Last updated: 2020 • 3 • 8
This post is about how to apply for a Schengen Visa via the embassy of Greece in Manila for the purpose of tourism. You’ll find the list of requirements and detailed information about the application process from securing a schedule to the actual interview. If you’re applying as a worker or as a seafarer, I’m afraid this post isn’t for you.
Greece just got closer to the Philippines.
Low-cost carrier Scoot, a Singapore Airlines subsidiary, now flies nonstop to Athens from Changi Airport. and because Scoot also directly connects Singapore to many Philippine destinations, this new route opens another avenue for Filipinos to reach Europe much more easily and more affordably.
But because Greece is part of the so-called Schengen Zone, Philippine passport holders will need to secure a Schengen Visa first. It is a travel document that will allow you to enter any of the 26 European states that are part of the Schengen Agreement, including Greece.
If you’re flying to Greece and you’re also planning on visiting any of the Schengen countries, you only need one visa. You don’t need to apply for each of the countries in your itinerary individually.
Co je uvedeno v této příručce?
WHO CAN apply AT THE embassy OF GREECE?
LIST OF GREECE SCHENGEN VISA REQUIREMENTS1. Accomplished Application Form
2. Valid Passport
3. All Previous Passports
4. One (1) passport-size photo
5. proof of financial Means
6. flight reservations
7. proof of will to Return
8. proof of Employment
9. If travelling with spouse and/or children
10. If traveling as a tourist
11. If invited by someone in Greece
12. If applicant is a minor
13. travel insurance
Possible additional Documents
HOW TO apply FOR A GREEK SCHENGEN VISA1. schedule an appointment by email.
2. complete the Schengen Visa requirements.
3. submit the requirements at the embassy of Greece.
4. claim your passport and visa.
GREEK VISA frequently ASKED QUESTIONS1. how long does the whole Greece Visa Application process take?
2. how early should I apply for a Greek Schengen visa?
3. how long is the validity of the Schengen Visa?
4. should I apply for a single-, double-, or multiple-entry visa?
5. how much money should I have in the bank to get approved?
6. What are the reasons why my Schengen visa application would be denied?
7. What does a Greek Schengen Visa look like?
8. Do I really need plane tickets before applying? What if I get denied? Sayang the pera.
9. I already emailed the embassy but no reply. Co mám dělat?
For more Schengen Visa frequently Asked Questions, check out this post: Schengen Visa for Filipinos
Updates Log
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WHO CAN apply AT THE embassy OF GREECE?
The Greek embassy in Manila also processes applications on behalf of the Portuguese government, so this post also applies if you’re traveling to Portugal.
Apply at the Greek embassy only if any of the items below is true:
You’re going to Greece only or Portugal only and will not check out any other country.
You will check out two or more Schengen countries but you will stay the longest in Greece or Portugal.
You will check out two or more Schengen countries but the main purpose of your trip is in Greece or Portugal. (Example: you will attend a conference in Greece but you plan on going out to other Schengen countries while you’re there.)
You will stay in multiple Schengen countries for exactly the same number of days, but Greece or Portugal is your point of entry (first in your itinerary).
If you’re sure that the Greek embassy is the right place to lodge your application, it’s time to get started. Here’s how to apply, as we experienced first-hand.
LIST OF GREECE SCHENGEN VISA REQUIREMENTS
1. Accomplished Application Form
Duly accomplished.
Must be computerized/typewritten (NOT handwritten).
Download it here.
2. Valid Passport
Must have at least 6 months validity (at the time of departure).
Must have at least 2 free adjacent pages.
Must have no existing VALID Schengen visa.
Must have your signature.
3. All Previous Passports
Yep, you have to submit even the old ones.
In case of lost or destroyed passports, an Affidavit of Loss must also be submitted.
4. One (1) passport-size photo
Bílé pozadí.
Must have been taken recently.
Must be pasted on the application form.
5. proof of financial Means
Bank Certificate, indicating the remaining balance and average daily balance (ADB) for the past 6 months. must be addressed to the Consular section of the embassy of Greece.
Bank statement covering the past 6 months.
Original Passbook (bank book).
6. flight reservations
Including outward and return flights
Including flights within Schengen area
The document must have passenger Registration Number (or reservation number).
Your departure date must be at least 15 days after you submit your requirements to the embassy.
To avoid wasting money,DO NOT purchase TICKETS until your visa is approved. You just need to reserve. find a travel agency that can reserve flights for you. more information here: how TO get flight RESERVATIONS
7. proof of will to Return
Property titles, if you have some. Land titles, automobile registration certificates, and Deeds of Sale are all accepted.
Proof of family ties in the Philippines, such as marriage certificate.
Other proof of will to Return, such as employment contract and SSS contributions (if relevant).
8. proof of Employment
For employees, a Certificate of employment indicating the salary level and authorizing leave of absence. must be addressed to the Consular section of the Embassy.
For self-employed, business registration documents, latest income tax return (ITR) form, and business financial statement.
For students, current or latest certificate of enrollment and a letter authorizing the absence.
9. If travelling with spouse and/or children
NSO-certified marriage contract
NSO birth certificates of children
10. If traveling as a tourist
Confirmed hotel reservations. must cover your travel dates in full.
Detailed travel itinerary. Toto je velmi důležité! See my sample itinerary below.
Below is a sample detailed Itinerary. sample only.
11. If invited by someone in Greece
Proof of relationship (marriage certificate/birth certificate)
Photocopy of the inviting party’s passport’s bio page and/or inviter’s travel history in case of non-formalized relationship (boyfriend/girlfriend)
A signed original Letter of Invitation and Guarantee. must be addressed to the Consular section of the Embassy. must state guarantee of repatriation and coverage of travel, accommodation and medical expenses.
Proof of hotel reservation, if staying at a hotel.
Solemn declaration (“Υπεύθυνη Δήλωση”) with authenticated signature, if the inviting person is a Greek national. (The newest list of requirements posted on the Greek embassy website does not include this one anymore. but it might help your case if you secure this one too.)
12. If applicant is a minor
Joint affidavit of both parents or legal guardians granting consent
Photocopies of the passports of both parents or legal guardians
Birth certificate of the minor. must be recent, original, and issued by PSA.
DSWD Clearance, if the minor is not traveling with either parent or legal guardian
Recent certificate of enrollment from the school
Letter authorizing the student’s absence from school
13. travel insurance
Minimum coverage of €30,000.
Must be purchased from an internationally recognized company.
Must cover the entire duration of your stay in the Schengen zone.
Possible additional Documents
When I applied, the documents below were required, but they no longer appear on the website’s new list of requirements, so I’m not sure if these are still necessary.
A photocopy of all the requirements. I still recommend that you produce photocopies especially of all pages on current and previous passports that have visas or stamps, for good measure. If they don’t need it, at least you have an extra copy that you can bring with you during the trip. It’s good practice to have photocopies of your important documents when traveling abroad, anyway.
Accomplished Self-Check List. When I applied, this was a requirement. I’m not sure if this is still the case now. but this is simply a checklist enumerating all the requirements with important reminders about the application. download it here.
You can get flight RESERVATIONS, hotel RESERVATIONS, and travel insurance online! We got in touch with Gazelle travel and Tours, a DTI-registered DOT-accredited travel agency so they could easily offer these services to our readers.
For the rates and more info, read: FLIGHTS and hotel RESERVATIONS
Read: FLIGHTS and hotel RESERVATIONS
HOW TO apply FOR A GREEK SCHENGEN VISA
1. schedule an appointment by email.
There is only one way you can request for an appointment: by email. You can’t simply walk in or call the embassy. I repeat, it has to be done by email.
The email address is visa.man@mfa.gr.
You have to strictly follow a specific template depending on whether you’re applying individually or as a group. You will find the format here:
———————————–
PREFERRED DATE: {DD MONTH YEAR}
Name of Applicant: {LAST NAME, first NAME}
Passport No:
Contact Tel.:
Type of Visa: {SCHENGEN/SHORT TERM or NATIONAL/LONG TERM}
Main country of Destination:
Expected date of Departure: {DD MONTH YEAR}
———————————–
Some important notes:
Once they receive your request, you will get an acknowledgment reply within the next 24 working hours.
If you need to change anything, you may email them at least 24 working hours before your appointment date.
If you need to cancel or reschedule, you may do so by emailing at least 2 working days before the schedule given to you.
That email address is only for visa appointment only. Don’t send your inquiries or other messages to that address.
Vlastně,items #1 (schedule) and #2 (requirements) of this process are interchangeable. but we choose to prioritize the scheduling because sometimes, the earliest available slot is over a month away. For example, in our case, we emailed in October 25-ish and the earliest free slot was in late November. Thankfully, two earlier slots opened and we were asked by the embassy if we wanted to take them. Udělali jsme! Lucky, lucky!
2. complete the Schengen Visa requirements.
While we were waiting for our appointment date, we gathered all the required documents as listed above.
Some important notes.
The documents must be arranged in the same order as the list above. even the photocopies of your stamps and visas must be in the same order as they appear on your passports.
Place all the requirements in a long brown envelope. write your last name, first name and contact number in bold capital letters on the upper left corner of the envelope.
The original copies will be returned to you on the same day of application.
3. submit the requirements at the embassy of Greece.
On the day of the appointment, submit the requirements in person. personal appearance is mandatory because you might be interviewed by the consul. failure to show up means forfeiture of your appointment slot.
Prior to last year, most applicants were interviewed. but starting this year, it is no longer the case. They only interview applicants when they have additional questions or clarifications. most applicants will not be required to undergo an interview anymore.
The address of the embassy of Greece is this:
EMBASSY OF GREECE
Unit 701 7F SEDCCO I Building
Corner Rada and Legazpi Streets, Legaspi Village
Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines 1229
Here’s what you need to do:
Show up at the lobby of the building 5 minutes before your schedule. This gives you time to register, deposit your ID, and climb to the 7th floor. If you arrive earlier, the guard will not let you in until 5 minutes before your schedule.
Once inside the Consular Office, approach the desk right away to register. You will have to write down your name and sign the reg sheet. This sheet also determines who gets entertained first. After registration, take a seat.
Once your name is called, submit your documents. Again, they must be in the same order as the checklist and must be in a long brown envelope. If they have questions, answer promptly and respectfully. You will be asked to take a seat as they check your docs.
Once they see that your docs are complete, you will be called again. You will be given a deposit slip. fill it out with the provided details. (It’s also displayed on the corkboard in one corner of the room.)
Pay the visa fee at the BDO Branch in the opposite building. There is a report that visa fees across all Schengen embassies have increased to EUR 80 per applicant, but I haven’t confirmed this yet. Either way, you will be paying this in pesos. (When I applied, it was only EUR 60 or P3600.) There should be four copies of the transaction slip. One will be left with the bank, two will be submitted to the embassy, and the final copy is yours to keep.
Go back to the embassy and submit your deposit slips.
You will be called again to take your biometrics (photo and fingerprints). After that, await further instructions.
Normally, there will be no interview. but if they need more information, they may invite you to an interview. The interview is done in a separate room, away from other applicants. If you apply as a group, there’s a chance you will be interviewed together, but not always. You will be asked about why you will be traveling and whom you will be traveling with. You will be asked about the details of your itinerary so make sure you know it by heart. The interview is short and straightforward. Be confident when you answer. Don’t be nervous. The embassy is strict and firm, but they are very respectful and pleasant.
After the intervi