All About Remonstrance: How I Successfully Appealed My Schengen Visa Rejection

Last March, I applied for a visa for my Europe trip but got rejected. Woe is me. 😀

In this blog post, I’ll detail the process I took to apply for a Schengen visa in Germany Embassy in Manila as well as how I successfully appealed my visa rejection.

⚠️ Germany Embassy in Manila announced that, starting 1st June 2025, remonstration procedure will be abolished. Official post from the embassy can be gound here: https://manila.diplo.de/ph-en/service/visa/2536778-2536778. When submitting application for Schengen visa, please double/ triple check everything to avoid getting rejected.

Visa Application

In the Philippines, application for Schengen visa is via VFS Global (https://visa.vfsglobal.com/phl/en/deu). You can not walk-in. You must have a scheduled appointment to be entertained.

The process can be a bit convoluted. In my case, here is the process I followed:

• Got an updated list of requirements from the website of the Embassy of Germany in Manila (https://manila.diplo.de/ph-en/service/visa/2543948-2543948?openAccordionId=item-2439838-3-panel). Since I was traveling to Germany without an invitation, I opted for a Schengen visa for tourism.
• I filled out the online application form (https://videx.diplo.de/videx/visum-erfassung/videx-kurzfristiger-aufenthalt), got my latest passport picture, and then prepared paper copies of all the required documents, including the visa application form.
• Once everything was ready, I set an appointment on VFS Global’s site (https://visa.vfsglobal.com/phl/en/deu/book-an-appointment). Do note that VFS Global’s site is very finicky. My reservation wouldn’t push through and got stuck with a “Mandatory field can’t be left blank” error. I had to let their system time out. I started attempting to set an appointment on February 25th and was finally able to make it work on March 2nd, 2025.
• On the day itself, March 7th, I lined up at VFS Global’s Makati office early in the morning. Do not bring any electronic items or water bottles! Only when I was going through security and x-ray was I asked to deposit my laptop, earphones, tablet, and water bottle in a pay-to-use locker.
• 3 hours later, I was done.

Filing for a Remonstrance

Around March 17th, I got my results. My application was rejected. In the rejection letter, they stated that the lodging details I provided did not match my itinerary. The letter also provided details on what to do if you do not agree with the decision.

With that information, I filed for a remonstrance:

• I wrote a remonstrance document asking them to reconsider, and attached my updated lodging and itinerary information. The document also contained my personal details: name, place of birth, passport number, the date my visa application was rejected, and my address.
• I signed the document, saved it as a PDF file, and emailed it along with a cover letter to visa@mani.diplo.de

After my e-mail to them, on the 18th March, I got a reply from them asking for more details and some clarifications. I provided those needed details and clarifications via email.

On March 19th, I received an email that the visa rejection decision had been changed: a notice of decision.

·. ݁⟡⋆ · ✧ My visa had been approved! ✧ · ⋆⟡·. ݁

I was asked to submit my original passport and provide an address where they could send it back with the approved visa. They emphasized that this should be done via courier. To be extra sure, I printed my remonstrance letter, the email correspondence, and the notice of decision.

On March 20th, I sent everything via a local courier service. Approximately a week later, on March 29th, 2025, I received my visa.

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That’s it for now! Next time, I’ll need to be very careful in ensuring that all the contents of my application are cohesive. I’ll also need to allocate more time to process visa applications as it takes at least a week per leg of the application journey.

Till next time!

— 🐻さん