French Embassy: Applying for a Tourist Visa (PHILIPPINES)

I went to Manila and went back to Cebu in just a day. Feeling rich lang ang drama ko kahapon! heheh!

• Had a morning flight but was raining like crazy in Cebu. After I arrived in Manila, it was hot as f there. Nevertheless, I still prefer Cebu to Manila. No offense to all people who are from Manila. I am just a creature of habit and I like familiarity. Manila is too crowded for my liking.
• Arrived at NAIA around 9 AM and went straight to VFS Global:
   

France Visa Application Center 

Unit MO2 Mezzanine floor Ecoplaza Bldg.
Don Chino Roces, Ave., Extension
Makati City 1231, Philippines

• I used GrabTaxi to get to VFS Global and it costed me Php 185.
• VFS Global is located at the second floor of Ecoplaza.
• You are allowed to get in 15 minutes before your schedule.
• You will be directed to the locker room. Locker room fee is Php 75. You have to pay after the interview.
• You can bring your phone inside, but it should remain off. I saw people texting though. I didn't bring my phone with me inside because I thought it wasn't allowed. 

Things you can bring inside:

-pouch/small bag
- phone (but should be off)
- documents
- snacks (I saw people eating chips and biscuits inside so it must be allowed. I think you should bring a snack or two because I was there for 2 hours and I definitely got hungry.) 


My documents included:

-  Appointment (You can set up an appointment through their website beforehand.)
- Cover Letter ( I saw someone writing her cover letter. She must have forgotten to make one in advance.)
- SECPA/ Live birth
- Passport
- Photocopy of previous visa
- Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses concert tickets
- Plane reservations 
- Hotel reservations
- Eiffel Tower restaurant reservation 
- Bank Certificate ( I requested mine at BPI. Fee: Php100)
- Bank Statement ( 3 months)
- Letter of Acknowledgement from my current company with three moths salary 
- Leave of Absence  

Other supporting documents I included were: 

- 3 land titles
- 2 mutual funds statement of account

• My appointment was at 11:00 PM, but I waited for about  1 to two hours. I was nervous as heck and I don't even know why I was nervous in the first place!
• The girl just checked my requirements. She didn't even ask me anything! She had this checklist and she checked my documents one by one and she let me signed the checklist.
• I got the receipt and I proceeded to the cashier.
• Here is the detailed list of all the fees I had to pay:

Short stay Visa Fee- Php 3,140
Logistic Fee- Php 1,361
Courier Fee- Php 330 (You can choose to pick it up, but I chose this one since I am living in Cebu)
SMS Fee- Php 110 (Had I known that there is a fee for the updates, I wouldn't have opted for this.)

• Wait for your name to be called for Biometrics.
• Biometrics took about less than 5 minutes. She took my fingerprint and my picture and she told me about what to expect in a few days (like the texts I will receive, the courier thing and all)
• My passport will arrive in 2 to 5 business days, but it might take longer because I live outside Metro Manila.
  
  
  
  Waiting game nalang! If ma approve, okay! If hindi, then I will be Php 100,000 pesos richer by June.