SPAIN SHORT-TERM VISA FOR PHILIPPINE PASSPORT HOLDERS
Table of Contents
Spain is a country that continues to surprise and let us tell you it’s not all sunbathing and shopping! From the dramatic, imposing mountains to the countless glistening beaches that dot its coastlines, this beautiful country is full of natural beauty and inspiring landscapes. If breath-taking views and unique scenery captures your attention, then, Spain is the place to be.
If you’re in to experience all these, then, let’s try to get you that Schengen Visa from the Spanish Embassy in Manila. In this article, I will guide you on how to apply for a Spanish Schengen Visa with your Philippine Passport.
Who is eligible to apply for a Spanish short-term visa?
- Your main destination – Sa Spain lang kayo pupunta and will not visit any other country.
- The country with a maximum period of stay– you will visit multiple Schengen countries, but you will stay the longest in Spain.
- Your country related to the main purpose of travel– you will visit multiple Schengen countries, but the main purpose of your journey is in Spain. (Example: you will attend a wedding or a conference in Spain, but you plan on going out to other Schengen countries while you’re there.)
- The State of first entry– you will stay in multiple Schengen countries for the same number of days, but Spain is your first point of entry, meaning, Spain will be your first entry.
Note: You can’t apply at the Spanish Embassy when the only country you’re visiting is Norway. You can’t apply at the Spanish Embassy if you’ll be staying in Norway for one week and in Spain for two days.
Important Documents to Prepare
1. Long brown envelope– Put your complete name and contact number written in bold letters on the upper left corner of the envelope.
2. A duly filled out and signed Spanish Visa application form through this link.
3. Two current biometrical passport photos (35-45 mm width)– have your passport photo taken. The embassy is very strict on their photo specifications. Fortunately, they have a page on their official website dedicated to explaining this. Bring at least two copies or more, just in case. One photo should be glued to the application form. The second photo will be returned to you.
- Taken with nothing covering the face, without sunglasses or contact lenses, or a head covering unless worn for religious or medical reasons.
- The subject should have their mouth closed (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows).
After which, paste your photo on each of the electronic visa form that you completed online (1 original and 1 photocopy of the form).
4. Original Passport and a Photocopy of it as well as the Bio Page– The embassy requires that your passport is valid for at least another three months on the date the visa application is submitted. It also must have two empty pages for them to stamp your passport. If you have renewed your passport, bring your old one/s with you. These are needed especially if you have previous overseas trips.
5. Proof of travel/ Travel plan (travel destination, route, proof of accommodation, and itinerary) – a copy of the roundtrip airline booking with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Spain. With the necessary documents needed, this should clearly state the purpose of your travel. You just need to show a flight itinerary from the Philippines that should cover your entry and exit to and from Spain and to all Schengen countries of destinations, including your exit and entry from MANILA TO MANILA (EX. MANILA-SPAIN-FRANCE-SPAIN-MANILA).
- A cover letter addressed to the Spanish Embassy Consul. If you are a first-time traveler to Spain, please submit an informal declaration through a cover letter explaining your willingness to return to the Philippines before the expiration of your visa: What exactly will be an incentive for you to return to the Philippines, and can you submit proofs for these circumstances?
- Your day-to-day itinerary – be specific in indicating the place you will visit and the tours you will join or take. A good convincing itinerary requires planning and time to create. If you need help how to create one, watch my video: https://youtu.be/kME1VdZdRiw
- Flight reservation – Reservation ONLY. Do not pay for your flight reservations until your visa is approved. You can avail of my services for a dummy ticket so that I can assist you with your flight reservations. Get a flight reservation here.
6. Proof of accommodation or Hotel reservations – you would need to show hotel bookings, but this does not mean that you must pay for your hotel reservations this early.
- For Tourist, you would need to show Hotel Bookings, Hostels, Airbnb or apartment.
- If you’re staying to a friend or family’s house, make sure you have:
- an informal Invitation Letter from both:
➜ the Spanish Police if invited by a relative/friend, including the photocopy of the sponsor’s passport and/or D.N.I., or residence card and registration of residency (“empadronamiento”)
➜ your host/ relative/ partner who is based in Spain– the content should include the host’s exact address of residence, the purpose of your travel, and the full duration of your travel and stay at your host’s country.
- an informal Invitation Letter from both:
7. Travel Insurance – the coverage must be applied during the entire duration of the trip in Spain and must be valid for all Schengen countries. Coverage sum must be AT LEAST EUR 30,000 (Php 2.5 million or USD 50,000). I highly recommend Pioneer Insurance which you can avail yourself through me. Feel free to directly inquire through JASTravel on Facebook and I would be very glad to assist you.
For the list of recommended Schengen insurance companies in the Philippines, you can also check it through https://www.vfsglobal.com/Spain/Philippines/pdf/New-Insurance-Visit-Family.pdf . And it is also great to know that Pioneer Insurance is one them!
8. Proof of vaccination– As most European countries have decided to welcome vaccinated travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This means that the following vaccines are accepted in Spain:
8. Proof of Funds or Financial Capacity – these documents are necessary to prove that you can either support yourself or your sponsor can cover your expenses financially during the whole duration of your travel.
- If applying as a Tourist or as a Visitor without a Sponsor – this means that you will cover all your expenses during the entire duration of your travel.
- Bank statements – must show records of the past six months. A bank statement shows your transactions in your account at a specific period. It will show debits (withdrawals, payments, taxes, service fees) and credits (deposits, interest earned.) Bank Statements can also be seen online especially if you have a registered account. There is no signature for the manager or a bank officer.
- Bank Certificate – it is a confirmation by the branch manager or a bank officer that you have an existing account in their bank. It shows the account number, the type, and other details such as the opening date of your account, your account balance as of the date of request, and your average daily balance.
- Other proof of income (supporting documents) – although it is not really required, you can submit invoices and pay slip equivalent to prove that you earn enough to support this trip financially.
- If applying as a Tourist or as a Visitor with a Sponsor – this means that your host and/or sponsor (family, friend, partner, or fiancé) pledges to take full responsibility to cover all the expenses that you will incur during the whole duration of your travel.
- If applying as a Tourist or as a Visitor without a Sponsor – this means that you will cover all your expenses during the entire duration of your travel.
If you maintain a bank account for a long time, better maintain it. Kahit na may sponsor ka, of course, plus points pa din sa visa application mo if idadagdag mo din bank statements mo, payslips from our employer, and other proof na financially capable ka din and most importantly, it proves deep rootedness as well.
Sponsorship Letter which should state the fact that he/ she is inviting you to come over, your relationship with each other, and that he/ she is willing to sponsor you during your trip. Of course, it needs to have documentary proof.
Original Affidavit of Support, legalized by the municipality in Spain where the sponsor is registered
The sponsor’s copies of: passport including the biodata page and travel history (passport stamps) and ID Card or Resident ID card
Recent proof of income of the sponsor (3 last months’ salary slips, etc.)
Proof of relationship with the sponsor (pictures together, Birth or Marriage certificate, and screenshot of chat conversations)
To know more about additional requirements that you would need from your sponsor, check out my YouTube video: https://youtu.be/SEad8VHVkLk
9. Proof of Civil Status – Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate of the spouse, etc. These documents must be issued on security paper (SECPA) by the Philippine Statistics Authority, see http://www.psaserbilis.com.ph.
Note: The birth certificate does not need to be authenticated by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.
10. Evidence of your rootedness in the Philippines – Evidence of deep-rootedness a.k.a. strong family and social ties to your home country, is one of the most critical requirements when applying for a Schengen Visa. It is what the Consul will look for in your visa application. So how do you prove that you are firmly established in the Philippines and that you will go back to your home country?
- For Employees:
- Employment or Work contract and bank account statements or payslips showing the transfer of your last six-monthly salaries
- Certificate of Employment which should include the employer’s full name, complete address, telephone number with area code, details regarding the position, income, and employment duration
- Approved letter of approved leave signed by your employer (Leave of Absence letter)
- Optional: Signed No Objection Certificate which states that your employer has no objection for you to travel to Spain and that they have approved your leave request
- Most recent Income Tax Return 2316 (ITR)
- Optional Supporting Documents:
› Government Mandated Contributions – SSS, Pag-ibig, Philhealth Contributions
› If with existing loan – SSS Loan or Pag-ibig Salary loan
- For Employees:
- For Self-Employed:
- DTI Business Name Registration Certificate
- Barangay Business Clearance
- Mayor’s Business Permit from your Municipality where the business address has been registered
- Business activity of your company for the last 6 months – invoices and bank transactions
- Most recent Income Tax Return 2316 (ITR)
- For Retirees:
- Pension statement for the last 6 months
- Retirement Certification
- Others (No work, No Business, etc.): Family as Proof of Rootedness:
- For Solo parents:
› A copy of your birth certificate- PSA Authenticated
› A copy of your child/children’s birth certificate- PSA Authenticated
› Solo parent ID
› Barangay Certification as Solo parent
› Notarized Affidavit of Solo Parent with Undertaking
› Money remittances to support your dependents - For those who are supporting or watching over the health/well-being of the family:
› A copy of my parent’s birth certificates- PSA Authenticated
› If parents are already Senior Citizens: a copy of their Senior Citizen ID and Barangay Certification as Senior Citizens
› If parents have sickness/ illness: Medical history of parents (diabetes, hypertension, etc.)
- For Solo parents:
- For spouses of Spanish/EU Nationals
- Marriage Certificate (issued not more than 6 months ago) recognized by the Government of the corresponding EU nationals. Marriages that are not registered/recognized by the corresponding EU Government will not be processed as an EU spouse visa.
- Only marriages recognized/registered by the corresponding EU Government are free of charge.
The marriage certificate issued by the Filipino authorities (PSA) will have to be submitted duly authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
- For Minors
- Affidavit of Support by parents or Legal Guardian with their proof of means
- Proof of Enrollment and certificate of leave of absence
- Helpful tips: Additional document requirements for a minor: https://youtu.be/aVUq5nbmQig
- For Self-Employed:
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Apply for a Spanish Schengen Visa
Note: Once you have completed all your documents based on the checklist, make sure to secure another copy for each document.
STEP 3: Book your appointment via BLS International Website. They are the ones tasked by the Embassy of Spain to collect documents and biometrics. It is required that you set a date when you will submit your application requirements and be interviewed.
- Note that the details cannot be modified once saved and you will have to cancel the appointment if there is a mistake and just book a new one.
- You can apply as early as 6 months before your intended date of departure.
STEP 4: Show up on your appointment date at BLS International at their new address: 30th Floor, The World Centre, Senator Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines and bring all your documents as well as a photocopy of each. They will then collect your documents as well as your Passport, get your biometrics, and collect the Visa Fee.
STEP 5: Wait for the result and collect your passport. You will be notified when your passport is ready for collection from the visa center where you applied.
Quick Facts
- Validity of Visa : Short-stay Schengen visas allow people to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days every six-month period
- Processing time: The average processing time is 2 weeks, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, where visa staff work on a skeletal schedule, it may take between 2 to 4 weeks.
- Where to lodge your application:
- BLS International
30th Floor, The World Centre, Senator Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
- BLS International
- Embassy’s Information:
- Embassy of Spain in the Philippines
- Address: 5th Floor, ACT Tower, 135 Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City, 1251, Metro Manila
- Contact Number: 0917 896 6046
- Office Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Visa and Service Fees:
- Above 12 years old: PHP 4,510 (80 Euro)
- 6 to 11 years: PHP 2,260 (40 Euro)
- Children under 6 years: Free of charge
- Additional Visa processing fee: Php 870 that you would need to pay on top of the Visa Fee, but children under 6 y/o are free of charge.
Recap and Tips
So, just a quick recap and a reminder, please don’t forget these TIPS:
So, that’s it! I hope that I was able to guide you on how to apply for a Spain Schengen Visa with your Philippine Passport. If you ever need help, you can avail my visa application bundle, and I will be glad to help you through the process!
Thank you so much for the these page. I learn some. But its hard for me because its my first time to go in europe. Hopefully these page help me. Thank you once again.