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Why I canceled my UnionBank EON Visa Debit Card

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EON Visa Debit Card issued by UnionBank of the Philippines (UBP)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 money from ATMs abroad with the Visa logo. I like to travel, and using the EON was preferable to getting a credit card cash advance, which incurs much higher fees plus interest.

I also had the BPI Express Teller Card (which I recently canceled), but it only had the Cirrus logo, which is not as widely accepted by ATMs overseas. (I remember my husband and I going to an island in Vietnam which only had one working ATM with just the Visa logo.) The last thing I wanted was to be cash-strapped in a foreign country because I couldn’t find a Cirrus ATM.

The EON was useful in my travels, but I soon discovered better alternatives. Shortly after I got the EON, I opened a savings account with Metrobank, which came with a regular ATM card. Much later, I learned that I could actually get the ATM card converted for free to a debit card with the Mastercard logo, which is as widely accepted as Visa by ATMs abroad.

Once I had upgraded to the Metrobank Debit MasterCard, I zeroed out the UnionBank savings account connected to the EON and used the Mastercard exclusively to withdraw money overseas. As for the EON, its Visa feature expired after three years (although it can still be used locally in the Philippines as a regular ATM card), and I never renewed it.

Other than Metrobank, many local banks now issue ATM debit cards with either the Visa or Mastercard logo. (I recently closed all my Metrobank accounts and switched to Security Bank, where most accounts come with their free Everyday Debit Mastercard.) If you have an old regular ATM card, it is probably free to have it upgraded by visiting your branch.

When it comes to fees, I find a regular debit card more preferable than EON — the former has no annual fees and comes free with your savings or checking account; all you have to do is keep your deposit above the maintaining balance. I understand that some folks have difficulty complying with this, which makes the EON attractive with its lack of initial deposit and maintaining balance requirements. EON’s downside is its myriad insidious fees; they even charge you for withdrawing locally from their own ATM (greedy much, UnionBank?). If you have the means to maintain the required minimum balance, I definitely recommend a regular debit card.

My personal experience with 24-hour visa-free transit in China

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Temporary Entry Permit issued at Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA)
Temporary Entry Permits valid for 24 hours issued at Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA)
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 the point of departure due to lack of knowledge of airline staff or, in the case of Cebu Pacific Air, its own stringent airline rules (get your act together, Cebu Pacific Air!)
  • If transiting through Beijing from Manila on non-connecting flights: take Philippine Airlines (PAL) instead of Cebu Pacific Air, as PAL is actually cognizant of China’s visa-free transit policies and allows transit passengers to board without visas

To boost tourism in the country, China has instituted 72-hour and 144-hour visa-free transit policies, but these exemptions are available only to citizens of a few countries. Still, Filipinos and all other nationalities can transit through China without a visa, but only for 24 hours. According to the Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China:

“Article 22. Under any of the following circumstances, foreigners may be exempt from applying for visas:

(3) Hold connected passenger tickets and are in transit to a third country or region by an international aircraft, ship or train via China, will stay for not more than 24 hours in China without leaving the port of entry, or will stay in the specific zones approved by the State Council within the prescribed time limit.

Article 23. Where foreigners under any of the following circumstances need to enter China temporarily, they shall apply to exit/entry border inspection agencies for going through the formalities for temporary entry:

(2) Persons specified in Subparagraph (3) of Article 22 of this Law need to leave ports.”

The aforementioned visa-exemption transit policies — or transit-without-visa (TWOV), as they are popularly known on the internets — come with a lot of conditions. As such, they can get a bit complicated, and there are lots of conflicting information online. Case in point: there is a huge thread (149 pages and counting) on the FlyerTalk forum solely dedicated to clarifying all the rules on this matter.

We put the rules to the test on our trip to Mongolia earlier this month, when we flew on the following non-connecting flights: Manila-Beijing-Manila on Cebu Pacific Air and Beijing-Ulaanbaatar-Beijing on Air China. Our itinerary involved transferring terminals at Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) and going through immigration control. We chose to transit through Beijing because: 1) we scored cheap promo tickets on Cebu Pacific Air, and 2) according to the rules, we didn’t need visas.

Or so we thought. As our departure neared, I came to learn that passengers on Cebu Pacific Air have been denied check-in or boarding because they didn’t have Chinese visas, even though they were eligible for 24-hour visa-free transit. A closer look at Cebu Pacific Air’s website reveals:

“Since we are a point-to-point carrier, we will not accept guests transiting without visa and will not be responsible for any connecting flight arrangement you may choose to make.”

Yikes. The last thing I wanted was for our long-awaited Mongolian holiday to be ruined because we miss our flight on a budget airline that devised its own rules. We hurriedly got single-entry tourist visas for “show” purposes. Like they say, better safe than sorry.

Armed with our Chinese visas, we checked in with no problems and flew from Manila to Beijing on Cebu Pacific Air. Upon arrival at BCIA Terminal 2, we did not present our Chinese visas to passport control. Instead, we presented our confirmed onward tickets to Ulaanbaatar and requested for 24-hour visa-free entry.

The result: success! The immigration officer stamped our passports with Temporary Entry Permits valid for 24 hours, no questions asked.

With our luggage in tow, we took the free shuttle bus from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3, where we again went through passport control, and then boarded our flight to Ulaanbaatar.

On our return journey from Mongolia, it was pretty much the same experience, except the other way around. The only difference was that at the Terminal 3 arrivals hall, they had a special desk for visa-free transit passengers. We tried to approach a regular desk because there wasn’t a line there, but the immigration officer pointed us to the direction of the slow-moving special desk. One of us, my cousin, didn’t want to stand in line anymore and used her visa to go through. The immigration officer actually tried to dissuade her from wasting her visa and urged her to join the queue for visa-free transit, before reluctantly stamping her in lol.

How to apply for a Japanese visa at the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines (updated February 2017)

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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 service.

Japan visa issued by the Embassy of Japan in the PhilippinesFilipinos need a visa to enter Japan. For the purpose of tourism, visa applications must be submitted through the few travel agencies accredited by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. The fee for a temporary visitor visa is actually free, but the agencies charge quite pricey handling fees, rendering the whole “free” thing moot.

After some due diligence on the accredited agencies, I chose to submit my tourist visa application through Discovery Tour because their service charge is the cheapest at PHP 800, compared to the other agencies who charge as much as PHP 2,000 (!). Discovery Tour also accepts applications via courier, which is very convenient for provincial applicants.

This guide is based on my own application for a tourist visa last month, and may not apply to other types of visas and non-Filipino residents of the Philippines.

1. Prepare the required documents

The following documents are the official requirements of the Japanese embassy for a tourist visa without a Japanese guarantor:

  • Philippine passport. Passport must have at least two (2) blank pages.
  • Completed Japan visa application form. The application form can be downloaded here. It is a fillable PDF file onto which you can type your answers directly before printing. One (1) photo must be pasted on the designated area; click here for specifications.
  • Certificate of Live Birth. Birth certificate must be issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) within one (1) year from the date of application. In case of non-record, the certification from the PSA must be submitted together with a certified true copy of the birth certificate issued by the Local Civil Registry Office. NOTE: Applicants with used Japanese visas are exempt from submitting this requirement.
  • Certificate of Marriage, if applicable. Same as above.
  • Detailed itinerary. Click here for the official template.
  • Recent original bank certificate.
  • Latest Income Tax Return. If submitting via courier, a photocopy will suffice. Do not send the original as submitted documents will not be returned.

In addition to the above requirements, the Japanese embassy encourages the submission of more supporting documents that demonstrate that the applicant is a genuine temporary visitor. As it was my first time to apply for a Japan visa, I also submitted the following for good measure:

  • Copies of valid and expired visas to other territories, including US, Schengen, and Australian visas
  • Copies of credit card statements from the past three (3) months
  • Copies of confirmed round-trip tickets and hotel reservations

2. Pay the service charge

As mentioned previously, I chose to apply through Discovery Tour. I deposited their PHP 800 service charge, along with the delivery fee of PHP 300 (for sending my passport back to me via courier) to their account at BDO Unibank:

Account name: Discovery Tour Inc
Account number: 001230086666

I then sent a picture of the deposit slip to their email japanvisamnl1@discoverytour.ph. Discovery Tour replied promptly, albeit very curtly with a one-word response, “noted” (lack of business etiquette much?).

3. Send the application

I submitted my documents to their main office in Makati City via courier:

Discovery Tour
ATTN: Japan Visa Department
301 G/F Sagittarius Building
HV Dela Costa Street
Salcedo Village
Makati City

I included shipping insurance, which doesn’t cost that much, just in case. A representative of theirs called me to confirm their receipt of my application.

4. Wait

After only a few days, the rep called me again to inform me that my passport will now be sent back to me via courier.

5. Receive passport

I got my passport back around a week after I sent it off. However, the delivery receipt shows that it was sent without insurance, so I wasn’t too happy about that. Still, I got my Japan visa, so all’s well that ends well.

All in all, I had an okay experience with Discovery Tour. I do suggest to request for shipping insurance when applying through them.

How to apply for a Timor-Leste visa on arrival at President Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili

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East Timorese visa issued by the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste 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 entered the arrivals hall and went through immigration. The officer just asked us the usual questions: the purpose of our visit (tourism), the length of our stay (4 days), the name of our hotel (Katua’s Hotel), and the like. Satisfied with our answers, he gave us 20 days, stamped our passports, and off we went.

Travelers are also required to demonstrate evidence of sufficient funds equivalent to USD 100 for each entry and USD 50 for each day in the country. In actuality, we were not asked to do this.

How to apply for a Sri Lankan visa online

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Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) from the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka

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.

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 above).

Air and sea crew members are exempt from obtaining an ETA, as well as citizens of the Maldives, the Seychelles, and Singapore who stay for 30 days or less. Citizens of Cameroon, Guinea, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone cannot apply for a visa online, and must obtain one from the nearest Sri Lankan diplomatic mission.

And that’s it! The double-entry ETA is valid for six months from the date of approval, and only for a 30-day stay.

Do you need to bring a print-out of your ETA? I didn’t think it was necessary, but the lady at the AirAsia X check-in counter at klia2 in Kuala Lumpur insisted that we print out our ETAs and would not hand over our boarding passes without them. However, the immigration officer at Bandaranaike International Airport barely looked at the print-outs and just stamped our passports wordlessly without even asking for return tickets.

How to apply for an Australian visa online in the Philippines via ImmiAccount (updated September 2016)

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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 intended arrival date in Australia.
Update June 2015: We applied for tourist visas again online last month. Like the first time we applied, it was a smooth and painless process.

  • As a second-time applicant, I got my Visa Grant Notice after only three weeks, compared to one month the first time I applied back in August 2014.
  • You can apply as early as six months before your intended arrival date in Australia, as the “Must Not Arrive After” date is exactly six months after the Visa Grant Date (see image below). In our case, we applied four months before. Many folks in the comments section applied only a month before, leading to much anxiety as their travel dates loomed near but still no visas in sight. Applying as early as allowable saves you from unnecessary stress, and in the case of denial, gives you ample time to reapply.

Visitor visa (subclass 600) Visa Grant Notice from the Australian Embassy in Manila
Good news: the Philippines is now among the select countries whose citizens can apply for an Australian tourist visa online directly at the official website of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) of the Australian Government. Before this welcome development, Filipinos residing in the Philippines had no choice but to go through a third-party service provider to get their visas. You can still apply the old-fashioned way through the Australian Embassy’s new partner, VFS Global, but you will be charged an additional service fee on top of the visa fee, not to mention courier fees for document collection and return.

Applying online is definitely cheaper and more convenient, especially for provincial applicants. It is also environmentally friendly as it saves a lot of ink and paper. A visa label is also not required, which means you don’t have to submit your passport to the embassy along with your application. (I remember my mother having to cancel a trip to another country because her passport was still stuck at the Italian Embassy, back when we applied for our Schengen visas.)

This guide is based on our own application for tourist visas last month, and may not apply to other types of visas and non-Filipino residents of the Philippines.

1. Create an ImmiAccount

ImmiAccount is the DIBP’s online visa application system. Click here for the direct link to register for an account as an individual. You will need to have a valid email address.

2. Start your application

Once you’ve created an ImmiAccount, you can log in and start a new application. For a tourist visa, choose Visitor > Visitor Visa (600). Filipinos are not eligible for the other choice, the free eVisitor (651) visa.
It’s pretty straightforward from there. You are also able to save your application and get back to finish it later, if you feel you need more time to review it.

3. Submit your application and pay the fee

Update August 2016: It is now possible to pay through PayPal. There is no surcharge for PayPal payment, unlike with credit cards.

After you send in your application, you will be prompted to pay the visa fee by card. For a subclass 600 Visitor Visa, the fee is AUD 135 (as of August 2016). Acceptable cards are: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, and Diners Club International. There is a surcharge for card payment, but it is very minimal, and even with it added to the visa fee, the total amount is still less than the fixed amount in Philippine peso you will be charged if you apply through VFS Global.

Payment for online application is through card only. If you don’t have a credit card, it’s very quick and easy to get a prepaid or debit Visa or MasterCard. You can even apply online. I personally recommend BPI’s My ePrepaid MasterCard. Several folks in the comments section also reported being able to pay using someone else’s credit card with no problems.

After payment, you will receive an acknowledgment email confirming the successful submission of your visa application.

4. Attach your scanned documents

Update June 2016: You can now attach documents either before or after payment.

You can now attach the necessary documents to support your application. You can attach the requirements only after submission of your application and payment of the visa fee, and not before. Please click the following links for the official list of recommended supporting documents:

VISITOR VISA – TOURIST STREAM SUBCLASS – 600 APPLICATION CHECKLIST PHILIPPINES
Visitor visa (subclass 600) Tourist Stream: document checklist

For a subclass 600 Visitor Visa application, you can only attach a maximum of 60 files (as of May 2016), with a file size limit of 5 MB each. Click here for the list of accepted file formats. I recommend scanning your requirements at 200 dpi.

We personally attached clear scans of the following:

  • Cover letter with itinerary. This is not required, but since there is no personal interview, we included one to better explain the purpose of our visit. There are two of us in our traveling party, and we submitted the same letter. (We previously answered ‘Yes’ to the group processing question in our application.) You can download our sample cover letter here.
  • Biographic data page of passport
  • Birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
  • Marriage certificate issued by the PSA. We attached this as evidence of name change through marriage.
  • Personal bank statements
  • Latest credit card billing statements
  • Evidence of employment
  • Confirmed round-trip flight booking. The DIBP does not require nor recommend buying plane tickets before applying for a visa, but we risked to buy because they were promo fares (the low price was hard to resist).
  • Previous Australia visa. My mother has an old Australian visa label; we scanned it along with the information page of her old passport. She got her Visa Grant Notice one week before I (a first-time applicant) did, even though we requested for group processing.
  • Evidence of previous overseas travel. We scanned previous and current visas to other countries as well as immigration stamps, along with the information pages of old passports.

And that’s it. After the initial acknowledgment email, we didn’t hear from the DIBP again until they emailed us our Visa Grant Notice 3-4 weeks later. To verify your visa status, you can use the DIBP’s Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service. You can also access this page through the QR code on the upper right hand corner of the Visa Grant Notice (see image above).

The standard processing time for a subclass 600 Visitor Visa is one month. If a medical examination is required (usually for tourists who stay for up to a year), the processing time is longer and may take six weeks at the very least.

All in all, applying online for an Australian tourist visa through ImmiAccount was a smooth and painless process. Hopefully other countries will follow suit and transition to an online visa application system.