The Lady in the Lab

Most of the time, visa applications are done in embassies. For Schengen visa application, especially if you will be mainly staying in the Netherlands, Poland, or Latvia, your application will be processed by an application center. In the Philippines, Schengen visa application for these countries are outsourced to VFS Global (VFS stands for Visa Facilitation Services).  VFS Global application center is located in Makati city. Their full address is:  Ecoplaza Building, Mezzanine Floor Don Chino Roces Ave, Extension, Makati 1231 Kalakhang Maynila, Philippines ●  Schedule an appointment Before going to VFS Global, you need to schedule an appointment online. You can visit the following link to schedule your appointment: https://row1.vfsglobal.com/GlobalAppointment/Account/RegisteredLogin ●  Prepare for the appointment When your appointment has been set, make sure to print out your appointment letter. This is emailed to you right after you have scheduled onli

I had the opportunity to travel to Europe to perform academic research. This was made possible through a collaboration between two universities and a government scholarship.      For most people (especially frequent travelers), applying for a visa may be easy and straightforward. I am no frequent traveler. In fact, this is my first travel outside of my country. This was my first time to apply for Schengen visa, and I am happy to say I was granted visa with no problems. Preparation and planning ensured my successful visa application. Making sure that I have submitted complete and correct documents is one factor that made the process faster. There is a set of documents required to apply for Schengen visa depending on the purpose of your travel. As for me, I was travelling for scientific research funded by a government agency. In this case,  other than the basic requirements, I presented additional documents. Below is the list of required documents and the specific documen