Ever dreamt of visiting Iceland, a Nordic nirvana? Speckled with majestic waterfalls, geysers, and fjords among many others, I’m sure this is a European destination that you would love to set foot into for a road trip or two! Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to apply for an Iceland Schengen visa as a Philippine citizen.
Once again, I am only going to tackle the requirements for a tourist visa. If you have other reasons for tourism such as visiting other people etc., check the corresponding requirements on the VFS website.
It helps to arrive early for your Iceland Schengen visa appointment and the VFS address for both Manila and Cebu are:
- NO ONE can give you the guarantee of your Iceland Schengen visa’s approval — not even a lawyer, a consultant, a travel agent, or an embassy employee. Anyone who says otherwise is most likely going to be a scammer. So what I’m rather offering you here is a comprehensive guide with helpful tips to increase your chances of getting that visa. Nothing more, nothing less.
- There are different types of Schengen Visas (for fiancé, work, study, etc.) but my main focus for this article will be a Schengen Visa for tourism purposes only. To see a list of requirements for other types of visas by the embassy, go here.
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Schengen Area
A Schengen Visa is a document that allows the holder to travel freely within the Schengen Area or Zone for a maximum stay of up to 90 days in any 6-month period. This Schengen Area is a group of 26 European countries (22 European Union member states and 4 EFTA member states) that have abolished passport and immigration controls at their common borders and they are namely:
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Norway Visa Application Centre – Manila
Ground Floor, Ecoplaza Bldg.,
Don Chino Roces Ave., Makati City
1231 Philippines
[email protected]
Once the Norway Embassy is done assessing your application, they will send back your passport and your other original documents to VFS. Consecutively, VFS will send you a text message or email that you can now pick it up. Make sure to bring your ID and the payment receipt when claiming your passport and results.
» When should I apply for a Schengen Visa?
Have you seen my latest vlog?
Also, the Norway Embassy may request more information or additional documents other than those listed above in order to verify the contents and truthfulness of the documents you’ve submitted; so, be prepared for that.
» Where should I apply for a Schengen Visa?
There are certain nationalities worldwide that are exempted from applying for a Schengen Visa, but as Philippine passport holders, in order to visit one or more of these Schengen states, we are required to apply for the visa. (Remember, Schengen Tourist Visa holders are NOT allowed to live permanently nor work in Europe, they only have the right to travel as a temporary visitor within the allotted timeframe indicated on their visa.)
[1] Excluding Greenland and the Faroe Islands
[2] Excluding overseas departments and territories
[3] Excluding Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Caribbean Netherlands
[4] Excluding Svalbard
[5] With special provisions for Ceuta and Melilla
As I said, the Royal Norwegian Embassy processes applications for Iceland in the Philippines and they do Iceland Schengen visa applications via their external service provider, VFS Global. Unfortunately, you cannot just walk into their office to lodge an application because you need to book an appointment first online.
» Which Schengen embassy will I have a better chance of getting a Visa?
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» How long does it take for Schengen Visa results to be released?
» Top Iceland Tours « There’s no such thing as an embassy that would easily give away Schengen visas. But, if it is a question of time — like which Embassy can you get application results the quickest — then that would be an easier query for me to answer, which then leads us to the question…
So as an example, you must apply at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila only if according to your Europe itinerary, you will be staying the longest and/or have any of Norway or Iceland in your itinerary.
Application Process for Iceland Schengen Visa
Step 1: Determine the type of Iceland Schengen visa you need to apply for
So as an example, you must apply at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila only if according to your Europe itinerary, you will be staying the longest and/or have any of Norway or Iceland in your itinerary.
Booking Essentials
So as an example, you must apply at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila only if according to your Europe itinerary, you will be staying the longest and/or have any of Norway or Iceland in your itinerary.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
I do not have a credit card to pay for the visa fee online on the portal, can I just pay it VFS? Unfortunately, you can’t. You can try asking for a friend or relative’s credit card in order to pay the fee online.Do I need to provide a cover letter? It’s not required, but it’s good practice to provide one.Do you have an example cover letter? Yes, I have. Check it out here.How much money should I show in my bank account? Most of the Schengen member countries need you to show that you have at least EUR 50 (Php 2,500+) per day of your stay. You can use this as a standard and this is the bare minimum, that’s why I suggest that you add way more money to it if you can.
How long does it take to process a tourist visa application with the Norway Embassy? With the Norway Embassy, it can take 3 to 15 business days. As I mentioned previously, it only took 3 business days when I applied for a single-entry Schengen visa; however, it took full 15 days when I applied for a multiple-entry visa (most likely because they had to scrutinize everything since I was asking for more days, etc.)What if my plans change and I won’t be visiting some of the countries I indicated in my travel itinerary? Can I still travel to those other countries with my Schengen Visa? There is no border control within the Schengen Zone, so yes — you can deviate from your original plans BUT only for as long as they’re within the Schengen member countries (unless, of course, you have a multiple-entry Schengen visa) and within the allowable dates stated on your visa.
NOTE: It helps to mention that there are non-Schengen members in Europe that allow entry to their country if you have a Schengen Visa, namely: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Macedonia, Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Turkey, and Vatican City.
NOTE: If in case you are a Philippine national living or residing in a foreign country and you wish to avail an Iceland Schengen tourist visa, kindly inquire with the appropriate embassy in the country that you’re living/residing in about the requirements and procedures that you need to take (as the process and requirements will not be similar).
But before we go on, first some disclaimers: