Japan Visa Application

Applying for a visa is probably one of the scariest part of travelling to another country because it's a hit or miss. If you miss you'll forever ask the question why because they won't be giving you any reasons for denial. On the other hand being approved can be the greatest feeling of all.

When should you apply for a visa?

You should apply 2 months before your scheduled date of departure so that you'll have time to prepare and process in case the Embassy requires additional documents.

Where should you apply for a visa?

You should apply for a visa only at accredited agencies. There are currently 7 accredited agencies listed in the Japan Embassy website which you can find below.

http://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/visiting/new%20visa/list%20of%20accredited%20agencies.htm

How much does it cost to apply for a visa?

A tourist visa itself is free but agencies collect processing fees depending on the type of visa. A tourist visa with no guarantor only costs PHP950 at Reli Tours. You can find other details in the link below.

http://www.relitours.ph/en-visa.html

How to apply for a visa?

Basically you just have to complete the requirements, submit it to an accredited agency and pay the fees. Then the agency will submit your document to the Embassy for approval and contact you when your visa is ready..or not.

How long does visa processing take?

Processing takes 7-10days or longer. In our case, we applied for a visa on Friday and got to pick it up on Wednesday so it only took 3 working days. Though in the visa, the date of issue was Monday so processing is very fast. Although it may take longer if the Embassy requires you to submit additional documents. So don't take your chances and delay applying for a visa until it's too late.

In this picture you can find the requirements for a Tourist Visa

1. Passport - must have at least 2 blank pages. Fill up the emergency contact details at the back. To be sure, passport should be valid at least 6 months.

2.  Application Form - print in A4 size paper. Write neatly without erasures.

3. Picture - 4.5cmx4.5cm with white background. Just tell the studio it's for a Japan visa application and you're good. Paste this in the application form. It costs PHP100.

4.  Birth Certificate - from NSO, must be valid within the year. You can get it online at ecensus.com.ph or nsohelpline.com. I used NSOhelpline because they have online payment. It costs PHP350.

5.   Daily Schedule in Japan - download the template from Japan Embassy website or from your agency and print in A4 sized paper.

6.   Bank Certificate - valid within 3 months. Average daily balance is not required. Just the total amount certified will do. We will be staying in Japan for 11 days, so I got certification for 150k and my friend certified for 200k just to give you an idea. This is printed in short bond paper so you need to photo copy it into an A4 paper but still bring the original. Bank Cert costs PHP100. 

7.   Copy of Income Tax Return - you can request a copy from your company or from BIR. I have 2 companies within the year so I submitted an ITR from both. 

Sample Application Form

Note that all documents should be in A4. If not, photocopy it into an A4 sized paper but bring the original. All documents submitted will not be returned except for the passport.

It's not required but I also submited a copy of my Certificate of Employment because I was worried about submitting 2 ITRs. We also submitted a copy of our plane ticket.
I would have also submitted my booking confirmations from Airbnb if I didn't forget to print it.

Even if you submitted all the documents, it does not guarantee visa approval. (sad I know)

The agency does not advise to buy tickets before applying for a visa because you can get denied. Visa application is advised 2 months before your departure. We all know buying tickets too close to the date of departure almost always guarantee high prices.  Same goes for accommodation especially on peak seasons. So we already have a plane ticket and accommodation when we applied for a visa.

Thank God our visa was approved! Visa validity is within 3 months from approval and we were allowed to stay for a maximum of 15 days. :)

Korean Visa Application

A few of my friends have already been to Korea and told me not fuss to much about visa application but can you blame me from being all paranoid and nervous? We already bought the tickets. We already have a place to stay and our itenerary has already been planned out from day 1. So all that's really left is applying for a visa.

So what are the requirements?

I got this leaflet from the embassy. Note that these are requirements for employees.

1. Application Form - you can get one from the embassy or you can download it from their site (click here). Use black ink and capital letters and avoid erasures. Follow the instructions on how to fill it up.

2. 1 pc. Passport size colored picture - use white back ground, no accesorries, don't smile, show your ears. You can tell the photographer its for a visa and they should know what to do. The photographer told me visa pictures are passport sized as well but the face has a different size ratio than the usual passport size picture. Paste this picture in the application form.

3. Original Passport (6mo. valid) - if you have an old passport staple it with the new one. I personally used paper clips instead of staples since I'm afraid to damage the chip in the electronic passport wherever it is located.

4. Copy of passport first page - this would be the data page of the passport, the one with your picture.

5. Original Employee Certificate - it should indicate the length of stay in the company, the compensation you receive, and the number of your hr so they can verify it.

6. Original Personal Bank Certificate - request the bank to put the date the account was opened. It should indicate the balance in your account.  I think 30-50k is a safe number. In some banks requesting to put the date it was opened will also show your average daily balance. Account should be open at least 3 months.

7. ITR or BIR Form 2316 - we submitted form 2316 for the previous year provided by our company.

Arrange the documents in the order listed above.

Where to apply? 

The Korean Embassy is located at McKinley Hill Taguig. You can take a taxi from Ayala Ave straight to the embassy for about PHP100. Or you can take the MRT to Magallanes station and board a citylink bus/fx/van to McKinley Hill near San Lorenzo Place and SM Savemore. From McKinley, you can take a free internal shuttle with the C5 route and go down at C5 and walk to the embassy. Visa Application is from 9-11 AM but gates open at 8AM. I arrived just before 9AM and they were already accepting visa applications. I hope our government agencies can learn how to do this.

When to apply?

We applied a month and a half before our expected date of departure. This is so we can prepare other documents if ever they ask for additional requirements because they sometimes do. Call me paranoid but it's better to be safe than sorry.

What to expect when applying?

Basically you just have to submit the requirements and get the claim stub. You have to log in and leave an id in the guard station. When you go inside, you have to sign up again and get a number. Wait for your number to be called. Pass the requirements in the window and get your claim stub and that's it. The claim stub indicates when you can get your passport back.

What to expect when claiming?

This is usually 5 working days after your application date. There are 3 scenarios I'm aware of.
1. You get your passport with the visa stamped on it. Of course this is what everyone prefers.
2. You get your passport with a piece of paper saying you visa application was denied.
3. You're asked for additional requirements and wait for another 5 workings days for the result.

Visa claiming is from 2-4PM but my friend arrived at 1:30PM and she was already entertained.

So after 5 days of worrying.. drum roll please.. tada! Our visas were approved!

What a relief that was. You can check the embassy's site for more details.
http://embassy_philippines.mofa.go.kr/english/as/embassy_philippines/visa/requirement/