I recently received a letter from UnionBank of the Philippines, saying that my savings account is now dormant and will soon be closed. I've almost forgotten about this account, which was opened when I got their EON Visa Debit Card. I stopped using it two years ago because there are better options available. To its credit, it was easy enough to apply for an EON — I simply filled up the online application form, went to a UnionBank branch, presented one government ID, paid the annual fee, and voilà, I got the card. As such, I have recommended it in the past to folks who don't have a credit card to pay for their visa application or travel insurance online. I already had a credit card back then, but I got an EON so I can easily withdraw … [Read more...] about Why I canceled my UnionBank EON Visa Debit Card
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My personal experience with 24-hour visa-free transit in China
Booking.com The TL;DR summary Our itinerary: Manila-Beijing-Manila on Cebu Pacific Air and Beijing-Ulaanbaatar-Beijing on Air China We got single-entry Chinese visas for "show" purposes because apparently Cebu Pacific Air does not care about China's visa-free transit policies and will deny boarding without visas Upon arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) Terminal 2, we presented our onward tickets to Ulaanbaatar and were issued Temporary Entry Permits valid for 24 hours We transferred to BCIA Terminal 3 and boarded our flight to Ulaanbaatar Success! Our Chinese visas remain unused Observations and recommendations Yes, you can leave the airport and go into the city Problems can occur at … [Read more...] about My personal experience with 24-hour visa-free transit in China
How to apply for a Japanese visa at the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines (updated February 2017)
Update February 2017: I applied for a tourist visa again earlier this month. This time, I did it in person at Dusit Thani Manila, as I happened to be in the area. There are actually three accredited agencies which have offices at the hotel: Universal Holidays at the mezzanine, and Reli Tours & Travel and Friendship Tours and Resorts opposite each other on the third floor. I went with Friendship, and it was very quick --- I submitted on Thursday afternoon, and my visa was issued the next day, Friday. On Monday afternoon, Friendship messaged me that my passport was ready for pick-up. Their service charge is PHP 1,200, which is more expensive than Discovery's (see below), but all in all I am quite satisfied with their … [Read more...] about How to apply for a Japanese visa at the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines (updated February 2017)
How to apply for a Timor-Leste visa on arrival at President Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili
It's easy to get a tourist visa on arrival in Timor-Leste (East Timor), the former Portuguese colony that is the youngest country in Asia. The hard part is actually getting there, since one can fly there on commercial airlines from only three cities, namely Bali, Darwin, and Singapore. Except for citizens of Portugal, all tourists are required to obtain a visa for a stay of up to 90 days. The international airport in Dili is pretty small; there are no tubes and we had to walk on the tarmac. Just before entering the arrivals hall, there's a window where one can buy the visa sticker (see above), which costs USD 30 (the currency of Timor-Leste is the US Dollar). They didn't stick the visas on our passports just yet, though; for that, we … [Read more...] about How to apply for a Timor-Leste visa on arrival at President Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili
How to apply for a Sri Lankan visa online
It’s very easy to get a tourist visa to Sri Lanka. Out of all the visas I've applied for so far, this was definitely the easiest and the quickest. Yes, it is possible to get a visa on arrival, but it costs USD 5 more (USD 35 on arrival versus only USD 30 online), and you'd have to queue up at the airport. Getting an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) online beforehand is cheaper and more convenient, and it saves time. Booking.com All I had to do was visit the official ETA website at eta.gov.lk, enter the required information, pay by credit card, and voilà, I got an automated email acknowledging receipt of my application. Just two minutes later, I got a second email containing the visa approval notice (see image … [Read more...] about How to apply for a Sri Lankan visa online
How to apply for an Australian visa online in the Philippines via ImmiAccount (updated September 2016)
Update September 2016: We applied for tourist visas again last month. It was our third time to apply online. It seems they have gotten more case officers to deal with the high volume of applications, since we got our Visa Grant Notices after only a week. They were also more generous this time: they gave us two-year multiple-entry visas, even though we asked for single-entry only (see image below). Update May 2016: I previously wrote below that the validity of the single-entry Visitor Visa (subclass 600) is six months, based on our own visas. However, it appears that some applicants get three-month visas only, as evidenced by Glenda and Trixie in the comments section. As such, I suggest you apply not earlier than three months before your … [Read more...] about How to apply for an Australian visa online in the Philippines via ImmiAccount (updated September 2016)
