UK Tourist Visa for Philippine Passport Holders

Photo by Marcin Nowak on Unsplash

This is for all citizens of unfortunate countries like the Philippines. We are required to apply for a visa if you are traveling outside Southeast Asia and the UK is one of them. Those who have experienced applying visas to Japan, US and Europe can relate to this agony as it is not easy, I swear! Looking through the list of requirements and preparation is really stressful.

There are several types of visa but I’ll be focusing on Tourist Visa.

Please take note that UK visa is applied through official partner VFS Global in Malaysia or VFS Global in Philippines . So here are few steps on how to apply for UK Visa especially for Philippine Passport holder like me.

Before you apply online you need to ensure that you have all these on hand.
Current passport, previous passport, your parent’s details such as Full Name, birth date, UK address (hotel booking or relatives/friend’s address), email address and begin your online visa application. You can save each page of your application as you go along and come back to it at a later stage when you have more time.

• Register online.
• Fill in the application form in English.
• Pay the visa fee online (in most cases).
• Print out your form.
• Book an appointment at a Visa Application Centre

WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING TO THE APPOINTMENT?

• A printed and signed copy of your online visa application form.
• Your current valid passport  (Note: The UK Border Agency will retain your passport until they have reached a decision on your visa application.)
• Previous passports
• Confirmation of legal residence, if you are not a national of the country in which you are applying (You’re holding Visa if you’re not in the Philippines) or your right to reside there is not included in your passport.
• Original supporting documents, with photocopies and translations.
• A printed copy of the supporting document checklist.
• Payment or proof of payment of your visa application fee.
• 1 recent photograph (not more than 6 months old) according to below specification.
  Photograph Strict Specification
  Taken against a light grey or cream background;
  Clear and of good quality;
  Printed on normal photographic paper;
  45 mm high x 35 mm wide in size
  Taken with nothing covering the face, without sunglasses or tinted spectacles, or a head covering unless worn for religious or medical reasons. The subject should have their mouth closed (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows) and the applicant should be facing forwarding, looking straight ahead.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
These are the types of documents that you may need to provide which help to consider your application. You must show evidence that you have ties either in Philippines or Malaysia and you are coming back home such as below.

• Family ties evidence (marriage certificate, proof of relation etc.)
• Assets and this includes a land or house title, mortgage or investments that you have.
• Proof of earnings such as the certificate of employment (detailing your role, salary, length of employment and company contact details), leave of absence, payslips etc.
• Documents that show you are capable of supporting yourself while in the UK without the need to find employment and these could be Bank statements (6 months), credit cards, etc.
• You also need to submit details of accommodation plans and travel itinerary. (Flight and hotel confirmation is not required, so you shouldn’t pay for your accommodation until the visa is issued.
• Previous travel documents/passports, which show previous travel.

If you’re not paying for your own way, or have friend(s) or relatives who are either in the UK or who will be legally in the UK at the time of your visit is providing financial support to you, should present them with the following documents:

• Valid Citizen/Residence ID or Passport
• Bank Statement (6 months)
• Address and contact details
• Proof of relation
• Invitation letter stating their support

If Self-employed Business registration documents confirming the business owner’s name and the date the business started trading.

All these should be submitted during your appointment. No further documents will be accepted after. Now, while the absence of these documents may result in unsuccessful visa application, submission does not guarantee visa issuance. More info on UK Visa Supporting Document.

Note:

If you submit a document that is not in English, it must be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the Home Office. Each translated document must contain:
– Confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original   document
– The date of the translation
– The translator’s full name and signature
– The translator’s contact details
– All documents must be A4 size
– Any documents which are smaller or larger than A4 size must be photocopied onto A4 sized paper. This includes the pages of any previous passports.

HOW MUCH IS UK VISA FOR PHILIPPINE PASSPORT HOLDERS?
Tourist Visa {short term up to 6 months} 119.00 USD.

HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE?
You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before your travel plan.

Example: You can submit your application by May if you plan to travel in August.

WAITING FOR RESULT

The Standard Service will process within 15 working days. Priority Service is within 5 working days, this you have to pay additional 247.00 USD.
In my case, I have submitted my documents to Visa Application Centre in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on 15 June 2017.

I received SMS saying that my documents are ready for collection on 20 June 2017.

I actually opted for Priority Service which is by right 5 working days process. I want it to be as soon as possible as I still need to apply for Schengen visa for my Europe trip.
Please take note that the application which is lodge in Malaysia will be sent to British Embassy in Manila for the decision making process.

After a decision has been made, your documents will be delivered to you by post, or you can collect your documents personally from the visa application center.
I didn’t have time to collect my documents, so I make an authorization letter for my husband to collect on my behalf along with my passport photocopy. They would not notify whether your application has been approved or refused before the collection. They have given my passport along with my original documents and Voila! Thank God! 🙂

You can also choose to have an SMS & Email updates to track your application real time. I opted to have an SMS & Email updates.

If you have no idea on how to create a travel itinerary or those who are asking for the sample, please refer to the image below for your reference.

It’s in excel format, if any of you wants it, you may contact me on below contact form and I will email it to you. You just need to change the details and fill in the dates according to your travel schedules with specific information such as flight confirmation number or hotel booking no.

 

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UK VISA APPLICATION CENTRE – Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Address
Suite 19.06 19 Floor,
Wisma MCA,
163 Jalan Ampang, 50450

Opening hours:
Application submission and Document collection
Monday to Friday (Excluding public holiday)
08:00 – 14:00

UK VISA APPLICATION CENTRE – Manila
Address
VFS Global Services Philippines Private Inc., MANILA
Mezzanine Floor Unit M01, Ecoplaza Building,
2305 Pasong Tamo Extension Makati City, Metro Manila 1231

VFS Global Services Philippines Private Inc., CEBU
9th Floor, Keppel Center, Unit 905, Samar Loop
cor. Cardinal Rosales Avenue,
Cebu Business Park, Cebu City 6000

RESTRICTIONS IN VISITING UK AS A TOURIST:
Visit UK cannot be for more than six (6) months;
Leave the UK at the end of your visit;
Have enough money to support yourself during your stay in the UK without working or needing help from public funds.
Will not take paid or unpaid employment.
Will not marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership.
Will not get private medical treatment.

I hope you find this helpful and If you have more questions or something to add to this post, please comment on the section below.

Good luck to those who are applying soon!