I’ve been itching to write this post since I got my Philippines visa stamped back in early May. I was very upset and stressed over the entire ordeal. But let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
I first visited Philippines in 2011. It ended up becoming my greatest trip till date. The photos I took, the places I visited, and the experiences I had made for a series of blog posts that became very popular — especially among Filipinos! So popular that Philippines is now the third highest country driving traffic to my website. I’ve gotten hundreds of comments, e-mails and messages on Facebook from Filipinos thanking me and praising me for giving Philippines a visit.
When I left Philippines in 2011, I knew I wanted to go back and thought about finally doing it earlier this year. The initial plan was to visit Philippines first and then go to South Korea from Manila. I even got a great deal on a Cathay Pacific flight going from Bangalore → Hong Kong → Manila and the return from Incheon → Hong Kong → Bangalore for around Rs. 32k. Unfortunately in April, some idiot in North Korea decided to issue a bunch of threats to their wealthier neighbour and bragged about dropping bombs there and starting a war. Of course, the situation was made worse by Western media, who made a bigger deal out of it than the South Korean media did.
Still, I kept thinking “what if…” and I was considering cancelling the South Korea portion of my journey. I ended up doing so when I began my visa processing work and found out that Philippines has since opened up a consulate in Chennai, and my passport would have to go there first and then go to New Delhi for my South Korean tourist visa. With under three weeks left before my departure date, I called up Goibibo and sadly cancelled the South Korea portion of my flight. I had to shuffle dates, make fresh bookings to Manila and all-in-all I lost around Rs. 5000.
But my misery wasn’t over. In 2011, I got my Philippines visa done through Thomas Cook, who after charging Rs. 1000 as their service fee, got my passport stamped and sent back from New Delhi in just a week’s time. I went to the same Thomas Cook branch in Koramangala, only to be told that all visa applications are now done at the MG Road office. But just to be sure, they called up the Thomas Cook office in Chennai. Then the guy tells me: “Thomas Cook can’t do Philippines visa”. I’m like, “what?!”. I went back home annoyed and decided to visit the MG Road branch of Thomas Cook the next day for better clarification.
When I went to the MG Road branch with all my documents (as specified on the Philippines Embassy website), the Thomas Cook staff told me I may have to provide an additional document. Annoyed that I had to come back again the next day, I asked her if she was sure Thomas Cook could handle the Philippines visa processing. She assured me “of course,” but when I told her what the guy at the Koramangala branch told me, she decided to call up the Chennai office to confirm. She herself was shocked to hear that the Chennai office said they no longer handle Philippines visa applications.
When I asked her what was the reason, she told me they wouldn’t say but it was a blanket “no, we don’t do that anymore” and that the applicant (me) will have to go in person to the Chennai consulate and apply. Which was ridiculous to me, because I didn’t have to deal with all this the last time! Instead, she suggested sending my passport to the Philippines Embassy in New Delhi. When I asked her how long that would take, she told me 7-10 working days. Which was too risky for me because I saw the number of passports the MG Road branch sends to New Delhi every day — it’s in the hundreds, and to various embassies! Add to that, now the service fee for sending it to New Delhi had gone up to Rs. 1700.
I told her I need to think about this because for that kind of money, I can go to Chennai myself and get it done in a day. When I got back home, I felt frustrated over the days lost and all the running back & forth. I called up the Chennai Philippines consulate to check if I needed to apply in person and I was rudely interrupted by a lady who worked there to be told “of course I could use agents like Thomas Cook!” and there was no need for me to come.
But I didn’t feel like wasting any more time, so I packed up my bag, carried copies of every document, carried extra photographs, and decided to go to Chennai by bus that very night.
I reached Chennai at dawn and called up my cousin brother Nitesh, who offered to pick me up and take me to his place to rest before going to the Philippines Consulate on Mount Road. I didn’t want to bother him, but given I barely slept in the bus (due to the nervousness), I accepted his offer. After breakfast, Nitesh dropped me at the consulate and was nice enough to wait for me, thinking that all I had to do was just drop all my documents and come back later to collect my stamped passport.
I purposely came early so that I could be the first applicant. But as soon as I entered the consulate, I sensed trouble. First of all, none of the staff were Filipinos — and there was only one old lady present. I soon figured out this was same grumpy lady whom I spoke to on the phone yesterday. And boy, was she grumpy! This was 9am in the morning and she kept talking to herself about how the traffic gave her a headache, how much her back aches and how much she hated her job as she looked through the applications! Then as the other two staff members — a man just as old as her and much younger woman — quietly made their way in, she took her frustrations to their ears on how she had enough of this work and would quit. Those two just listened and barely said anything because I sensed this was the daily norm here. The Consul General in this three-room office, also an Indian, had yet to come in.
When it was time to begin accepting applications, the grumpy old woman with a strained look on her face asked who came first. Nervously I approached her desk and handed over all my documents along with my cover letter. In the letter I had stated I had been to Philippines before and my blog had become so popular there, and that my purpose of visit was to see the places I couldn’t do in 2011. The cover letter listed my itinerary, with all the places I intended to visit and I even attached the domestic flight tickets I booked. Did she bother to read the cover letter? Nope.
First she did was ask me what I did. I told her I freelance and I had provided two bank statements showing I had more than enough money to fund this trip. I also provided my return ticket along with whatever income tax statements I could provide until 2012. When she asked what the purpose of my visit was, I told her to it was purely sight-seeing. She then had the balls to ask: “why?” I couldn’t believe this woman, and I began to wonder if she had even been to Philippines. I told her I would visit Boracay and tried to show her the PAL Express flight I had booked to Caticlan. But she moved on. And after flipping through all my documents, she asked me where my hotel reservations were?!
I told her I hadn’t booked them yet as I would only do that after I got my visa. She shouted “no!” and told me to come back after booking hotels for all 20 days I was going to be in Philippines. I got really frustrated and told her that it wasn’t even a requirement stated online on the Philippines embassy website! I even told her all these documents were cleared by Thomas Cook… and then she shouted back: “Who is giving the visa? Thomas Cook, or me?!” and then threatened to reject my application if I didn’t go away!
I stayed silent, but stepped away knowing she has the power to abuse her responsibilities. I went back to my chair upset and sorted out my documents she had mixed up. I looked at the other two staff members who gave me a sympathetic smile and when I softly spoke to them saying, “what is this?,” the old man gave me the hand gesture as if to say: “it’s ok, just wait… we’ll do something”.
I sat there and saw how this grumpy old lady treated every other applicant after me. There was a well-to-do father and son who went up next. I assumed “well-to-do” because both of them carried iPhone 5s and the father was sending his young son to Philippines for a pilot training course. But the way that woman spok… sorry, shouted at them. They had all the documents and the father did all the talking, as softly as he could, despite the grump lady’s tone of speech. He too knew who was clearly in charge here and probably had enough experience dealing with “government staff”-like behaviour in all his years in India.
Then there was a guy from ONGC, who was going to Manila for a chess tournament and needed a 21-day visa for only a week-long stay. When the woman saw that he had a U.S. business visa and a Schengen visa in passport, she shouted at him asking why the hell he is applying when such Indian passports get 14-day visa-on-arrival (even I knew that!). He paused, but still insisted on a 21-day visa “just to be sure”. At this point even I was rolling my eyes in disbelief. Then he asked if he paid “extra” could he get his visa “fast”. She told him that he had to pay Rs. 3000 extra, a sum total of Rs. 5400 (PHP3600 / US$98) in order to get his passport stamped in one day.
I sat there thinking if this was the norm at this consulate. A few agents lined up next. Some of them seemed to have interacted with this woman and humoured with her even though she spoke to them in the same ‘shout-y’ manner. Some were applying in the last minute and a few had missing documents — which would make any visa issuing officer angry.
Then came some real cases.
There was Naval officer who came from Cochin and had to fly the very next day to Philippines to see his girlfriend. He told the grumpy lady bluntly that was his reason. She made suggestive remarks asking how he met his Filipino girlfriend and what she does for a living. I’m not going to tell you what he said — because it’s none of her goddamn business to know all that! All his documents were in check and she hesitantly accepted the application for the same day release. And yes, he had to pay extra as well.
Then came a male applicant who said his purpose of visit was tourism and that he would be staying in Manila with his Indian friend there. When the grumpy lady asked him if he plans to visit any other place, he said no, “just Manila”. I called “bullshit” on this immediately because: a) there’s nothing in Manila that requires 21 days of sight-seeing; b) he probably has some other intention for travel. He too was told to come back with a whole bunch of documents from his friend in Manila because that is the norm if he is being hosted by someone already there. Hearing this, I’m glad I didn’t mention that one of my readers, Janet, had offered to host me during my time in Manila. I didn’t want to burden her with paperwork when I could easily book myself in to a hostel or hotel room — something I told her I would do if her place seemed too far away. More importantly, I didn’t want the grumpy lady to make derogatory remarks about my friend, who in reality is older to me and has a respectable job at a university, which pays her well enough to own her own house!
Then came another male applicant who said his purpose of travel was “sight-seeing” — in Manila. At this point the grumpy lady remarked, “…why would you want to visit this dump?!”. Okay, time out. It’s one thing when Filipinos complain about Manila. It’s another thing when foreigners (especially in the West) project Manila as a “third world city” on purpose, while ignoring the parts of Manila that look like any ‘developed’ international city. But a non-Filipino staff member at a Philippines ‘government’ office in another country insulting Manila? I’d really love to see where she lives in Chennai.
But then, when the grumpy lady asked where this applicant would be staying, he had mentioned the same “friend” the last applicant did. When the grumpy lady asked him if he knew the previous applicant… this guy said “no”. Pretty much every one suspected something fishy and the grumpy lady rejected his application and told him to inform the previous applicant (who was still lurking outside) his visa application was rejected as well!
So there, turns out there are a few jackasses from India trying to get to Philippines. Odd thing was, these weren’t the illiterate, low wage earners who are most often the ones trying desperately to get in to a country and then work illegally. Both men claimed to work in software companies in India and provided every other valid documents, including a return flight ticket. I wondered what these people were intending to do in Manila. I remember reading about traffickers in Thailand who cheated Indians by promising jobs in Australia and getting them there. Possible the same “friend” in Manila was using the Philippines as a gateway to Australia? Who knows.
Anyway, the old man who asked me to wait now sat in front of grumpy lady. Then I approached him, but before I could say anything, the grumpy lady shouted and asked me what the hell I’m still doing here! I pointed to the man and told her he said he’ll look at my application. But the old man told me “you go,” and I could tell from his eyes that even he’s scared of her. Ugh!
I gave up, walked out and told my cousin what went down inside. Both of us were furious, but we decided it was best to go home and come back later, instead of shouting at her. I rushed back to my cousin’s place, went to hostels.com and made 4 separate hostel bookings. I used hostels.com because you only need to pay 10%, and if I cancel, they refund the 10% to your website account and you can use the same for future bookings. But I still chose some hostels I was planning to stay at anyway.
Once I took print outs, my poor cousin, who was already lacking sleep because he works the night shift, took me out to lunch before dropping me back to the consulate. By this point, it was past 3pm and as soon as I entered the consulate, the grump lady shouted and asked me why I came back! I told her I had all the documents and she told me time for submissions was over and that I have to come back tomorrow morning at 9am. I pleaded with this creature woman but she kept shouting “NO!” and told me if I didn’t leave, she would reject my application. As per norm, the other two staff members stayed silent and looked down.
My cousin who was in the room this time opened his mouth and asked her why she was acting like this, but I told him “forget it” and escorted him out. She ordered us both to leave. I was very upset and walked away holding my clenched fist intact. I really felt like shouting vulgarities at this woman and trashing the office, but I didn’t — that’s not me. I was now forced to spend a night in sweltering hot Chennai. The heat, this woman… “argh, get me out of here!!!!!!” — is all I could think about.
I had no choice, one more day in Chennai it was. I forced myself to sleep that night but all I could think about was how next morning would act out.
I woke up early and as soon as my cousin came back from office, we went to the consulate. Again, I was the first applicant. This time, I stayed silent and just handed over my documents. Today was a Friday and I was going to fly next Friday. This time the grumpy lady said nothing after she saw my hostel bookings, and accepted my documents. When I asked her how long it would take to get my visa stamped, she said I would only get it next week. I told her couldn’t afford to spend the entirety of the weekend in Chennai. The grumpy lady said if I wanted it today itself, I would have to pay Rs. 5000 — or pay for courier charges and expect it “maybe” by next Wednesday or Thursday. I got irritated because I know the Philippines Consulate website states 2-3 working days, but it was as though she wanted me cough up the money! I demanded a receipt just so I know this “extra” amount isn’t a bribe, and she assured me I would get one. Then I was told to come after 3:30pm.
As angry I was to pay Rs. 5000 for a f**king 21-day tourist visa(!), I just couldn’t afford to cancel my tickets again. By now I had spent so much on flight tickets and other bookings.
Confident I would get my visa by 3:30pm, my cousin dropped me off at the consulate after lunch and we wished each other goodbye. I really couldn’t have survived this ordeal had it not being for Nitesh helping me out.
Anyway, so I go in thinking the passports are all signed, stamped and ready for collection. Once done, I could get to the bus terminal, catch a bus going to Bangalore immediately and be back in Bangalore by 11pm.
Were the passports ready? No. Because the Consul General has to sign the visas individually. Where was the Consul General? He was out. The only reason I got answers to all my questions was because now, there was a Filipino embassy personnel sitting in front of the grumpy lady. Oh, and grumpy lady wasn’t so grumpy now. She had a smile on her face — but with angry eyebrows (picture that). This was in front of the Filipino man, a senior staff member sent down from New Delhi I presume.
I swear, I so felt like complaining to him about this vile woman and how she treats the applicants here, but I stayed quiet. Because she then mentioned to her junior and that old coward man they had to learn how to do certain functions, since she won’t be there next month. Was she really quitting (or getting fired)? I just hoped so.
Then when the Filipino left, the grumpy lady joked with her staff asking why there weren’t any agents today. Then it finally hit me. This is most likely the reason why Thomas Cook’s Chennai office stopped handling visa applications for Philippines — because they didn’t want to deal with this grumpy lady! Who knows how many of Thomas Cook’s staff members had to face this woman’s verbal abuses. In my two days coming here, I rarely saw a travel agent from a known name. You know, Thomas Cook, SOTC, Kuoni, etc. Instead, it was largely local travel agents who were willing to put up with this crap as every business matters for their living. Who knows.
Now it was past 4:30pm (Consulate closes to public at 5pm). The Consul General finally shows up, and when it was time, the grumpy lady finally took all the passports and took it to his room. More waiting. By now, a few of the familiar faces from yesterday showed up to collect their visas as well. I sat there quiet, but growing increasingly frustrated, because it was getting late for me. Past 5pm, the passports come back out and were scattered all over the grumpy lady’s desk. She and her junior call each applicant by name and give them their respective passports.
When it came time for my passport, the grumpy lady joked with the same angry eyebrows, “don’t give him his passport!” and asked me why I wasn’t smiling. I stayed silent and just looked her in the face, all the while reminding myself: “I-don’t-hit-women”. She told me I should be happy I got my visa finally. (“Oh, you want me to touch your feet, b***h?!”) Once she handed over my passport, I reminded her about the receipt, and she then wrote me one and handed me that as well.
As frustrated as I was feeling, I was equally relieved having my passport with the Philippines visa in hand. Outside the office, I double-checked just to ensure they didn’t screw my visa up, and only then caught an auto rickshaw to the bus terminal.
The traffic was picking up, but I finally reached the bus terminal and immediately hopped on the first bus leaving for Bangalore at 6pm. It wasn’t until the bus left the terminal that I sighed a sense of relief. I called up my cousin and thanked him again. I tried to catch some sleep, but the slow-moving traffic in the city brought back my irritation.
And it got worse. Maybe I should have asked what the maximum speed of the buses were before getting on one — because the bus I was in was terribly s-l-o-w! When the bus stopped at a rest stop at 8pm, the other passengers confronted the driver and asked him why the bus was going so slow. The only reply from the driver was the equivalent of “just because” in Tamil, and a shrug of the shoulder.
Long story short, it was past 2am when I finally reached home. I was hungry, tired, frustrated, upset and couldn’t believe the ordeal and the money I spent for a freaking single-entry tourist visa that only lasts 21 days! I spent less than half that amount for a 30-day tourist visa to Singapore with a validity period of 2 years! The whole experience made me consider this would be my last time visiting Philippines. I also prayed all that I intended to see this time would work out just like it did in 2011.
Even as I wrote this, I had to pause occasionally to rid the annoyed look on my face, because recalling this experience only brought back bad memories. I wasn’t expecting a red carpet welcome, nor do I have a sense of entitlement for a Philippines visa, but I was certain I would have been treated differently had I dealt with a Filipino consulate staff member. At least s/he would have verified my application by visiting my website to see what I wrote about their country, just so they know I wasn’t lying in my cover letter.
It’s very frustrating, for me, to know that there are 151 countries (full list) that now get 30 days visa-on-arrival in Philippines… but India isn’t one of them. Geriatric western sex tourists? Sure, no problem! If you are from Burkina Faso, Lesotho or Rwanda, sure, walk right in! But Indians have to pay Rs. 2400 2560 for 21 days — before departing? Oh, get this, but Philippines passport holders get visa-on-arrival in India!
If this post goes viral and if anybody at the Philippines Tourism Board sees this, could any one of you tell me why India was singled out? Is it the “Bumbays” that came a lot time ago and ruined our image there? Or is it the money you can make from visas?
When I first saw an ad for “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” on National Geographic in India last month, I felt happy. Happy that the campaign I really liked is finally being targeted at new markets such as my own country. At the same time, I thought about the visa process Indians have to go through. All this when Thailand, which is much closer, is so damn easy for us visa-wise.
I have said it repeatedly — on my website, on Reddit discussions and travel forums — Philippines is an amazing country! Probably the most geographically beautiful country in South East Asia with some of the nicest English-speaking people in the world. But to see and experience Philippines in all it’s glory, 21 days is not enough. An archipelago of over seven thousand islands means you have to catch a few flights within the country to get around. Package tours will not boost numbers as there is little of Philippines’ variety you can truly experience in 5 days and 4 nights. You can do that in Singapore, Thailand, or even peninsular Malaysia — not Philippines.
For those who think I’m just being bitter or exaggerating, here’s my receipt:
The only reason I didn’t name that grumpy lady in this blog post is because she may no longer be working at the Philippines Consulate in Chennai. If so, good riddance! Sorry, I’m all for respecting elders and all, but there’s only so much shit I can take from somebody. Being a pain-in-the-ass has no age limit!
Should this discourage other Indians who wish to visit Philippines for every good intention? No. If you don’t wish to deal with the Chennai consulate, just apply a month in advance and send it to the New Delhi Embassy, or some other consulate — Philippines now has three consulates outside of New Delhi.
Edit: When I shared this story story on Facebook, two of my friends who also visited Philippines this year faced the same irritating hardships at the Chennai consulate.
Sigh.
Anyway… so I left Bangalore past 2am on Friday, May 17th. From Bangalore to Hong Kong, the flight was Dragon Air. This was the first time I was flying with them. I wasn’t really impressed with the plane, the seats or the in-flight entertainment.
I found the gate for my Manila flight and sat down to do some work online.
The take off was a little bumpy, but the flight over the South China Sea wasn’t as beautiful as it was when I flew from KL to Manila back in 2011. Granted, the distance isn’t much either.
As soon as I saw all this, and when the announcement was made that we would be landing in Manila soon, I forgot all about that vile woman and the experience I had at the consulate. I was just happy to be back in the Philippines!
Once out of the airport, my reader-turned-friend-turned-host Janet came to receive me. I decided to stay at her place whilst in Manila as she had a spare room at her 2-bedroom house. She had also suggested going to Tagaytay, a place I had never considered visiting, as it wasn’t that hard to get to from Bulacan.
Unfortunately, her place was quite far out from Manila city and the traffic in the evening meant it took me longer to get to Janet’s home than it did to fly from Hong Kong to Manila. Still, I was grateful a reader of my blog was offering to host me. Janet also wanted to convince me Filipino food isn’t that bad.
Janet requested me not to upload photos of inside her home as there were still some interior work yet to be finished.
As good as her cooking tasted… sorry my Filipino friends, I just don’t seem to find Filipino food (in general) all that tasty. Sorry :-/
Anyway, this is the first post in this Philippines 2013 series. I know it’s a bad start, but it gets better. The next post will be about our day trip to Tagaytay, then my visit to Boracay, followed by a day in Angeles City to go to Mt. Pinatubo. The second week consists a visit to Legazpi, Donsol and finally Coron, before returning to Manila. But as you’ll see in the coming weeks, the delay in visiting Philippines would prove to be bad timing for me and a few of the places I visited.
Next post in this series:
Philippines 2013: Taal Lake Volcano and Peoples Park, Tagaytay
Philippines 2013: Flying from Manila to Boracay, White Beach
Philippines 2013: Boracay island tour, Puka beach and snorkelling
Philippines 2013: Bulabog beach, Mount Luho viewpoint and sunset at White Beach
Beachfront hotels and resorts on White Beach, Boracay
Philippines 2013: Leaving Boracay; Kalibo to Angeles City
Philippines 2013: Arriving at Legazpi; going to Donsol to see whale sharks
Philippines 2013: Lignon Hill Park, Cagsawa Ruins and Mount Mayon
Philippines 2013: Aerial view of Mount Mayon; arriving at Coron
Aleah | SolitaryWanderer.com
11/09/2013Wow, I can’t believe how hard it was for you to get that visa! And that woman *shakes head* I agree it’s unfair we get a visa on arrival there and you don’t. Hope that changes soon! I love Indian food, too, and I understand why you say Philippine food is bland. I can’t wait to go back to India!
MickeyB
13/09/2013I am very sorry you had to deal with that to get your visa. May I (strongly) suggest that you write a letter to either our Philippine Embassy in New Delhi or, since you are already here in the country, to write a letter or even just an e-mail regarding your experience in getting your visa so that the Department of Foreign Affairs can look into it?
Thank you for visiting the Philippines. I hope your stay will be as enjoyable as your last visit. 🙂
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
September 13th, 2013 at 6:20 PM
Thanks, will shoot them an email.
Ipat G. Luna
13/09/2013IF you have another half day free, try visiting Taal Volcano form the other side, where the communities are still genuine and the climb to the crater is not quite so wide. Please see http://www.tlcc.ph/home.
J
14/09/2013First things first, I admire your perseverance in dealing with the horrible lady. But it saddens me that there’s a rotten fruit (like her) spoiling the fresh ones at our consulate there.
Nice to know that there are people like you who appreciate the Philippines. Our country has a lot to offer and there are a lot of things to see, feel, hear, and taste.
Speaking of taste, I understand that you have an issue with the food. I guess it’s genetics or you are just used to the Indian taste that you find our food bland. But I think you should try exploring more.
I believe that’s a work in progress for you then.
I work for the government and I can definitely forward your concern to the right agency (foreign affairs and tourism) to look into this situation. This can kill our industry if we don’t weed out these people.
Appreciate your liking in our country and we hope to host a lot more of you in the times to come.
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
September 14th, 2013 at 3:59 PM
Thanks, although what I really want to know is why India was singled out for visa-on-arrival. I don’t care about what the reason is, I just want to know why.
Gren
17/09/2013Ha Ha…”I don’t hit women” rule!
I think most women would stand behind you, just this once, if you broke that rule!
Akshay Gopal
24/09/2013Great work Mithun. Hope this article reaches the right people and gets the right treatment. And yes, as far as i know, these new rules are just to reduce the number of Indians, who are known as the Bumbaai’s or 5-6, from settling there. Hope things get sorted out soon with the visa bookings.
I myself have lived in the Philippines for almost 3 years and would love to go back there soon. It indeed is a beautiful country with lovely people.
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
September 24th, 2013 at 11:45 PM
Not all Indians are “Bumbays” — I’m sure even the embassy staff know that. So it’s wrong to say that dude. The illegal money lenders are a generation of scum that arrived a long time ago. Surely, the current crop of visitors are better than that now.
Kiran
07/11/2013So I’m not alone here.
My gf’s family has invited me to be there this december to join the christmas and new year party to meet everyone in their family as there will be a reunion party.
I’ve arranged everything and I’m all prepared with tickets, and the chennai embassy officer doing it to me also as said in the blog post, I have provided more than the required documents that were asked on website and they don’t even bother to check or read.
The only word I hear from him is “You’re not eligible to visit philippines ever” Seriously?
I’ve been rejected 3times for no proper reason and he gives me a warning that he will seize my passport.
I’ll be rejected for the 4th time for sure if I go again.
I’m going to write a complain letter to Philippine Embassy in New Delhi and give this blog post, so they will know too.
Ramu
27/05/2014There are a 1000 better places to visit than Philippines. It’s just not worth the trouble. Philippines has killed its own tourism industry with such unfriendly regulations.
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
May 27th, 2014 at 7:36 PM
I disagree. Philippines was worth the trouble for me.
ED
07/06/2014Thanks Mithun, I found this post useful!. I got my tourist visa through a travel agency earlier this year. I did the whole hostel bookings too. (Just like your friend, I was denied multiple-entry and was told it might be given next time I apply.) I ended up staying in the philippines for a few months. Getting a 2-month visa extension was straightforward though expensive. Now I’m back in India and trying to apply for that multiple-entry again. I personally don’t like Thomas Cook (the last time I spoke to them on the phone, they treated me like I was trying to work illegally on a tourist visa) but a smaller travel agency helped me out. The weirdest part was that since I was unemployed (career-break) I was asked to get a No-Objection certification from my father! 🙂
cheers.
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
June 7th, 2014 at 7:30 PM
You can’t blame the agencies or the consulate staff. Indians were the third highest illegal over-stayers in the Philippines last year.
Arulanandan Reply:
August 31st, 2014 at 12:36 PM
sir
I am ardent visitor of PHILIPPINES i have first visited during the year 2004, those days the visa was so easy, my travel agent(bangalore) obtain me in 3days .
since then i have visited 9times, but never was i given multiple entry.(haha)
They least beleive indians, but for US guys they give high preference
i still admire PHILIPPINES for the people living there.
Somashekhar Nimbalkar
17/07/2014I must admit your perseverance to get the Visa. I need to travel to Manila for a conference in September. I searched the net for information on applying for the visa and i am surprised that there is none. The links to the delhi website are dead. All i have is phone numbers and i am not very sure whether it will help. Can you guide me on the requirements for Visa and how to go about it. My stay and travel will be borne by the conference organizers.
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
July 17th, 2014 at 4:30 PM
Hello Somashekhar, if the organizers are paying for your journey, then you will need to submit a cover letter stating the conference you are attending, copies of your invitation, flight ticket and hotel reservations. For income statements, they will require IT returns forms for this year and last (not mandatory) and an attested bank statement showing sufficient funds. The last one is just for proof that you are not a low quality tourist who may over stay. In your cover letter, you need also specify the duration of your stay and accordingly the consulate will issue you a visa that will allow you anywhere from 21 to 35 days stay.
b bhuvana
05/08/2014i have job visa from Philippines, but i don’t know where i submit those papers for visa in india, i am from andhra pradesh, can u suggest and tell me agency which help to submit
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
August 5th, 2014 at 12:57 PM
Visit the Chennai consulate. Address: #88,Spic House, Guindy, Chennai. Be at the office by 9am.
Arulanandan Reply:
August 31st, 2014 at 12:44 PM
sir
with due respect i wish that to clarify these points>
I am Indian living in bangalore& my Army retired indian freindwould like to visit Manila as tourist.
1. I have a US buisness visa valid till 2021.singapore visa valid till 2015.
am i eligible to enter philippines without any visa.???
2. My friend is retired army man, having regular income, what documents he needs to produce???
where can i download the application,???
last time i downloaded the application but denied that chennai has different form
anand
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
August 31st, 2014 at 3:30 PM
1) You can get 14 days visa on arrival using the US business visa
2) He needs submit IT returns proof for the last 3 years, attested bank statement showing sufficient funds, a return ticket, reservations at hotels and an itinerary/cover letter listing the places or his plan for sight-seeing.
The form for the Chennai Consulate can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/j91jv61rgekj9bp/Visa%20application%20form%20Chennai%20Tourist%20Philipines.pdf?dl=0
Arulanandan Reply:
September 3rd, 2014 at 8:01 PM
sir
can we pay the visa fees in cash at the embassy in chennai
what is the visa fee presently for tourist(single entry)short stay
if it is to be paid in DD favouring?
anand
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
September 4th, 2014 at 2:48 AM
No more cash. It has to be DD in the name of ‘Consulate General, Republic Of The Philippines.’
AMAL RAJEENTH
12/08/2014Hi,
I read this page and found how difficult to obtain a visit visa for phils from India. I am an Indian but working abroad here in Qatar. I applied for visit visa from Qatar and I get it within 2 days for the fee of just 160QR. I provided my employer letter, bank statement and return ticket. Just that easy here. Now I am facing problem to bring my sister to visit philippines. My Goodness! these people are asking for IT return copies. Why the hell I need to show, all of our family members are NRI’s. We dont need to pay taxes in India for our income. Also, my sister is a minor who age is 17 yrs old. the embassy consulate in chennai is really worst. I just wonder, in what way we Indians downgraded to them? Some one from Philippines DFA should visit and regulate these all people sitting here in consulate offices. I really thinking how to bring my parents to philippines. They are elders and settle down in india. not going to work. But we do have maintain our bank balance. Please advice what is the easy way to get visit visa for my parents and sister. Thanks a lot in advance.
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
August 18th, 2014 at 4:37 PM
Are you now living in Philippines? If so, under which visa? There have been instances of entire families migrating illegally to Philippines. Did you show return tickets at the time of applying for visa? Accommodation details?
Murali
23/08/2014Hello. Great article, good dose of humor, sorry to know that you went through lots of trouble. I have questions and would be grateful if you can provide any info.
I am Indian Passport Holder. Want to go Manila.
1. Can I go without Phil and use their Visa-on-arrival at Manila for 14days? Have 10yr valid USA already.
2. Do Indian nationals need transit visas (for transits up to 12hrs) in Singapore or Hongkong?
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
August 24th, 2014 at 12:23 AM
1) Yes, you will get 14 days visa on arrival, but you may still be asked to show a return ticket just so the immigration officer knows you will not overstay.
2) I don’t know about Singapore but HK gives Indians visa on arrival for 14 days for free, so no question of transit visa required.
Sivakumar
02/09/2014Hi All,
We married couple going to visit philipines in the month of November.
COCHIN-Malaysia(KL) – BORACAY – Malaysia(KL) -COCHIN .
I am trying to get information about good travel agencies who can help me to get PHILIPPINES tourist visa. I have phoned one of the travel agency( trawellday) in bangalore and I am told the charges will be 6.5K per person. is it worth to Pay??? I think VISA processing fee would ~2.6K (in Person).
Any lead??? can any one pass information about other travel agencies in Bangalore and how much they charge…
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
September 3rd, 2014 at 12:47 AM
All travel agencies will charge you about the same. If you wish to go in person and just pay using a demand draft, just go to the Chennai Consulate at the earliest and do it yourself. The form for the Chennai Cosnulate is this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/j91jv61rgekj9bp/Visa%20application%20form%20Chennai%20Tourist%20Philipines.pdf?dl=0 If you don’t wish to go through the trouble, just pay a travel agent to do it. I used Thomas Cook this year. You can contact their MG Road visa division at 080-6717-1313.
sivakumar d Reply:
September 16th, 2014 at 9:35 PM
Hi Mithun…
I have some work in chennai . would like to finish VISA stuff.
Would you tell me, in which name i should take DD and for the amount. (2 people-Couple)
_Shiva
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
September 17th, 2014 at 11:34 AM
CONSULATE GENERAL, REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES. Amount will vary from whether you want same day release or not (it costs extra). Go to the embassy and first ask the total amount before taking DD.
Roger
08/09/2014Mithun
I am not surprised, and its not about Chennai consulate.
For some odd reason, the approach by Filipino authorities towards Indian tourist / business travellers is ‘pathetic’ to say the least..
I can tell his from experience of multiple travel to Manila, on invites for speaking in national level conferences for Private and govt. sector…there is something defnitely not right there….no one knows the cause..
And yah..anyone from places like nepal, way off countries in africa and places no one would have heard off, is so very welcome..
This is when 3 years ago, both PMs agreed to have a Visa on arrival for visitors, India did it a while ago..whereas reciprocal was not done, only a polite one if u had some EU, US. UK visas and that also is revoked now.
And if only we knew, how many filipino women are coming into India every month as someone’s GF or fiancee…..LOL..its a joke. Hope someone in our government looks at this and reviews the treatment Indians are getting, even genuine visitors are made to go thru this trauma..
Alwyn Dsouza
23/09/2014Sir Mithun,
Good Day,
I intend to visit Philippines for tourist purposes, please help me knowing the procedure.
I reside in mangalore in karnataka. which is the best Philippine embassy branch in india to apply for tourist visa.
Thanks in advance.
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
September 23rd, 2014 at 4:12 AM
Read all the previous comments. I’m not going to spoon feed you. You have to go to the Chennai Consulate.
Mujahid Ahmed
08/10/2014Wonderful Post Mithun,
I had been to Philippines during 2010, and all my tourist visa processing was done by my company Infosys. But now I have shifted to other company and have to do all the visa processing myself. I am currently staying in Hyderabad and have booked the ticket for January 2015. Hoping for better experience, coz to be honest I am genuinely terrified after the reading the thread.
Visiting Philippines to meet my fiancee and hopping to get her and my daughter’s POI card done.
b bhuvana
10/10/2014HI , CAN I GET 2 MONTHS TOURIST VISA TO STAY AND SEE THE BEAUTY OF PHILIPPINES , THERE IS A FRIEND AT MANILA, SHE WILLING TO SEND ME INVITATION LETTER , CAN U HELP ME , WHAT PROCESS I FOLLOW TO GET VISA ,IF THEY GIVE ME 28 DAYS STAY, CAN I EXTEND THEIR FOR ANOTHER 28 DAY , PLEASE SUGGEST ME , I AM FAN OF U , U ARE DOING GREAT WORK TO ALL PEOPLE SIR
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
October 11th, 2014 at 2:28 AM
Invitation letter from her is not enough. They need to know what she does, where she stays and her id and address proof. There are many guys going to meet such “friends” and the embassy hears this story daily. For your documents, you need to show a confirmed return flight ticket, bank statement showing sufficient funds, hotel reservations (if required), an itinerary of your trip (where all you will tour), domestic flight tickets if any, employment proof, IT returns copy, and a letter stating why you need 28 days visa. You can get extension from Philippines but getting another 28 days will not be easy. At the most you will get 14 days.
praveen Reply:
November 18th, 2014 at 11:31 AM
hi friend !
first get an visa with 21 days or wat ever the embassy will allot you .once u reach manila u can extend your visa for long time up to 60 days
if u want hassle free on ur visa extension u can find agents out side immigration office (difficult to find unless if u have filipino friend ) , they can do it for you same day or next day with 500-1000 php as service charge
so my opinion is just apply normal visa here , go there and extend . here in india philippines embassy officers will ask lots bull….t questions to you ..
Ambareesh
28/10/2014Dear mr mithun read ur blog and from wat i have heard its still the shits consulate that u saw before i need to clarify sumthing being a south indian we should only apply to chennai or can we apply thru new delhi also
secondly i have extened and stay here more than 2 months to be excat nearly 10 months wud it be a problem to apply again
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
October 29th, 2014 at 11:52 PM
If your residence or employment is in the south, then yes, you have to apply at the Chennai consulate. I didn’t understand the latter part of your comment because you used no punctuation whatsoever. You over-stayed by 2 months? If so, you will find it very tough to get a visa or even be allowed back in to Philippines. In a way good– it’s because of over-stayers, Indians find it very tough to get visa to Philippines.
Krish2600
31/10/2014I’m so sorry about your Philippine embassy experience in Chennai. My Chennai-ite boyfriend- now- husband had a similar experience but with a less grumpy staff member in Chennai. It’s crazy how much the Philippine embassy requires from Indian citizens. It’s almost the same amount of paper work you’d prepare for a US visa. So that is my advice to anyone who’s trying to get a Philippine visa- JUST DON’T. It’s a waste of money, seriously. I’ve actually tweeted the Department of Tourism, DFA among other departments about how frustrating the process is. I don’t know how much it would help but I think if they hear more noise, they might just listen.
It’s crazy how those Krygystan, Tajikstan, Kurdistan- what have you- citizens can come visa free to my country.
So for Indian Nationals applying for a Philippine TOURIST Visa- TRY TO AVOID IT as much as possible.
The Philippines will accept Tourist visas from Singapore, US , Japan( Im still looking for the source here..will update once I find it) – so trust me AVOID getting a Philippine tourist visa- if you can. It’s crazy.
praveen Reply:
November 18th, 2014 at 11:36 AM
hi krish2600
you are right ….
better get an Singapore visa just 30 $ sgd ..
u can get 14 days on arrival visa to philippines if u wish u can extend for another 7 days , i went philippines having Singapore visa enjoyed 20 days
Raj
11/11/2014Hi Mithun,
It was interesting to read about your experience with the Chennai embassy. It’s quite similar with the Mumbai embassy, even today. They have different visa application forms for Mumbai! If my tickets were refundable, I’d just give Philippines a pass. But, sadly, will persevere and go through with an ill-founded decision to believe that “its more fun in the Philippines”!
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
November 11th, 2014 at 9:19 PM
Oh well, all the best to you. Philippines is a beautiful country (if you get out of Manila) but yeah, the visa process for us Indians… :-/
Riz
14/11/2014Philippines is a beautiful country. I was there for a while. I believe nothing is going to change in regards to granting Philippine visa to Indians as most of the people who work in DFA are lazy , they just dont want to focus on visa problems. Once at manila airport you are treated like a Alien.
praveen
18/11/2014hi friend !
the same thing i faced same thing on june 2014 , i planned to meet my girl friend ,i went to chennai philippines embassy i had all documents hotel bookings more then enough funds . and i submitted my application with all requirements , after that also iam rejected , you know why ? the old **** immigration officer asking me for an income tax return , i said iam an overseas employee , iam working uae , there is no need for me to pay income tax to Indian govt .. you know wat the the old immigration officer reply ? ” who told you if u work in uae u don’t have to pay income tax , get an report from auditor and submit with the application ” , i argue him he said itz must to submit , , i left embassy , with red hot face … the same day night i wrote a big story to an philippines immigration officer a email regarding Wat i face in chennai philippines embassy . but no reply , then i came to know 14 day visa free options , next day i apply for singapore visa just 1500 INR august i fly philippines first they gave me 14 days , then 7 days i extend , total 21 days , in the philippines airport imigration they dosent ask me anything they just see my passport and my singapore visa and they stamped . and say ” welcome to philippines ‘ i said ” salamaaaat ” (thanks) . if i have chance to go chennai philippines embassy i will show philippines visa stamping in my passport and say f*** you officer …
And i would like to know HOW MANY OF THEM FACED BAD SITUATION ON CHENNAI PHILIPPINES EMBASSY if there is lots of issues like that , THEN we can write a petition to newdelhi philippines embassy , or philippines immigration a petition mentioning RUDE and irrespective behavior and spoiling philippines and Filipinos name and culture , that makes tourists who willing to visit philippines getting a bad impression about philippines
naz Reply:
November 26th, 2014 at 7:02 PM
hello
first of all I would like too thanks mithun on creating this blog and its really a good help for us.
praveen hi 🙂
my name is naz I live in mumbai and I wish to go visit my gf too in dec for 21 days
after reading this blog yes I have got a blink that how
hard and easy it is of you apply foe a visa for philippines.
yes I had been to the mumbai embassy for philippines and they have given me the requirements needed to apply.
but as you said even after you had all the required decoments shown and your return flight ticket
a hotel booking and bank statement.
but still it was rejected? cos they need to see the IT returns copie.
as of now yes about myself I was a seamen and worked for cruise ships and there after my last job was in the dubai on land.
I don’t know what iT returns copie I have too show then yes in the requirements at the end they have mention a copies of IT returns and bank statements?
you said about the Singapore visa
you got it and on that basis you apply visa on arrival at the philippines airport.
can you please tell us a little brief about it and share your experiences .
it will be a good help for me .. I have you go to the Philippines in dec ..
I jst don’t wanna face this cancellation of flight tickets and disappointment .
thank you for your time reading
with kind regards
naz 🙂
Filipino
22/11/2014You obviously are not aware of the huge crime problem done in the Philippines by Punjabi Indians as well as the increased killings done on Indian citizens by Filipino and Indian gangs based there, google “Indian nationals shot dead Philippines”, and see the results you get. There is a reason why they are very strict. A large number of Punjabis have come illegally into the country, engaging in illegal trade, business, violence, and above all womanizing, leaving behind many single mothers, to marry their own Indian women in the end. There is a HUGE HUGE problem concerning Indian nationals, that we do not have with other foreigners. In fact, most of us support making the systems more tighter for Indians. Let us solve the existing problems of the huge illegal migrants in this country India, before we talk about making Visa easier for you. The question is, are your people mature enough to travel to other nations and not create havoc ?
Gale Reply:
November 24th, 2014 at 3:28 PM
Why so racist? I get your point that the Philippines should be strict with illegal migrants, but this should not apply to Indians alone. There are loads of Caucasian pedos and sex tourists here too.
“The question is, are your people mature enough to travel to other nations and not create havoc?”– Seriously? What a racist comment. Aside from the illegal Punjabi Indian migrants that you are referring to, there are also a lot of legit Indian expats here who hold key company positions and own legit businesses. And have you really read this blog and his posts regarding his travels to the Philippines and other countries? I haven’t sense any desire for him to cause any trouble, especially “havoc”.
The act of some people should not be a basis to generalize. We Filipinos don’t want to be judged as well just because of some other Pinoys’ wrongdoings.
B. SURYALAXMI
25/11/2014Hi, i i was very impressed with ur block , my situation is that COX &KINGS cheated me for doing my Philippines visa, i paid full money including flight tickets, hotel booking and their fees also, i did all this on October 13 ,2014, i planned to go t Manila on 14 December , till now they had my papers at office and tell me embassy are holding my papers ,after asking them seriously , they are talking non sense, i lots my money and my time with COX & KINGS, kakinada branch , Andhra Pradesh…… see even travel agents also cheatING indians , than why we get respect from other countries…….