🇪🇺 Schengen visa requirements for Filipinos (2026)
Free checklist · Last checked against official sources: November 2026
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.
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- 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.
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.
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Everyone needs
Plus, depending on you
What it costs
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For your application
After your visa is approved
Before you fly
While you are there
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.
Common questions
Do Filipinos need a visa for Europe (Schengen)?
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.
How much is the Schengen visa fee for Filipinos?
Schengen visa fee, adult (12 and over): EUR 90. Schengen visa fee, child 6 to under 12: EUR 45. Schengen visa fee, child under 6: Free.
How much money do I need at minimum to go to Europe (Schengen)?
About ₱51,840 for one adult (up to about ₱68,490), counting Schengen visa fee (EUR 90), visa center service fee, round-trip flight from Manila (low fare), Philippine travel tax, required travel insurance (2 weeks). Hotel, food and spending money are extra.
How long does Schengen visa processing take?
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).
What documents do I need for a Schengen visa?
Everyone needs: Passport; Completed and signed Schengen visa application form; Photo that meets ICAO standards; Travel medical insurance certificate; Proof of money; Travel itinerary; Proof of accommodation; Proof of ties to the Philippines; Proof of your job or studies; Visa fee payment; If travelling with your spouse or children; Minors (under 18); Non-Filipino residents of the Philippines; First-time travellers (Germany). Workers, business owners, students and sponsored travelers need extra papers; see the checklist above.
How long can I stay in Europe (Schengen)?
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.
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Official sources
- European Commission (Migration and Home Affairs): Applying for a Schengen visa (updated 2 Dec 2025)
- EU Visa Code (Reg. 810/2009, as amended by Reg. 2019/1155): Article 15, Travel medical insurance (legislation.gov.uk copy; EUR-Lex blocked automated access)
- EU Visa Code: Article 17, Service fee cap
- EU Visa Code: Article 24, Multiple-entry visa cascade
- EU Visa Code: Article 32, Grounds for refusal and appeal
- European Commission Implementing Decision C(2021) 5457: harmonised list of supporting documents for short-stay visa applicants in the Philippines (28 Jul 2021; hosted by the Czech embassy Manila)
- European Commission: Entry/Exit System (updated 10 Apr 2026)
- European Commission: ETIAS (updated 6 Oct 2025)
- German Embassy Manila: Schengen visas
- German Embassy Manila: Visa main page (remonstration abolished 1 Jul 2025; EES; appointment waits)
- NetherlandsWorldwide: Applying for a Schengen visa for the Netherlands in the Philippines
- Embassy of Italy Manila: Where to apply for a visa
- Embassy of Italy Manila: Visa fees (consular rate Oct to Dec 2026)
- Embassy of Italy Manila: Schengen fee increase from 11 June 2024
- VFS Global: Italy visa information, Philippines (service charge, processing, fingerprints)
- Embassy of France Manila: Opening of new visa application centres (TLScontact) in Manila and Cebu, 13 Dec 2023
- France in the Philippines: Demander un visa (France-Visas process; updated 6 Mar 2026)
- France-Visas: Philippines submission location (could not be fetched directly; cited from search excerpts)
- Embassy of Spain Manila: Schengen visas (shows outdated EUR 80 fee)
- BLS International Spain Philippines: Short-term visa (fees, service charge, insurance)
- Consulado General de España Manila / BLS: Short-term visa checklist (PDF)
- Czech Embassy Manila: Schengen visa appointments (VFS addresses; EUR 20 registration fee from 1 Jul 2025)
- Danish Embassy: Travel medical insurance (age-limit note)
- SECONDARY: BDO Unibank VFS service fee list (May 2026)
- SECONDARY: SchengenVisaInfo, ETIAS has no launch date (19 Oct 2026)
- SECONDARY: eucrim, Bulgaria and Romania fully join Schengen