During the Coronavirus Situation: Schengen Visa Updates for Philippine Passport Holders

As of now, Europe, most notably Italy, is the place with the most persons outside of China infected with the coronavirus. Measurements of their government and ours are being implemented. So far, only a few Schengen Countries are stopping issuances of their visa. But in this article, we will give you Schengen Visa Updates for Philippine Passport Holders.

For those who have lodged their applications or still have an appointment with their respective visa application centers, you may contact them about the status of your application or cancel your appointment. We have provided below also contact details and e-mail addresses of the application centers and the embassies.

Austria and Lithuania

Visa Issuance Update as per website, “No application for visas or residence permits will be accepted starting March 16, 2020.”

Visa Issuance Update: “Starting July 1, 2021, Austria Visa Application Center will resume its regular operations and will accept applications for short stay and long stay categories for both Manila and Cebu.”

COVID Announcement as per the Austria Embassy in Manila, “The Embassy will be open to the public as of 2 June 2020 UPON APPOINTMENT ONLY for all consular issues other than VISA. No Visa application will be accepted until further notice.”

COVID-19, Entry requirements for Austria according to the Austrian Embassy in Manila, “Entries in Austria are allowed from all countries of the world. As of May 16, 2022, no proof, registration or quarantine for entry into Austria is required anymore. The only exception to this rule is the entry from states and territories with a very high epidemiological risk (the Philippines is currently not one of them.”

Belgium, Luxembourg, and Slovenia

Visa Issuance Update: “Due to local COVID-19 regulations, the Visa Application Centre in Manila will be closed from 20 July until further notice.”

Visa Issuance Update: “Starting on September 1, 2021, the ban on non-essential travel to Belgium no longer applies to travelers who, prior to arrival on the territory, hold a “vaccination certificate” that meets all the below mentioned criteria.”

COVID Announcement as per the Belgium Embassy in Manila, “You send your questions through our e-mail address.”

Czech Republic and Slovakia

Visa Announcement as per embassy due to COVID-19: 

• Visa services remain entirely suspended at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Manila.
• Visas can be issued only certain purposes of travel and only diplomatic missions in those countries, where the epidemiological situation allows reopening.
• Those whose applications are not yet decided will be closed and have no visa fee refund.

Visa Update as of April 20, 2022 in accordance with Czech Embassy in Manila:

• The Embassy of Czech Republic in Manila informs that it has returned to the visa agenda fully on pre-pandemic terms.
• There are no more Covid-19 bans and restrictions in visa applications (to get the visa to travel to the Czech Republic). No matter the vaccination.
• To travel the Czech Republic, there is no need to fill in on-line any arrival form, have a negative RT-PCR test etc.

Denmark

Visa Issuance Update: “Due to local COVID-19 regulations, the Visa Application Centre in Manila will be closed from 20 July until further notice.”

Visa Issuance Update:

• Starting 3rd of November 2021, VFS Cebu is back to regular business hours every Monday to Friday from 07:00 am to 16:00 pm.
• Starting 12th of November 2021, VFS Manila is back to regular business hours every Monday to Friday from 07:00 am to 16:00 pm.

Danish Embassy advises people to re-apply after the travel ban. There are no refunds nor re-issuance of visas once the case is closed.

COVID Announcement as per the Embassy of Denmark, “In urgent cases, you can contact the Embassy..”

COVID-19 update as per the Embassy of Denmark, “From 29 March there are no restrictions on entry into Denmark. You can monitor the current updates through the website: en.coronasmitte.dk.”

France

Visa Issuance Update: “Visa Application Centre in Manila will be closed from 20 July until further notice.”

Visa Issuance Update as of September 22, 2020: The France Visa Application Center in Manila is now opened, on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 AM to 2 PM for the following categories.

• Seafarers
• Diplomats
• Airport transit visa
• Health professional involved in the fight against the pandemic
• Family of a French (Spouse and children)
• Students
• Professor/scientific
• Workers in the transport industry (Cabin crews, pilots, train and bus drivers)
• Workers « passeport Talent » and « salarié détaché ICT »
• Medical cases
• Unmarried couple “love is not tourism”

The Visa Application Center will be opened for passport collection from 2 PM to 3:30 PM.

Germany

Visa Issuance Update as per the embassy: 

Visas can currently only be issued in the specific exceptional cases listed below:

• Exceptions to the entry restrictions:
  • Healthcare professionals, transporter of goods, airline crew, transit passengers
  • diplomats or humanitarian workers
  • those with imperative family reasons
• Family Reunification
• Skilled Workers
• Urgent Business Trips

Visa Issuance Update as per Embassy:

As of Saturday, June 11, 2022, all COVID-19 entry restrictions to Germany will be provisionally lifted. From this date, entries to Germany will again be permitted for all travel purposes (including tourism and visiting trips). It is no longer necessary to present proof of vaccination, proof of recovery or a negative test result for entry to Germany.

Visas required for entry to Germany can be applied for at the German missions abroad for all travel purposes once again. There may be delays in the issuing of visas due to the high demand.

Greece and Portugal

Embassy Update (as per website):

• Consular Office will be open for the public, pursuant to fixed appointment to be determined either telephonically or via email and in strict compliance with health safety protocols.

Update as per Embassy:

• Visit travel.gov.gr for the step-by-step guide for travelling to Greece in the framework of preventing the spread of COVID-19

Hungary

Visa Issuance Update: “Hungary Visa Application Centers will not be accepting visa applications for processing until further notice.“

Visa Issuance Update: “We are happy to inform our clients that travel restrictions to Hungary previously imposed due to the epidemic situation have been lifted. As of 7 March 2022 it is possible to enter the territory of Hungary by public road, railway, water and air traffic – regardless of citizenship and coronavirus protection status –, but other general conditions of entry (e.g. a valid travel document, visa) must be provided.”

Italy

Advisory as per Embassy of Italy in Manila:

• For those whose applications are still in process:
  • Please confirm your intention to travel to Italy or if you choose to postpone your trip or withdraw your application
  • For those who want to postpone in a period within the next 6 months, please send your new flight and hotel booking to the Visa Application Center or send to [email protected]
  • If you want to withdraw the application, visa fee is non-refundable
• For those who received their visa and can’t use it until June 30, 2020
  • You need to have another visa issued to you; the visa fee will be waived
  • Waiving is subject to the verification of the office that you have not received any reimbursement for the canceled trip from the hotel you have booked

Advisory as per Embassy of Italy:

Starting March 1, previous restrictions on entry to Italy will be lifted. All travelers coming from non-European countries, Philippines included, will be able to enter Italy, for any purpose, by showing

• Digital Passenger Locator Form (PLF) in digital or paper form to be presented upon boarding;
• Green Covid-19 Certification (certificate of vaccination, certificate of cure or negative molecular or antigen test) or other certification of vaccination recognized as equivalent to be presented upon boarding (https://ambmanila.esteri.it/ambasciata_manila/it/ambasciata/news/dall_ambasciata/vaccinazione-dei-cittadini-italiani.html)

If one of the above certifications is not exhibited, the measure of quarantine will be applied for a period of 5 days at the address indicated in the Passenger Locator Form with the obligation to undergo a molecular or antigenic test at the end of the period.

Malta

Visa Issuance Update: “VISAs will be issued only in extreme cases on humanitarian grounds or in cases of national interest and for the health department. In such cases, VISA applications will only be accepted after the Maltese Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives its written approval.“

Visa Issuance Update as of June 29, 2021: “Please be informed that Malta Visa Application Center only accept visa application with pre-approval from the Malta Embassy in Beijing. Please send an email to [email protected] to seek assistance and await for the approval email from the Consul of Malta Embassy in Beijing only. Once approved applicant are advised to submit your application to Malta Visa Application Center from Mon – Thurs between 8:00 am – 12:00 pm except public holiday together with your printed email approval from Malta Embassy.”

Netherlands, Latvia, and (Poland)

Visa Issuance Update: 

“Netherlands has closed its Visa Application Centres until further notice. All visa application appointments from 18 March 2020 onwards are cancelled.”

Visa Issuance Update as of June 28, 2022: 

“You may experience longer waiting times to get an appointment. And it may take longer than 15 days to process your application. This is because a growing number of applicants wants to travel to the Netherlands after COVID travel restrictions have been eased worldwide. The number of available appointments will be expanded as soon as possible. New appointment slots will be added to the online appointment system regularly. If no dates are available, please try again later. Plan your trip well in advance. And make sure you have all the documents ready for your appointment.”

Norway, Estonia, Finland, and Iceland

Visa Issuance Update: “The Visa Application Centre in Manila will be closed from 20 July until further notice.”

Visa Issuance Update: “Please be informed that the VFS Visa Application Center for Norway in Manila will start accepting applications for residence permit from Tuesday to Thursday starting June 16, 2020. On the other hand, Schengen visa applications are only to be accepted after preapproval from the Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok for extraordinary cases. For information about the temporary Regulations for entry into Norway – please see https://www.udi.no/en/about-the-corona-situation/’”

Spain

Visa Issuance Update as per BLS, “open to accept applications for SEAFARERS ONLY.“

Visa Issuance Update as per website: “We would like to inform our valued applicants of the opening of appointment bookings for the following visa categories:

1. Transit visa (For seafarers) starting 04 June 2020
2. Long stay application starting 08 June 2020
3. Legalization starting 08 June 2020
4. Tourist visa application 24 June 2020″

Sweden

Visa Issuance Update: 

VFS for Sweden will be implementing an appointment system every Tuesday to Thursday from 9:00 am to 14:00 hrs. Sweden Visa Application Centre in Cebu will remain close until further notice.

Visa Issuance Update:

• Starting 3rd of November 2021, VFS Cebu is back to regular business hours every Monday to Friday from 07:00 am to 16:00 pm.
• Starting 26th of November 2021, VFS Manila is back to regular business hours every Monday to Friday from 08:00 am to 16:00 pm.

Switzerland and Liechtenstein

Visa Issuance Update: “Until 15 June 2020, Switzerland will also no longer issue Schengen visas.”

Visa Update as per Embassy of Switzerland: “Effective from May 02, 2022, the Philippines, Palau, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia are no longer considered a high-risk country. The normal entry requirements apply again to any person entering Switzerland.”

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About the Writer

Hey, I’m Lyza! I once was a person who just imagined going to places “one day” but decided to pursue my dreams. My first travel abroad was in Japan, solo, last 2018, and fell in love with the journey since. I’m aiming to visit 10 countries before turning 30 and 2 new places in the Philippines every year. Besides traveling, I love organizing trips, photography, reading, and making new friends. Follow my adventures through my Instagram.