VR Team | Aug 22, 2021 | 0 comments

Switzerland Visa From Philippines – How to Apply for Swiss Schengen Visa Application Requirements Guide

Where to start with Switzerland! This gorgeous Schengen country is packed with awesome things to see and do. Bern is a good place to start and, typical of a capital city, it has loads of restaurants where you can sample traditional Swiss cuisine. If you want to explore further, head to the old center of Bellinzona or Lugano to see its lovely lake and mountains. There is a whole lot more, go and see for yourself! In this article, learn more about how to apply for a Switzerland visa from the Philippines, Switzerland visa appointment booking, processing time at the Switzerland visa application centre, flight itinerary for a Switzerland visa, hotel bookings for a Switzerland visa, Schengen travel insurance for a Switzerland visa application, and Switzerland visa application process in the Philippines.

Apply for Switzerland Schengen Visa from Philippines

Source: Image by burog7708 from Pixabay

Switzerland Schengen Visas

In 2019, 611,598 visa applications were received by Swiss embassies around the world. 47,861 (7.8%) were rejected. The Embassy of Switzerland in Manila processed 7,499 applications and rejected 540 (7.2%).

Apply for Switzerland Schengen Visa from Philippines Statistics

Applying for a Switzerland Schengen Visa from the Philippines

If you want to go to Switzerland, you may need to apply for a visa to be able to enter and stay in the country. This applies, if you are a Filipino citizen or if you are living in the Philippines permanently with a visa.

The Embassy of Switzerland processes visa applications, however, you must submit your application to VFS Global in Manila.

You may apply as long as 6 months before your trip. It takes 15 days for the embassy to make a decision, however, it could take longer, so you should allow plenty of time for your application to be processed.

Types of Schengen visas offered at VFS Global/the Embassy of Switzerland in Manila

The purpose and duration of your trip will determine the visa you need to apply for. There are 3 types of visa available:

Schengen visa – for tourism, business, or to visit family/friends for up to 90 days
National visa – for employment, study or other reason for more than 90 days
Airport Transit visa – if you are transiting through the Philippines on your way to a different destination and not leaving the international zone of the airport

How Can I Apply for a Switzerland Schengen Visa from VFS Global in the Philippines?

To help you apply for your visa, there are a series of simple steps to follow:

Step 1 – Identify visa type
Step 2 – Begin your application
Step 3 – Book an appointment
Step 4 – Pay your fees
Step 5 – Visit a visa application center
Step 6 – Track your application
Step 7 – Collect your passport

Let’s take a look at each step in detail.

Step 1 – Identify visa type

Go to VFS Global’s website and click on: “Start now”:

Apply for Switzerland Schengen Visa from Philippines Online Application1
Under “Step 1” click on the link for “Visa type”:

Apply for Switzerland Schengen Visa from Philippines Online Application2

Select the correct visa type and you can read up on more information regarding fees, documents required and processing time etc:

Apply for Switzerland Schengen Visa from Philippines Online Application3

Make sure you read this information fully, so you apply for the correct visa.

Step 2 – Begin your application

To begin your application, go to the embassy’s website and click on: “Visa and entry to Switzerland”:

Apply for Switzerland Schengen Visa from Philippines Online Application4

Click on the visa you are applying for:

Apply for Switzerland Schengen Visa from Philippines Online Application5

Click on: ” Application for Schengen visa and procedure”:

Apply for Switzerland Schengen Visa from Philippines Online Application6

If you are applying for a National visa, you’ll find the application form on the relevant page by clicking on: “Which documents should I submit with a national visa application?”

On the next page, you will see a link for the application form:

Apply for Switzerland Schengen Visa from Philippines Online Application7

Complete the form fully, print and sign it because you will need to submit this along with the other documents.

Step 3 – Book an appointment

Making appointments with the embassy, consulate or visa application centre 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:

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

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

Go to VFS Global’s website and click on “Start now”
Scroll down to Step 3 – book an appointment read the instructions before clicking on the link
Click on “Let’s get started”
Create a new account if you don’t already have one
Log in and make an appointment on a day that’s convenient for you
Receive an email to confirm your appointment along with a letter of appointment (take this when you submit your application to VFS Global)

Step 4 – Pay your fees

Visa fees are non-refundable and this will be paid when you visit VFS Global. You can pay in cash only in Philippine Pesos.

Visa type	Amount in Philippine Pesos (PHP)
Schengen and National visa – adults	4,600
Children aged from 6 to 12	2,300
Children up to 6 years old	Free
Visas for family members of EU/EFTA citizens	Free
VFS Global Service Fee	1,150

Step 5 – Visit a visa application center

On the day of your appointment:

Arrive 15 minutes before your appointment. If you arrive any later, you will be asked to make a new appointment. If you have to do this, you have to wait at least 24 hours from your original date
You cannot send someone in your place
Take your visa application, as well as a valid passport or travel document with at least 2 pages that are blank on both sides
Take all supporting documentation (see below)

At the visa application center, you will also need to provide biometric information unless you have provided this within the last 5 years.

Supporting documents

There are checklists available on the embassy’s website, so have a look at the one for the visa you are applying for. This will help you get to know what documents are required.

You should also prepare photocopies as well as providing the original documents, so don’t forget to do that too!

Documents include:

Passport – with at least 3 months remaining after your trip and must contain at least two blank visa pages
Visa application form – completed, signed twice by you or legal guardian (if minor)
Passport photographs x 2. Photographs must be identical, clear and coloured with a white background and not older than 6 months. 1st picture pasted on the application form and 2nd picture clipped on the last page of the passport
Flight reservation – with name and passenger registration number or reservation number. Must be roundtrip air travel and, if applicable, proof of domestic flight, train itinerary or car rental
International travel insurance – minimum cover of EUR 30,000.00 including expenses for personal accident, urgent medical treatment, urgent admission in a hospital or urgent repatriation on medical grounds. Insurance has to cover the entire stay in the Schengen territory and must be valid for all Schengen countries
Proof of accommodation – hotel reservation containing the name, contact information of the hotel and booking reference and/or confirmation of package tour
Detailed day-to-day itinerary/travel plan/schedule of activities
Proof of financial means – bank/credit card statements, bank certification, bank books etc., for the last six months
If employed – certificate of employment, certificate of approved leave of absence and income tax return
If self-employed and/or company owner – Department of Trade Industry (DTI)/Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) registration of business, income tax return, business financial statement and bank statements etc., for the last six months
If student – proof of enrolment, student ID card, certificate of leave of absence if traveling during school year
If traveling with spouse and/or children – marriage contract and birth certificate(s)
Minors – Affidavit of support and consent of parents, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSDW) clearance and passport(s) of both parents/legal guardians
If you are traveling to a third country (e.g. UK, USA, Canada, Croatia, etc.) after leaving the Schengen Area, the visa of the next country is required
For non-Filipino applicants who have valid residence status in the Philippines – Alien Certificate Registration (ACR)
Photocopy of valid passport as well as old passports
Invitation letter
Sponsorship letter
Employment contract

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:

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

Step 6 – Track your application

When your passport is ready to be collected from VFS Global, you will receive an email or SMS (if you have purchased this service). You can also track your application by going to VFS Global’s website and clicking on the link under “Step 6 – Track your application”:

Apply for Switzerland Schengen Visa from Philippines Online Application8

On the next page, key in your reference number and date of birth to access the tracking information:

Apply for Switzerland Schengen Visa from Philippines Online Application9

Step 7 – Collect your passport

After a visa application decision has been made, you can collect your passport or have it returned via courier for an additional fee. If you choose to collect your passport, make sure you take your receipt issued by VFS Global and a form of ID.

The decision will be either:

Approved – your visa will be inside your passport
Rejected – this would have been for a specific reason

Common rejection reasons include:

Passport is not valid for 3 months after your return to the Philippines – this is a mandatory requirement, so if your passport is not valid, you must get a new one before applying for your visa
Travel insurance only covers 15,000 Euros – your insurance must have cover for at least 30,000 Euros, so check the details before you purchase it
No proof of residency – you must provide proof that you have a legal right to live in the Philippines, so check you have this before submitting your application
No hotel booking – you must provide proof of accommodation for the duration of your stay in the Schengen Area

Reasons For Schengen Visa Rejections

How to contact VFS Global in Manila

Address: Visa Application Centre, 30th Floor The World Center, Sen Gil J Puyat Ave Makati City 1231, Philippines

Business Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 09.00 – 14.00

Passport Collection: Tuesday and Thursday, 09.00 – 14.00

Conclusion

To apply for a Switzerland Schengen visa from the Embassy of Switzerland in Manila, follow these simple steps:

Identify your visa type
Begin your application
Book an appointment
Pay your fees
Visit a visa application center
Track your application
Collect your passport

You’ll be in Switzerland before you know it!

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.