Lessons Learned While Traveling with my Philippines Passport and Visa Tips for Fellow Filipino Travelers

If you’re following our adventures before the sailing life, then you know that Jonathan and I have been on the road since 2013 and got married in 2016! Though I’m married to a British guy, I’ll always be a Philippines citizen (won’t easily get a UK passport unless we live there for at least five years.) ❤

I’ve renewed my passport twice already and have to renew again this year since a lot of the pages are needed for visa stamps- a hassle to apply but great as a souvenir. Some of the countries we visited for months (like three months in India, three months in Costa Rica, one month Argentina, etc.) and some are only days (3 days in a city in Europe, etc.).

The world is massive, but it’s been a childhood dream of mine to visit 100 countries in all the seven continents (including Antarctica) in the world! I already accomplished that goal in 2017 so now at the age of 29; I’m dreaming bigger of visiting every country in the world which I think will take me years, a lot of money, visa applications, and more passport renewals! Haha! 😋😇

In 2017, the plan is to sail all over most of the Caribbean then to travel to Europe and visit the last few countries I missed last time! Maybe do some random work trips in between!

Here are some Philippines Passport Hacks/ New stuff I’ve learned along the way (will update this post from time to time)

1. You can renew your PHL passport in any PHL embassy/ consulate in the world even though you are only visiting on a tourist visa. They can’t refuse you- I got my Second passport in Kuwait then renewed it in London last year to change my last name.

You can also read my article here on how you can renew your Philippines passport outside the Philippines.

2. If you have USA visa on your expired PHL passport, then you can bring it with you (buy a lastiko) and attach with your new passport (don’t use stapler!!)

3. You can apply for any tourist visa while you’re on a tourist visa in another country. I never applied for a visa in the PHL since I’ve only returned to Pinas last year after I visited 70+ countries. I got USA visa in Colombia, Schengen Visa in NY, Azerbaijan Visa online, Australia visa while in Argentina, UK visa while in Vietnam, Chile visa in Peru, Cuba Tourist Card in Mexico and so on!

4. You don’t need a return ticket back to your home country (Pinas or any country you have residency like in the Middle East) when you travel to a new country, only an ONWARD ticket.. e.g. I go to London, I can show them an onward flight to Mexico, etc.

You can read my article about how to get onward flight tickets here for free / cheap.

5. Having a PHL passport is great esp if you have a valid ten year UK or USA visa! You can visit more countries visa-free even if you have a “weak passport.” My travels became easier when I got it my USA visa in 2015! Visa-free in almost all Central America & Caribbean, evisa for Turkey and Montenegro, etc. Easier to get other visa approval once I got one already.

Here’s the list of visa-free countries you can visit with your valid USA visa. I’ll also publish an article next time about the countries you can visit with your valid Japan, UK, Schengen and Australia visa.

6. Always make a backup copy of your passport - print and digital!

7. Tell the immigration official where to stamp on your passport.. you need to save spaces! Respectfully ask them! Haha, I always tell them the exact page where they can stamp! Lol

8. If you want to apply for a visa to western countries, I suggest you travel to visa-free destinations first to show proof that you’re a traveler (kaya nga you’re applying for a tourist visa, diba?)! I recommend Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, etc. Start in ASEAN! That’s where I started my backpacking trip in 2013.

Here are the details on how you can visit the ASEAN countries.

9. Traveling on Pinoy passport is more expensive than others. I always have to apply for a visa and pay fees, unlike Jonathan’s passport. They may call us “3rd world passport holders” but we spend more money on visa applications than the “first world citizen.” Haha

10. If you don’t know how to get the visa, always contact or email the consulate/ embassy of the country, they do reply! If they don’t.. tweet them! Twitter works!Haha

11. Show money? I rarely get to ask this with immigrations abroad.. bank statement is needed for visa applications at the Embassies but almost never on immigration. Maybe sa Pinas lang?

12. Always have USA dollars with you.. at least 100$ (on $20 note) and hide it on your passport case.

13. Be proud to be a Filipino, and they’ll start talking about Manny Pacquiao! Hahaha

Remember, wag ka kabahan when it comes to rejection esp. on visa application.. if there’s a will, there’s a way! Rejection is part of life, and you’ll never know if you don’t try so don’t stop yourself achieving those “impossible” dream! Kaya mo yan

Please note: NEVER ever overstay or become a TNT, that’s the reason why it’s already hard for Pinoys to get tourist visas abroad.. be considerate of fellow Pinoys too! ❤

I’ll add later but here are my visa guide articles (more than 20 articles) 

FELL FREE TO ASK Questions below! Will answer later!

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