Renewing 1 expiring and 1 expired BDO debit card was easier and quicker than anticipated. I was even able to update one of the accounts’ civil status and name despite being from a different branch of account.
I was running errands near Alphaland Southgate Mall EDSA, Makati, so I thought that I might as well get my expired and expiring BDO debit cards renewed here.
Today is the 14th and is already payday for some employees, which is why I expected that I might wait for a long while to finish my transaction. But to my surprise, no one was in the counter that handles debit card renewals when I arrived around 10AM. Lucky!!
BDO Debit card renewal requirements
I called the branch before going there. The BDO staff told me I had to bring these to renew my BDO card:
2 valid IDs
The expired/expiring debit card
150 pesos, if card is already expired (free if not yet expired on the day of your visit to BDO)
My transaction today was a bit complicated. I wanted to renew two BDO debit cards: one expired and its branch of account is BDO Southgate Mall EDSA itself, while the other one was just about to expire and its account was created in a different branch. Aside from card renewal, I also wanted to have one of the accounts’ information updated because I haven’t done so after getting married.
Actual documents that I brought to BDO Southgate Mall EDSAbranch were:
1 x SSS UMID card, bearing my maiden name
My passport
Original copy of marriage certificate (presented but not surrendered to BDO)
Original copy of birth certificate (just in case)
The 2 BDO debit cards I wanted to renew
How much does it cost to renew a BDO debit card?
The renewal of BDO debit card is free if it’s not yet expired, but if it’s already expired then they will charge you 150 pesos.
The process – BDO customer info update and debit card renewal
I was asked to fill out several forms. As I filled them out one by one, the staff started preparing to send a customer info update request to the branch of my other account. Upon finishing the form fill-out, I was asked to get my biometrics taken at a different counter.
One thing I’d like to note is that I updated my employment information but they did not ask me for a certificate of employment. Maybe it’s only required when opening a BDO account!
I asked for a debit card without name for one account, and a debit card with name for the other. Note that if your BDO debit card does not bear your name, you won’t be able to retrieve it should a starving ATM devours your debit card. 😅 (Trivia: The staff at BDO calls the card without name an “embossed card”.)
The entire process took me around 50 minutes. I think it wasn’t bad for that relatively complex transaction.
How many days before I can get my renewed BDO ATM card?
For BDO debit cards without the cardholder’s name, they will be able to release it on the same day. The card with the customer’s name on it, on the other hand, will be available 7 days from the day of your visit to the BDO branch.
Questions?
I don’t work at BDO so, if you have questions, please contact BDO directly!! 😁
I rarely use a credit card these days but BPI just sent me a renewed credit card. It requires activation before use.
How to activate BPI credit card thru text:
Send the following mesage to 225689 using the mobile number that’s registered with your BPI credit card:
BPIACT <LAST 10 DIGITS OF YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER>
For example: BPIACT 0123456789
After sending the above message, you should receive a reply from BPI:
“Thank you for activating your BPI Credit Card ending in ****. You will receive a confirmation on your card activation in 2 banking days. Thank you.”
How many days for BPI credit card activation?
BPI credit card activation should take 2 banking days.
BPI credit card activation unsuccessful. What to do?
I tried to activate my new BPI credit card thru text 2 times but they were both unsuccessful.
BPI credit card activation unsuccessful. 🙁
The status update that I received from BPI was:
“Your card activation request for your BPI Credit Card ending in 6217 is unsuccessful. Please visit any BPI or BFSB branch to activate your card.”
You may call the BPI hotline number 889-10055 to ask for assistance. I called that number to ask why my activation is always unsuccessful. The agent told me that my current mobile number doesn’t match the one in my credit card records! The one in BPI’s record is an old mobile number which I lost together with a phone many years ago. I was able to request for a BPI name change and BPI address update through phone banking before, but they can’t accommodate mobile number change through phone because of security reasons. After all, they send OTPs to our mobile numbers.
Now I really need to go to a BPI branch to request for mobile number update, and file a request for credit card activation right there. I just hope that it won’t take so long.
How to activate BPI credit card at a branch:
Bring 1 valid ID and the credit card that you want to activate at a BPI branch.
Line up for the customer service counters. It took me around 1 hour in the queue before it was my turn at BPI La Fuerza Pasong Tamo (Chino Roces) branch in Makati City. It was a painful wait.
I had to fill out a customer information update sheet for BPI credit card holders first, because my mobile number is outdated.
The banker told me that he will text me later on that day, or the next day, once my BPI credit card has been successfully activated.
I received the text from the banker on the day after going to BPI La Fuerza Pasong Tamo branch.
I also received a text straight from BPI with the following message:
Your BPI Credit Card is now active. You can now enjoy and take advantage of your BPI Credit Card’s features and perks. To know more, visit our BPI Website, click on ‘Cards’ and select ‘Credit Cards’. Thank you.
Today we went to COMELEC to request voter’s certificate.
It is near Makati City Hall, along Morong St. near its intersection with F. Zobel St. The building says “Gen Pio Del Pilar High School” but Google Map says that the school is permanently closed. For the exact location of COMELEC, see the map above.
Once past the gate, the guard will ask for your barangay name, as the window where you’ll request the voter’s certificate will depend on the barangay where you reside.
The staff that caters for people from Barangay Bangkal Makati only asked for two requirements: 1 valid ID and a fee of 75 pesos. I think the price of voter’s certification for PWD is zero.
There was no queue at the time we went, so the process was pretty fast. We received our voter’s certificate within 5 minutes!
I was worried that it might be difficult for me to get my voter’s certification, because my records here in Makati is still in my maiden name. So I presented an old ID with my maiden name, but the address is not in Makati! The staff still accepted it, to my relief. Anyway, I already submitted a request to change my name before the 2022 election, but they did not change it. I don’t want to go through the process again so maybe I will just use my maiden name next election.
Disclaimer: What I wrote in this article were based on my experience as I requested a change in account name for my BPI credit card, but a similar process and set of requirements may apply for non-credit card BPI products. The process and requirements may be changed by BPI at any time. I am not affiliated with BPI in any way, but let this article be a guide, in case you’re planning to change your BPI credit card’s billing address. 🙂
The process is done through phone and online (email). You don’t have to leave home to do it!
My BPI credit card will expire on September 2022 and I just received an email with following message from BPI:
Your BPI Credit Card/s ending in **** will be expiring on September 2022. As long as your account remains active and in good credit standing, please expect to receive your renewal card within 2 months before your card expires. To ensure receipt of your renewal card, please update your address and contact information before June 28, 2022 through the following channels:
24-hour BPI Contact Center
Call 889-10000 (Metro Manila), domestic toll-free 1-800-188-89100 (available to PLDT subscribers), or 63+2+889-10000 for mobile phone and international access;
Any BPI branch
Aside from an address change, I also hoped to change my credit card’s account name from maiden name to married name so that the new card will bear my updated information.
I chose to request a change from maiden to married name through the phone because I don’t want to leave home. :-p
Note: At the time of writing, BPI only processes credit card information update between 6AM-8PM. This is according to a pre-recorded advisory that played during my phone call when I attempted to call past 8PM.
Prompts and corresponding numbers as of June 3, 2022 (BPI may update the choices any time!):
Press 2 for credit card
Press 1 for credit card services
Press 3 for information update
Dial your credit card number
Once a phone banker verifies that you are the owner of the credit card account, they will create a request and reference number for you.
Requirements to change account name in BPI online, from maiden to married name in credit card:
Submit the following in JPEG/TIFF file format (max 1MB for all files in the email) to [email protected], with your reference number in the subject of your email. Send the email within 3 days or your request will be cancelled.
Clear scan of letter of request to change your BPI credit card’s name (must be handwritten and signed)
Clear scan of Valid government-issued ID, front and back (must have a photo and signature)
Clear scan of credit card, front side
Marriage certificate
Turnaround time for this kind of request takes 4 banking days. After this time period you may call the BPI hotline again to verify if your email was correctly received, along with the attachments.
So that’s how you update your BPI credit card’s name through phone and online. I’m glad that BPI now lets us do this within the comfort of our home.
Disclaimer: The process and requirements may be changed by BPI at any time. I am not affiliated with BPI in any way, but let this article be a guide, in case you’re planning to change your BPI credit card’s billing address. 🙂 The process is a mix of phone banking and online. The important thing is you don’t have to leave home to do it!
My BPI credit card will expire on September 2022 and I just received an email with following message from BPI:
Your BPI Credit Card/s ending in **** will be expiring on September 2022. As long as your account remains active and in good credit standing, please expect to receive your renewal card within 2 months before your card expires. To ensure receipt of your renewal card, please update your address and contact information before June 28, 2022 through the following channels:
24-hour BPI Contact Center
Call 889-10000 (Metro Manila), domestic toll-free 1-800-188-89100 (available to PLDT subscribers), or 63+2+889-10000 for mobile phone and international access;
Any BPI branch
I chose to request a change in address through phone because it’s more convenient.
Note: At the time of writing, BPI only processes credit card information update between 6AM-8PM. This is according to a pre-recorded advisory that played during my phone call when I attempted to call last night… at 8:30PM! Sayang hindi umabot.
Prompts and corresponding numbers as of June 3, 2022 (BPI may update the choices any time!):
Press 2 for credit card
Press 1 for credit card services
Press 3 for information update
Dial your credit card number
Once a phone banker verifies that you are the owner of the credit card account, they will create a request and reference number for you.
Requirements for BPI credit card – change address online:
Submit the following in JPEG/TIFF file format (max 1MB for all files in the email) to [email protected], with your reference number in the subject of your email. Send the email within 3 days or your request will be cancelled.
Clear scan of letter of request to change your BPI credit card’s billing address (must be handwritten and signed)
Clear scan of Valid government-issued ID, front and back (must have a photo and signature)
Clear scan of credit card, front side
Turnaround time for this kind of request takes 4 banking days. After such period you may call the BPI hotline again to verify if your email was correctly received.
So that’s how you update your BPI credit card’s address through phone and online. Thank you BPI for letting us do this without leaving home as there’s still a pandemic.
We went to the Manila Central Post Office on February 1, 2021 to renew our postal ID. I’ll update this post to write about our experiences, including postal ID renewal requirements, price, and procedures. Please note however, that the info I’ll write will mostly be about Postal ID renewal in 2021, since that’s what we did.
Our experience in renewing our Postal ID at Manila Central Post Office
In summary, it was a tiring task to renew our postal ID at the Manila Central Post Office. The line was very long, not to mention the discomfort of wearing mask and face shield at all times amidst the pandemic. Our expectation was that there would only be few people in line just like when we applied 3 years ago, and since people should be less willing to be outside their homes due to the pandemic. We were so tired and hungry after waiting in line for about 4 hours. You guys, if you don’t need your Postal ID ASAP, maybe choose a post office or capture station that DOESN’T offer processing! 🥵
We got our original Postal ID from SM North EDSA in 2018 January. Its expiration is after 3 years, so we had to renew this year 2021. We chose to renew ours at Manila Central Post Office. Rush Postal ID renewal and application is accepted there. Upon arrival, at first we were like “whoa, ang ganda pala dito!” but a few seconds later, we were like “Ohshi* ang daming tao!!!” in shock by the number of people in line ahead of us. Maybe you guys should plan to go early. Hehe. We arrived there around 11AM. Later on we found out that it’s because that post office was one of the few places that offer rush processing.
After having our application forms, old Postal ID and its photocopy inspected near the entrance, the guards led us to a seated queue. We waited so long (about 2 hours?) until it was our turn to proceed to the next area for processing.
We fell in line in the next area where the staff assessed our requirements again before asking for our payment. An irritating hiccup happened there. The staff said she can’t issue receipt for regular processing, as she was only processing rush applications/renewals. So we had to fall in line all over again! It was really a hassle, because the guards didn’t even lead us to the line where the cashier can process non-rushed ones, when it’s clear in our application forms that we were going to go for regular processing.
After trying to calm ourselves down and having over our payment, we proceeded to the data capture section to get our photos and fingerprints taken. It’s during pandemic so it was a bit scary to take off our masks during photo shoot, and to press our fingers on the fingerprint capturing device where hundreds/thousands of people pressed theirs… but it had to be done. If you’ll also go for it during pandemic, just be extra careful okay? Take off your mask only when necessary, put it back right after your photo gets taken. Sanitize your hand right after your fingerprints are captured. My face was so shiny in my photo; it gets very oily when stressed out. My face is round and quite pale too, so it really resembled the moon back then.
What are the requirements to get Postal ID
When we applied for a Postal ID in year 2018, the following were the requirements that we presented:
2 accomplished postal ID application forms
Birth certificate, 2 valid IDs, or passport
Barangay clearance, proof of billing, NBI clearance, or police clearance
Marriage contract if you are a married woman
Photocopy of all documents except the postal ID application forms
I don’t know about the procedures in other post offices, but following were the procedures we followed when we renewed our Postal ID in Manila:
Bring your requirements to the post office or capture station of your choice
Present requirements for initial assessment
Payment
Digital photo and fingerprint capture
Delivery/Pickup (30 days to deliver for regular. Does anyone know how long it takes for the rush-processed? Please comment.)
Postal ID Renewal Price
504 for regular processing
650 for rush processing of Postal ID.
Concerns regarding postal id application and renewal:
postal id renewal online
Currently, postal ID renewal is not available online.
paano mag renew ng postal id?
To renew your postal ID, you simply need to bring 2 accomplished copies of the postal ID application form and your old Postal ID to the capturing station or post office. The staff/guards will guide you on where you should proceed for every step. Try to come early because it can be crowded.
If your residence in Makati you may follow up your postal ID application/renewal with Makati Central Post Office, and if your residence is in Manila, you may follow up with Manila Central Post Office. For residences of other cities, try contacting your main post office to follow up.
Postal ID form example
Here’s an example photo of the Postal ID application form
BPI used to be my favorite bank but the quality of service has degraded over the years.
I felt [initially] relieved to find out that I could reorder a checkbook from BPI online, because it will save time since I don’t need to go to a BPI branch anymore. But of course, the online checkbook reorder of BPI does not work, at least currently as I write this article.
After entering my One-Time Pin during the checkbook reorder process at BPI Online, I get the error message: “Transaction failed. We are unable to process your transaction at this time.”
I did multiple attempts to reorder a checkbook online from BPI, but all failed with the same error message.
“Tsk. No choice,” I thought. I planned to just visit a nearby BPI branch. We inquired first if we can reorder and claim a checkbook at a branch different from where I opened my BPI checking account. BPI said yes, we can. Okay, that was really a relief. The branch where I opened my BPI checking account is in Makati CBD and that’s not so close from where I live.
So I went to a nearby BPI branch and took a queue number for Customer Service. The wait wasn’t long until a BPI staff called me.
Side note: on updating your name on your BPI account after marriage
I wanted to update my name too, from maiden to married name, but the staff told me that customer information update can only be done at the branch of account. Also, I will need to bring bring 2 IDs with the new name along with marriage contract.
Back to the topic! The BPI staff asked me to fill our the stubs in the middle of the checkbook which looks like the following. I was only able to take a photo after tearing off the half of the stub which I gave to the BPI staff:
The “client stub” for checkbook reorder at BPI
I also presented a valid ID for my checkbook reorder to be processed by BPI.
After a few minutes the processing was done, and I was told that I should present the client stub and my valid ID to claim my checkbook. If I remember correctly I was also handed a slip with brown paper… or was I? Here goes my memory gap again. What I’m sure of is I can’t find it in my bag. HAHAHA. I hope that the client stub and ID are the only ones needed to claim the checkbook! 😅
About the online checkbook reorder of BPI
I told the BPI staff that the checkbook reorder of BPI Online is not working. She told me it’s supposed to be working, and that it’s down for maintenance daily from 10pm to 9am. Whoa, a web application that has working hours! Last Sunday night my online checkbook reorder was failing and I can’t remember what time that was. On the following day, a Monday, I was sure I attempted again at 2pm and it failed. *scratches head* Oh well.
Let me know if you have tried to reorder a checkbook from BPI too and how it went! 🙂
You may also be interested in the following BPI-related posts:
I just got my business name certificate from DTI today! The best thing about it is that I went through the entire process online, even the payment part. 😉
You may register a business name with DTI online by using the BNRS (Business Name Registration System). I cannot say that it was a smooth transaction — it was very frustrating so many times because they are currently upgrading their system (sometimes it works, sometimes it’s broken), but in the end, after a few days of trying again, I finally finished the business name registration process with DTI.
Please be aware that this guide was written on Sept. 27, 2019 and there may have been changes on the BNRS that I do not know of, making the info here inconsistent from the actual process. The BNRS is still under frequent upgrades. There’s often an update when I visit the website.
Steps to register your business name registration with DTI online
Propose a business name
Pay for business name registration
Download business certificate, undertaking document, and official receipt
The process to register business name with DTI online
Before I was able to fill out my business information, accessing the BNRS (business name registration system) was a pain. Then website was often down, and I tried accessing it every day, until it was stable and let me fill out my info.
Fill out Owner’s Info
First, the BNRS will ask for the Owner’s Information. Fill it out with your personal information.
I chose Regional because it’s the largest scope I’ll be covering with my business in the next 5 years.
Business name proposal for registration with DTI
In the same page, below the Business Scope section, you’ll have to enter the business name to be registered with DTI online.
Provide a Dominant Name which serves like your business name’s “proper noun”. In the screenshot below it’s CATZIE. Then, select a Business Name Descriptor, which should describe the type of business you’re running.
The screenshots from here onward will only serve as an example, the name of the business I actually registered is different.
DTI business name registration system: selection of business name descriptor
After selecting the descriptor, the BNRS will display a Proposed Business Name. They will combine the dominant name + descriptor. Click the Check Name Availability button to see if it’s not taken yet, and to validate if such name is allowed. An example is shown in the screenshot below:
Passing the validation of proposed business name in the DTI business name registration system
Business name proposal guidelines:
I am cens*ring some of the words, lest my blog gets a bad marking from Google! Loko yaang DTI, b**bs massage and spa daw?! I only copied the following from the official DTI website:
It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the proposed business name is:
not and will not be used for business that is illegal, offensive, scandalous, or contrary to propriety ( Pop’s Juet*ng Bet*ing Station, B**bs Massage and Spa);
not the same or nearly the same as an existing registered business, company, partnership, corporation, cooperative name; not it infringes on any trademark, service mark and tradename (Anne Dok’s Lechon, Jolibee, Starbax Cafe);
not composed nearly generic or geograpic words( The Drugstore, Mindanao);
not a name which by law or regulation cannot be appropriated (OTOP, Intelligence, State College);
not used to designate or distinguish, or suggestive of quality of any class of goods, articles, merchandise, or service (Best Taho Factory, A-1 Auto Repair Shop);
not used by the government in its governmental functions (NBI Private Investigation Services, DTI Trading);
not a name or abbreviation of any nation, inter-governmental or international organization (Philippine Manpower Pooling Agency, UNSECO Marketing, WHO Health Services); and
is not deceptive, misleading or which misrepresent the name of business (“GOLD Construction Services” where nature of business is recruitment).
The total fee for business name registration on Barangay level will be 230 PhP. The extra 30 PhP is for the Documentary Stamp. If everything seems to be in order, click the Yes button.
Keep your Reference Code somewhere safe!
Save the reference code and do not lose it! You’ll need this to pay for your business name register with DTI. What I did was copy the code and pasted it in my phone’s notes app. Do not lose your phone either! hehe.
Close this dialog box and then click the Next button at the bottom of the page.
“Undertaking”
Click the Download button at the bottom of the Undertaking page. Print and sign it. I am a newbie in business stuff and I’m not sure what this is for yet, but I’ll print and sign it just in case.
Payment
Business name registration – online payment trouble (RESOLVED)
The payment part made me pull my hair in frustration. I was expecting that I could pay right away via GCash like what everyone else on the Internet says. But look at the screenshot below, there’s no payment option that I could select under Online Payment!
BNRS Payment before the recent upgrade
The DTI Facebook page is responsive to messages, so I told them about this problem. They suggested that I pay for my business name registration over-the-counter because their GCash payment method was not working back then, and there’s no advisory on when it’s going to be back up. I felt really bad about going to a DTI teller to pay because there’s already an online option that exists, but it’s just not working! If you Google how to pay for online DTI business name registration, the web pages will tell you that it’s done through GCash.
I could not wait for the GCash payment method to be fixed because my business name was only reserved for 5 days, according to an email from BNRS. Against my will, I decided that I’ll pay for my business name at the Government Service Express (GSE) at MOA.
BUT!
But on the day before my planned trip to Government Service Express at MOA, I wanted to download the Undertaking document from the BNRS so I checked the website. There was a pop-up announcing that there’s been a recent upgrade of the system. I took a peek at my pending business name registration, thinking what if I could finally select GCash to pay for it online. And it was there! I was finally able to select GCash as my payment method, and it worked. Phew! I cried tears of joy on that day.
Payment options after the system upgrade
DTI BNRS Payment options for your business name registration (GCash, credit card, PayMaya, or Landbank Link.Biz for online payment)
Online payment for business registration with DTI
You may pay for your business name registration with DTI online through the following channels:
GCASH
Visa/MasterCard/JCB
PAYMAYA
LANDBANK LINK.BIZ
Over-the-counter payment for business registration with DTI
You may also pay over the counter through the following:
I chose GCash to pay for my online business registration.
Pay for business name registration with DTI online via GCash
Enter your GCash number.
GCash will send you an authentication code. As soon as you receive it, enter it on the website. If you don’t enter it fast enough, the system will time out and you’ll have to start all over again!
Enter your 4-digit GCash pin then click NEXT.
Make sure you have enough balance on your GCash! Or else, you’ll be shown the following screen:
What to download after registering your business name with DTI online
After successful payment, you will be able to download the following documents from the BNRS of DTI:
Official Receipt
Business Name Certificate
Undertaking / [Sole Proprietorship] Application Form (I got the BNR Form No. 01-2018; Also I applied for Sole Proprietorship so that’s how my application form is labeled)
The receipt looks like this:
Official receipt for the registered business name
My undertaking document’s heading looks like this:
Heading of the Undertaking / Sole Proprietorship Application Form
Aaaand my actual business name certificate looks like this:
Sample business name registration certificate from DTI
Your newly registered business name should now appear in the results if you search for it in the BNRS!
Contact DTI
Got a problem or question? It’s best that you contact DTI directly! 🙂
I requested a copy of my PSA (formerly NSO) Marriage Certificate last Monday and received it today, on a Saturday afternoon. I was required to present 1 valid ID and submit a photocopy of it to the person who delivered my PSA Marriage Certificate.
Online request for PSA Marriage Certificate
On August 19, Monday, I requested a copy of my PSA Marriage Certificate online. It’s for my application for Japan visa so that’s the info I entered before clicking the “Submit” button. Then, I filled out the Marriage Details, Name of Husband, and Maiden Name of Wife. I was also asked if I had any of the following done to my marriage certificate: correction of entry, annulment, court hearings, supplemental, or legal separation… I just clicked the “None” button. And then, I had to fill out information on “Who is requesting for this Marriage Certificate?” which should match the receiver’s name in the valid ID to be presented when the marriage certificate is delivered. Upon checkout for the online ordering of my PSA Marriage Certificate, I provided my contact info, delivery address, and number of copies of the certificate. This is the point where one could add the name of authorized representatives if the owner will not be the one to receive the marriage certificate. If you are opting for this, make sure to print the LOA (Letter of Authorization).
Payment for my PSA Marriage Certificate online order
You may pay online using a credit card or GCash, or by bank transfer. I chose to use GCash.
Before sending payment for my marriage certificate, the status of my order was like this:
August 19, 2019, 10:22 am Status Waiting for Payment Confirmation from Payment Provider
After entering my GCash mobile number, I received an SMS asking for my GCash pin for confirmation.
Few minutes later, the status of my order was updated into the following:
August 19, 2019, 10:28 am
Status
Paid via GCash
NSO Processing
The next day, the status of my PSA marriage certificate online order became “processing”:
August 20, 2019, 1:34 am Status Submitted to NSO for processing
Delivery of the PSA Marriage Certificate
5 days after my online order, I received the following SMS at 7:34 AM:
Good morning. Please be advised that your requested PSA (NSO) document is for delivery anytime today. Kindly prepare the recipient’s original & photocopy of the valid ID as well as the Letter of Authorization with original & photocopy of the valid ID from the person issuing the letter (if applicable). For inquiries, pls call PSAHelpline at 737-1111. Thank you.
I checked the status of my order online and saw the following:
August 23, 2019, 4:01 pm Status For Delivery
Oooh, so it was already marked as “for delivery” since the day before!
At 12:59PM the delivery person texted me, asking me to prepare my valid ID and a photocopy of it. I was surprised that he asked me for a photocopy too. Previously, when I requested PSA (NSO) certificates, the delivery staff didn’t even check for valid IDs sometimes. I re-read the requirements at the PSA website and found this:
What are the necessary requirements to be presented when receiving the documents upon delivery?
If the person receiving the document is the owner or any of the Authorized persons(legal spouse, father, mother, son or daughter), he/she should present a signed valid original ID and submit a photocopy to the courier.
If the receiving party is not one of the authorized persons, he/she needs to present the following:
> Original signed letter of authorization (LOA) from the certificate owner/authorized persons (legal spouse, father, mother, son, or daughter) > To present a valid original ID of the owner/authorized persons (legal spouse, father, mother, son, or daughter) > A photocopy of the valid ID of the owner/authorized persons (legal spouse, father, mother, son, or daughter) > A photocopy of the valid ID of the authorized representative
Oops! My bad, I didn’t check for the changes in the rules. I’m super lucky we have a printer with photocopy function at home. Otherwise, the marriage certificate would probably be re-delivered on another day because I don’t think we have any photocopy service near our home.
The delivery person arrived at our place around 1:45PM. He asked me to sign a document for receipt. He told me that PSA became more strict recently so they now require a photocopy of the valid ID, aside from presenting the actual ID to the courier. I was told that a lot of clients have been frustrated about this new requirement, and that one of the delivery persons was slapped by a customer before because he could not provide a photocopy of a valid ID. Ouch! But PSA really won’t allow us to receive the certificate anymore without submitting a photocopy of the ID, for data security purposes.
My husband had a scholarship in Tokyo, Japan and studied there for 2 years. For our coming wedding anniversary later this year, he wants to tour me around Tokyo! In this blog entry, I shall talk about the documents that I prepared and how I applied for a single-entry Japan Visa.
This blog entry will only cover information about Japan visa application for people with Filipino nationality. I won’t be familiar about how foreigners in the Philippines may apply for it.
How early can you apply for a Japan visa?
You may apply for a Japan visa 3 months before your trip.
When can you re-apply for Japan visa if your application got rejected?
If a visa application is denied, applicant may only re-apply for the same purpose after (6) months.
Reason for the denial of visa will not be disclosed even if an inquiry is made.
How much is the Japan visa application fee?
1200 Philippine pesos.
Requirements to get Japan Visa for Philippines Passport in 2019
The following are needed to get a Japan visa as a tourist:
Philippine Passport
Visa Application Form
ID Picture
Birth Certificate
Marriage Certificate, if married
Schedule of Stay in Japan
Without Guarantor:
You also need the following if you are shouldering your own expenses during your trip to Japan:
Bank Certificate Validity of Bank Certificate is three (3) month from the date of issue
Applicant’s Income Tax Return (Form 2316) clear Photocopy (latest)
With Guarantor:
If you have a guarantor residing in the Philippines (another person who is paying for your expenses on your Japan trip) then he/she will have to provide the following too:
Guarantee Letter
Proof of relationship between applicant and guarantor (e.g. Birth Certificates etc.)
Bank Certificate (original) and Income Tax Return (ITR Form 2316) (clear Photocopy) of Guarantor
Other info on the requirements:
Document size for Japan visa application form should be A4
You are exempted from submitting birth certificate and marriage certificate if you can submit old/valid passports with used Japan visa.
Submission of any supporting documents not listed above is encouraged (e.g. applicant’s economic or social ties with the Philippines, urgent reasons for visit: medical certificate, wedding invitation).
Where to apply for Japan visa
It is required that we apply for Japan visa in accredited travel agencies. Several years ago I got my Japan visa from Reli Tours & Travel Agency in Mall of Asia.
This time, I applied at Friendship Tours and Resorts Corporation which is located at the 3rd floor of Dusit Thani, Makati. Other travel agencies accredited for Japan visa application in Dusit Thani are UHI, and Reli Tours & Travel Agency.
Documents that I submitted to apply for a Japan visa at Friendship Tours and Resorts Corporation
A 4.5×4.5cm ID Picture with white background (just tell the photographer it’s for Japan visa application and they should know how to set it up) — mine was taken 1 week before I submitted my application
I did not submit a Birth Certificate because I have an old passport with a used Japan visa
Guarantee Letter (I resigned from my office job and am still in the middle of setting up my own business, so I could not submit a Certificate of Employment or Income Tax Return. Even if I currently have income, I can’t submit any document to prove it. The solution was to make my husband my guarantor for the Japan tour.)
Proof of relationship between applicant and guarantor: this is also our Marriage Certificate
Original bank certificate of guarantor (His bank printed it in a Letter size paper instead of A4, but we had no problem — I was still issued a visa! I think only the application form is strictly required to be on A4 paper.)
Photocopy of guarantor’s Income Tax Return
Submission of documents to Friendship Tours and Resorts Corporation in Dusit Thani, Makati
We went to Friendship Tours and Resorts Corporation on a Saturday and arrived around 9AM. Their Saturday schedule is from 8:30AM to 12NN. The office was moderately crowded. We took a printed number for the queue at the Visa Application counters. It wasn’t a long wait since there were only about 2-3 persons ahead of us.
When it was my turn, the staff in the counter examined my documents. She stuck a label into the page of my old passport where there’s a used Japan visa, and then bound it with my valid passport using a rubber band.
This is what it looked like when they bound the 2 passports together — the pink label is where my used Japan visa is. (Photo taken on the day I got my passports back from the agency.)
The staff in the counter asked for my payment, which was 1200 pesos, and then gave me a receipt in return. She told me that it will be filed by Monday, and I there should be a result 1 business week after filing. The “1 business week” is probably the maximum time because many applicants get their Japan visa earlier than that.
Before I left, the staff also gave me a claim stub. Do not lose it!!
I walked out of the travel agency hoping that they grant me a visa. I think that the documents I submitted were all valid, and can’t think of anything that may cause the Japan Embassy to decline my visa application.
Japan visa was ready after 2 business days!
I submitted my Japan visa application on a Saturday, and then on Tuesday I already got a text from the travel agency that the result is ready. That’s 1 business day after the day of filing, or 2 business days after the day applied for a visa.
This was the content of the SMS:
This is an Auto-Generated SMS Doesn’t Support Replies/Calls
Good Day from FRIENDSHIP TOURS & RESORTS CORP. ! Please be informed that you may now claim the passport/s filed in our office for Japanese Visa, kindly present your receipt and/or valid ID to the RELEASING COUNTER.
FOR CLAIMING BY AUTHORIZED PERSON: Please BRING the following; 1) By1st Degree Family Member: (Parent,Spouse, Sibling,Child) **1Valid ID Original & 1Xerox of the Authorized Person 2) Relatives from 2nd degree, Acquaintance/Friend etc. Authorization letter with ORIGINAL specimen signature of passport holder. 1 Valid ID of Authorized Person (Original & Xerox) STRICTLY * RESULT/S will be given upon claiming of the passport/s. & NO LATE CLAIMANT/S
Schedule for Claiming: Mon.-Fri. 8:30AM-5:00PM Sat. 8:30AM-12:00NN For queries please dial; LAND LINE: 8109622/8938180 Thank you.
I couldn’t claim my passport because I got sick, so I asked my husband to claim it for me. He brought the original and photocopy of both of our valid IDs: his postal ID and my postal ID.
Embassy of Japan granted me a visa! Yay!
Even if I prepared my documents for the visa application meticulously, I was worried that my application might get rejected for whatever unknown reason. If it got rejected — what about the flight tickets and hotel booking that we already paid for? And places we planned to visit… 😱
Well, I got my Japan visa!
It looks a bit different from the Japan visa issued to me back in 2014.
Time to review some Japanese words and writings for our trip in a couple of months. <3
