🇪🇺 Schengen (Europe) visa checklist

With a Philippine passport, you need a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa for tourism, family visits or business in the 29 Schengen countries. It lets you stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. You apply to the embassy of the country where you'll spend the most time, through its visa centre in the Philippines (VFS Global, TLScontact or BLS), and you give your fingerprints there in person. ETIAS doesn't apply to you, because it's only for visa-free travellers.

Processing timeUsually 15 days, up to 45

Validity / stayUp to 90 days in any 180-day period

Last checked2026-11-04

Minimum to get there₱51,840up to about ₱68,490 · one adult, visa + flight

Schengen visa fee (EUR 90)Peso amount set by each embassy (Spain ₱6,240, Italy ₱6,409)₱6,240–₱6,409
Visa center service feeDepends on the country you apply to₱1,150–₱1,911
Round-trip flight from Manila (low fare)Recent low fares; changes daily · See today's fares₱40,000–₱55,000
Philippine travel taxPaid when you leave the Philippines₱1,620
Required travel insurance (2 weeks)Must meet the EUR 30,000 rule₱2,830–₱3,550

Not counted: hotel, food and spending money. Flight prices change daily; seat sales can be cheaper.

Full details on timing and validity

Processing: Usually 15 calendar days from the day you apply. It can take up to 45 days if the embassy needs a closer look at your case or asks for more documents. Germany says about 15 calendar days. The Netherlands says 15 days on average and 45 at most. Italy says 15 days, extendable to 30. Spain gives both '5 to 10 working days' and 'up to 15 working days'. Getting an appointment can add several weeks, so apply 1 to 3 months before your trip, or up to 6 months before in peak season (about April to September).

Validity and stay: You can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across all Schengen countries. The embassy decides if your visa is single- or multiple-entry and how long it's valid. First-time applicants usually get a visa for just their trip dates. Under the EU 'cascade' rule, regular travellers can get a 1-year multiple-entry visa after properly using 3 visas in the last 2 years, then a 2-year visa, then a 5-year visa, but never valid past your passport's expiry. The cascade is decided case by case. A visa doesn't guarantee entry: border officers can still ask for proof of money, where you're staying and a return ticket.

Step by step

Pick the right country: the one where you'll spend the most nights. If your nights are split equally, pick the country you'll enter first.
Time it right. You can apply up to 6 months before your trip (9 months for seafarers) and no later than 15 days before. Apply early: Manila appointments can be booked up for weeks, and the German embassy says waits are currently up to one month.
Fill in the application form. France uses the online France-Visas form, and the Netherlands uses its online form at consular.mfaservices.nl. Italy, Spain and Germany use a printed, signed Schengen form. Follow the embassy's checklist for your reason for travel.
Book your appointment yourself on the official visa centre site (VFS Global, TLScontact or BLS), not through a fixer. Everyone, including each child, needs their own appointment.
Gather your documents: originals plus one A4 photocopy of each. Use the common list below, then add the ones for your situation (employed, self-employed, student or sponsored).
Go to your appointment in person. Your 10 fingerprints and photo are taken, unless you gave fingerprints for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months or you're under 12. Children under 12 still have to come. You pay the visa fee and the centre's service fee there.
Track your application with your reference number. The visa centre tells you when your passport is ready, but not whether you were approved.
Pick up your passport, or have it couriered back. If you're approved, the visa sticker is in your passport. Check the dates, number of entries and number of days before you book non-refundable travel.
At the border, the Entry/Exit System (EES) records your fingerprints and face the first time you enter. Passports aren't stamped anymore. Carry copies of your hotel bookings, return ticket, insurance and proof of money.

Where to apply

Apply to the country you'll spend the most nights in. If it's equal, the one you enter first.

France	TLScontact centres in Manila (9th Floor, 1 Proscenium Tower, Estrella, Makati) and Cebu. TLScontact has handled France since 13 December 2023, so older guides that name VFS are out of date. First fill in the online form on France-Visas, then book at TLScontact.
Italy	VFS Global Italy centres in Taguig (Ground Floor, One Campus Place, Building A, McKinley Hill), Cebu (Kepwealth Center), Batangas (Xentro Mall) and Davao (Felcris Centrale). Walk-ins are OK for an extra fee.
Spain	BLS International Spain centres in Manila (Makati) and Cebu. Book on the BLS appointment site.
Germany	VFS Global in Manila or Cebu. You must apply in person, with an appointment.
Netherlands	VFS Global in Makati or Cebu. First fill in the online form at consular.mfaservices.nl, then book one appointment for each person.

Travel insurance is required

It's required by EU law. Your visa must be refused if you don't show proof of proper, valid travel medical insurance.
It must cover the cost of being sent home for medical reasons, urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment, or death during your stay.
The minimum cover is EUR 30,000. Spain accepts the same amount in local currency.
It must be valid in every Schengen country, for every day of your trip. Add a day or two extra in case your flight is delayed.
Multiple-entry visas: you need insurance for your first planned trip, and you sign a statement on the form that you'll buy insurance for later trips.
Buy it in the Philippines if you can. EU law says you should, in principle, get it in the country where you live. Someone else, like a sponsor, can buy it in your name if it meets the same rules.
Use an insurer the embassy accepts. Germany, Italy (list dated 17 July 2025) and other embassies publish lists of insurers they accept. Other insurers are OK only if the policy clearly shows every requirement. Embassies check that a claim could really be paid in Europe.
Age limits: the Danish embassy says a policy can't cut emergency or medical cover by age so that it falls below the EUR 30,000 minimum. Seniors, check the fine print.
Seafarers already covered through their work can be exempt. Diplomatic passport holders are exempt.

What it costs

Schengen visa fee, adult (12 and over)EUR 90

The same in every Schengen country since 11 June 2024 (it was EUR 80 before). You pay in pesos at the visa centre, and the peso amount changes with the exchange rate. Examples: Italy ₱6,409 (October to December 2026 rate); Spain ₱6,240; Germany ₱6,280 and Netherlands ₱6,420 (May 2026 figures, not yet confirmed — check the embassy page). The fee isn't refunded if you're refused.

Schengen visa fee, child 6 to under 12EUR 45

Italy ₱3,205 (October to December 2026); Spain ₱3,120.

Schengen visa fee, child under 6Free

Spouses and children of EU citizens are also exempt in many cases. Check with the embassy.

Italy: VFS service fee₱1,911 (VAT included)

Walk-ins cost extra.

Spain: BLS service fee₱1,170 (VAT included)

Paid in cash. Children under 6 don't pay. Some BLS info and older guides say ₱900, so the fee may have changed.

Germany: VFS service feeAbout ₱1,150 (Manila)

Not yet confirmed — check the VFS page. The German embassy page doesn't list it. Some guides say about ₱1,210 in Cebu.

Netherlands: VFS service feeEUR 19 / about ₱1,175

Shown on the VFS Netherlands Philippines page. The Dutch government says you 'always pay VFS Global service costs'.

France: TLScontact service feeNot confirmed

Not yet confirmed — check the TLScontact Philippines site. Travel guides say about EUR 25 to 30, paid in pesos.

Legal cap on service feesMax EUR 45

EU law says a visa centre's service fee can't be more than half the visa fee. Extras like courier, SMS, premium lounge or photocopies cost more and are optional.

Typical total, one adultAbout ₱7,400 to 8,300 plus insurance

Our own estimate: visa fee plus service fee at November 2026 rates. Travel insurance and document costs are extra.

Things you'll need to book

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Tips that help you get approved

Apply to the right embassy. Your itinerary and hotel bookings must show that the country you apply to is your main destination (most nights). Spain says it only processes itineraries with Spain as the main destination.
Book appointments only on the official VFS, TLScontact or BLS site. Avoid fixers and 'slot sellers'. Embassies say to book yourself.
Don't buy non-refundable flights before you have the visa. Use a flight reservation and refundable or free-cancellation hotel bookings.
Your bank statements should look normal. Big unexplained deposits just before you apply are a red flag. The checklist asks for 6 months of regular activity.
Make the numbers add up. The money in your account should be enough to cover your daily costs, hotels and flights for the trip.
Bring originals plus one A4 photocopy of everything. PSA documents should be PSA-issued copies.
Buy insurance for your exact trip dates plus a little extra, from an insurer on the embassy's accepted list, with at least EUR 30,000 cover for all Schengen countries.
Use the visa the way you said you would: at least on your first trip, enter through and stay longest in the country that issued it. Using your visas properly is what helps you get longer multiple-entry visas later.
Count your days. Overstaying even one day is recorded by the EES and can hurt future applications.
The most common refusal reasons: your trip's purpose isn't believable or doesn't match your bookings; not enough money or suspicious bank records; doubts you'll come home (weak job or business ties); documents that look fake or don't add up; missing insurance or insurance that doesn't meet the rules; applying to the wrong embassy; already using 90 of the last 180 days; or an earlier overstay recorded in the Schengen system.
If you're refused, the letter says why and how to appeal. Germany stopped its free review ('remonstration') on 1 July 2025, so you now either go to court in Berlin or reapply with stronger documents.

Confirm these before you go

Official sources disagree or haven't said yet. Check the embassy page.

France's TLScontact service fee in pesos is not yet confirmed — check the TLScontact site. We also couldn't read the France-Visas document list for Filipinos directly, so the France details are based on the French embassy's December 2023 announcement.
Spain's fees don't match across pages. The Spanish embassy Manila page still says EUR 80 (out of date since June 2024), while the BLS page charges ₱6,240, which matches EUR 90. The BLS service fee shows as ₱1,170 on one BLS page and ₱900 elsewhere. Check the BLS site before you pay.
Germany and Netherlands peso fees and VFS service fees come from a BDO bank fee list (May 2026) and previews of VFS pages, not from pages we could open in full. Peso amounts change with the exchange rate, often every quarter. Not yet confirmed — check the VFS page.
Processing times: the EU standard is 15 days (up to 45), but VFS Italy says 'extendable to 30', and the BLS Spain page gives both 5 to 10 working days and up to 15 working days. Appointment waits change month to month.
ETIAS start date: officially 'not in operation', with no date. The report that the Q4 2026 target was dropped (19 October 2026) is not yet confirmed. Either way, it doesn't affect Filipinos.
Italy's 2026 'fully digital visa' was widely reported for 1 June 2026, but Italy's foreign ministry (Farnesina) and the Manila embassy haven't confirmed it, and the Manila pages still describe the paper and VFS process. This is not yet confirmed — check the embassy page.
Multiple-entry 'cascade': we found no EU decision just for the Philippines (there are ones for India, Thailand, Indonesia and others). The standard cascade applies, at each embassy's discretion.
The German embassy's Schengen visa page is dated 25 July 2022, so its document list may be older than what they ask for now. The Netherlands page shows no date.
Centre addresses can change. Confirm on the VFS, TLS or BLS site before you go. The Spain BLS Makati address differs between sources.

What changed recently

Visa fee: EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to under 12 since 11 June 2024 (it was EUR 80 and EUR 40). Some websites claim another increase in June 2026, but that's not confirmed. The EU and the embassies still list EUR 90.
Bulgaria and Romania became full Schengen members on 1 January 2025, making 29 Schengen countries. Your Schengen visa now covers them for land travel too. Cyprus and Ireland are still not in Schengen.
Entry/Exit System (EES): it started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully running at all outer Schengen borders since 10 April 2026. It records your name, passport details, fingerprints, face photo and entry and exit dates, and it replaces passport stamps. Expect a longer border check the first time.
ETIAS doesn't apply to Filipinos. It's a travel authorisation only for visa-free travellers, and you need a visa instead. The EU says ETIAS is 'currently not in operation'. News reports from October 2026 say the EU dropped its 'last quarter of 2026' target and no start date is set (not yet confirmed). Watch out for websites selling 'ETIAS' to Filipinos.
Digital Schengen visa: EU Regulation (EU) 2023/2667 will move applications to an EU online platform and replace the visa sticker with a digital visa. It's not live yet, and reports point to about 2028. Italy announced its own online visa system in 2026, but its Manila embassy and VFS pages still describe in-person VFS appointments with printed forms.
Germany: since 1 July 2025 the embassy no longer accepts 'remonstration' (a request for a free review of a refusal). You can appeal in court in Berlin or reapply.
Czech Republic: since 1 July 2025 VFS charges a non-refundable EUR 20 fee just to register an appointment for Czech visas. We haven't seen this for France, Italy, Spain, Germany or the Netherlands.
Italy: fingerprints have been required for Italian Schengen and national visas since 11 January 2025. They're kept for 59 months.

🇪🇺 Schengen (Europe) visa checklist

Step by step

Where to apply

Travel insurance is required

Your document checklist

Everyone needs

Plus, depending on you

What it costs

Things you'll need to book

For your application

After your visa is approved

Before you fly

While you are there

Tips that help you get approved

Confirm these before you go

What changed recently

Official sources