How to Get A Visa for Your Trip to Italy


When planning your trip to Paris, Italy or to any European country in the Schengen area, it's important to study what the requirements are. Each country has its own set of requirements. Jacob and I first applied for a Schengen Visa through the French Embassy because this the country where we were staying the longest. It doesn't matter if you're flying into Germany but if majority of the duration of your trip is in France then apply through the French Embassy not the German Embassy.

However, both of us got denied on our first try because we were lacking a document. When we got our rejection letter, it said "Insufficient explanation for the purpose and circumstances of the planned stay." It's quite a vague statement and we couldn't figure out what went wrong but our guess was because we our itinerary wasn't detailed enough. This was my 3rd time applying for a Schengen visa. I've already gone to Europe twice with my family which is why I was shocked my visa got denied but they say that it's stricter for those who apply individually and if you're in your twenties.

We asked for opinions from other people and they suggested to appeal or try again in a different embassy.  The first option was out of the question because based on my research, appeals can take up to two months before you get a decision and we didn't have time since we were flying out in April already. We decided to go with the second option and try through the Italian Visa instead. We had to change our itinerary and instead of staying longer in Paris, we made the bulk of our trip in Italy instead. We also decided to get a travel agent to assist us to be sure. We chose Dominican Travel. You can contact Jovel at 0999 807 2032. He helped us by double checking our requirements and lining up for us at the embassy since the lines are long.
Here are the requirements for the Italian Embassy:

1. Filled out application form (Check the latest version)
2. Valid Passport
3. 2 Passport-size Photos
4. Letter to the Embassy (Introduce yourself and write why you are going to Italy)
5. Travel Insurance with a minimum coverage of 30,000 euros (We bought ours at Malayan Insurance)
6. Round Trip Tickets (To prove that you're going home)
7. Complete Detailed Itinerary (Be as specific as possible. Indicate the mode of transportation to and from, train/ plane tickets and if you're going on tours, include the tickets too)
8. Hotel Reservation or Proof of Accommodation
9. Proof of Employment (Letter of Leave of Absence, Certificate of Employment)
10. Proof of Sufficient Funds (Bank Statement, Income Tax Return, Credit Card Statement, Payslips) If you're being sponsored by a company/ person, you will need their proof of funds as well and a letter of sponsorship.
11. Birth Certificate/ Marriage Certificate 
12. Visa Fee (Php1,400 Processing Fee + Php3, 688 Service Fee)
13. Submit all the documents to:

VIA CENTRE MAKATI
3rd Floor, Allegro Center
2284 Chino Roces Extension
Barangay Magallanes, Makati City 1232

It takes two weeks to a month to find out if your application was accepted or rejected. It takes a little longer compared to other embassies. Honestly, planning your trip to Europe is really stressful but once you're there, it makes it all worth it. Just look at these photos from Milan. These are just some of my favorite. I still have so much to share with you!

Good luck! Feel free to comment below if you have any issues applying. I'll try my best to help.










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