We applied for a Spain Schengen visa at the BLS International centre in Edinburgh. As applicants based in Northern Ireland, Edinburgh is where we’re directed. Northern Ireland falls under the jurisdiction of the Spanish Consulate there. This covers our full experience, from preparing the documents to the appointment itself, plus what the whole trip cost us. As of the time of writing, we still haven’t received a decision yet, so fingers crossed!
Why Spain?
We were just looking for a vacation and most other Schengen countries — France, Netherlands — had no available appointment slots left. A friend who helped us prepare for the application recommended Spain because based on her experience it tends to have more slots open. So that’s where we went.
Note: Since your passport gets submitted with the application, you’ll need a separate photo ID to travel back to Northern Ireland from Edinburgh.
Booking the Appointment
Appointments are booked through the BLS International website, where you also pay the BLS service charge upfront. The form times out after 19 minutes, so have everything ready before you start: full passport details, insurance, accommodation, and travel dates for all applicants. We were doing this for two people, so everything needed to be filled out and double-checked within that window. I had to redo it four times before getting through. There was only one timeslot left at that point, so every timeout felt like someone else might grab it.
Documents We Prepared
All of the documents needs to be printed in A4 paper, and if there are two applicants you have to print a copy for each, regardless of whether you booked a family appointment at the center. Since I’m currently unemployed, I had to print a copy of my husband’s financial and employment documents as part of my application. Our printer’s ink was not happy.
- Completed visa application form (signed)
- Valid passport + Photocopy of the page
- Visa photo (follow the instructions at the website)
- Travel insurance covering the entire Schengen area, even if only travelling to Spain (minimum €30,000 coverage)
- Proof of accommodation in Spain
- Flight Itinerary
- 3mos Bank Statements
- 3mos payslip
- Certificate of Employment
- Marriage Certificate (as I am travelling with husband who is also sponsoring my trip)
- Cover Letter
- Sponsor Letter
For our marriage certificate I printed the e-Apostille copy I recently found out was now available from the Philippines. They email a copy to you within 2-3days! Very efficient. It’s not supposed to be printed, but the visa center still accepted it. You can get yours here.
The Appointment
When we booked, the only available timeslot was 8:30 AM, so we had to go to Edinburgh at least a day before. We ended up booking an Airbnb that was only around 5 minutes’ walk from the visa centre, which made the morning easier.
The actual appointment was surprisingly fast and efficient. We arrived early, but they didn’t let anyone in until the actual appointment time. We were there around 8:15 AM and thought we were the first ones, so we walked around for a bit. When we came back, someone was already waiting by the building entrance, so we just queued after her.
At around 8:30 AM, they started letting people in. There were multiple counters, so we were assisted right away. The lady who checked our documents was nice, and the whole thing was done really quickly. We were out of the centre in about 15 minutes!
Visa Fees
| Fee | When Paid | Amount (2 pax) |
|---|---|---|
| BLS service charge | At booking | £29.70 |
| Schengen visa fee + passport courier | At the centre | £211.80 |
| Total | £241.50 |
Travelling to Edinburgh
Since we already had to travel to Edinburgh for the visa appointment, we decided to make a small trip out of it. It was also the summer bank holiday, so we had an extra day off. This was helpful for the schedule, but not so helpful for prices because hotels and flights were much more expensive.
I saw that the ferry route was a bit cheaper, and since I hadn’t tried it before, and I’m not really a fan of plane rides, I happily booked the bus from Belfast to Glasgow. We stayed in Glasgow for a day because I hadn’t been there before, and it was also cheaper than staying in Edinburgh right away.
After Glasgow, we travelled to Edinburgh and used the time to explore. Since it was summer and the weather was hot, we even managed to go to the beach, but that’s probably for a separate post.
On the visa appointment day, our slot was at 8:30 AM. Since we didn’t know how long the appointment would take, we checked out of our Airbnb already, although we left our luggage there first. The appointment finished much earlier than expected, so after that we went to the city centre and left our luggage at the bus station. Our flight back to Belfast wasn’t until around 7 PM, so we still had almost a full day to explore Edinburgh before flying home.
Travel Expenses
| Item | Cost (2 pax) |
|---|---|
| National Express Belfast → Glasgow | £65.50 |
| Glasgow accommodation — The Social Hub (1 night) | £79.94 |
| Flixbus Glasgow → Edinburgh | £11.00 |
| Edinburgh accommodation — Airbnb (2 nights) | £229.20 |
| Luggage storage on appointment day | £5.00 |
| Edinburgh airport transfer (£6 x 2) | £12.00 |
| Belfast International Airport transfer (£9 x 2) | £18.00 |
| Ryanair Edinburgh → Belfast Intl with luggage | £74.64 |
| Travel total | £495.28 |
We probably could have made the Edinburgh trip cheaper if we treated it purely as a visa errand, but since we were already spending a lot just to get there for the appointment, we decided to make a proper trip out of it.
Still, the overall expense just to get to the visa appointment is a lot. On top of the actual holiday we already had to book for the application, plus the leave days we had to use, it really adds up fast.
It’s a reminder of what it actually means to carry a Philippine passport, even when you already live in the UK. Every trip outside the country is still a process: the paperwork, the fees, the planning, the waiting. Travel isn’t something you just decide to do. It’s something you have to earn, over and over again.