Schengen visa applications from Phl up

France has experienced a rapid rise in the number of Schengen visa applications from the Philippines in recent years, the French embassy in Manila said yesterday.

The embassy said applications are projected to increase by 20 percent per year in the coming years.

French Ambassador Thierry Mathou said the French embassy in Manila received this year almost 20,000 applications, an unprecedented number reflecting a 100 percent increase from 2010.

With this development, Mathou on Monday led the inauguration of the French Visa Application Center in Makati, which is expected to efficiently process the increasing number of Schengen visa applications from Filipinos who wish to visit France.

“Such a significant increase in volume, which is only projected to rise even further in the coming years, demands that the embassy come up with ways to continue to remain efficient. As visa applications are forecasted to increase by 20 percent per year in the coming years, putting up an outsourcing center is not only strategic but necessary,” Mathou said.

As a response, the embassy has partnered with VFS Global to operate an outsourcing center which will ease the visa application process for those traveling for business or for leisure.

Manila’s French visa center will offer a personalized recep- tion, assistance in the completion of applicants’ files and provide real-time information on the status of the application and the release date of the passport of the applicant through e-mail or text.

With the launch of the VFS Global Center, Schengen visa applicants traveling to France may call the center to schedule an appointment and submit their documents directly to the visa center at the mezzanine floor of the Eco Plaza Building in Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City.