#DestinationNippon: Docs to complete

Let me confess the biggest risk we took for our trip to Japan: it was buying plane tickets, AirBNB and hotel accommodations, and tour or package tickets even though we hadn’t applied yet for visas!

Yes, that’s what we did, and I do not honestly know whether I would recommend it. We did it because some said it would be a plus in having your visa application approved if you had tickets as one proof that you would really just be there for a few days. But there are others who said plane tickets were not required at all. Maybe both were right?

What slowed us down a bit was additional requirements for Kaye. First of all, she did not have a passport. C and I had our own – as a government employee, I was entitled to a courtesy lane where my husband, parents, or children could join me, no appointments needed. With this, C and I would always renew our passports together.

Kaye, however, was another story. She was not our own kid, so I could not bring her with me to the courtesy lane. But do you know what happened? The Passport-on-Wheels of the Department of Foreign Affairs came to our office, and I really thank the Lord and our HRD organizers for thinking of it. This was another sign that we would be going to Japan!

Prior to the DFA event, I applied for an appointment for Kaye and requested her mom to come to the office to accompany her on the date that the DFA would be coming. You see, a minor applying for a passport has to be accompanied by a parent – and there were less requirements if the accompanying parent was the mother rather than the father.

Another added requirement was that since, again, Kaye was a minor and not our kid, we needed travel clearance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Applying for one meant submitting authorization letters and letter of consent from the parents, their marriage contract, and our affidavit of support.

Finally, as working professionals, my husband C and I needed to submit approved applications for leave of absence. As a government employee, I also needed to secure a travel authority from our office.

To help out those of you who want quick links to requirements and downloadable forms, here they are:

1. Birth and marriage certificates on PSA Security Paper

I advise you to go to the nearest Serbilis Center (check out this site for their branches) because it’s cheaper and the certificates will be issued in less than an hour.

In case you don’t have time to go to a Serbilis Center, you can order for your copy online by clicking this link. Be warned, though, that you will shell out twice the amount to have your documents delivered to your doorstep (in as little as two days, depending on your address), and that you will have to leave an authorization letter in case you aren’t home at the expected time.  

You will need these for your visa and/or passport application. Note that the marriage certificate is usually only applicable for women (because of the name change). 

Certificates are usually required to be issued within a year. Tip: When requesting for multiple copies at the PSA, you can request separate receipts to be issued per copy so that the issue dates can be seen. When we applied for a visa, though, the receipt was actually not needed anymore. 

Don't forget to photocopy everything!

2. Passports

If you already have a passport, the general international rule is to make sure that it is valid for more than six months. This means that your passport should be valid at least six months after the final date of travel. So if your target travel date is from January 1 to 10, 2020, then your passport should be valid until at least June 10, 2020 and beyond.

Don't have a passport or need to renew it because of this validity rule? Then check out the links below:

1. Check out the DFA website on this page if you can avail of the courtesy lane and don't need to set up an appointment.

2.  If you're not entitled to the courtesy lane, you may need to set up an appointment here.

3.     For other requirements, check out the DFA website on this page for application for new passports, or you can go to this page for passport renewal.

Passports are usually delivered to your doorstep within a week. Sadly, passports are delivered (and paid for) individually. This meant my husband and I, even if we lived in the same house and applied for our passports together, had to pay for separate delivery fees with our passports arriving in separate pouches.

3. Visa application

Japan is one of those countries that require visas from Filipinos or those holding Philippine passports. Check out their website by clicking here for the requirements for whatever type of visa you're applying for, whether as a tourist, or to visit relatives or more, and the corresponding visa application form. 

Note that, with some exceptions, applying for a Japanese visa is not via walk-in unlike, say, applying for a US or Canadian visa. The Japanese Embassy has some accredited agencies where you can submit your application, and you can view their addresses and websites here.

Visa application usually takes about a week. In truth, temporary visitor visas are free, but the agencies charge varying (though non-refundable) rates for processing. Isn't that a relief? It's much easier than a US visa which is expensive and non-refundable.

Shout out, by the way, to Attic Tours where our applications were submitted and processed within the week. They also charged us with only P1,600+ processing fee.

4. Photos

You will need 2x2 photos with white background. You can easily print these out, or have your picture taken at a photo studio, just tell them "Japanese visa". We had ours done that way, where they asked us to choose the kind of outfit to wear. Well, they just took photos of us in our regular clothes, then edited the photos so it appeared like we were wearing coats! :-)

5. Letter of guarantee

We had this form filled out by my husband as guarantor that he would see to the expenses and other needs of Kaye during our trip. If we had not submitted a bank certificate of our joint account, I would probably have needed to submit a guarantee letter from my husband too. 

This is also required for those who were invited to Japan. Click here to download the form.

6. DSWD Travel Clearance for Minor

This document is required for minors who are travelling without their parents. Good news! The application is also available online, and you can view the requirements and download the form here. You have to apply for this at least two weeks before your travel, but got the clearance within three working days.

For this, we needed also the affidavit of consent from both parents, and original and photocopies of IDs (with photo and signature) and marriage certificates. Plus, a letter of authorization for us to be able to submit the documents in their stead. 

I was briefly interviewed by a social worker when I submitted this. The questions included details of our family and work backgrounds.

7. Other documents

The other documents that we prepared were the following:

• Bank balance certificate, requested from the bank
• Travel authority - a document needed by government employees authorizing them to leave the country, whether on a personal or official basis
• Approved leave of absence - Also required for the travel authority
• Employment certificate and income tax return as further proof of financial capability
• Tour itinerary - can be as general or as specific as can be. It kind of tells the Japanese embassy what your plans are - like places to visit or stay in - during your trip.

Let me remind you all, though, that these documents where what we needed as tourists going to Japan on our own - that is, not as part of a group or sponsored tour. I think that there are some documents necessary for those who are joining such.

Well, I hope I was of help. Till next blog!