L-R: Mr. Syed Shahen Shah, General Manager for VFS Global Philippines, Brunei, and Myanmar; Mr. Urs Siegwart, Head of Visa Section, Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines; Mr. Pieter C.M. de Wit, Consul of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Philippines; Mr. Romano Gualtieri, Attache. Austrian Embassy Manila; Mr. Fabio Pompetti, Consul and Deputy Head of Mission of the Kingdom of Belgium; H.E Dr. Titanilla Tóth, Ambassador of Hungary to the Philippines; H.E. Mr. Karel Hejč, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to the Republic of the Philippines; H.E Juha Pyykkö, Ambassador of Finland to the Philippines; Mr. Michael Kutzner, Head of Visa Section, Federal Republic of the German Embassy in Manila.

• The newly relocated centre to provide visa services for countries such as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.

• Travellers can also opt for a host of additional services including Visa At Your Doorstep, Premium Lounge, Prime Time submissions beyond normal working hours, and Personal Assistance among others, for an added convenience.

To offer an enhanced visa application submission experience to Schengen visa applicants in Manila, Philippines, VFS Global, the world’s largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, inaugurated the newly relocated state-of-the-art Joint Visa Application Centre in Manila providing visa services to 10 countries – Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.

The official inauguration was done by:

• H.E. Juha Pyykkö – Ambassador of Finland to the Philippines

• Michael Kutzner – Head of Visa Section, Federal Republic of the German Embassy in Manila

• H.E. Dr. Titanilla Tóth – Ambassador of Hungary to the Philippines

• Nicole Clivaz – Head of Consular Affairs, Embassy of Switzerland

• Fabio Pompetti – Consul and Deputy Head of Mission of the Kingdom of Belgium

• Julia Netta Vildžius Pena – Honorary Consul of Lithuania to the Philippines

• H.E. Mr. Karel Hejč – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to the Republic of the Philippines

• Romano Gualtieri – Attaché

• Pieter C.M. de Wit – Consul of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Philippines

• Ioannis Pediotis – Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic in the Philippines

Mr. Kaushik Ghosh, Head – Australasia, VFS Global, said, “We are excited to bring an enhanced experience for our Schengen visa applicants in and around Manila through this newly relocated state-of-the-art Visa Application Centre. Applying for a visa is one of the first steps to international travel, and we look forward to making it smooth and convenient for our travellers.”

Applicants who wish to submit their visa applications for the above listed Schengen countries, will have to first book an appointment online to submit their applications.

The discerning set of visa applicants can choose from a range of optional and additional services to enhance their overall visa application submission experience. The Visa At Your Doorstep service allows visa applicants to submit their applications from the comfort of their home or office, our Premium Lounge service offers a personalised and comfortable environment at our centres for submitting applications, while our Prime Time service allows the flexibility of submission and passport collection beyond normal working hours. Other additional services include Form-filling Assistance, SMS Alerts, Courier Service, and Personal Assistance service, among others.

It is important to note that these optional services are available for select countries and opting for these additional services does not have any bearing on the timeline or decision on visa applications.

VFS Global’s role in the visa application process is limited to front-end administrative tasks only, which include collecting visa application forms and required documentation as per the checklist, and enrolling biometrics, if applicable. VFS Global has no role in the decision-making process of granting or refusing a visa. Decision making on granting or refusal of visa is the sole prerogative of the concerned embassy / consulate.

#DoNotFallForFraud

Visa applicants are advised to beware of fraudulent entities who charge fees from customers for scheduling appointments or providing any other services using VFS Global’s name or independently. VFS Global does not charge any fee for booking appointments on www.vfsglobal.com which is the official website catering to visa applications. However, some governments require pre-payment of the service fee at the time of booking the appointment. This payment will be reimbursed or deducted during the application process. This step is only to ensure genuine travellers use appointment booking and the system is kept safe from misuse by fraudulent entities. For any assistance, feel free to reach out to one of our staff and to report any instances of fraud, visit https://secure.ethicspoint.eu/domain/media/en/gui/108559/index.html.

Enjoy our optional value-added services for a seamless visa experience:

• Visa At Your Doorstep: Apply for your visa and enrol biometrics from the location of your choice.

• Premium Lounge: Get an end-to-end personalised visa submission experience from the comfort of a lounge.

• Prime Time: Apply for your visa beyond normal working hours or even on weekends.

• Form-filling assistance: Allow our expert staff to assist you in completing your visa application on phone or at a visa application centre

• Courier Service: We deliver your passport and documents. It’s quick, safe, and convenient.

• Travel Medical Insurance: Get your mandatory Travel Medical Insurance including Covid-19 coverage from global insurers.

• SMS Alerts: Stay updated on the progress of your visa application.