How to apply for a Schengen visa for France from the Philippines?

Visiting relatives in Lyon, surfing on the French Basque coast, enjoying a few days with your French significant other in Bordeaux, taking French lessons in Dordogne, discovering the Château de Versailles, sharing Tik Tok or Instagram videos of the most beautiful Paris cafés, signing a business deal in Lille, there are countless reasons to travel to victor Hugo and Coco Chanel’s home country! Whatever yours may be, if you are a Filipino national, you will need to apply for a Schengen visa to visit France.

Follow our guidelines to discover all you need to know about the French visa application process:

• Why do Filipinos need a visa to visit France?
• What type of visa do you need to travel to France?
• When should you apply for your Schengen visa for France?
• How to apply for a short-stay visa for France?
• What documents are required for a French visa?
• How much does a visa for France cost?
• When will I know if my application for a French visa has been accepted?
• How to choose the right travel insurance for a French visa?

Why is a visa compulsory for Filipinos to visit France?

It all depends on the visitor’s nationality and on how long they plan to stay in the chosen European destination. As the Philippines hasn’t signed a visa-waiver agreement with the European Union, Filipino nationals need to apply for a visa to visit France, which is part of the EU and the Schengen area, whatever the duration of their stay.

Good to know: Filipinos are not the only ones who need a visa to visit France.

More than a hundred other nationalities need the precious visa if they wish to travel to a country part of the Schengen area, for example:

• Algerian nationals must apply for a Schengen visa to visit France.
• Moroccans need a Schengen visa to travel to France.
• Tunisians also need to apply for a Schengen visa to visit France.
• Nationals of the Côte d’Ivoire must obtain a Schengen visa to travel to France.
• Nationals of the Democratic Republic of the Congo need a Schengen visa for France.
• Nationals of Madagascar also need a Schengen visa to travel to France.
• Nationals of Gabon must apply for a Schengen visa to visit France.
• Nationals of Senegal are also required to apply for a Schengen visa for France.
• Indian nationals also need a Schengen visa to visit France

What are the different types of visas to visit France?

There are several types of visas to visit France.
The purpose and the duration of your stay will determine which one you must apply for.
There are two main categories: short-stay and long-stay visas for France.

Short-stay visas for France

They are delivered for stays of 90 days (3 months) or less and are issued for the following reasons:

• Tourism,
• Business,
• Family visits,
• To follow a short training course (an internship or a language training trip to learn French for example),
• To attend or take part in a conference, a seminar, a sports or artistic event,
• To transit through France, either by staying in the international zone of the French airport (this is a transit airport visa (ATV) or being required to exit the airport

Good to know:

The type C visa for France is the most commonly delivered. It is also called the short-stay Schengen visa or tourist visa for France.

A Schengen visa allows you to stay/travel up to 90 days over a six-month period (180 days) in all the Schengen countries, including France.
Here’s how to understand the 90/180-day rule

The long-stay visas for France

They are issued for stays longer than 90 days and each one is adapted to the duration and purpose of your stay: tourism, personal matters, medical care, professional activities, studies or training, visiting family members/ a spouse…

Good to know:

• Long-stay visas concern all nationalities! Even travellers from countries which have signed a visa waiver agreement for short-stays must apply for a long-stay visa if they intend on staying more than 90 days in France (and the rest of the Schengen area).
• The validity of long-stay visas is limited: from 3 months to a year. Holders who wish to extend their stay in France beyond the validity date of their visa must apply for a residence permit at the prefecture.

Read our article on the different types of Schengen visa and find out which one you need to visit France.

When should I apply for my visa for France?

You can apply for your short-stay visa 6 months before your scheduled date of departure at the earliest and 15 days before at the latest.

To avoid unnecessary stress and disappointment in case of mishaps (the need to provide additional information for example), we strongly recommend not to wait for the last minute and apply for your visa 6 weeks prior to your departure date.

How to apply for a short-stay visa for France?

Follow our step-by-step guide to apply for a visa for France from the Philippines:

1. First of all, you must first visit the official France-visas website and create a personal account from which you will register a preliminary application.

2. You will discover the list of supporting documents you must provide with your application file and answer a few questions on an online application form.

3. Once you’ve correctly completed your visa application form, you will print it and sign it.
You will need to enclose it with your application file and present it during your interview.

4. During the process, you will be redirected to VFS Global Philippines, the official service provider in charge of handling visa applications under the authority of the Embassy of France in Manila.

5. You will then book an appointment at the visa application centre (open from Monday to Friday, from 7.00 am to 2.00 pm to submit application files). You will receive an email with a letter confirming your appointment. You need to print it and present it on the day of your appointment. Without this document, you will not be granted access to the centre.

Good to know: if you intend on travelling with your family or a group, each participant must book individual appointments.

6. During your appointment, you will hand in your visa application file with the supporting documents, your biometric data (picture and fingerprints) will be collected and you will pay the visa fees (in cash and using local currency). You will be given a receipt with a reference number. You must absolutely keep this receipt, as you will need it later.

7. Your visa application for France will then be examined by the Embassy of France in Manila, the only institution authorised to grant or deny visa requests.

What documents must I provide with my French visa application?

Supporting documents which need to be enclosed with your visa for France application can vary depending on the purpose of the trip and the profile of the applicant. Consequently, you need to be particularly careful to the documents (originals and copies) mentioned on the list provided when you registered your request on the France-visas website.

The list below is not exhaustive but indicates the documents most commonly required when a Filipino national applies for a short-stay tourist visa for France (less than 90 days).

• Your passport: issued less than 10 years prior to your application and valid for more than 3 months after your scheduled date of departure from the Schengen area. It must include 2 blank pages minimum.
• A recent ID photo, ICaO format.
• The completed and signed visa application form.
• A copy of your travel itinerary, supporting the purpose of your stay.
• Proof of your living situation and connections to your home country: they vary depending on your status (company-employee, civil servant, self-employed, pensioner, student…) and are specified during your online visa application procedure.
• Proof of your financial means: they are required to prove you can provide for yourself during your stay (bank statements, pay slips, pension statements, no older than three or six months depending on your status). For children under 18: proof of the financial means of the parents or legal guardian.
• Proof of accommodation in France: hotel or rental booking confirmation, letter of invitation by a relative or friend.
• Your mandatory Travel insurance certificate.

Beware! An incomplete application file can lead to your visa request being denied.

How much does a visa for France cost?

Visa fees depend on the age and the situation of the traveller.

Costs for a visa for France include:

• The visa fee itself, charged by the French consular authorities,
• The service fee paid to the provider VFS Global.

Beware! Visa and service fees are non-refundable even if your visa application is denied or if you withdraw your demand.

• Let’s find out the different prices of a Schengen visa.

When will I know if my application for a visa for France has been accepted?

Brace yourself, it’s going to be a long process!

You will be able to follow the progression of the examination of your application in your personal account created on the France- visas website (tab ”track your application”). You will enter the reference number featuring on the receipt delivered by the visa application centre and your surname before accessing the service.

You will only learn about the progression of the examination of your application and not whether it has been granted or denied.

When the authorities of the Embassy of France of Manila have reached a decision, they will send your passport back to the vFS Global centre which in turn will inform you via email or text message.

You will need to wait a little longer for the visa centre to send you your passport. It is only at that point of the process that you will know if you have been granted your visa or not.

How will you know? If you find a secured sticker fixed on your passport, detailing all the features of your visa for France (type of visa, dates of validity, duration of your stay…) then you are good to go!

What travel insurance should you choose for your French visa?

In compliance with the Schengen visa Code, Filipino applicants who need a visa for France_as well as all citizens of countries which require a Schengen visa_must absolutely enclose with their application file a travel insurance certificate.

This mandatory medical travel insurance for future Schengen visa holders must meet several criteria to be valid.
It must:

• Guarantee a coverage of 30,000 euros minimum,
• Cover the expenses linked to emergency health care, hospitalisation, sanitary repatriation and in case of death,
• Be valid in all member States of the Schengen area (and not just France!).
• It must be valid during the entire length of the stay in the Schengen area.
• It must be provided by an insurance company approved by consulates and embassies of all Schengen countries.

WARNING! Without this travel insurance certificate, your visa application will be denied.

It meets all the necessary criteria to obtain a visa and its 3 options offer comprehensive protection at the most reasonable price.

You might also find these articles interesting:

• Is France a safe place to visit?
• Do I need Travel insurance for France?
• How long is a Schengen visa valid for?

FAQ

How can a Filipino national come to visit you in France?

The Philippines hasn’t signed a visa waiver agreement with the European Union therefore its nationals need a visa to travel to France.

If you live in France and want to welcome one of your Filipino relatives, you will need to provide a letter of invitation (“attestation d’accueil”) if they are staying at your home. They will need to enclose it with their file.

How long does it take to receive a visa for France?

You should expect to wait between 10 and 15 days before receiving an answer. But this delay can be longer depending on the time of year when you apply (end of the year or summer holidays) or on certain situations which can require more thorough examination or additional information.

What should I do if I am injured or ill while visiting France or another Schengen country?

Don’t worry - AXA Schengen travel insurance is here to guide, help, and protect you. In case of a medical emergency, you must contact the AXA Schengen call centre at the number provided on your insurance policy. Medical assistance professionals will answer your questions and advise you 24/7 to help you find the medical centre best suited to your situation and the closest to your location.