Michi Photostory

Few years ago, I’ve learned that I can ride a Ferry from Oslo to Copenhagen or vice versa so I already took note of it. So when we’re planning for Copenhagen - Stockholm and Oslo Trip, I suggested it to my mom so at least we can experience riding a ship even for one night. In my mind, it is better than riding a plane, train or bus because we can move around. One more thing, the cheapest way to go to Copenhagen or Oslo is by Ferry.

Booking is easy, just go to DFDS Seaways website and purchase a ticket. You can ride the ferry with or without a vehicle. They have different destinations not only Oslo to Copenhagen to Oslo route. They are sailing to Norway, Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, and Belgium.


The price of the ticket depends on the cabin that you will choose; Standard Cabin, Sea View Cabin or Premium Cabin. The price may vary too depending on the season or date but during our trip, the lowest price of the cabin is ₤83 good for 4 persons. We chose the Seaview Cabin for ₤119 because I want to have a window so I can see the view.

My mom booked our ticket and we got a better price because she used Norwegian Kroner as currency. She only paid NOK996 for our cabin without breakfast. When I learned that, I told her to book all our transportation ticket and I will just pay na lang so I can save for the foreign exchange currency fee. Hehehe!

Elverum to Oslo via Nettbus 

We stayed in my sister’s house for four days in Elverum so we need to travel back to Oslo to ride the Ferry to Copenhagen Denmark. We have two options, bus or train and we chose the bus so no more transfer. The price of the ticket varies too so it is better to buy your ticket in advance. Just check their website so you will have an idea which is cheaper. My sister is the one who booked our ticket back to Elverum, I think 3 weeks prior to our trip kasi magmamahal pa daw pag malapit na.

Oslo to Elverum via NSB Train NOK650 (2 adults and 1 kid)
Elverum to Oslo via Nettbus NOK637 (2 adults and 1 kid)

From my sister’s place, we just walked all the way to the bus stop. There is no waiting shed so you can just go there few minutes before the schedule para hindi matagal ang tayo. The bus is on time. We put our luggage and my mom showed our ticket to the bus driver. Free wifi on the bus but I decided to take a nap for our 2 hours bus ride. Travel Time: 11:30 to 13:25


Oslo to Copenhagen via DFDS Crown Seaways 

15:15 - Check-in
15:45 - Boarding
16:30 - Departure

From Oslo Bus Terminal, we walked to DFDS Ferry Terminal, it is a long walk. We reached the port after 50 minutes including our quick snack at 7-11.


Upon entering the Ferry Terminal, you will see a lot of Self-Check-In kiosks and the staff told my mom to use the kiosk but when we used it, there was a note that we need assistance. My mom went back to the counter. The staff who told us to use the kiosk, siya din naman pala ang magprocess ng check-in namin. Nagpabalik-balik pa kami.



I’m not sure if it is because we have Philippines Passport so we can’t use the self-check-in kiosk. Anyway, they gave us our boarding card which serves us our key card too. Then we proceeded to Boarding Area. The staff checked our passport, Schengen visa and boarding card.


For foot passengers, you can check-in as early as 11AM but boarding time is 3:45PM but we are lucky because our room is already ready at 2:25PM so we went straight to our room.

4 Beds - Seaview Cabin 

As expected the room is small, it had 4 beds and 1 small bathroom. Pillows, blanket, and towels are already provided. For toiletries, they only provide liquid hand soap and toilet paper. And because of the limited space, it is hard to open our luggage so it is better to put your stuff on your hand-carry.






Travel time is 17 hours and 15 minutes. Most of the time, we just stayed inside our cabin but there are so many things that you can do inside the ship. There are restaurants where you can eat and drink, duty-free shops, and there are entertainment rooms too, some are free and some have a fee like the swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, and cosmetic massage. There are also events or activities that you can join but we chose to sleep.







Restaurants and Cafes 

Sjø (A la carte Restaurant)
Explorers (Steakhouse)
7 Seas (Buffet Restaurant)
Little Italy (Italian Restaurant)
Blue Riband (Banquet)
Espresso House (Coffee Bar)

Bars 

Mermaid Bar
Sky Bar
Sky Club
Navigator’s Bar
Red+White
Columbus Club

Entertainment and Facilities 

Commodore De Luxe Lounge
Conference Center
Conference
Sea Shops
Amusement Games
Bubble Zone
Wellness Relax Centre

Overall, I did not have any regrets in choosing DFDS Seaways, we enjoyed our cruise experience even for one night. If ever we go back to Europe, I will check other cruising destinations.

Watch the video here.


DFDS Oslo Port Office 
Open from 9am - 5pm.
Akershusstranda 31, 0150 Oslo, Norway

Read: Day 1 in Copenhagen
Day 2 in Copenhagen
Day 3 in Copenhagen
Day 4 in Copenhagen

Since March, we’ve been seeing the trailer of Avengers: Endgame so my son was excited to watch it but the excitement was gone when my husband told him.

Hubby: Ethan, wala ka sa April, I will watch Avengers.
Ethan: No, you can’t do that. It’s a family movie. 

Fast forward to Avenger: Endgame showing

Hubby: I thought it’s a family movie, why did you watch Avengers?
Ethan: I’m with mommy.

We don’t normally watch a movie because I find it expensive so most of the time, hihintayin na lang namin sa TV but there are times that we splurge too. I can’t remember if we watched the Avengers movie in the theater but one thing is for sure, after my son watched Avengers (2012), he became a fan. So my husband and son watched The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) in the cinema and we watched the Avengers: Infinity War last year.

I’ve said before na bitin yung Infinity War so I really want to watch the Avengers: Endgame. In addition, ito na yung last Avengers movie so I don’t want to miss it too. We’re supposed to watch the Avengers: Endgame on the first day but the first showing which is 17:15 is already sold out, the next schedule is 20:45. Masyado ng late ang tapos so mapupuyat kami, lol.

So we checked the movie schedule and I was surprised when I saw the schedule, hindi siya everyday na may palabas and kung meron man one per day lang.

April 24, 2019 - 17:15 and 20:45
April 25, 2019 - 19:30
April 26, 2019 - 19:00
April 28, 2019 - 16:15
April 30, 2019 - 18:00

I’m not sure kung ganito rin sa city but in my mom’s place since konti lang daw population sa Norway, ganun lang talaga ang schedule nila. We agreed to watch on Friday and we did not reserve any ticket. We arrived 20 minutes before 7PM and dun pa lang kami bumili ng ticket, so good thing there are still available seats, hindi nga lang kami magkatabi ng nanay ko and front seats na kaming mag-ina.


Since the movie is 3 hours, I told my son na bawal umihi ha so wag ka gaano uminom. Natawa na lang ko kasi hindi niya na ininom softdrinks niya hanggang matapos movie. The movie is long but we did not feel it, parang gusto ko pa nga ng mas mahaba. I felt sad sa ending ng movie, masakit sa puso but what can I do, ganun talaga.


This was our first time to watch a movie abroad and good thing my mom treated us. Kahit never pa siya nakawatch ng Avengers movie so I don’t know kung nakarelate ba siya. Hehehe! We left the movie house past 10PM and for the first time nakita ko rin na padilim ang sky.

My sister lives in Elverum which is 2 hours away from Oslo, the capital of Norway. So when we planned to revisit Norway, I did not book Manila to Trondheim anymore because we could stay in my sister's house before we started our Copenhagen - Stockholm - Oslo Trip. Elverum is a city and municipality in Hedmark County. It is named after the old Norse “Alfarheimr” which means river and farm. The population is less than 15,000.

I don’t have any itinerary for Elverum Trip because, in my mind, we are there to visit and to recover from jetlag. But since we were already there, my mom decided to visit some tourist spots. If ever you are planning to visit Elverum, you can visit the Norwegian Forest Museum, Glomdal Museum, Elverum Church, Elverum Park, and Glomma River.


Among the list, we were able to visit 3 tourist spots. Anyway, we started our tour after breakfast. We left the house at 9:30AM and we just walked all the way to the Glomma River, more or less 20 minutes walk.

Glomma River 

Glomma River is the longest river in Norway. The total length is 621 kilometers from Aursund to Oslofjord. It used to be the log-floating river but now they already transport those logs through trucks. The river is really long, and we saw four bridges during our walking tour. I even saw some love locks in one of the bridges. There is also a bridge that connects the Glomdal Museum and the Norwegian Forest Museum. Some parts of the river are still frozen.

Glomdal Museum 



From Glomma River, we went straight to Glomdal Museum. If you want to save money, avail the joint ticket for Glomdal Museum and Forest Museum which we did. Glomdal Museum is one of the largest open-air museums in Norway. I think this is our first open-air museum, most of the time kasi nasa isang building lang yung museum na napupuntahan namin. But this museum is so huge where they display different buildings and living traditions in Østerladen and Solør. You can see the different houses, cottage, farmhouse, or establishments that was used in the past four centuries.

Few weeks ago, the snow welcomed us in Oslo and Elverum and we’re freezing. But the cold never bothered us anyway. In fact, we’re still happy that we were able to experience snow again. When we went to Copenhagen, Denmark, we also experienced snowfall but as days go by, the temperature kept on increasing so when we went back to Oslo, Norway, we no longer need thick jackets.


Spring is here and it is really hard to predict the weather. My Facebook memories reminded me that two years ago, we were still wearing thick jackets and there was still snowfall until the first week of May but now the temperature ranges from 11C to 19C, it hit 20C last Tuesday so off we went to the beach.

My mom’s friend invited us to visit their house and my mom suggested having a picnic at the beach. It was just 10 minutes drive from my mom’s place and it’s been two decades already since my last visit. This is the same place where we picked mussels during my first visit to Norway. We were not able to experience it during our second visit and this year too because it is no longer in season. But I’m happy to be back and this time with my son.

I haven’t posted anything for the last two weeks because our family went to Elverum, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo for two weeks vacation. Honestly, I have so many travel stories to share but I don’t know where I’m going to start. But before I share our Scandinavian trip, let me start with Easter Monday.


Yes, you’ve read it right “Easter Monday” (Påskedag), if you remember this post, I mentioned that Norway has 5 days Holy Week holiday so from Thursday to Monday, there are no work, school classes and expect that malls, supermarkets, banks and even the majority of the restaurants are closed. There are also changes in transportation schedule so it is hard to travel during Holy Week. Some stores are open for limited hours during Black Saturday.



When in Norway, you will notice that every Easter, they will also decorate their homes. Yellow is the color of Easter and you will see a lot of chickens, Easter Eggs and Easter bunnies. Kids receive Easter Eggs filled with candies, chocolates or small treats. My son was able to decorate his own Easter Eggs when we went to Glomdal Museum in Elverum. My aunt also gave him Kinder Surprise Eggs.


Since Monday is still a holiday, my aunt invited us for dinner. My uncle prepared Turkey, Potato, Salad, Bacon Wrapper, Fresh Orange Juice and Ice Cream for dessert. I noticed some Easter decorations too like chickens, bunnies, and eggs. The weather was good so we enjoyed our Easter Monday celebration but part of me was worried too because of the earthquake in the Philippines.



P.S. 

While preparing for Easter Monday dinner, my husband and my friend messaged me that there was an earthquake in the Philippines. And I when I opened my social media account, I’ve seen a lot of status about earthquake but what caught my attention is the photos and videos of Clark International Airport. Nagoosebumps ako because few weeks ago, nasa Clark Airport din kami and day before the earthquake happened, my husband arrived at Clark Airport.


I remember, I even suggested to my husband to stay in the hotel na lang near the airport so hindi siya mapagod pauwi kasi for sure traffic sa Pilipinas at Easter Sunday so uwian ng mga tao. But my husband wanted to go home na, buti na lang hindi niya ko sinunod so wala na siya sa Pampanga nung nag-earthquake. I was thankful for God’s protection, my husband, family and friends are all safe naman. Nakakaparanoid whenever I see the photos of CIA, I can’t imagine kung ano gagawin ko if we were there, yung time kasi ng earthquake, yun din ang time na waiting for boarding or waiting for baggage kami.

We all know that going to Europe is not cheap but there is nothing impossible if you want to fulfill your Europe Dream. Yes, you can still find affordable airfare to Europe especially if you are going off-peak season. When we went to Norway two years ago, there is no cheap plane ticket because we bought our ticket 5 weeks before our trip. In addition, there is no seat sale from Manila to Trondheim flight.


This year, we applied for our Schengen Visa in January and we got our visa/passport after 5 days. Then we went to the Philippine Travel Tour Expo and look for cheap airline tickets. There was seat sale but the price varies too, it depends on your travel date. Since we are leaving during summer vacation, the price is a little bit higher. We inquired for Manila - Oslo - Manila, and Clark - Oslo - Clark flight and we decided to book the latter. We only inquired at Qatar Airways and Emirates because other airlines do not offer Oslo flight. Qatar Airways is much cheaper and they also provide Free Shuttle Bus from Trinoma to Clark Airport. 

Read: Biyaheng Europe: Manila Philippines to Elverum Norway

Fast forward to our trip, off we went to Clark International Airport. Checking-in was smooth and the flight is on time. This was our first flight with Qatar Airways and so far we are happy with our first experience. They have free 30 minutes wi-fi but I couldn’t connect.


Clark to Oslo 

Clark for Doha 10 hrs and 5 min
Layover 1h and 55 min
Doha to Oslo 6h and 45 min

Qatar Airways provided a travel kit, the kit includes socks, eye mask, earplug, toothbrush, and toothpaste. There is already a pillow, blanket, and headset on our chair. And of course, we have our own flight entertainment to keep us busy for our 10 hours flight. Aside from that, my son has his own travel kit too na wala sa Philippine Airlines or Thai Airways.



Qatar Airways provided a menu too so we know what to eat and drink. They have more options too compared to other airlines that we have tried. For our 10 hours flight, we have two meals. I appreciate the menu because it gives me an idea of what beverage is available for Economy Class flight, so hindi lang pala softdrinks or juice ang pwede. Madami naman pala choices.


Clark to Doha Menu

Main Meal

Appetizer: Macaroni Salad
Main:
Fried Milk Fish with Bistek Sauce (Steamed Rice, Pumpkin, Pak Choy and Caramelized Onion)
Grilled Chicken with Tarragon Herb Sauce (Roast Potato, sauteed green Peas, and Carrot)
Penne Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Dessert: Jackfruit Rice Pudding

Hot Snack 

Appetizer: Garbanzo salad with tomato and cucumber
Main:
Chicken Adobo with Steamed Rice (garlic, carrot)
Fried Milk Fish with Tomato Basil Sauce (buttered potato, pumpkin, and broccoli florets)
Stir-Fried Asian Style Vegetables with Glass Noodles
Dessert: Macapuno Fruit Salad

Beverages 

Wines: Red wine, White wine
Spirits: Gin, Whisky, Vodka
Beer: Heineken Cognac
Liqueur: Brandy, Baileys Original Irish Cream
Cold Beverages: A selection of soft drinks, ginger ale, soda water, tonic water, a selection of juices, still water
Tea and Coffee: Freshly brewed Ceylon Tea, coffee



Child’s Meal 

Before our flight, I ordered for Child’s Meal so my son has his own food. They serve the kid’s meal first and they have more foods than adults. What nice about their kid’s meal, they have their own snack box that we can take home. So if you have babies, toddlers or kids, don’t forget to pre-book child’s meal, I just modify my booking online. No extra charges for that. If you fail to order, the staff will just ask you to choose from the menu so they can serve it ahead of time pero same lang siya sa adult meal.



Hamad International Airport 

After ten hours, we landed at Hamad International Airport in Doha Qatar. Disembarking is quite slow because we need to take the bus. From the time we landed, it took us more or less 30 minutes before we reach the airport building. I think we were one of the last passengers who rode the bus. It was the longest bus ride that I’ve experienced inside the airport.


Upon arrival at the airport building, we went straight to transfer gates, pag-akyat pa lang ng escalator, nandun na agad yung screening. Since we are in a hurry, we forgot that my son has 2 Tetra pack juices in his bag (from kid’s meal) and it is not allowed because the liquid content is 200ml. The airport staff said, we can drink the juice but I decided to leave it to avoid the cause of the delay. Nawalan tuloy kami ng drinks while waiting at the boarding gate. Hehehe!


Qatar Airport is beautiful, too bad that we were not able to explore the airport since we only have limited layover. They have a train inside the airport, we rode the train to reach our boarding gate. By the time that we reached the boarding gate, hindi pa man kami nakakapahinga ng matagal, boarding na agad. We took the bus again to reach the airplane, so umikot lang kami. Airplane - Bus - Train - Bus - Airplane. Sobrang bilis ng layover namin.


Doha to Oslo 

Boarding is on time but the plane took off after 30 minutes, good thing that we still arrived on time at Oslo Airport and we were able to catch our train to Elverum. For our 6 hours flight, we have a travel kit again. But we did not receive any flight entertainment for my son, I don’t know if they have that since wala kasi ko nakita na binigyan na kids or I should ask for it. Anyway, they gave us again the menu and I was surprised, 2 meals pa rin sa 6 hours flight.

Doha to Oslo Menu 

Light Snack 
Savory Pastry Breakfast

Main 

Scrambled Eggs with Breakfast Sausage (fried potato cubes and tomato wedges)
Sweet Pancakes with strawberry compote
Paratha with Pindi Chana Chole (spinach croquette)

Accompaniments 

Seasonal Fresh Fruit Fruit Yogurt

Beverage: same choices





One thing I noticed, marami Filipino flight attendant sa Qatar Airways so mas masaya kasi hindi na nosebleed if we need to ask anything.

Read: Flight from Oslo to Clark via Qatar Airways

Several years ago, I dreamed of going back to Norway with my family and my dream became a reality two years ago. I never thought that my son would love and enjoy Norway. So I was really surprised when he said: “See you after 2 or 3 years”. What!?! Ganun kabilis? Parang ang mura ng pamasahe? We told him that airfare is expensive so it will take time before we can visit Norway again.

Since then, we have been saving again for our Norway trip. The last quarter of the year was a bit challenging so we’re not sure if we can push our trip, dami kasi expenses related to health. But one thing I realized, “Life is short, we don’t know kung hanggang kelan kami healthy na pwede pa magtravel so let us enjoy the present”

Start of the year 2019, I became busy preparing for our Schengen Visa Application. We need to apply for our visa before my husband leaves for his USA Trip. Good thing that we got our Schengen visa after a few days of application and we bought our plane ticket at Philippine Travel Tour Expo before my husband’s flight.

We wanted to save money for our airfare so we booked Clark to Oslo to Clark ticket. Yes, even we add the gasoline, toll fees, and kahit pa yung effort. Mas malaki tipid if we will fly in Clark Airport, in addition, mas mura Park N Fly fee sa Clark.

Read: 9 Ways to Score Cheap Airline Ticket 

Fast forward to our trip, we left past 10AM for our 6:30AM flight. From our house, we traveled more or less 4 hours because of the EDSA traffic. By the time we arrived, Qatar Airways counter was already open for check-in. We filled out a form + departure card while waiting for our turn then off we went to our Boarding Gate.


Terminal Fee 

I was surprised when we needed to pay for the Terminal Fee, I had no idea na hindi pa siya included sa airfare, nasanay ko sa NAIA. Travel Tax lang pala yung kasama sa ticket. So at Clark International Airport, you need to pay the terminal fee whether domestic or international flight at the airport.

Terminal Fee P600 x 3
Total PHP1800

Clark International Airport Boarding Gate


I thought they had no airport lounges at the CIA but we saw two airport lounges at the boarding gate. A few months ago, we did not see any airport lounge when we went to Batanes, baka sa Domestic Flight ng Clark, walang lounge. Anyway, we just stayed in the boarding area since we did not bring a credit card (with airport lounge access). Staying at the boarding gate is not a problem because it is not crowded so we have enough space. There are food stalls and souvenir shops where you can buy your last-minute pasalubong.

Qatar Airways 


We’re happy that the flight was on time because I was worried that we might miss our connecting flight if there were flight delays. This was our first time flying with Qatar Airways and so far we have no regrets.

Read: Qatar Airways Flight Experience

Clark for Doha 10 hrs and 5 min 
Layover 1h and 55 min 
Doha to Oslo 6h and 45 min 

Oslo Airport 

After 19 hours of traveling from Clark Airport, we finally reached Oslo Airport. This was my third visit to Norway, but this was also the first time that the Immigration Officer asked for my invitation letter and return ticket. So ang dami check ng documents and type-type sa computer niya. It was past 7:30AM and I was worried because we needed to catch our 8:59AM train. I felt relieved when the IO already stamped our passport.

Oslo Airport Train Station 

Then we went straight to the Baggage Claim Area to get our luggage and off we went to Oslo Airport Train Station. Oslo Airport is always my layover whenever we visit my mom but this was the first time na nakalabas talaga ko ng airport. This time no more connecting flights to Trondheim because we’re going to stay in Elverum.

My sister was supposed to fetch us at the airport but because of an unexpected event, she could not make it so our adventure began. We can buy a train ticket online, a train ticket counter, and a ticket machine. But we did not pre-book our train ticket because we were not sure if we could make it on time. The ticket counter was still closed by the time we arrived at the airport so our only option was the ticket machine.


We tried buying the ticket using the machine but our credit card failed us. Nagcacancel and decline yung transactions. I was so disappointed because my husband already informed the credit card company that we would be using the card abroad pero hindi gumana. Thank God that our ATM card worked. Finally, we were able to buy our train ticket. Total is 650NOK for 2 adults and 1 kid.


Then we went to the train station which is just outside the airport so we did not have a problem looking for it. I was thankful na nabutan namin yung first trip because the next trip is 3PM pa. The bus is another option but my mom told me na baka mahirapan pa kami makita yung bababaan. We’re freezing while waiting for our train ride and we can’t go inside the airport para magpainit kasi nga first-time namin and we don’t want to miss our train. We patiently waited at the train station kahit malamig. Our body is still adjusting sa lamig ng Norway, summer sa Pilipinas pero may snow pa sa Norway.

Good thing that I already took note of the details because we don’t have internet access at the train station and there is no English translation too so we need to check each stop at baka mamali kami ng babaan. We need to change train din kasi so medyo nakakaba.

Oslo Airport Station to Elverum Station via NSB 

08.59 to 10:35  Travel time is 1 h 36 min 1 change Track 1 R10 
Line R10 towards Lillehammer List of stops: 3 stops Duration (51min) 
Eidsvoll 09.09
Tangen 09.29
Stange 09.39
Arrival at Hamar 09.50 Track 1 
Walk to Hamar Station (4min): Transfer time 18min 
Departing from Hamar at 10.11 Track 2
Line Region towards Røros List of stops: 2 stop Duration (24min) 
Ilseng 10.16 Embarking and disembarking on signal only
Løten 10.23 Embarking and disembarking on signal only
Arrival Elverum at 10.35 Track 4: You have reached your destination 

There was already FREE wifi on the train so I was able to inform my mom that we made it on the first trip. Hindi naman kami nabored sa train ride because of the beautiful view.


My mom went to Elverum Train Station to fetch us. Yey, after 30 hours of traveling, we finally reach Elverum and we’re thankful for safe and smooth travel.

Read: Oslo Airport to Elverum Station via NSB Train
Oslo Airport to Elverum Station Video


From the train station, we just walked to reach my sister’s house. This is it! Our summer vacation begins.

Applying for a visa is a nerve-racking experience especially if this would be your first time or if you are not a frequent traveler. I always feel nervous every time I applied for a visa and fortunately, all my visas were approved. I feel happy even they only give me a single-entry visa, it is better than a visa denied.


Few months ago, we applied for a Schengen Visa via VFS Global Norway and I’m the one who claimed for our passport. The staff gave me the envelope and advised me to check the information so I opened the envelope and immediately checked the Visa Sticker.

It is very important to check if all the information is correct. 

1. Check if your name is spelled correctly.
2. Check if the passport number in the visa sticker is the same as the one in your passport.
3. Check if the plane ticket or reservation corresponds with the entry and exit date indicated on the visa sticker.
4. A visa is issued for one, two or multiple entries, in accordance with the document need for entries.

* If you plan to leave and re-enter the Schengen area during your stay, you will get a visa with two entries. If you have documented a need for multiple entries during the validity period, your visa is issued multiple entries.

* If the information regarding your name, passport number or travel period is wrong, please inform the Embassy immediately, so that any errors can be corrected.

How to Read the Visa Sticker 

Duration of Stay - DAYS indicates the number of days you may stay in the Schengen area. The days should be counted from the date you enter the Schengen area (the entry stamp) to the date you exit the Schengen area (exit stamp).

* Based on my visa sticker, I applied for 60 days and they gave me 60 days.

The period of time between ”FROM… UNTIL” is usually longer than the number of days printed in the “DURATION OF STAY” field. The difference in period is meant to give you the flexibility to plan your entry into and exit from the Schengen area, but your stay in the Schengen area must never exceed the exact number of days in the “DURATION OF STAY….. DAYS”. No matter how many days yo have stayed in the Schengen area, you must leave no later than the date printed in the “UNTIL” field.

* Based on my visa sticker, they gave me 75 days from the day of my flight.

Controls at the border 

You short-stay visa allows you to travel to the Schengen States, but the final control of the entry conditions is done when you cross the Schengen border. A visa does not automatically entitle you to cross the Schengen border. It is therefore recommended that you carry with you the copies of documents which you presented when you applied for the visa ex. Invitation letter, travel confirmations, or other documents stating the purpose of your stay. This will help to make the border control procedure easier and avoid delays at the border.

* I agree with this because, on my third visit to Norway, the Immigration Officer asked for my Invitation Letter and Return Ticket. For my two visits, IO only asked me about our purpose and how long are we going to stay and she stamped our passport but on my third visit, she asked for documents. So it really depends on the IO, it is better to be ready with your documents to avoid delays and long lines. 

Note: You must follow the period of stay allowed by your visa. If you need to stay longer, please contact the local police for further advise well in advance of the visa expiration date. Persons who wish to stay longer than 90 days during any period of 180 days should apply for a residence permit from the Philippines.

If you apply for a residence permit while in the Schengen area, this deemed a violation of the conditions of your visa approval. Even if a residence permit is granted, it may result in future visa application/s being refused.

Source: Flyer from Norway Embassy

Update December 2019: Starting February 2020, you can now apply six months prior to your Europe trip. The visa fee increases to 80Euro from 60Euro. For regular travelers with good travel history, possible multiple entry visas. You can read more information here.

I already blog about our experience in Applying for Schengen Visa via VFS Norway two years ago but I noticed that there are a few changes na, that is why I’m sharing with you our experience this year 2019.

What is a Schengen Visa? 

Schengen Visa is a short-term visa granted to applicants for up to 90 days. It allows him/her to visit 26 Schengen Countries for a family visit, tourism, business, or any reason with an intention to return to his home country afterward. The Schengen Member States Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.

22 countries are part of EU (European Union)
4 countries are part of the EFTA (European Free Trade Association)

Where Should You Apply for a Schengen Visa?  

1. Apply for the visa in the embassy where you will be staying most of your traveling days.
2. In case, the number of days is the same. Apply for the visa in the embassy that you will enter first.

Read: Visa-Free Travel for Filipinos

I checked the Tourist Visa Requirements and I saw the proof of accommodation and itinerary but our main purpose is to visit my mom in Norway so we chose Visit Mother/Father and Visit Other Relatives/Friends Checklist.

How to Apply For Schengen Visa Via VFS Global Norway 


Visitor's visa 

A visitor's visa allows you to stay in Norway or other countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days over a period of 180 days.

Step 1: Print out the checklist and gather the necessary documents. You can check here the different requirements depending on the type of visa that you need.

Based on the checklist, these are the documents that we submitted.

Visit Mother/Father Checklist (Housewife) 

1. Cover letter from the Application Portal of Norway
2. One (1) passport-sized photo with a white background and not older than 6 months.
3. Original passport
4. Photocopy of original passport - bio page and used pages (with visas and stamps)
5. Letter of invitation from your mother/father (for Sweden: Invitation Form 241011)
6. Photocopy of PSA birth certificate
7. Photocopy of the passport biodata page of your mother/father.
8. Proof of sufficient funds of the applicant (or parents/legal guardian if the applicant is under the age of 18) - original bank certificates/transcripts and photocopy of credit card statements for the last 6 months.
9. Proof of sponsorship or (for Norway) UDI Guarantee Form for Visit plus a photocopy
10. Proof of family ties - photocopies of your PSA Marriage Certificate and/or Birth Certificates of your children (if applicable)
11. Photocopy of roundtrip airline ticket reservation
12. Photocopy of travel medical insurance

Visit Other Relatives/Friends Checklist (Employed) 

1. Cover letter
2. One (1) passport-sized photo with a white background and not older than 6 months.
3. Original passport
4. Photocopy of original passport - bio page and used pages (with visas and stamps)
5. Letter of invitation from your relative/friend (for Sweden: Invitation Form 241011)
6. Photocopy of the passport biodata page of your relative/friend
7. For visiting relatives - photocopies of PSA birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc. to prove the relationship.
8. Proof of sufficient funds of the applicant (or parents/legal guardian if the applicant is under the age of 18) - original bank certificates/transcripts and photocopy of credit card statements for the last 6 months. 9. Proof of sponsorship or (for Norway) UDI Guarantee Form for Visit plus a photocopy
10. Proof of family ties - photocopies of your PSA Marriage Certificate and/or Birth Certificates of your children (if applicable)
11. If currently employed - original Certificate of Employment or photocopy of work contract stating position, length of service, salary, and duration of approved leave of absence.
12. Photocopy of roundtrip airline ticket reservation
13. Photocopy of travel medical insurance

Visit Other Relatives/Friends Checklist (Student) 

1. Cover letter
2. One (1) passport-sized photo with a white background and not older than 6 months.
3. Original passport
4. Photocopy of original passport - bio page and used pages (with visas and stamps)
5. Letter of invitation from your relative/friend (for Sweden: Invitation Form 241011)
6. Photocopy of the passport biodata page of your relative/friend
7. For visiting relatives - photocopies of PSA birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc. to prove the relationship.
8. Proof of sufficient funds of the applicant (or parents/legal guardian if the applicant is under the age of 18) - original bank certificates/transcripts and photocopy of credit card statements for the last 6 months.
9. Proof of sponsorship or (for Norway) UDI Guarantee Form for Visit plus a photocopy
10. If currently a student - original certification of enrolment from school. If you will be going on a holiday during summer or semestral break, submit s certification of reservation or certification of enrolment to prove that you are enrolled for the next school year/semester. If traveling during the school year, a certificate of leave of absence from the school should also be submitted.
11. Photocopy of roundtrip airline ticket reservation
12. Photocopy of travel medical insurance
13. Photocopy of parent’s/legal guardian’s passport or government ID

Note: For roundtrip airline ticket reservations. We just called KLM to reserve a ticket, the booking is good for three days only so by the time that we submitted our application, expired na yung booking but our visa was still approved.

Read: Where to Buy Travel Medical Insurance for Schengen Visa
3 Ways to Get your PSA Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate

Step 2: Fill in your application online 

1. Go to UDI Application Portal and enter your User ID and Password. For first-time users, just create your account.
2. Click New Application (visas, residence permits, citizenship, immigrant’s passport, EEA registration).
3. Click Application forms for citizens of all countries (Application for visitor’s visa, residence permits, permanent permit, Norwegian citizenship, immigrant’s passport, or border traffic permit).
4. Choose the right visa application form that you need. I chose Visitor’s Visa for Groups. (Application for visas for groups visiting Norway and other Schengen countries.)
5. Click I accept the Legal Disclaimer and Go to the application form.
6. Fill in the application form.

Note: I fill in the 3 application forms and save them. I did not submit it yet because I’m waiting for my mom’s documents.

Step 3: Submit the form. 

Log in to the UDI Application Portal, click the individual/group application form, review the application and submit the form.

Note: You can no longer edit the application once submitted so don’t forget to review it. You must pay the fee to submit the application.

Step 4: Pay fee - via credit card only (Visa or Mastercard) 

Visitor's visa for adults and children over 12 years old (single or multiple entries) 60 euro
Visitor's visa for children between 6 and 12 years old (single or multiple entries) 35 euro

Total: EURO155 or PHP9484.82

Step 5: Book your appointment. 

I click the link for Schedule an Appointment, then VFS Manila and it leads me to the VFS site where I need to register.

Click new user, fill in the form and submit. 

First name
Last Name
Email
Contact Number
Password
Confirm Password

Note: The registration will expire after 30 inactive days from the last appointment date.

How to Schedule an Appointment 

1. Click Schedule Appointment

Enter the following details: visiting country, residing country, center, and purpose of travel, and click continue.