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Tag: passport

  • How to get Japan Visa for Philippines Passport in 2019

    How to get Japan Visa for Philippines Passport in 2019

    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

    • My valid Philippine Passport, which will expire in year 2028
    • My old, expired Philippine Passport which had a used Japan visa in 2014. The old passport’s Japan visa had my maiden name, by the way.
    • Visa Application Form, filled out completely and printed in A4 size paper
    • 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
    • Marriage Certificate, requested a few weeks before my Japan visa application
    • Schedule of Stay in Japan
    • 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

  • Philippine Passport Renewal 2018 – DFA SM Manila (NCR West SM Manila Site)

    Philippine Passport Renewal 2018 – DFA SM Manila (NCR West SM Manila Site)

    On April 14, we had an appointment at DFA SM Manila for Philippine passport renewal. The process took 2 hours in total, which wasn’t so bad. We were holders of the older type of e-passport, which were only valid for 5 years. We received our renewed passports via LBC about 10 business days (rush) after our visit to DFA SM Manila. Our new passports are now valid for 10 years! We noticed that the valid IDs required for passport application are more difficult to acquire, compared the ones required for the older e-passport that was only valid for 5 years. This may be because there’s a spurt in the number of people applying for passport for ID purposes. Who doesn’t want an ID that is valid for 10 years? 😆

    Philippine Passport Renewal 2018

    As I write this, I think DFA still hasn’t opened slots for July 2018 onwards because of a change in the passport application/renewal procedures. Their plan is to require payment before securing an appointment for passport application/renewal. In my opinion, this is a good move from DFA because this will ensure that people who reserve an appointment slot are those who really need it. Right now, I know a lot of people who need to renew their passports for travel purposes, but cannot do so because the slots are taken by people who make money out of the schedules, or wasted by people who don’t show up on their appointment date.

    Using of phones is strictly prohibited inside DFA SM Manila. The guards called out anyone caught using their phone. There’s TV inside without audio, but kept us entertained nonetheless because the show was about pranking strangers in public ala Wow Mali!

    What was our Philippine Passport Renewal like in April 2018?

    Philippine passport renewal 2018 at DFA SM Manila

    We went through the following steps at DFA SM Manila:

    1. Verification
      There’s a reception counter where the DFA staff will verify your appointment date and time. The line here is short. When verified, they’ll let you proceed to the processing area.
    2. Processing
      Completion and validity of requirements is verified during processing. We’re e-passport holders so our only requirement was our old e-passport. FYI: to married women who would like to change from maiden name to married name, make sure to bring an original and photocopy of your PSA marriage contract and declare to the staff in the counter that you’d like to change your surname. In the application form, you should write your married name instead of maiden name.
    3. Cashier
      The line was not long at the cashier. Pay for your passport application or renewal in cash here. We paid 1200 pesos for each passport. By the way, in DFA SM Manila, you’ll be forced to pay expedite/rush fee if you go on a Saturday. Don’t worry, the early release date for expedite/rush transactions will apply. 🙂 We received the new passports in our doorstep 10 business days after visiting DFA. Otherwise, you only pay P950 for regular processing time of 15-20 business days.
    4. Encoding
      Ahh, this is the hardest part! The line was very long here. Try to bring something that will entertain you aside from a phone, since it’s strictly prohibited inside DFA SM Manila 😆 At the encoding area for Philippine passport application and renewal, they take your digital thumb marks, digital signature, and photo. Make sure you look nice in your passport photo — that will be your photo for the next 10 years! 😆 Do not wear contact lens especially colored ones. About 5 years ago I was wearing clear prescription contact lenses and the photographer said it was okay, but this days I’m not sure. Better be safe than be asked to remove them with hands you cannot wash immediately.
    5. Delivery (Optional)
      You may choose to pickup your new passport from DFA, or have it delivered to your address via LBC. That would be 150 pesos for each passport.

    Philippine Passport Renewal 2018

    How about your Philippine Passport Renewal in 2018?

    Have you just renewed your passport too? Let us know in the comments how it went! 🙂

    DFA SM Manila is also known as (NCR West SM Manila Site)

  • Green passport renewal at new DFA office – requirements, fees, location map near Mall of Asia

    The real goal of this blog entry is to share my personal experience with green passport renewal at DFA while giving my readers some idea of what to expect as they go through the process. But since I feel too exhausted to provide complete details at the moment, I will write about my most notable experiences for now and update with the rest of the information later. 🙂

    Early this morning (January 27, 2012) we went to DFA to have my green passport renewed into what we call ePassport or biometric passport. It was a tiring day, only BECAUSE we went to Mall of Asia afterwards to shop for numerous things we need… at 10AM! 😉 We had many things to shop for and so took advantage of the time since we were granted the day off from work and were right there, near a huge mall. The passport renewal application was done nearly 8:38 AM. So, more or less one and a half hour. My appointment was at 7:30AM, by the way. 🙂 (more…)