going to visit, to be faxed by the hotel directly to the embassy (fax no +63 2 7866644). CHECKED

8. Travelinsurance for the whole duration of stay. CHECKED

9. Income of applicant: As available means an applicant should have €34,– per day to spent when he or she will provide own expenses for the trip. CHECKED with my bank certificate and bank statement of account as proof!

Although cover letter, photocopy of credit card and its statement of account, 3 months worth of payslip and NSO birth certificate were not listed in the website but I submitted them anyway and the woman at the consulate checked all of them. She even calculated the number of days of my trip multiplied by 34 Euro because that’s supposed to be the money I have since I’ll be financing this trip myself.

How did the interview went? These were the questions thrown at me:

1. What’s your job, how long have you been working and how much is your salary? I’m an Engineer since January 3, 2005 at so and so with a salary of so and so.

2. How many siblings you have, what are your parents’ job and are you living with your parents? I have 2 siblings and I’m the eldest. My parents worked for St Peter Memorial Plans and I live with my parents.

3. Have you travelled before and where? I’ve been to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, HongKong, Macau and Belgium.

4. Do you have any friends or acquaintances in Europe and how did you get to Belgium? I only have a sister in Belgium and she was my host last year.

5. Why didn’t you do the same thing again today and have your sister as your host? My sister and her family will be travelling this August and will not be able to accommodate me. Also, I’ve already seen Belgium and for this trip, I want to see Netherlands and Germany.

6. The woman then checked my hotel accommodations and asked: You are staying in Amsterdam, travel to Berlin and stay again in Amsterdam for 1 night before coming back to Philippines? YES.

And that’s it. She asked money for visa fee and gave me a slip of paper which is to be my claim stub for my passport and told me to wait for the embassy in Manila or consulate in Cebu to contact me. 

{UPDATE: May 17, 2012}

I submitted  my visa application and had my interview on May 4, 2012.  I was expecting some 20 working days before I hear any news but on May 17, 2012, I received an sms that my passport WITH VISA is now ready for pick up at consulate Cebu anytime.  Yipppee!

NOTA BENE: It is important to have a photocopy of all the documents you submitted to the Consulate because the immigration officers at Philippine airport can be a pain in the ass sometimes.

P.S.
I have EasyTravel & Tours to thank for number 6 – 8 requirement.

EASYTRAVEL & TOURS, INC.
2nd Flr GMC Alpha Arcade
ML Quezon National Highway, Pajo
Lapu-Lapu City, 6015 Cebu
PHILIPPINES
***
Phone : ++63 (32) 340.1424
Tel/Fax: ++63 (32) 495.4722
E: info@easytravelcebu.com, easytravelreservation@yahoo.com
W: http://www.easytravelcebu.com/

Tourist Visa Application – Cover Letter

Is cover letter necessary when applying for tourist visa? It wasn’t listed at Belgian Embassy website and I wasn’t asked for it when I went to apply my Short Stay Family Visit or also known as Schengen Visa but for those who needed to make one to summarize purpose and intentions similar to when one is applying for a job, here’s a sample that I made.

I’m not an expert but I thought it’s good to make a sample highlighting the following information:

1. Type of visa one is applying

2. How the expenses will be covered and corresponding proof of documents enclosed

3. Proof of ties to make sure that you will not suddenly “disappear” and become an illegal immigrant

4. Accommodation details, how one planned to spend the days and again, corresponding proof of documents

To all applicants, Veel Geluk!

**********************************

Embassy of Belgium
Multinational Bancorporation Center
9th Floor – 6805 Ayala Avenue
Makati City, Philippines

Sub: Jane Doe, Philippine Passport No. XX1234567, Short Stay Family Visit Visa

Dear Sir/Madam:

I would like to apply for a short stay family visit visa to see my sister, Mary Doe for a period of 24 days starting August 4 – 27, 2011.

I am employed at Tarzan Corporation located in Forest Gump, Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines since January 2005 and currently holding the position of Engineer I. Vacation from work has already been approved.

I have more than enough savings to cover the cost of my plane ticket while all other expenses will be sponsored by my sister such as food and accommodation at her place in Markt, Belgium.

Aside from seeing my relatives, I also plan to do some sightseeing like the Atomium and Mini-europe in Brussels, Markt and Burg square in Bruges, etc.

Please find the following documents to support my visa application enclosed herewith:

* Passport showing my travel experiences – Thailand, Macau, Hongkong, Malaysia and Singapore

* Birth Certificates of my sister and I on NSO Security Paper proving our relationship

*My sister’s document: Annexe 3bis/Verbintenis Tot Tenlasteneming; photocopy of her Belgian ID card; Composition de Menage/Samenstelling Van Het Gezin; and her payslips

* Employment certificate and Leave approvals showing the date I’m expected to report back in the office

*My own payslips, ITR, copies of credit cards, bank certificates and bank statements

*Plane ticket booking reservation at Qatar Airways with itinerary Cebu-Doha-Brussels-Doha-Cebu.

I hope my visa application for this scheduled trip will result to a favorable response. For questions and clarifications, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe
Cebu City 6000, Phil.
Home: (63) +32 123-4567
Mobile: (63) 908- 12345678
Office: (63) + 32 987-6543 local 8520
Email: janedoe@yahoo.com

Chartis Insurance for Schengen Visa

I don’t really care much for insurance because I believe that it’s like buying a lottery ticket where you give money to the company but you aren’t 100% sure that you will win or get something in return. Unfortunately insurance is a requirement for some countries like Belgium where the embassy notified me first that my visa has been approved but before they will release it, I have to buy a round-trip plane ticket with confirmed dates and you guessed it right, travel insurance.

Aside from meeting certain conditions like having a coverage of 30,000 Euros and should be valid in all Schengen countries for the whole duration of stay, travel insurance must be bought from reputable companies too.

The following are the only Philippine Insurance company that Belgium accepts:

ACE Secure
Chartis Insurance (formerly known as Philam Insurance/AIU Insurance)
Assist-Card
Blue Cross
Fortune General Ins. Corp.
Generali Pilipinas
MAA Insurance
Malayan Insurance
MAPFRE
Paramount Life and General Insurance Co.
Standard Insurance Co.
UCPB General Insurance Co. Inc.
Worldwide Travel Insurance Plans
Everest International Group Administrators

Out of the choices being offered, I chose Chartis Insurance Travel Guard Enhanced with a coverage of 2.5 Million pesos because it’s what my trusted travel agency, Easy Travel Cebu, offered. And so far, my experience with Chartis customer service has been nothing but Class A.

Now, I’m not sure if I will ever get to use this insurance but since I’ll be in expensive Europe for 28 days and who knows whether or not I’ll be stranded due to Iceland Volcano that-must-Not-be-named, I find that spending 3026 pesos (50 euro) from Chartis is actually cheap.

 CHARTIS PHILIPPINES
For further queries, feel free to call our Customer Service Toll-free at 1-800-1-888-5928, Mondays thru Fridays (except on holidays), from 8am to 5pm or e-mail the undersigned at wecare.phl@chartisinsurance.com.

Chartis Philippines Insurance, Inc.
(Formerly known as AIU Insurance (Philippines) Company, Inc.)
47th Floor PBCOM Tower
6795 Ayala Avenue Corner V.A. Rufino Street
1226 Makati City, Philippines

Emergency Assistance:
24-hours Hotline
Philippines: (632) 878 1280
Malaysia: (603) 2772 5672

Getting to Belgium Embassy in Manila

Are you familiar of the expression “Filipino Time”? This means that it’s NORMAL for Filipinos to be fashionably late in any event. Like an hour or two hours late. This also applies to airlines when Cebu Pacific delayed my flight for an hour due to “late turnaround of the aircraft”. So instead of 11:40, I arrived at 12:40 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

There’s a bus station outside the arrival hall which cost 20 pesos and the last stop is behind this Sogo Hotel near Taft Avenue MRT 3 Station. And since Manila is famous for mad traffic, I got there at 13:30.

I was advised to take a taxi but being a cheapskate, I decided to take MRT3 instead that will take me to Ayala Avenue for only 10 pesos. From there on, I brisk walked/run the whole 1.6 km to get to 6805 Ayala Avenue where the office of Belgium Embassy is located.

My date with the embassy was scheduled at 13:30 but I got there at 14:05.

The email from embassy says that I could claim my passport at 13:30 ONLY but I thought, hmm, what could they possibly do with MY passport if I was a bit late?  Well, they could have rescheduled the releasing of my passport to next Friday because it turned out that embassy people worked half day only during Friday.  I could have wasted the whole day, not to mention money on flights if I missed them but praise the Lord, they were still in the office when I arrived.

The Filipino woman raised her voice a bit at me though when she said: NEXT TIME, COME TO THE EMBASSY ON TIME!

Instructions:

I got my passport with my visa showing my ugly face and was told to report to local city hall at my sister’s town within 8 days from the date of my arrival. And as soon as I get back to Philippines, I have to fly again to Manila to give whatever papers the city hall in Belgium gave me between 10 – 11 AM, Mondays to Fridays.

After I got my passport, I took my lunch and retraced my steps.  When I got to the airport, my stomach decided to go weird on me that I ran to the counter and practically begged the woman to check me in first because I’m in dire need of a bathroom. I don’t know how many times I said the word PLEASE at that time.  And praise the Lord again, I got to the bathroom in the nick of time before my anus started to vomit.

AH, SUCCESS!!

Surviving an Interview at the Embassy

Embassy interview is a scary thing for most Filipinos.  When I confessed to mom that I was a bit scared, she said:  “Don’t be an idiot.  You’ve gone through panel interview by 3 PhD holders when you had your scientific thesis and you aced it.  The embassy will just be a walk in the park for you”.  Leave it to mom to insult and praise me at the same time.

So what happened at the Embassy of Belgium in Manila?

I left my backpack with the security guard except for my papers and pen.  There were about 50 of us in a tiny room when two Filipino women arrived and started calling names.  It was a bit unnerving to be answering questions with 50ish people eavesdropping but as I have no choice with the matter and everyone had to go through the same experience anyway, I tried to quell the butterflies in my stomach and answer the questions thrown at me as truthfully as possible.

The questions:

Who are you visiting in Belgium?  sister

How did your sister got to Belgium?  Spousal Visa

She got married in Belgium?  No, she got married in Philippines

What’s your sister’s name?  Richenda

What do you do?  I’m an Engineer

How much is your Salary?  It is stated in my employment certificate

And have you got an approved leave from your work?  Yes, it’s attached in my employment certificate as well

Is your leave with pay or without pay?  Both. 

How many siblings you’ve got?  Two

What do your parents do?  Mom is a marketing supervisor in an insurance company.

And your father?  He doesn’t work anymore

Are you married?  I’m still single.

And have you got kids?  I have no kids

Where do you live?  With my Parents

What are you going to do in Belgium?  Visit my sister and sightseeing

Is this your first passport?  No ma’am

Have you traveled before? Yes

Where?  In Asia only

Which countries?  Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau

Did you travel for business?  For tourism only

In what language do you want the results in, French, Dutch or German?  Dutch please

Then I was given a slip of paper with Visa Number 12345 (Dont throw this paper away until you return to the embassy to claim your passport) in case I want to make follow-up but that they will contact me for the result as soon as available.

The bad thing is that if I got rejected, I’d have to buy a plane ticket again bound for Manila to retrieve my passport.  At least, if I get approved, I’d be HAPPY while I buy another plane ticket bound for Manila to get my passport with visa. 

My interview tip: Avoid flowery words. Answer the question directly as possible.

Proverbs 10:19

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise

Mom called me and asked if she should start buying pasalubong (gifts) already  and I said, NOOOOO  don’t buy one yet!! 

How long to suffer before the result was given?

I got interviewed last May 20 and received an email on June 16 informing me that my visa application has been approved and that I need to email my e-ticket and travel insurance to the embassy .  Yippee!