Applying Visa To Scandinavian Countries in Indonesia (VFS Global)

My Schengen visa in Swedish

Earlier on Monday, I went to Kuningan City Mall to apply visa to Sweden. I know it sounds weird applying visa in the mall instead of embassy, but since June 25, 2014 the Embassy of Sweden has a new rule on its visa application submission. Actually, the embassy is still in service once a week to receive applicants (every Tuesday; 08.30-11.30), but it will take way longer (+/- 15 days) to issue a visa via embassy. However, if you go directly to the VFS Global which is located in Kuningan City Mall, you can get your visa on hand in three working days (if your documents are complete; medical travel insurance is the most important document). The faster service sure implicates in extra fees charged to the applicants #asusual XD. The Schengen visa costs IDR 1.000.000 and the service/logistic charge is IDR 326.000. As for me, because my sole purpose to visit Sweden is for study/education, I don't have to pay the Schengen visa fee #hurrah #swedenisawesome. Other European countries might have their own policies in the waivers of visa application fees. Hence, I only need to pay IDR 326.000.

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Well, if I submit my visa application through the Embassy of Sweden (which doesn't charge a service/logistic fee for the applicant), I could get a totally free visa application fee. But you must know that we actually never have time to wait 15 working days for the visa to be available. Why is that? Here is the thing. In order to apply the visa, there are several documents that need to be prepared. One of the documents is a copy of an airline ticket booking (don't pay your airline ticket before your visa is issued, just in case your visa application is rejected). The problem is, the airline is mostly give 7 days of grace period during the airline ticket booking and the payment deadline. Several airlines might give 14 days, but mostly shorter. So, if your visa is available in 15 days, you would hardly to get a seat on the airline. That is why VFS Global is a savior in avoiding this problem. Although you have to pay an extra service/logistic fee, it's worth it (*rather than failed to depart :p). Besides Sweden, VFS Global Indonesia is currently provide a visa application service to Norway, Denmark, Italy and Spain (*Netherlands is coming soon).

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"You can't turn on the handphone, Mas!"

VFS Global itself is located on the 1st floor of Kuningan City Mall. This place has a similar embassy feeling with a strict security guard, metal detector and turning-off-the-cellphone regulation. When I went there with my husband, he played around with my handphone, turned it on and snapped me during my interview session #hahaaa~ #padahaldilarangbanget. Well, thanks to him I got a memento picture during my visa application. I bet nobody is brave enough to break the embassy-like protocol #tongue.

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