Filipino Applying for a Tourist Visa for the First Time

Whoever said that travelling is possible for people with no money is lying.

First off, you need to ensure the embassy of the country you're supposed to visit that you have the means to support your travel. (Thanks to the many undocumented alien Filipinos who sought the chance to work abroad and earn in foreign currency fast - just illegally :(. They made sure that normal Filipino employees with a little to spare for travel pass through the eye of the needle for visa applications). Unless you have a sponsor to lend you a bank certificate with an ADB/Average Daily Balance of not less than Php 100,000 for the past 6 months prior to your visa application, you may have to prepare at least 7 months ahead before your planned trip - that is, if you have no savings account. Probably the best advise I can give to someone who wants to start travelling outside the country a lot ( that is most often neglected by other bloggers out there ) is to: KEEP A SAVINGS ACCOUNT IN THE BANK WORTH PHP 200,000 MORE OR LESS AND NEVER EVER SPEND IT - just keep it there lying around forever for visa purposes.

For those who've been blessed with millions or a few hundred thousand more on your bank account other than the amount I wrote above, please stop grinning. The average Filipino earning a few notches higher than the minimum salary (with no rich parents, no family business and no other sources of income) do not automatically have that amount hidden anywhere. Why? Because the Philippines is an economy highly influenced by the consumerism ideology. Got some bonus? Buy a Car! Purchase a Condo! Go Shopping! Go on a Vacation! Buy New Gadgets! Is it pay day? Go to the Mall! They have a Sale! Let's watch a Movie! Generally we Filipinos have yet to put much value on savings, investment and retirement. The Philippines is slowly getting there with the help of diligent and helpful self-made financial advocates, financial service companies led by visionaries and a few banks.. but as I'm writing this, I am betting some of you, my dear readers, do not even have Php 200,000 with an ADB of the same amount to get a bank certificate in a heartbeat. The desired amount of ADB, of course, depends on the country you're eyeing to visit - smaller ADB for an Asian destination and higher ADB for a European destination. Your predicament's solutions: A.) Free yourself from peer pressure and suggest a less demanding country to visit with no visa requirement, B.) face the music that going to the #1 country in your bucket list will take some time and patience so forego the seat sale or online sale, C.) be creative and think of ways other than my suggestion. :)

For the young and financial literate, you might be thinking "Ha, I have Php 1,000,000++ invested in stocks, very easy for me to get a certification." Sorry to burst your bubble but embassies specifically state BANK CERTIFICATE. Not investment certificate, not any other proof of financial capability - but bank certificate clearly spelled out. Other proof of financial capabilities are indeed welcome, just to support the main document required which is - altogether now!! --> BANK CERTIFICATE. How did I know? I learned the hard way, I tried to get away with an investment certificate. I even argued that only someone dumb will keep a savings account with that amount of money considering the absurdly low interest rates as compared to the many alternative instruments you can invest on. My stubbornness yielded nada. I had to enlist my mom's help a.k.a. passbook just to get the @$&^@$! VISA.

So, what's the first box to tick off your checklist to get a visa if you're a Filipino?

BANK CERTIFICATE - this is the safest, most logical first in your to do list. It needs to have a consistent 6-month Average Daily Balance commensurate to the amount you need to spend on your trip and a little more. This warrants that you can afford to travel out of the country and go back to the Philippines to continue your life here.  I don't know about newly opened accounts set up for the sole reason to satisfy this requirement. That is way telling: open an account worth the required ADB with zero account activity - no deposits, withdrawals, etc.?? Even if I'm the approving officer, seeing this zero activity account is suspicious. Better to beef up your payroll account and forget that your travel fund is even there. Or set up a time deposit account to justify not being able to touch the money. Please, for those who plan on applying for a tourist visa but have no plans of returning to the Philippines, don't. Becoming a TNT / illegal alien might be tempting for a quick fix on your financial hardships in life but I heard doing so is hell and a very very small percentage get a happy ending. Just don't, okay? God will provide. :)

If you're still stubborn enough to go out of the country without money to back you up just for bragging rights in your Facebook photos, and for a perceived image, enlist the help of a possible sponsor who has that bank certificate with the required average daily balance. Only then can you get that elusive visa. You, being broke, after that awesome vacation is another story. Let's fix that and click on this link: UNDER CONSTRUCTION