Konichiwa! Ogenki desu ka? Watashi wa genki desu. I hope you too. No, I don't speak Japanese, haha! I just learned the basic cause you know, I thought it would come handy when I get to visit Japan. And it did. Yey! At long last I was able to tick off that one on my list and I know you guys will pretty do the same. You might have to wait a little longer given our current situation but I am certain that soon you'll get to visit the Land of the Rising Sun too. You will, believe me. It may seem unattainable but it's actually not. I know that for most Filipinos the idea of visiting Japan is a little far-fetched ~not only because Japan has an image of being one of the most expensive countries in the world but also we can't just enter Japan without securing a VISA. Yes people, that's actually true. Though the Philippine passport allows us to enter some Asian countries and territories visa-free like Hongkong, Thailand and Singapore~ it's still less powerful to enter other countries like Japan. Japan is a 1st world country and a part of The Group of Seven (G7) along with other countries with advanced economies in the world. Visas are to protect the people living in their native countries from foreigners who may be terrorists or illegal immigrants. Hence, they require citizens of other nationality to obtain a visa before they enter their country. And to obtain a visa~ you have to go through a process that most of us think is a big hassle. It seems difficult and intimidating~with those requirements and all. And applying for a visa alone is already complicated, what more if you're unable to provide some of the documents needed. That seems impossible. I thought so too. But surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as it looks. In fact~it was easy and possible as long as you submit complete and accurate documents. I know. Been there, done that. That's why I am gonna try my best to help you out guys~mainly based on my research, help from my friends and my experience acquiring my very first Japan Tourist Visa. Ok, how do we start? Let's start with..
BASIC AND IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS
1.Philippine Passport
•Passport must have at least 6 months’ remaining validity and 2 blank pages for stamps. The passport must be in good condition and it must have a signature (on page 3 in newer passports).
2.Visa Application Form
• Available at the Embassy website, at the entrance of the Embassy or at any of the accredited
travel agencies.
• Application form should be filled out all items correctly, If item is not applicable, please fill in
[N/A]. Embassy may not accept application with blank item, no signature or no date in the form;
may deny the application that is filled out incorrectly or wrong information.
*You can download the form here.
*Check application sample
here.
3. Photo
• Specs: 4.5cm x 4.5cm, with white background.
• Photo must be taken within 6 months.
• Please write applicant’s name and birthdate on back side of the photo.
• Photo must be pasted on the application form.
4. Birth Certificate
• It must be issued within one year from PSA Main Office/Serbilis Outlet Center (Nationwide).
• If the birth certificate from Philippine Statistics Office (PSA) is unreadable, or has incomplete
information, please submit the birth certificate issued by PSA together with a birth certificate issued
by the Local Civil Registrar.
• If the birth certificate is “late registration”, please submit in addition, a baptismal certificate
and school record (Form 137) from high school or elementary and School Yearbook (if possible).
• If there is no record in PSA, please submit a “Certificate of Non-Record” from PSA together
with a birth certificate from the Local Civil Registrar.
5. Marriage Certificate (if the applicant is married)
• IT must be issued within one year from PSA Main Office/Serbilis Outlet Center (Nationwide).
• In case there is no record in PSA, please submit a “Certificate of Non-Record” from PSA
together with the Marriage Certificate from the Local Civil Registrar.
6. Daily Schedule in Japan (TAIZAI YOTEIHYO）
*I no longer have the copy of the actual itinerary I made so I just got one from google. You can download the form
here, fill it up and print or you can get the form and fill it up yourself at the travel agency. Note that you don't actually need to stick to these activities once you're in Japan, this is just for your visa application. Tip. You can make a shorter itinerary, let say for 5 days (even if you'll be staying in Japan for a week) so you don't need to have much money in your account and it will also make your chances of approval higher.
[If applicant will shoulder part or all of his/her travel expenses]
7. Bank Certificate
•Validity of Bank Certificate is three (3) month from the date of issue
•The money that should be in your account depends on the length of your stay. The safe bet is that you have 10,000 Php to spend per day. Let's say for example you'll be there for 7 days, you must have 70,000 Php in your account.
*Most people do it but I can't say it's advisable. However, if you don't have enough fund, you can borrow money from a friend, relative or anyone you know and transfer it to your account and just transfer back once you acquire a bank certificate. Based on experience, for Japan visa (I don't know with other countries)~ they don't actually ask for a bank statement~only bank certificate that certifies that you have an account with that branch and has the latest available balance indicated. So it doesn't matter if you'll have the money transferred the same day or before you get a bank certificate.
8. Applicant’s Income Tax Return (Form 2316) clear Photocopy (latest)
•Explanation Letter (No ITR/CoE)
*If you're self-employed, a freelancer or you're working from home and you're unable to provide an ITR and CoE you need to submit an explanation letter. Make sure to give precise details of the situation or circumstances you're in. Be truthful and provide supporting documents if they are available. Here's the letter I made explaining why I'm unable to provide an ITR. You can use the template but make sure to make it your own, don't just copy and paste it Okay? You can emit or add anything depends on your situation, it's up to you. It's also better if you include previous out of the country trips (if you have). It shows good travel history and the embassy will know that you're capable to travel overseas. Again, it doesn't have to be long, just make sure it's PRECISE.
DATE
The Office of the Consul General
The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines
2627 Roxas Boulevard
Pasay City, Metro Manila 1300
Dear Sir / Madam,
My name is YOUR NAME, a resident of the Philippines, with Passport number YOUR PASSPORT NUMBER I am writing this letter to request for approval of my single-entry tourist visa for Japan.
I am fully aware that part of the application is to present an Income Tax Return (ITR). Unfortunately, due to the nature of my profession, I am unable to provide this document at the moment.
I am currently working as a homebased Online English Teacher (YOUR JOB) for YOUR COMPANY. I earn my living teaching non-native speakers to read, write, and speak English. You can also find my profile in the company website YOUR COMPANY'S WEBSITE.
I plan to visit Tokyo for 5 days this coming DATE OF YOUR TRIP to watch and support my partner, a professional e-sports athlete for BREN Esports under the name “BREN.Hapon” who will be competing in Evo Japan 2020 for the game "Tekken 7", and to explore the city a little bit as well.
Me and my partner have both traveled to international competition venues, most recently in Hong Kong (August 2017) and Singapore (October 2017), and enjoyed doing leisurely activities thereafter. This year, I hope to visit Tokyo because it has always been my childhood dream to visit Japan and (hopefully) experience snow for the first time.
I assure you that I am financially capable to support myself during the duration of my stay. Attached herewith are the supporting documents for your reference:
⦁ My Bank Certificate
⦁ My Certificate of Employment
⦁ My partner's Certificate of Employment
⦁ My partner's Letter of Invitation and Registration Confirmation for the event
I trust that you will find that everything is in order and I hope that my previous travel experiences and my personal details would be helpful in your consideration to grant me a single-entry tourist visa.
Thanking you in advance for a favorable reply to my application.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
[If Guarantor who lives in the Philippines will shoulder part or all of the applicant’s travel
expenses]
9. Guarantee Letter
*If somebody will shoulder your expenses you have to submit this letter. There are a lot of sample online, just search for a template and make your own.
10. Proof of relationship between applicant and guarantor (e.g. Birth Certificates etc.)
11. Bank Certificate (original) and Income Tax Return (ITR Form 2316) (clear Photocopy) of
Guarantor
NOTICE
*All documents must be original unless otherwise stated.
*Size of document for application should be A4 size only. If document is other size, please
submit copy that is already adjusted in A4 size from its original and without staples or pasting
pages.
*Double check your documents and look over your application. Make sure everything is accurate.
*For more information you may visit EMBASSY OF JAPAN IN THE PHILIPPINES here.
FIND AN ACCREDITED TRAVEL AGENCY TO PROCESS YOUR JAPAN VISA APPLICATION
Now that you have all the required documents, it's time to find an accredited travel agency to process your application. The Embassy of Japan does not accept walk in applications so all applications need to go through accredited travel agencies. I personally chose
FRIENDSHIP TOURS because of it's positive reviews and because my friends recommended it to me~and now, I am recommending it to you. You can check their website
here.
*FRIENDSHIP TOURS
3/F Dusit Thani Manila Ayala center, Makati City
MON to FRI 08:30-17:00 SAT 08:30-12:00
You have to go there and personally submit your documents. Though Japan Visa is free, however, travel agencies charge for the service that they offer of processing/sending your application. I paid 1,200 php for my single-entry Japan tourist visa.
WAIT FOR APPLICATION RESULT
After you submit your documents the waiting game begins. LOLS! That was actually the hardest part for me. It was frightening. I couldn't even sleep, haha! I know that I did follow every steps religiously and submitted complete and accurate requirements but then I didn't know if I'll get approved or denied. I mean, I was optimistic but I couldn't afford to be complacent. Note that NO ONE can ever give you a guarantee of your Japan visa's approval so you can never be too sure. All you can do is wait for the result and pray. The processing time for visa applications usually takes 3-5 business days, unless a problem was encountered with your application requirements. However, in such case, the embassy will reach out to you to get the requirements completed. Once completed, you’ll just have to wait for their text message to notify you of when you can pick your passport up. So make sure that your number is active. I submitted my application on a Friday and got a text message on Thursday (cause there was a holiday) and was able to claim it the next day. They won't tell you the result through text message, you'll only know once you claimed your passport at the agency. A red sticker at the back of your passport indicates denied and a white sticker means approved~which I got! Yey! My application got APPROVED and I couldn't believe that I could finally go to JAPAN! That was one of the happiest days of my life. And I can't wait for you guys to feel the same way. Like what I have mentioned, we might have to wait a little longer to be able to travel safely again but I just wanna leave it here for your future reference. I hope that this post helps and if you have further questions you may comment down below or send me a message on facebook, link on header. And yeah, that's all for now. Detailed travel guide will be up soon, so tune in you guys. Thank you for reading and again stay safe and healthy.
xoxo
Mai
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