Applying for a Short-Term Schengen Visa at the Czech Republic Embassy in Manila

Before picking the Czech Republic Embassy for your Schengen Visa application, you have to make sure first that you are applying at the correct embassy. You can submit you visa application at the Czech Republic Embassy only if your trip meets one of these three:

1. Your destination is just one country which is the Czech Republic;
2. You’re visiting multiple countries and the longest stay will be at the Czech Republic;
3. You’re visiting multiple countries with equal length of stay and Czech Republic is your point of entry (ie., the first country you’ll visit)

 

The earliest you can apply for a Schengen visa is three months before the start of your trip.  An appointment must be made using VISAPOINT. You then have to be at the embassy on your appointment date with all the needed requirements.

 

Given that I wanted to know at the earliest possible date if my Europe trip will happen or not, I booked for an appointment that is three months before my scheduled trip. I’ve waited for the said schedule to open up at VISAPOINT and immediately made a reservation once it was available.

 

Since I’m an employed individual who’s applying for a short-term visa for the purpose of tourism, the following requirements are what I prepared and brought with me during my appointment at the embassy:

1. 1. Duly completed and signed application form
   2. Passport that is valid for at least 90 days after the intended departure from Schengen and has at least two blank pages
   3. One photograph (3.5 x 4.5 cm with a light-colored background), pasted/glued on the designated space at the upper right side corner of the application form’s first page
   4. Accommodation confirmation
   5. Proof of Financial Means
      • Original bank account statement showing transaction history for the past 3 months;
      • Official Bank Certificate with a paragraph containing waiver of rights to release information to the Embassy of the Czech Republic – Visa Section
   6. Round-trip flight reservation
   7. Travel Medical Insurance
   8. Certificate of Employment
   9. Leave Approval
   10. Trip itinerary

For more details on the submitted requirements, read here.

On application for a different visa type, visit Czech Embassy Manila’s Visa and Consular section in their website.

 

Application through the Czech Republic basically involves the VISAPOINT appointment system and the Embassy. Here are the interactions you’ll have with these two.

 

 

 

You’ll hear from the embassy in case additional documents need to be submitted. The earliest that you can start following-up on the status of your passport is 5 working days after your appointment. You can call the embassy to ask if your passport is ready for pick-up or not. They’re not allowed to disclose the result over the phone. Just pick-up your passport at the embassy to know if your visa was approved or not.

 

The visa costs 60 euro. At the time of my application, peso equivalent was 3,350. Bring an exact amount on your appointment date. What I did was check on the conversion rate using OANDA currency converter. I then brought as much bills and coins that can help me pay in an exact amount that is more or less close to the amount I got from OANDA.

 

If you are planning to apply for a Schengen Visa at the Czech Republic embassy in Manila, here are their details:

Embassy of the Czech Republic in Manila
30F Rufino Pacific Tower
6784 Ayala Avenue
Makati City, 1226 Metro Manila
The Philippines

Tel: (+632) 811 11 55, 811 11 56
Fax: (+632) 811 10 20
E-mail: manila(at)embassy.mzv.cz
Web: http://www.mzv.cz/manila/en

Photo credit: image of Charles Bridge taken by my boyfriend, Igal