r/SchengenVisa_PH

Hi everyone! I’m planning to apply for a Schengen visa through the Swiss Embassy in the PH this November, and I’d appreciate any insights on my chances of approval, especially from fellow Filipinos who have recently applied.

Trip details:

• 17-day trip covering Amsterdam, Paris, Switzerland, and Italy
• Switzerland will be my main destination, with 5 nights in the country
• Traveling with my partner, but we will be funding our trips separately

Employment and financial documents:

• I recently transferred to a new company in August 2026, although I’ve been continuously employed for several years
• Payslips from both my previous and current employers
• 2025 ITR from my previous employer
• Offer letter from my current employer
• Bank certificate showing ₱1M+ ADB and bank balance, plus bank statements
• Investment portfolio statements (MP2 and bank trading account)
• SSS contribution records
• Property documents, including a Transfer Certificate of Title and car documents
• Previous tourist visas: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and China
• Cover letter explaining my recent job change, employment history, finances, and travel plans

Accommodation and flights:

• I already purchased my flight tickets (I know, I should have waited and used a reservation instead 😭)
• Accommodations are booked and cancellable

My biggest concern is my COE and leave authorization.

My current company only issues a system-generated COE for visa applications. It includes my employment details and states:

"This certification is being issued to [Name] for his visa application to be filed with the Swiss Embassy in the Philippines for his travel dates [dates]."

However, it does not explicitly state that my leave has been approved or that I’m authorized to travel during those dates

Would this type of COE be sufficient, or is an explicit leave approval letter usually expected?

Please assess my chances!!

Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone here has experience with this or can guide me through a strict embassy requirement.
Our Situation:

Applicants: I am a Filipina living in the Philippines. My husband is a Dutch national. We got married in the Philippines in June 2026.

Residency Status: My husband is a Dutch national (not a Spanish citizen) who lives/works in Spain. He is no longer a resident of the Netherlands.

Current Location: I am still in the Philippines; I haven't moved to Spain yet. We applied for the EU Family Member Visa for Spain through BLS Manila. We submitted our PSA Marriage Certificate with a DFA Apostille, its official Spanish translation, and his proof of residence in Spain.

The Issue:
After four weeks, the Spanish Embassy in Manila sent a requirement giving us 10 days to comply by providing "recognition of the marriage certificate in the EU."
Since our marriage was celebrated in the Philippines, he is Dutch (not Spanish), and I am still in the Philippines, we are completely lost on what this specific requirement means and how we are supposed to "recognize" a PH marriage in the EU from Manila within 10 days.

Questions:

1. Does "recognition in the EU" mean we have to register/transcribe our Philippine marriage through Spain's civil registry or a Dutch civil registry before the visa can be issued?
2. Since I am still in the Philippines and he is here with me, how can this recognition process even be initiated or completed under a tight 10-day deadline?
3. Has anyone dealt with this exact requirement from the Spanish Embassy in Manila for an EU family member visa?

Any advice, step-by-step guidance, or shared experiences would mean the world to us. Thank you so much

I’ve been seeing a lot of visa refusals lately, and honestly, it’s frustrating, especially for applicants who seem to have met all the requirements.

Are there any success stories from those who applied for a Spain Student Visa recently? 🇪🇸🎓

A lot of us are also stuck in the waiting game. I’ve seen applicants who lodged their applications as early as July, and some are still showing PAM up to now.

For those who have already received a decision:
How long did you wait for your visa?
When did your status change from PAM?
Were you approved?
Did you receive any updates or requests for additional documents during processing?

Would really appreciate hearing your experiences and timelines. It would be nice to hear some positive stories while the rest of us are waiting! 🤞

Sa mga affected ng mass rejection ng Spain, mag re-apply ba kayo or ibang embassy na lang? and if anong embassy iretry nyo?

Meron ba ditong refused visa na naconvert to granted visa stories? 🥹

Not to Visa shopping, but to genuinely go to Europe and see the world 🌎

Respect my post thank you

Hi! I sent my Switzerland visit visa application form and one of the questions in the additional questionnaire was list of countries visited. However, I forgot to add “Vietnam” which I visited in December 2025. Will this result to visa refusal?

I’m so anxious, also, how long do I need to wait for the result?