BEWARE: I SUCK AT WRITING!!!

BEWARE: I SUCK AT WRITING!!!
BEWARE: I SUCK AT WRITING!!!
BEWARE: I SUCK AT WRITING!!!

Monday, September 19, 2016

How To Apply For A Schengen Visa In Singapore?

APPLYING FOR A SCHENGEN VISA IN SINGAPORE (FRANCE)
Note: I am Philippine passport holder, currently residing in Singapore, and would like to obtain a Schengen Visa through French Embassy in Singapore.

If you have not yet read my blog about our Europe adventure, please click HERE




WHERE TO GET THE VISA?
               
From the blogs I have read before getting a Schengen visa, I learnt that there are two options in which you can check where or which embassy you can apply to:
1) country of your point of entry; or
2) country which you will spend most of the days in

In our case, we wanted to make sure so we covered the two options. We chose France. Well, according to what I read, they are the most relaxed, nice and not-so-strict embassy to apply for. :D

This is why we booked a flight landing in Paris and prepared an itinerary showing that we would stay in France longer than any other Schengen countries.


HOW TO GET THE VISA?

1. Prepare the documents required for the application

2. Schedule an appointment in the French Embassy. 

3. On your appointment, go to the French Embassy in Singapore (near Botanical Gardens MRT), submit your prepared documents, have your photo and fingerprints taken and pay the visa fee of 60 euros.

4. You’re done! So just wait for the results and track your application online should you wish.


WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?
Note: I am Philippine passport holder, currently residing in Singapore, and would like to acquire a Schengen Visa through French embassy in Singapore.

1. Valid Passport

2. 1 short stay Schengen visa form fully filled in and signed. Click HERE.

3. 1 identity photograph pasted on the form. The photo must be recent, clearly showing the face, the forehead hairline and ears.

4. ORIGINAL + 1 PHOTOCOPY of Financial guarantee.
For applicants over 18:
- a letter from your employer in Singapore mentioning your annual salary, your position, date of employment and dates of leave. If you are a student, an enrollment letter from your school or university
- AND your last 2 months bank statement (current account AND, if applicable, savings account) showing the balance, the transactions, your name and account number. E-statements are accepted.
Note: I submitted e-statements but I had it authorized by Citibank and DBS just to make sure. 

If you are self-employed, the local company biz-file issued by ACRA

For applicants under 18:  the father’s and/or mother’s last 2 months bank statements + birth certificate and parent’s passport copy

If your financial means are not sufficient, you may also provide commitment letter from your sponsor stating he/she will be responsible for all your expenses with a proof of his/her financial means (last 2 months bank statements) AND a copy of his/her passport.

5. Flight reservation/booking with confirmed dates (roundtrip)

6. Proof of accommodation
- confirmed hotel reservation for the whole length of your stay in all Schengen countries. Address and dates should be stated.
- if you are staying with family or friend(s) you must present:
- For a stay in France: an Attestation d’Accueil that your host must obtain from his/her City Hall

7. Travel insurance. Your name and dates of coverage should be stated on the policy. The insurance should cover the following: medical expenses, hospitalization and repatriation costs incurred for each at least 30.000 euros during your stay in Europe

8. ORIGINAL + 1 PHOTOCOPY:  Employment pass / S pass / Dependant pass / Student pass / Work permit  / PR card with re-entry permit

9. ORIGINAL + 1 PHOTOCOPY: valid passport – only identity pages. The passport should be issued less than 10 years ago and valid for at least 3 months after the departure from Schengen states. It should contain at least 2 blank visa pages.

10. 1 PHOTOCOPY  Previous Schengen visas (if any)

11. FOR BUSINESS TRIPS (in addition to all the above mentioned documents)
- ORIGINAL + 1 PHOTOCOPY, an official business invitation letter from a company in France and a letter from your employer in Singapore stating:
- that you are going to France on their behalf and the purpose of your visit,
- the name address and contact number of the company to be visited,
- that your employer takes full responsibility for all your expenses incurred while in France, that they guarantee your return to Singapore.

12. FOR APPLICANTS UNDER 18 (in addition to all the above mentioned documents)
- A parental authorization form if not travelling with both parents
- ORIGINAL + 1 PHOTOCOPY  birth certificate
- 1 PHOTOCOPY  passports of both parents
- For minors living in Singapore without their parents: letter of legal guardian + 1 photocopy of his passport

13.  FOR NON WORKING SPOUSES (in addition to all the above mentioned documents
- ORIGINAL + Copy of wedding certificate and your spouse’s passport

14. Checklist Document. Please click HERE.


IMPORTANT NOTES:
* Document or photocopy missing = incomplete file = high risk of visa refusal
*Fees (not refundable): exchange value of 60 euros (between 90 to110 SGD according to the exchange rate)
*EACH FAMILY MEMBER SHOULD HAVE A SEPARATE, COMPLETE FILE
*YOUR FILE WILL BE ENTERTAINED ONLY IF THE MAIN DESTINATION (the country where you will be staying the most number of days) IS FRANCE, AUSTRIA, GREECE OR MONACO.
*I read in other blogs that there will be a possibility that you will get rejected if your work pass is soon to expire.

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For those who are Philippine passport holders residing in the Philippines and would like to acquire a Schengen Visa through French embassy via VFS Global, please click this LINK.



Cheers!
Cha


How To Get A Schengen Visa?


I’ve been asked a few times about the Schengen visa application so I would like to share our experience. Since we are currently residing in Singapore, we applied at the French embassy here. However, I can also share my mother’s experience in acquiring a Schengen visa in the Philippines.

If you have not yet read my blog about our Europe adventure, please click HERE

----------------



APPLYING FOR A SCHENGEN VISA IN THE PHILIPPINES (FRANCE)


WHERE TO GET THE VISA?

From the blogs I have read before getting a Schengen visa, I learnt that there are two options in which you can check where or which embassy you can apply to:
1) country of your point of entry; or
2) country which you will spend most of the days in

In our case, we wanted to make sure so we covered the two options. We chose France. Well, according to what I read, they are the most relaxed, nice and not-so-strict embassy to apply for. :D

We booked a flight landing in Paris and prepared an itinerary showing that we would stay in France longer than any other Schengen countries.


HOW TO GET THE VISA?

It was just recent that the French embassy has partnered with VFS Global to process Schengen visa applications in the Philippines. Thus, it is not required now to go to the French embassy itself. Only these people are allowed to apply directly at the embassy.


In line with this, my mother had undergone the following steps:

1. Prepare the documents required for the application

2. Schedule an appointment in VFS via online.

3. On your appointment date, go to the VFS application centre in Makati, submit your prepared documents, pay the processing fee of 26 euros and visa fee of 60 euros, and finally, have your photo and fingerprints taken. Note that the fee will be paid in PHP so it will just be converted based on the foreign exchange on that day.

4. You’re done! So just wait for the results and track your application online should you wish.
Just an FYI that my mom opted to have her passport delivered at home because she didn’t want to come back to Makati just to pick up her passport. She just paid an extra fee for the delivery.


WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?
Note: These are the requirements that my mom prepared to acquire a schengen visa through French embassy via VFS Global. My mom is a Philippine passport holder residing in the Philippines.

1. Passport must be:
- issued less than 10 years before the date of application (date of first issuance of passport)
- contain at least 2 successive unused pages (facing each other) (2 blank pages)
- must be more than three months, counted from the day the applicant intends to leave the Schengen area


3.  Photograph must follow the specifications below:
Note: When we had our photos taken at Great Image, we specifically mentioned that it’s for “Schengen Visa” and reminded them of the specifications.
- coloured photo taken against a white background
- size: 35mm x 45mm, maximum head length: 25mm
- head must not be tilted
- absolutely no eyewear and headgear in any form
- Image must not have been altered and must be clear

4. Cover letter explaining the purpose of the trip and proposed day-to-day itinerary. Here’s the sample that my mother has used.

5. Proof of Accommodation
Note: We booked our hotels via Booking.com. Those are all “Pay Later” bookings. We wanted to make sure we could cancel in case our visa wouldn’t be approved. As showed in our bookings, we would be staying in France longer than any other Schengen countries we’d visit.
- For Tourists: hotel reservations (for the entire stay in the Schengen area)
- If staying with a French resident: “Attestation d’accueil” (delivered by the City hall where the host is residing (the original must be presented) + copy of that host’s passport or residence permit (if citizen of a country outside the EU) + proof of relationship (if applicable)
- For priests, nuns and missionaries: “Formulaire unique” + certificate from

6. Round Trip Airline Reservation

7. For family visit, proof of relationship with the host (birth certificate, marriage certificate…)

8. Certificate of employment with monthly salary and leave of absence approved by employer, or if self employed, official business registration (DTI Permit and /or SEC papers) for current and previous year

9. Latest personal income tax return

10. Recent (issued within the last month) personal bank certification

11. Photocopy of the last three months’ statement of account of the same bank account

12. For minors and/or students:
- Proof of economic means of parents/legal guardian
- Copy of passport of parents/legal guardian and affidavit of support and consent
- Proof of enrolment and certificate of leave of absence if travelling during the school year

13. Identity/Marital Status
Note: I had my mom’s NSO birth and marriage certificates delivered in our home for these requirements. You can check the NSO website for more details.

- If married: photocopy of your marriage contract and birth certificate
- If single: photocopy of your birth certificate
- For non-Filipino applicants: Copy of Alien Certificate Registration (ACR)
- For minors not travelling with either parent, a copy of the DSWD permit

14. An international travel insurance (medical expenses and repatriation) covering the entire period of the person’s intended stay and valid for all Schengen states. Minimum coverage should be EUR 30,000.
Note: I got my mom’s travel insurance through Blue Cross. Your name and dates should be stated in the policy.

15. Visa Fee

16. Checklist document of all of these requirements. You can download a copy here.


IMPORTANT NOTES:
Documents must be in TWO COMPLETE SETS (Original and Photocopy) and must be arranged in the CORRECT ORDER specified in the CHECKLIST DOCUMENT.

If there are any missing information in any of these requirements, there will be a big possibility that VFS will not accept your application.

In the Schengen Visa Application form, we ticked “Multiple Entries” because we will be crossing other countries in the Schengen Area. Single Entry is for those who will stay in France only.

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For those who are Philippine passport holders currently residing in Singapore and would like to acquire a Schengen Visa through French embassy in Singapore, please click this LINK.



Cheers!
Cha


Sample Cover Letter for Schengen Visa

Here is the copy of the cover letter that I have prepared for my mom for her schengen visa application:


Schengen Cover Letter by Cha on Scribd

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Travel to and explore S.Korea on a weekend? It's possible!



You have money to book a flight, but the problem is you do not have enough vacation leaves to take a few days off from work? Or because school days won’t allow you to? Or just because weekday travels are not for you? Well, let me share... it is possible to tour South Korea on a weekend! Yes, you read it right, weekend – not even “long weekend”, rather a 2-full-day trip!!!
                                                                                   
Just a side story on how we planned this “unplanned” trip:
I and my fiancé booked roundtrip SG-MNL tickets for 4 days mid-2015 as we had to attend a friend’s wedding in April 2016...  Fast forward to early this year, we thought of applying for a South Korean visa in January just because we liked it – for the sake of having an SK sticker visa in our passports. Hahaha :) However, when we successfully got our visa sticker stamps, the thought of “sayang” crossed our minds! Initially, we were just laughing and joking about it but next thing I know, we’re already booked! We were able to squeeze it in our schedule in Manila.

Okay, so the cheapest flight we found was Jeju Air (235USD / 11066.03PHP*) booking it roughly 2 months away from the trip itself. I guess this was a fair price considering it wasn’t a promo fare. The itinerary leaves MNL to ICN 11:55PM of April 08, 2016 and returns 07:35PM of April 10, 2016. Both are local time with 3 hours flying time. These times constitute two full days in Korea.


FIRST DAY

We landed safely and on time in Incheon International Airport at almost 5AM local time. I had to change clothes and wash my face because I was still dressed-up and had my full-make-up on from the wedding event. Good thing there was a dressing and comfort room near the belt area!

To start our adventure, we bought AREX-Express tickets (Airport Railroad Express) to get us to the city. The next earliest available time when we got there was 6:30AM so we’re lucky that my plan was working. It’s a 43 minute ride to Seoul Station. One way ticket is 8,000 WON / 331 PHP*.

TIP #1: You can get tickets via machine or information counter. We opted to get ours in the counter because it saves time. Alll our answers regarding time and other stuff has been answered right away by a person.
TIP #2: First train from ICN departs at 05:20AM so you can book an earlier flight and actually start your day very early J




As soon as we arrive, we grabbed breakfast at Mcdonalds – and since I didn’t expect Seoul Station to be really huge, we roamed around the area first. We still have some time before the actual tour started.

TIP #1: There are luggage lockers around the station so if you have heavy backpacks, you can leave them while waiting for your check in time at your chosen hotel/hostel/guesthouse.
TIP #2: Always ask if you don’t know where to go. We were lost while wandering Seoul Station. Remember that this station connects to other 2 subway stations. And seriously, it is like a mall disguising as a station. Hahaha!
TIP #3: So yeah, you can actually do some shopping and food trip here! You can already buy your pasalubongs at Lotte World. :D




I basically planned that we could have the hop-on hop-off bus (HOHO bus) / Seoul Tiger Tour Bus on our first day because it stops in all tourist stations for the whole day. Just what we needed due to time constraint! 1-day pass access costs 12,000 WON / 497.23 PHP*. Note that this is from 9am to 6am only.

TIP #1: You can check the timing and stations online. More information here: http://en.seoulcitybus.com/
TIP #2: We chose Seoul Station as our first stop mainly because this is the station where AREX stops.
TIP #3: You can buy the Seoul Tour Bus tickets at the station itself (Seoul). Just ask the driver and pay cash.
TIP #4: The Seoul Tour Bus has audio guide so if you wanna learn, just take those headphones on. The bus driver also announces the stations so as to guide where you at. There are also maps displayed inside, though.
TIP #5: For every station, there is a timing guide placed in a post. You may check it to save time.




The following tourist stops are the ones we were able to accomplish J
1. Namsangol Hanok Village
2. N Seoul Tower / Namsan Tower
3. Changgyeonggung Palace
4. Changdeokgung Palace
5. Cheongwadae
6. Gyeongbokgung Palace
7. The National Folk Museum of Korea
8. The National Museum of Contemporary Art

Note that this includes a lot of walking!!! So better be prepared. J

TIP #1: We bought a combination ticket for the palace visit. You will save money if you intend to check on the 5 palaces. This cost 10,000 WON / 414.36 PHP*.
TIP #2: AGAIN: Always check the timings posted for each station so you will know how much time you can spend for each stop.
TIP #3: The Gyeongbokgung Palace, The National Folk Museum of Korea, The National Museum of Contemporary Art are in one stop – so one stop can take you to places. Just walk and walk and walk.
TIP #4: If you really want to put up a love lock in Namsan Tower, better bring one before your trip! The locks being sold in the area are outrageously expensive. I think we bought ours for 8,000 WON. I couldn't remember exactly but my fiance just wanted me to be happy. Hahaha!


Photos follow!

Cherry blossoms! 






We decided to check-in at the hostel before going to Myeongdong. Name of the hostel is 24 hour Guesthouse. I believe this was the cheapest hostel I got from booking.com which is super close to Seoul Station. It’s actually a 5-minute walk from the subway entrance. The room has two-single beds, has access cards, basic toiletries, free breakfast. The receptionist had a difficulty speaking in English but he was generous enough to lend us sockets. The hostel costs us 72000 WON / 2983.39 PHP* for two pax.

TIP #1: I always search for a hostel/guesthouse near a subway station. It saves time and money too.
TIP #2: When choosing for a place to stay in, my simple rules are: 1) it doesn’t matter if it’s small, I will just sleep there anyway. I will be out the whole day. 2) I don’t share the room with strangers 3) there is a comfort room inside – doesn’t matter if they offer free toiletries or not (NOTE: I’d rather spent a few more bucks than worry at night)
TIP #3: Before booking a hostel, always read reviews! Tripadvisor, inhouse booking.com and agoda reviews are out there. It will help you choose the right place.



Since the tour bus wasn’t valid anymore as it’s already 8PM, we took the subway to Myeongdong. What more can I say when we got there? I love Myeongdong!!! Gahd, food junkies and shopaholics will surely enjoy this place!

MRT ticket
 Foodtrip!!!! And shopping!!!




 




Face shop hihihi

SECOND DAY

Our second day was planned to visit Gapyeong – an area that is quite far from Seoul. It’s more than an hour travel from Yongsan subway station. In Gapyeong, we were able to visit two places: Nami Island and Petite France. I wanted to visit Garden of the Morning Calm but it was too late already.

Yongsan to Gapyeong via ITX train costs 9,600 WON / 397.78 PHP*. When we reached Gapyeong, we bought the HOHO bus ticket that would tour us around the area. This includes the places we’d like to visit and cost us 5,000 WON / 207.18 PHP*.

TIP #1: During our first day, we already bought tickets going to Gapyeong in advance while we were at Seoul Station. I recommend you to do the same because tickets are selling fast! You might not be able to get your desired time if you book on the day itself.
TIP #2: There are different ways to go to Gapyeong. One of which is riding ITX from Yongsan Station. It is one station away from Seoul Station via metro subway. So, our pick on where to stay in is really a good choice – saves time and money!
TIP #3: Make sure you are on the correct platform when riding the ITX train!
TIP #4: And if you are on the correct platform, make sure that you will hop on the correct train – this is primarily because other trains also depart on the same platform.
TIP #5: When in Gapyeaong, beware of taxi drivers who offer rides around the area. They will cost you a lot! I heard that one-way to Nami Island alone is 4,000 WON (compared to HOHO bus which is 5,000 WON). This is only a one-way price, how about going to Petite France and returning back?



Timing of Gapyeong tour bus and its corresponding stations


Nami Island / Namiseom Island
The half-moon shaped island is a popular destination because this where Korean TV series Winter Sonata took some scenes for the show. Entrance fee is 8,000 WON / 331.49 PHP* which includes the two-way ferry ticket to the island.






Petite France
A place mirroring what France looks like. Entrance fee is 8,000 WON / 331.49 PHP*. Honestly, I am not convinced with what I see here! Hahaha!







Here’s the summary of my expenses:

Expenses
Per person
Two-way ticket MNL-ICN-MNL
11,066.03
1-night stay in a hostel
1,491.70
AREX two-way ticket (Express)
662.97
Seoul Tour Bus (HOHO)
497.23
Ticket for the Integrated Palaces
414.36
ITX to Gapyeong two way ticket
397.78
Gapyeong Tour Bus (HOHO)
207.18
Nami Island entrance fee
331.49
Petite France entrance fee
331.49
Food, shopping, pasalubong, etc (estimate only)
3,000.00
TOTAL
18,400.23

*all FX are converted though http://themoneyconverter.com/KRW/PHP.aspx
*Your total expense would probably be lessened depending on your food and shopping budget. The flight is also a big cut if you book waaaay before the intended date.

I might be putting up a short blog detailing our Seoul escapade and Gapyeong adventure separately – that’s next time! :)

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment!

Cheers!

Cha