My Experiences in Getting a Korean Visa

Few weeks after a fun-trav'ling with  friends to Saigon & Phnom Penh mid last year (2015), Cebu Pacific had a sale again. So together with few of my laag/lagaw mates, we booked a ticket to Incheon, Korea.

The things to prepare and processes were so far from mind when we purchased the tickets.  Chat boxes were a kilometer long and the text messages kept on coming in for an update.  They need to know an update if he or she was able to book.  OH well, when piso sale is on, it is so hard to book a ticket.  All wanted to go to Korea for only one reason - to have a picture taken with a "real" cherry blossom. lol!  Yes, cherry blossom was the reason.

Thanks to Mr. Google for allowing us to browse on what to do and what to prepare when applying for a Korean visa.  I left all the reading to my friends because I do not want to mess my mind with things happening at work.  

We read that the high time to apply for a visa was three (3) months before the travel date.  Ideally, one must have a visa first before purchasing a ticket. But in our case and others who just grab sale flight seats, then it is "ticket first before visa application" situation.  The risk of not being granted is high so it will cause you an unwanted anxiety.  But if you really believe in prayers and dreams do come true, then you can claim that you will be granted a visa and sleep soundly. lol!

Before 2015 ended, a Postcrossing meet-up was being cooked to be held at the University of Sto. Tomas. As usual, when i can grab sale seat, I do not want to miss that UST meet-up, so I booked a ticket that will also cover a day for an appointment at the Korean Embassy. 

Fast forward to January 2016.

All of us were busy at work.  Just so busy.  That we took time to complete our papers, the day of my departure! lol!

Ambot ba jud ngano permi mi busy.  Pero I trust that the two girls are always armed with all the info that we need but we just need time to sit down and take time to fill up our forms and do our itinerary.  I required us to submit an "iti" for "just in-case" pangitaon.  Kay if pangitaon then naa mi ikapakita. Diba?

Then we did the following:  One has to do it for all. ha ha ha

1.  Downloaded the visa application form from HERE.

2.  Prepared the requirements mentioned HERE.

We asked for a bank statement and bank certification, the week of my departure.  We filled up our application also that same week.  In short, wala mi ga lihok if not last minute. 

The risk to commit a mistake or does things the wrong way is very high when doing things at the last minute.  Indeed, dili mao ang lugar nga gipilitan nako sa akong ID picture sa application form.  So I finalized my application form while in Manila already. lol!

THE DAY OF THE APPLICATION

I read in blogs that I should be an hour early before opening because transaction time is until 11 am only.  I guess I was 30 minutes late so I was caught up in the "Tuesday morning that feels like Monday morning" traffic. Or I think that morning madness at Gil Puyat (LRT) always feel like Monday.  That only a few taxis would agree to bring me to Mc Kinley Town Center in Taguig due to the traffic.

After many tries, finally, I got one!

Unfortunately, we were caught up in the traffic. Ga agunod jud ang taxi. Gen and I were texting.  They were praying that I would make it to the embassy during the prescribed office time.  Good thing, the manong was considerate enough to tell me the exact place to get off. He stopped just right in front of the embassy, so that I would not walk far to the gate anymore. 

I thought leaving the dorm at 7am was just fine. I forgot all about the traffic eh.  

Tip #1:  Familiarize the distance of the embassy to the place where you are staying and calculate the time to get a ride and the travel time. If you are from Pasay area, going to the embassy at 6am was just right. I went out at almost 8am already.  

Tip #2: Don't sweat out in including tickets and itineraries from the application.

Ours were removed from each application file.  I appreciate the manong who checked it.  He was really patient in plucking out the unwanted documents from 5 applications.  

My application was separated from the other four because I traveled to a one of the OECD listed countries.  Members of OECD are listed here.  So I have to queue up in two windows.  Fortunately, they were minutes apart. 

In 10 minutes, I was done with my transaction inside.  I feel it was so chicken that my effort in going was kind of a waste. lol!  But it was alright. I exited the office, and took a few minutes to relax in a seat outside the office.  

For my application, the passport will be released after 3 days.   For my friends, it takes 5 days before the release.

Leaving your passport with the application is not a guarantee that you will be given a visa.  So prayers are needed.  The person who signed the Certificate of Employment must be the one to answer the person from the embassy, who calls to verify. 

WAITING TIME

I have to fly back to Mindanao the next day and that means I will not be there to personally pick-up my passport as well as my friends' passports.  So I asked a friend to do it for me.  No certification anymore, as long as he or she has our claim stub.  I left him two claim stubs. One for me to be claimed in 3 days, and one for my friends.  I wrote my name and their names at the back of each claim stub.

So after a week, I got this!

 

As of this writing, we are still on the preparation mode for the trip.  We still have a lot to prepare.  This visa was just the second thing.  There are still more to be done to make this trip a memorable one for us.

I have a little doubt though if I should make this trip or not.  In case I will not make it, then at least I know that it is not hard to get a visa for a visit trip to Korea.