Dutch Consulate Manila – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Netherlands Schengen Visa

The Netherlands is a wonderful Schengen country where visitors come in their thousands to experience all that it has to offer. Amsterdam is great for its architecture, canals and museums and you could easily spend the day just wandering around. Rotterdam has a lively nightlife and an impressive art scene. You’ll also find a windmill or two and a good place to see them is Kinderdijk. South Limberg is the place to go for greenery and Texel is great for outdoor pursuits such as hiking or cycling. In this article, learn more about how to apply for Netherlands visa at the Dutch consulate in Manila, Philippines, Netherlands visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Netherlands visa application center, flight itinerary for Netherlands visa, hotel bookings for Netherlands visa, Schengen travel insurance for Netherlands visa application, and Netherlands Visa Application Process at the Manila embassy.

Netherlands Schengen Visas

In 2018, there were 682,382 Schengen visas received by the Netherlands embassies and consulates around the world. 86,123 (12.6%) were rejected. The Embassy of the Netherlands in Manila received 42,341 applications and rejected 1,851 (4.4%).

Applying for a Schengen Visa from Manila         

If you are a citizen of the following countries, you do NOT need to apply for a visa for the Netherlands:

If you are a Filipino citizen OR you are a citizen of any other country not listed above, you DO need to apply for a visa to be able to enter and stay in the Netherlands.

You can apply for your visa from Manila if you have a legal right to live in the Philippines on a permanent basis.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Dutch embassy and consulate. The Embassy of the Netherlands has outsourced some visa applications to VFS Global in Manila, so depending on the type of visa you are applying for (see below), you will submit your application to VFS rather than the embassy:

1. Short-stay visas (up to 90 days) – submit your documents to VFS Global in Manila
2. Long-stay visas (over 90 days) – submit your documents to the Embassy of the Netherlands in Manila

It is the embassy who will make the final decision on both short-stay and long-stay visa applications.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Manila

There are different types of visas and the one you need will depend on the duration of your trip to the Netherlands:

1. Short-stay (Schengen) visa for stays up to 90 days
2. Short-stay (Caribbean) visa for stays up to 90 days to travel to other destinations within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, i.e. Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St Eustatius, and St Maarten
3. Long-stay visa (MVV) for stays exceeding 90 days
4. Long-stay (Caribbean) visa for stays exceeding 90 days in Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St Eustatius, and St Maarten
5. Airport transit visa if you are waiting for a connecting flight in the international zone of the airport

Then, you must choose the correct category of visa depending on the reason why you are traveling to the Netherlands:

1. Tourism
2. Business
3. Visiting family or friends
4. Cultural
5. Sports
6. Study
7. Employment
8. Medical reasons

You can also choose the number of times you wish to enter the country within the dates of the approved visa. For example,

1. Single entry – you can enter once only
2. Double entry – you can enter twice
3. Multiple entry – you can enter as many times as you like

Schengen Visa Application Process at VFS Global/the Embassy of the Netherlands in Manila

Visa applications are processed within 15 days, although, some applications could take as many as 30 – 60 days. You may apply up to 90 days ahead, but no earlier. You should submit your application AT LEAST 15 days ahead to leave enough time for your application to be processed.

Here are a few steps to help you apply for your Netherlands visa:

Step 1: Make an appointment

Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can make an appointment on your own by following the steps below

In order to submit your application, you need to make an appointment.

For short-stay Schengen and Caribbean applications:

1. Go to VFS Global’s website and click on: “Schedule an appointment”
2. Click on the link
3. If this is your first time using this system, you will need to register as a new user
4. Then, you can log in and make your appointment to submit your application to VFS Global

For long-stay visa applications:

1. Go to the embassy’s website and click on: “Long-stay visa (MVV)”
2. Select your country/region
3. Scroll down to “Long-stay visa for residents of this country or region” and click on the appointment link
4. On the next page, click on: “Schedule appointment”
5. Next, choose the application category from the drop-down box
6. Fill in your details – title, given name, surname, phone number and email address and continue
7. You will then be able to make a convenient appointment to submit your application to the embassy

Step 2: Complete your application 

To complete your short-stay visa application form, go to the embassy’s website and click on: “Applying for a short-stay Schengen visa in the Philippines”:

Scroll down to the visa application link:

You will be directed to the Consular Services Portal. Click on the type of short-stay visa you are applying for:

Click on: “Start advisor”:

Then, key in the required information and hit “Check advice”:

The system will tell you if you need a visa. Click on: “Start application”:

Then you will be able to complete your short-stay visa application form:

For long-stay visas, go to the embassy’s website and click on: “Applying for a long-stay visa (MVV) for residents of the Philippines”:

Scroll down to “Applying yourself at an embassy or consulate” and click on the cross to expand the overview:

Scroll down to “Which documents should I take to my appointment” and click on the MVV issue form link:

Then you will be able to download the long-stay application form for you to complete and sign it:

If you are applying for a long-stay Caribbean visa, you can find the link for the application form here.

Step 3: Prepare your documents

Before you begin this step, it’s a good idea to spend time getting to know what is required for your visa application. If you submit an incomplete application, it may be rejected. There are checklists available on the embassy’s website, so check these before you begin to prepare your documents.

Documents include:

1. Visa application form
2. Passport valid for at least 3 months past trip and issued within the last 10 years. Must have 2 free pages
3. Previous passports and previous visas with entry/exit stamps (if applicable)
   
4. Proof of residency and valid residence card for the Philippines
5. Work permit
6. Passport photo not older than 6 months. Please see the guidelines for visa application photographs.
7. Travel itinerary
8. Hotel booking (s) for the entire trip OR invitation letter from your host
   
9. Proof of funds – 3 x bank statements
10. Letter from employer confirming duration and purpose of your trip, your job and salary
11. Proof of enrollment in school or university
12. Schengen Travel insurance valid within the Schengen area. At least €30,000 to cover medical costs, hospital care, emergency treatment, and repatriation
13. Birth and/or marriage certificate
14. Consent of parents with ID for minors
15. Sponsorship evidence and/or proof of participation in events
16. Employment contract
17. Pay slips

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2.  Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 4: Attend your appointment

When the day of your appointment arrives, you should go to VFS Global or the Embassy of the Netherlands in Manila depending on the visa you are applying for.

Here are 3 tips for the best chance of a successful appointment:

1. Arrive early to prevent you from having to make a new appointment if you miss the one you have scheduled.
2. Don’t forget anything if you want your application to be processed. If you submit an application with missing documents and signatures, it will not be accepted and you’ll have to make a new appointment
3. Dress smartly if you want to make a good impression

The visa officer will examine your application and they may ask you questions if they wish to clarify anything you have stated. If this happens, don’t worry about it, just answer honestly and keep calm.

Typical questions include:

1. Is this your first time visiting the EU?
2. What do you know about the Netherlands?
3. What do you plan to do in the Netherlands?
4. Are you meeting anyone there?
5. What is your job and salary in the Philippines?

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You will also pay the fee for your visa. You can pay in cash only at VFS Global and cash or MasterCard/Visa at the embassy. Please note, VFS Global also charge a service fee. These fees are not refunded if your application is declined.

The last part of your appointment will be taken up with biometrics. If this is your first time applying for a visa, a scan of your fingerprints and photograph will be taken to be stored in the Visa Information System (VIS).

Step 5: Receive your visa

After you have submitted your application, you can track short-term applications at VFS Global.

1. Go to their website and click on: “Track your application”:
2. Key in the requested information and click on: “Submit”:
3. For long-stay applications, you can track the status here.

When a decision has been made, you can collect your passport from VFS Global or the embassy or you can arrange for it to be returned by courier. Please note, there may be an additional fee for the courier service.

If you are collecting your passport from VFS Global, you need to take your receipt and ID. If you are collecting it from the embassy, you need to take your claim stub.

There are 2 decisions:

1. Approved – if your visa has been approved, you will find it inside your passport
2. Rejected – if your visa has been rejected, there has been a specific reason for the rejection

Common rejection reasons:

1. Past criminal actions – if you have been involved in past criminal activities, even if it was many years ago, this might lead to your application being rejected if the visa officer thinks you may be a threat in any way
2. Lack of funds – you must be able to afford your trip and the documents you provide must prove this
3. Invalid passport – if your passport is invalid in any way (see above requirements), you must obtain a new one before applying for your visa
4. No hotel booking – you must provide a hotel booking to show where you will be staying while you are in the Netherlands

Contact details for VFS Global in Manila

Address: Netherlands Visa Application Centre, Mezzanine Floor, Ecoplaza Building, Don Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City 1231 Philippines

Telephone: + 63 2 528-2503 – Monday to Friday, 7.00 am – 4.00 pm

Email: info.nlph@vfshelpline.com

Hours: Monday to Friday, 7.30 am – 1.30 pm (Application submissions); Monday to Friday, 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm (Passport collection)

Contact details for the Embassy of the Netherlands in Manila

Address: 26th Floor BDO Equitable Tower, 8751 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City, Metro Manila

Telephone: +6327866666

Fax: +6327866600

Email: man@minbuza.nl

You can contact the Embassy by using their contact form

Hours: Monday to Thursday, 8.30 am – 12.00 pm and 12.30 pm – 16.00 pm; Friday, 8.30 am – 13.00 pm (Application submissions); Monday to Friday, 9.00 am – 12.00 pm (Passport collection)

Conclusion

There are just 5 steps to follow when you apply for your Netherlands visa:

1. Make your appointment
2. Complete your application
3. Prepare your documents
4. Attend your appointment
5. Receive your visa

Then, you can start to prepare for your exciting trip!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

Apply Schengen Visa From Philippines

Apply Italy Visa From Manila

Apply Spain Visa From Manila

Apply Germany Visa From Manila