Filipinos have submitted 152,817 Schengen visa applications in 2022, becoming the 13th nationality group with the most requests in the world.
According to data by SchengenVisaInfo Statistics Portal, around 68.9 percent of these applications were positive, resulting in 143,629 visas issued, VisaGuide.World reports.
This means that Filipinos have spent around €5.3 million on visa applications in 2022, which is equivalent to $5.8 million or ₱323 million. Expenses for visa applications among Filipinos are quite high, taking into account that the average wage in the Philippines is ₱18,423, equivalent to $328.99 or €304.59.
A Schengen visa application fee – €35 or ₱2116.99, which usually is only one of the expenses included in the long list of expenses that need to be paid to complete the application process, represents almost 12 percent of the average wage of a Filipino national, as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)’s 2022 Occupational Wages Survey (OWS) reveals.
Countries With Strongest Economy Received Most Visa Applications from Filipinos
The Netherlands is the favourite destination for Filipino applicants in 2022, as 45,354 requests for a Netherlands visa were recorded in 2022.
The visa approval rate in this country was high, with 95.7 percent of all applications being approved, translating into 43,387 applications compared to 1,535 rejected visas.
The French and Spanish embassies were the second and third most sought out among Filipino applicants, as they filed 26,596 and 17,203 visa applications in these countries, respectively.
The visa approval rates for Filipinos were high in these two countries as well, with France approving 91.5 percent of all applications (24,330) while Spain approved 16,306 visas, representing 94.8 percent of all requests.
The list of countries that have received the most visa applications from Filipinos concluded with Italy and Germany, with these two countries receiving 15,607 and 14,474 applications, respectively.
Around 96.2 percent of all applications to Germany were approved, which is equivalent to 13,921 requests, while the Italian authorities issued 14,781 visas – 94.7 per cent of all applications received.
These five countries received 78 percent of all applications that Filipinos made in 2022, representing 119,234 requests in total.
Including Turkiye, the Philippines is the seventh largest country of origin for visa applicants in Asia, falling behind Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.