How I get my Korean Visa

South Korea is one of the countries that I really want to visit. Mula nang mahook ako sa mga Korean Drama and Bigbang, pinangarap kong pumunta sa Korea. I even joined yung mga pacontest na trip to Korea pero hindi ako nanalo. huhuhu!

For us Filipinos, one must have a visa to visit the beautiful country for Korea. Applying for a visa is not difficult because the process won't take long,

Luckily for us, BDO Gold and Elite cardholders, we are exempted from submitting ITR and bank certificates. Yet, you get a chance to get a multiple visa entry valid for three to five years. Ang saya lang :)

As soon as I heard the offer of BDO, I was excited. I think I knew about the offer last April 2015 but I wasn't able to get one that time (busy ako eh! lol :) ). I just started completing the requirements last August. Then here comes September, biglang nagbago yung application form nila which I wasn't that prepared at all kasi mas prepared ang utak ko sa pagsagot ng luma nilang form. It was quite difficult to fill in the form kasi mas madaming tanong na sasagutan (nakakaloka!!). From two pages naging five pages na yung form nila. So I was just trying my luck, kasi hindi naman porke may BDO card ako e sure nang magragrant ako ng visa. Sabe nga sa blog na nabasa ako, kahit milyones pa ang pera mo sa bangko ay pwde ka pa ring madeny. At isa pa, ang passport ay sobrang linis. Hindi pa naman kasi ako nakakapunta sa ibang bansa.

Sayang din naman kasi ang pagkakataon kse hindi ko kailangan ng bank certificate at ITR. So mega grab na ko kay opportunity. Try lang naman eh! Ang mga susunod na mababasa ninyo ay based dun sa personal experience ko sa pag submit ng application form at pakuha ng passport ko sa embassy.. kaya hindi ninyo ako mapipigilan! :)

So here's the requirement para sa mga empleyadong tao tulad ko :)
If you are an existing BDO Gold and Elite cardholder you need to submit the following:

• Application form - It should be complete. Don't leave anyblank spaces. Pwede naman isulat ang N/A. Write in BOLD :)
• One piece passport colored picture. - Dress appropriately if possible. Yung itsurang presentable and professional sana. 
• Original passport - Passport should be valid for 6 months. Sa pagpasa ng passport, wag nang isama yung sleeve or passport holder. Wit naman un need. 
• Copy of Passport Bio-Page (Page 2 - yung may picture)
• Copy of BDO Gold or Elite Card
• Copy of two months billing statement of your BDO card
• Certificate of Employment (must contain your name, your position in the company, date hired, compensation, office address and phone number (hindi pwde and cellphone number. LANDLINE number dapat)

Para naman sa mga walang BDO card. Here's what you need:

• Application form 
• One piece passport colored picture. 
• Original passport - Passport should be valid for 6 months. Sa pagpasa ng passport, wag nang isama yung sleeve or passport holder. Wit naman un need. 
• Copy of Passport Bio-Page (Page 2 - yung may picture)
• Original and photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD member countries for the past five years. (If meron lang po. If wala okay lng din naman. If meron ka nang Korean Visa before, unfortunately hindi un counted)
• Certificate of Employment (must contain your name, your position in the company, date hired, compensation, office address and phone number (hindi pwde and cellphone number. LANDLINE number dapat)
• Original Bank Certificate (must include account type, current balance, account opening date, ADB)
• Bank Statement (original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook for the last 3 months)
• Photocopy of ITR or Form 2316.

If sure ka na complete na lahat ng requirements mo then gora ka na sa Korean Embassy.

I went there last September 14. I arrived arround 10:30 AM. Medyo malapit lang naman ako sa Embassy. Kung ikaw ay anak ng Pasig, tulad ko, it will take about 20 to 30 minutes kung walang problema si C5, minsan less than 20 minutes pa.  You need to bring an ID with you kasi iiwanan mo yung sa guard. Visa application is from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM only. Yun lang yung time for submission at wala nang iba pa. You can get the form mismo sa embassy, pero para hindi time consuming i-download mo na lang at iprint mo. Pag pasok mo ng Embassy, you have to fall in line because the officers there will give you a number kung saan window ka pupunta. Wait for your turn okay. As for me, dun daw ako sa window 3. Sorry naman at kung wala akong pics sa loob mismo ng embassy kasi may nag-iikot na guard baka mapagalitan ako. At bawal ata magkodakan sa loob.

In submitting your application form, make sure na complete ang requirements kse hindi nila tatanggapin pag kulang. Sayang naman ang effort teh! 

Pagkabigay sakin ng number naupo naman ako. Walang 30 minutes, its my turn. May nabasa ako sa isang blog na hindi daw ang smile and mga immigration officers which is true. Binati ko pa si ate ng good morning, hindi siya nag smile though binati din nmn nya ako :) I think some of them know how speak in Filipino kaya medyo ingat ingat baka may masabing hindi maganda. hehehe. Hindi rin naman ako nagtagal sa window 3 parang chineck lang kung complete ba yung pinasa mo then viola~~~ may claiming stub ka na!

Releasing of Visa is from 1;30 to 4:30 PM ONLY. Again, follow the time. If pupunta ka sa umaga para makuha ang visa mo ay hindi ka nila papansinin. hehehe. Mine was released last September 17 pero hindi ako nakapunta dahil may importante akong ginawa. Kinabukasan na ko nagpunta, September 18. I was at the embassy by 12:45 PM. Again, wag kakalimutan mag dala ng ID. Pagbaba ko ng taxi madaming tao. Akala ko kung anong meron,.. akala ko may artista..haha.. yun pla kukuha din sila ng passport nila. Hindi sila nagpapasok pag hindi pa 1:30. Pero dahil sa kainitan sa labas pinapasok na kami ng mga 1:10 PM. So bibigyan ka ulit nila nga number. Wag na wag mong kakalimutan ang claim stub dahil NO CLAIM STUB, NO PASSPORT. We were advised to write our name and contact number sa claim stub. So we need again to wait for our number to be called. Dahil mabilis ako sa pagpila number 404 ako!! I guess numbering at Window 3 starts at 400. So mas mahaba pa yung inantay ko sa pagkuha ko ng visa. I was nervous nung nagsimula nang pagpapila sa window 3 kasi nga pwedeng hindi ako mabigyang ng visa. At nung ako na~~~~ tada~~~~

Sabi ni Ms. Officer "Multiple Visa for three years" I was like "Thank you very much" At pag labas ko ng Embassy~~` WOOO THANK YOU LORD!! KOREA HERE I COME!! (pero pabulong lang. ahahaha)

Ang saya saya ako! Can you feel it?! Thank you very much kay God. Pinagpray ko talaga to eh. Thank you din sa BDO.. talaga nga naman YOU FIND WAYS!

So ang problema ko na lang ngayon ay pamasahe at pocket money! ahahahaha!.



Dahil nakakuha ako.. makakuha ka rin! Here are some maybe some useful tips in filling out the form

1. Make sure na sagutan lahat ng tanong. Write in BLOCK letters.
2. For the picture po, as much as possible WHITE background and dress appropriately,
3. Write N/A if some question are not applicable. lol :)
4. Dun sa funding details, if ikaw ang gagastos sa pagtravel mo, then write your name.. then put N/A dun sa iba.
5. If you are not sure kung kelan ka pupunta sa Korea when write any tentative date, But take note na if ever single entry ang magragrant sau the validity is only 90 Days. For me, I just wrote November 29, 2015.
6. For the address and contact number in Korea, you can write UNDECIDED.

So,, yun na lang muna. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below and I will try my best to answer.

Thank you very much!