SMALL-TOWN GIRLS, MIDNIGHT TRAINS

SGMT logo_368x110

— travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams —

travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams

Offloading, required documents, and other Immigration FAQs

*

What documents are required by the Bureau of Immigration?

I get this question all the time, so I thought I’d create another post just for this.

Technically, there are only 3 documents that are required:

  1. Passport
  2. Round trip ticket
  3. Visa (if necessary)

So, for those who are asking: “Kailangan pa ba talaga ang…” the answer is only the three documents above are technically required. You don’t need those other documents in the sense that they are not technically required.

Related post: Filipina offloaded from flight at NAIA 3 for not bringing her grandfather’s birth certificate? Here’s what probably happened — and how you can stop it from happening to you)

However, the Immigration officer will want to make sure that:

  1. You can afford your trip;
  2. You are only going there for your stated purpose (tourism); and
  3. You are coming back to the Philippines.

I am not an Immigration officer and I can’t predict what other documents or questions the IO will ask from you. But based on my experience and the experience of others, here is what I suggest you bring:

  • Passport.
    *
  • Your old passports – to show that you have traveled before and that you came back to the Philippines of your own free will.
    *
  • Visa – if necessary for your destination.
    *
  • Round-trip ticket with receipt or other proof that the ticket has been fully paid – to show that you intend to return to the Philippines.
    *
  • Hotel reservations, preferably with receipt or other proof that the entire stay has been fully paid – to show that you can afford your accommodations (and in fact have fully paid for it) and to help show that you are there as a tourist (and not living in another person’s house as, for example, an illegally recruited helper).
    *
  • Bank statement (if available) – to prove that you can afford your trip. Even better than a bank statement, which will only show your account balance and transactions within a limited period of time (usually the last quarter), is a bank certification, which includes information like YTD balance and the date the account was opened — data that will show that the account was not opened for the sole purpose of supporting your trip. The Bureau of Immigration, as far as I know, has not set a minimum account balance. And please do not think of this as show money. It is not just for show. You need to have enough money to cover your expenses during the trip and still have savings left when you return to the Philippines — because if you spend all your savings on a vacation, that will be highly suspicious.
    *
  • Proof of ownership of assets such as land, house, car, etc. (if available) – to show that you can afford your trip and that you do not need to work abroad illegally and that therefore you are coming back to the Philippines.
    *
  • Certificate of employment (stating your position and salary) and approved leave of absence with a photocopy of the company ID of the signatory of these documents (if applicable) – to show that you can afford your trip and that you are likely to return to the Philippines because you already have a job here. If, instead of a regular job, you have your own business, bring the papers related to your business (DTI, SEC, BIR, etc.).
    *
  • Income tax return (ITR) – to show that you can afford your trip.
    *
  • Affidavit of support (if necessary) – instead of, or in addition to, proof of your own income. The affidavit must include proof of the income of the person paying for your trip. This person must be a close relative, ideally your parent, child, or sibling. I’m not sure which other relatives are accepted — the BI says up to the 3rd degree of consanguinity — but one reader said an affidavit from her mom’s cousin was not accepted by the IO. You can see an example of an Affidavit of Support / Guaranty here and a general Affidavit form here (courtesy of the Embassy of the Philippines in Singapore).
    *
  • Tour itinerary – to help prove that your purpose for travel is tourism only. Not only should you have an itinerary, you should know your itinerary, in case the IO asks you about it.
    *
  • Tickets/reservations/confirmations to the attractions listed in your itinerary – to prove that you are going to those attractions and that your purpose really is just tourism.
    *
  • Marriage certificate and birth certificate of children (if applicable) – to show that you have family in the Philippines and are therefore likely to come back.
    *
  • CFO certificate (if applicable) – if you are meeting a foreign spouse or boyfriend, you will mostly be required to present the Guidance and Counseling Certificate from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).

(I will update this list if I think of other documents to bring.)
*

Anti-offloading tips from an Immigration officer

*

Do you have to bring all these documents?
No, you don’t have to bring all these documents; again, they are not technically required. It’s possible that the IO will just let you board the plane without asking any questions at all or without asking for any documents. But it’s better that you have these documents on hand, even if the IO does not ask for them — rather than if the IO asks for them and you have nothing to show. Better safe than sorry.

Is a bank statement necessary? Can you just bring cash?
Again, the bank statement (and most of these other documents) are not technically required. Perhaps you know of some people who just brought cash, with no bank statement, and they were allowed to board their plane. That’s very possible. But it’s also possible that the IO will ask for your bank statement so you might as well prepare it — again, better safe than sorry. Remember that Mary Jane Veloso had lots of cash on hand when she left the Philippines for Kuala Lumpur. After what happened to her, you can be sure the Immigration officers will be stricter than ever.

If you bring all these documents, can you be sure that you will not be offloaded? Can you be sure that the IO will not ask for other documents?
No. Like I said, I’m not an Immigration officer, and I can’t predict what they will ask from you. And even if I were an Immigration officer, I still can’t guarantee anything anyway, because IOs differ. They rely partly on their experience and intuition, partly on the answers that you give in your Immigration form and to their initial questions. And they have different personalities too — some are strict by nature, some become strict when they think something’s fishy with the answers you give, some are nice, some are not so nice. So it all depends.

My advice is: bring ALL the documents that you can bring. All.
This applies especially if:

  • You’re young.
  • You’re female.
  • You’re single.
  • It’s your first time traveling abroad.
  • You have a history of being offloaded.
  • Someone else is paying for your trip.

Some people are lucky. Some people, especially those who are mukhang mayaman, pass through Immigration with no problem at all. The rest of us don’t like it, but it’s the reality. The IOs have a difficult job — trying to determine who’s lying without the benefit of a lie detector or veritaserum — and sometimes they really just have to resort to profiling. Now, there’s nothing we can do about the color of our skin, but we can improve our chances of being believed by being as prepared as possible, dressing decently and being confident when we answer the IO’s questions.

Good luck!

*

Please read What Filipinos Need to Know About Traveling Abroad: Guidelines from the Bureau of Immigration for more information.

 

*
“Offloading, required documents, and other Immigration FAQs” was created by LSS for travel site Small-Town Girls, Midnight Trains. All rights reserved. 

67 Responses

  1. thank you for the response ! by the way aside from my boyfriend i have also a friend from macau , i ask her if she can provide me an invitation, do u think that’s possible because she is just my friend and not a relative? thank u !

    1. Hi Joy,

      Sorry for the really late reply, I’ve been having internet problems for over a week now. Anyway, if your friend is paying for any part of your trip, an invitation letter from her might be helpful, but if not, it probably won’t help much. Good luck!

  2. hi again ! there will be a changes regarding my trip to Macau.. this tume i will be with my mom and maybe also with my tita ..my mom will get a bank statement .. my question is , since i am with my mom who will now support my travel expense .. do i still have to prefer a bank statement or a affidavit of support even i am with my mom already? my mom is a first time traveller by the way but my aunt already travel to singapore.. tnx for the response !

  3. Hello there,. Your post is really helpful. Tho may question lang ako,. I just went back recently from a 4d/3n trip in Thailand with my family. I’m 20years old. I quit school, currently not studying and unemployed din and I just get a monthly remittance from my foreigner boyfriend.

    We’re planning to have a week-long vacation in Kuala Lumpur. He’s coming from his country and dun kami magkikita. He’s the one who’s going to fund the entire trip and kinakabahan ako kasi parang wala akong mamimeet na requirements coz I’m not employed,. The only things I have is the return ticket, hotel reservation and my pocket money.

    1. Hello. In your case…there’s a small chance na hindi na masyado maging strict yung IO kasi hindi mo naman first time magtravel. Pero I think you should still prepare as much as you can. If you’re meeting your bf and he’s a foreigner, you will probably be asked for a CFO certificate too.

    1. Hi Gayle! Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. I’m sure makakatulong sa iba. (In my case naman, hindi pa ako na-offload dito sa Pilipinas pero sa Singapore ako na-detain hehe.) Anyway, best of luck to you and all the best to you and your fiance. 🙂

  5. PS. i also had with me tat time Hotel Voucher Printed bought from Agoda, receipts showing fully paid, i had 20k pesos in cash, 1k SGD in cash which i exchanged it prior goin to the Immigration. I was pretty casual; black jeans, white tank tops and denim jacket, white sneakers, kipling hand bags nga lng gamit ko tat time and i was in full make up pa with some kikay blings (kikay tlga ako

  6. Hi just want to ask. Is there a chance to be offloaded kung 4 kmi ng friends magtotour to hongkong? Kasi its my first time to travel. And im unemployed 2yrs na but i have bank statement.. and 1 more question isa isa ba kming ppunta sa IO or by group na for questioning..thanks hoping for your response po… kabado lang hehe

    1. Hi Fetz!

      To answer your question, kahit sino naman, possible na ma-offload, even if you’re traveling in a group or alone, or first time mo, or pang-1000 na. 🙂 Ako honestly kinakabahan pa rin ako every time papunta na ako ng Immigration counter.

      If you’ve been unemployed for 2 years, and first time mo to travel, just be prepared na lang kasi it’s likely na maraming questions yung IO. Make sure lang siguro na you have enough money in your bank for your travel and may matitira pa as savings mo, since wala ka pang income source ngayon.

      Sometimes they allow groups to be interviewed together pero sometimes isa-isa talaga so I’m not sure kung ano talaga yung policy nila.

      Good luck and I hope makalusot ka. Enjoy HK! 🙂

      1. I am really nervous my coming first time travel alone, i’m unemployed, i only have my return ticket, my bf cant travel with me coz he already with me last Aug. dont know what they ask Q for me.

      2. Hi Marites. You mentioned in your other comment that you already have a visa and you’re looking into a getting a CFO certificate. I think you can just bring all the documents that you used to get your visa. I don’t know what questions they might ask you, but just tell the truth. Some people get scared and lie to the IO and then they get found out and get into trouble. So just tell the truth and be confident in the fact that you’re telling the truth. Good luck!

  7. Hello,

    Salamat po sa mga advice nkakuha na po ang anak ko ng passport just this Monday, at wala akong problema. Dahil yun sa m ma’am.
    Thank you so much, god bless..

    Sa ulitin 🙂

  8. Hi , reading your blog nang paulit ulit is somehow nkakawala ng kaba .anyways.. I already emailed you regarding first time travelling abroad and with my 2 yr old daughter . My husband is a permanent resident in canada and is planning to go home this november and since hanggang hongkong lang stop over niya, naisipan nalang namin na dun na kami magmi meet and enjoy a 3days vacation . We’ll definitely tour our daughter sa DL and Oceanpark . And then,sabay na kami 3 pauwi dto pinas..You already shared documents na dadalhin just in case I dodouble check ako ng i.o since housewife lang ako and savings ko is from remittance only. I thankyou really for that 🙂 but rcently , asawa ng pinsan ko got offloaded .. 2wks vacation ang intended na travel sa bangkok. 1st time traveller sya and not yet employed since fresh grad pa lang ..kinabahan ulit ako lalo na nung nagshre sya ng kwento ng isang girl got offloaded going to singapore though kumpleto documents nya.hinanapan sya ng imposibleng docu na pwedeng dalahin .. Sa tingin mo dapat ba tlaga kabahan ang mga 1st time traveller kagaya ko when in fact for leisure lang tlaga ang trip ?baka hanapan ako ng document na imposible ko nang dalhin ..Kakalungkot kung ma ooffload kami ng daughter ko 🙁 if God permit,hopefully not tlaga.

    1. Hi Liera! Do you mean that girl in Facebook na parang hinanapan yata sya nga birth cert ng lolo nya or something? I think in that case kasi, she was saying (if I remember correctly) na she was visiting family, and the IO was asking for proof na talagang kamag-anak nya yun. Anyway, I’m not sure if that’s the story that you mean, and mahirap din mag-comment kasi we don’t know naman the whole story of what happened. But I think what we can learn from that incident is that it’s best if we bring proof of whatever we say. Like in her case, she was saying na she will be staying with a relative, so the IO asked for proof that they really were relatives. In your case, I guess, bring a copy of your husband’s documents, his Canadian papers, his flight bookings, your marriage cert…anything you can think of that will help prove na kung ano yung sinasabi mo sa IO, yun talaga ang gagawin nyo doon.

  9. Pingback: Filipina offloaded from flight at NAIA 3 for not bringing her grandfather’s birth certificate? Here’s what probably happened — and how you can stop it from happening to you | SMALL-TOWN GIRLS, MIDNIGHT TRAINS
  10. Pingback: The One Where I Was Detained and Fingerprinted Upon Arrival in Singapore | SMALL-TOWN GIRLS, MIDNIGHT TRAINS
  11. Pingback: What Filipinos Need to Know About Traveling Abroad: Guidelines from the Bureau of Immigration | SMALL-TOWN GIRLS, MIDNIGHT TRAINS

  12. Hello, me and my boyfriend(foreigner ) we will go to thailand for 30 days i have euro and swissfrancs here. Im already went in germany and switzerland because of work and at the moment im not working. I just read for cfo cert. i need visa but in thailand i dont need visa because im a filipino pass holder so i can stay for 30 days in thailand. My question are “must i have visa in thailand eventhough im only 30 days there and i already have our iterenary where we will go in thailand i mean for CFO??” ” is there any chance that im also offloaded sayang pera ko kpag naoffloaded aq…

  13. Hi there! I just want to share to you my dad’s experienced. He was supposed to travel to hongkong. Amd as we all know, his papers were complete, but when he was about to go, the IO keeps on asking him if he had his DTI permit but my dad said he didn’t bring it. And My dad doesn’t have any idea that it was necessary to bring the permit so he just left it at home. And then the IO didn’t approved my dad’s travel to hongkong.

    1. Hi Arjean. That’s too bad! 🙁 If your dad is a business owner (and not an employee of a company), the DTI permit is what they will usually require in place of an employment certificate. But I totally agree with you, the Bureau of Immigration should do more to make people aware of the documents that might be required because a lot of people have no idea about it. Sayang! 🙁

  14. Hi! Thank you for this post! I think I know what to prepare na but I still want to ask some questions hehe. A couple of friends and I are going to Singapore next month for 9 days for a vacation. It’s my first time to travel out of the country but not the case with my other 2 friends. Also, I live in the province and only earn little. My aunt who lives in Switzerland is sponsoring me for this trip (I was supposed to go there but change of plans hehe). She will be depositing my travel allowance to my bank account. Would this be an issue if I show my bank statement? Thanks so much 🙂

    1. Hi Ina! 9 days with friends — sounds fun! 🙂 I don’t think it will be a problem if your aunt makes one big deposit to your bank account, as long as you get an affidavit of support from her. She can even mention in her affidavit that she will be depositing the money to your bank account so that the two documents, the affidavit and the bank statement, can support each other. Enjoy Singapore!

  15. I need your insight with this. I am an ofw from china. Me and my husband, we will be going home this september 30, 2015. Now, we are planning to go to dubai this january 2016 to spent our “honeymoon” and vacation as well. We will be staying in dubai for 3 months and be coming home april 5. In time for my birthday. Im really scared that the immigration might offload us, god forbid. Im a bit scared that they might suspect us looking for a job. Where in fact we are not because we have a 3 year old kid that we want to be with. We just wanted to atleast enjoy our vacation since we have saved a lot for the past 2 years working in china. I think we deserved a break. Oh, and by the way, my brother and his mother in law is there in dubai already. So we will be staying there. But his mother in law will definitely be sponsoring half of this trip as a gift for us. I was the one caring for her daughter when she got pregnant (hospital bills, etc). What do you think?

    1. Hi April! There’s a chance that the Immigration officer will ask you why you’re staying in Dubai for 3 months if it’s just for a vacation, so just make sure that you can justify that length of time, maybe prepare your itinerary for those months so that you can show it to the IO if he/she asks. Are you leaving China for good, or are you going back after your Dubai trip? Either way, it would be great if you have proof of your plans for after your Dubai trip, like if you have an employment contract somewhere else. Or if you’re staying in the Philippines after your Dubai trip, you can tell the IO what your plans are for income generation, like are you gonna get a job or set up a business, etc. If your brother’s mother in law is sponsoring your trip, you should ask her to execute an affidavit of support. Although she’s not a close relative (as is usually required by Immigration), she can mention in the affidavit why she is paying for your trip, and of course include her financial documents. Good luck!

  16. Hi ,good day before kumuha sana ng ticket kng san destination ang pupuntahan there is approval from immigration na ok or offload kc sayang yong pera kng ma offload at dina maibabalik hirap ng panahon ngaun tapos wla lng nangyari sa pera na kinuha ng ticket

    1. Hi Ashly. Oo sayang talaga yung pera na pinambili ng ticket, pati na rin yung time mo at effort sa pag-plan ng trip. Mahirap din lang mapa-approve muna ng Immigration before bumili ng ticket, kasi nga isa sa mga requirements ng Immigration yung return ticket. Naisip ko rin sana pwedeng ipa-refund sa airlines yung ticket kapag na-offload pero parang hindi rin papayag nyan ang mga airlines kasi kung marami ang na-o-offload, sila rin ang nalulugi. Siguro sana na lang may travel insurance na nag-co-cover ng offloading.

  17. I just offloaded last june papunta ng hk di ko lng napakita yong ticket ng kpatid ko w/c nakaalis na sya galing dubai punta ng hk kaya offload nila ako -then last week i try to book another ticket at cebu pac 4 kme magkakaibigan punta ng hk so ako nakita na offload last time hinde ako inaproved kailangan ko nman mag IQ nag fill up ako ng form .im lucky na my pinsan akong kasama na nag sign cya na once di me bumalik with in 3days kc ung ticket namen just only for 3days .sabi ng immigration officer hinde pa daw nya tatangalin ung offload ko ibig savihin everytime i travel makikita lage na ofload tapos IQ sa immigration officer lagi..

    1. Naku buti na lang talaga nandun yung pinsan mo. Siguro for your next trip, todo prepare ka na lang talaga ng documents mo para kahit mag-u-undergo ng secondary inspection sa immigration, you can show them na talagang legit naman talaga yung trip mo.

  18. Hello po. Need p po b na ipa red ribbon ng husband ko yung affidavit of support sa Philippine Embassy? O kapag kasama ko sya s pagbyahe,(husband ko po nagpetition sakin) d na po kailangan ng proof of income? Yung affidavit po, sa immigration ko n papakita, may tourist visa n po ko para Italy? Salamat.

    1. Hi shineth! Kung kasama mo ang husband mo sa pagbyahe, I don’t think you need to have it red-ribboned kasi andun naman to sya to personally verify na totoo talaga yung affidavit of support. I would still recommend na mag-prepare kayo ng proof of income nyo mag-asawa, like your bank statements, just in case.

  19. Hello! I just wanna share my story,and ask questions after.It’s about me being offloaded last January 6, 2015. I was a former OFW, I went to Vietnam for work last January 2013 with no problem because I was under agency in the Philippines, I stayed in Vietnam for a year and half, however I didn’t finish my contract because of some issue ( it’s about our employer not giving our salary on time ) so I decided to quit and gave a resignation letter, so from Vietnam,I flew to Indonesia using Social Budaya Visa or what they called Business Visa. Well, since it’s Vietnam, after three days I got my visa ( though we really don’t need that in Indonesia, because we can travel there without visa, I just need it in my case because they said, it will be easier for me to get in and also to change my existing visa to working visa, I need that business visa.) So yeah, August 4, 2014 I flew there from Ho chi minh Vietnam to Singapore. It’s really nice to stay in Singapore’s airport, but since I still had a lot of time, I managed to have a short trip just for sight seeing with the help of the taxi driver I just met there, he is really nice to me and even cancelled his bookings just to show how beautiful Singapore is. He drove for me going back and forth to the airport, he doesn’t wanna accept any payment, but I will feel bad if he didn’t really accept it. So I insisted of paying him. Anyway, that was a nice short trip for a first timer like me in Singapore, Anyway, story doesn’t end there. When I arrived in Indonesia, My employer said that they are still processing my work permit until December came and I told them, I want to go back to the Philippines to celebrate Christmas with my family. At first they told me not to go, but I said, I want to go back for just even 2 week vacation, so they said they were having an issue with the paper and such, so processing was delayed and all that alibis or whatever. I told them, It is your job as an employer to give me a working visa, I supposed to have that before I came here, but you promised that it will be processed here so I trust you. Then they made up their minds and sent me to Singapore for a visa run. I flew to Singapore again to apply for a visa. Nope not a working visa that I was expecting to have but just a business visa. I asked my employer if it will be okay to show to the Philippine Immigration, they said YES, that visa alone is okay, so I trust them, though still feeling unease, because I am thinking I still need a return ticket or something, but yeah I trusted them and this was what happened: December 20, 2014, I came back to the Philippines with no problem, then January 6, 2015, I checked in and there was no problem, then when it was time for immigration check, the IO asked me where is my return ticket? I told the IO, I am using business visa, so I don’t think I will be needing that, so the IO escorted me back to the airline and talked to the attendant there and the attendant told me, sorry ma’am but you have to buy a return ticket and so I did, then went back to the IO again, but this time the IO is different, She started asking me questions like: Why are you gonna stay there for long? ( I bought the return ticket that was cheap so it’s almost the end of the month) I said I want to go back at that time and started asking a lot of questions; and even notice my trips before because she scanned my passport, she said you’ve been outside of the Philippines for a long time, I said nope just for 9 months, because I came back last March 2014 from Vietnam, she asked where did I work before going abroad? asked for my i.d, even asked for the color of the building ( which I can’t remember, since the building she asked me was a bit far from the building that I used to work in Ortigas ) so I was wrong, and then he asked me to go to another IO and interviewed me again. That time she asked me questions; What is your purpose of travel? How much money do u have? and stuff like that, the flight attendant was looking at me, since I was the only one they were waiting for. I asked the IO if she will allow me to go or not? She said NO! so I told the lady that I was offloaded and I can not go with my flight. That time was horrible! I was depressed, I even cried in front of the IO because I was so sad, I didn’t expect that it will happen to me. Good thing my family was still in the airport waiting for me to board first, before they go home ( which didn’t happen ) so we went back home altogether. After what happened to me, I realized that having checked by BI is not easy as what I thought before. Now, I’m still here in the Philippines for almost 9 months now. I still want to go abroad for traveling or working but I’m scared of being offloaded again. I know it was my fault too because I need a proper documents, but I just trusted my employer that business visa will be okay, but it turned out that because of that, I was offloaded. Thank you for reading my story and I hope you will learn something about my experience. I just wanna ask; do you think if I will go out of the country again just for travel, do you think it will be hard? after 9 months of being offloaded, I am really scared to try again. By the way, I have a new passport, do you think it will increase the chance of me not to be offloaded again? Thank you for those who wants to comment. Please give me some feed backs. Thank you!

    1. Hi candicerlyn! I think if you’ve been offloaded before, you may have a slightly higher chance of being offloaded again. Pero kahit naman yung hindi pa na-offload before, may chance din na ma-offload. So I think the best thing you can do really is to just try again, kasi you can’t spend naman your entire life being afraid 🙂 prepare mo lang documents mo.

      1. Hello po sa situation ko po i hope matulungan nyo din ako as in paulit-ulit ko binabasa mga advice at natutuwa ako sayo kasi willing kang magshare ng kaalaman mo kami sa ganitong paraan. Katatapos lang po ng work ko for one year sa vietnam nong June. Then ung dating ko ka-work noon nirecommend po ako sa company nila sa Vietnam din and now I have job initial interview abroad sa same country. Bukod po sa verified ng Phil Consul ung invitation ko abroad,at noting all expenses paid by company po, return ticket, visa ano pa po.ba kulang baka po kasi may namiss me. Sa tuesday october 6 na po flight ko medyo kinakabahan me ayw ko na po kasi ma-offload. Salamat po and Godbless. Jasmin

      2. Hi Jasmin! It sounds like okay naman ang documents mo…although honestly I don’t have experience or much knowledge about going abroad for reasons other than tourism so hindi ko alam kung meron pa bang special requirements kung, like sa case mo, pupunta ka sa isang bansa para mag-job-interview. But it looks like covered naman ng documents mo yung basics. Just make sure naka-document talaga na ang company ang gagastos ng lahat, with all the details. Good luck sa trip mo and sa interview! 🙂

  20. Hello po ask ko lg po if wala ka ipapakita itr xa io? And if ever po ba ngchechek cla ng atm upon interblview?. Dpo ba personal at private matter na po un. I am about to travel alone to sg po ds oct. Ngtravel na po ako dti xa china for a month as tourist last april 2008 kya lg po nawala ag passport ko. Makikita po b nla xa system un? Ur inputs will hepl a lot po. Kabado mch po kc ako regarding offloading

    1. They look at the *totality* of your situation. So sometimes they ask for an ITR and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they ask you to check your balance from the ATM and sometimes they don’t. They only do that if they get suspicious and think that you may not be telling the [whole] truth. They verify financial capacity because a lot of Filipinos have been victims of human and drug trafficking so they need to make sure that, if you say you are only going as a tourist, you have enough money for your tour. Just prepare as many documents as you can, yun lang naman ang magagawa natin lahat.

  21. hi ask ko lng if do you happen to know if may way na makita ng io officer yung travel history ng 1 traveller from their system even if its 3 years ago at nagrenew ka na ng passport?

    1. Hi. They’re supposed to have our travel records in their system but they don’t always check it.

  22. Hi mam…ask ko lang po sana.what po mga kailangan namin ng son ko if gusto ko po sya dalhin sa Malaysia para mag kita na sila personally ng Tatay nya.kasi sa akin po nakapangalan ang anak namin.sagot naman po ng Tatay lahat ng expenses.Malaysian po ang Tatay nya at di kami kasal.need your help po.thank you.

    1. Hi Beth, I will just reply here instead of in your other comments. Wala pa akong experience or narinig from someone in the same situation as yours, but since hindi pwede i-acknowledge ng tatay nya ang anak mo, medyo mahirap. If gagawa sya ng affidavit of support for the trip, baka tanungin bakit sya ang gagastos na hindi naman nya technically ka-ano-ano yung bata. So I really don’t know.

  23. My friend booked me a ticket & room reservation to Bali using her credit card, will this be an issue sa IO? I have a copy of the recepit lang, since wala ako credit card.

    Can you please give me an example of letter of invitation, paano sya ma s sign kung email lang yung letter ?

    I have also requested for a bank statement sa banko, pero not sure kung kanino i-address daw, if NAIA or sa Embassy of Indonesia. Need daw specific address sa request. Please answer all my questions, medyo kinakabahan po ako ma offload.

    1. Parang testpaper lang ang tono ng questions ah 😀

      1. It shouldn’t be a problem, just have the confirmations and receipts on hand. If you’re asked about it, just say you have no credit card. I know a couple who were able to go to England and Scotland without a credit card.

      2. Sorry I don’t have a sample letter of invitation as I’ve never received/written one. (Some commenters have said that in some countries, they require the letter of invitation to be certified by the Philippine embassy in the country, but I can’t personally verify this.)

      3. I don’t think it matters who it’s addressed to as long as it’s valid, but if you want a suggestion, maybe the Bureau of Immigration, since it’s offloading you’re concerned about.

  24. Gudeve… I want to ask your opinion regarding my situation. I plan to visit Singapore again next month. My boyfriend ask me to visit him. He will be the one to provide me an invitation letter. My problem was, I’ve been to Singapore few months ago as a work permit holder. I worked there for almost 6 months but I didn’t finish my contract and decided to go back home Phil.. Im worried because of my previous record there, if it really can affect my application as tourist… Im sure IO will ask about that maybe. Plus I don’t have work yet here in Phil.. How will I prove that it just purely visitation? I knew SG is very strict. Please give me an advice. Thank you!

    1. Hi Airene! Your previous work experience in Singapore could actually be a pro or con — the IO might think that you might try to work there again, but it could also show that you stick to the rules, since you had a work permit, and that you don’t prefer to work there since you actually left before your contract expired. I don’t think any of us can predict what the IO will think so you just really have to do your best to prove that you’ll only be going there as a visitor this time, through your boyfriend’s invitation letter and affidavit of support/guaranty. The fact that you don’t have work here in the Philippines might be a little against your favor but there’s nothing we can do about that unless you go and get a job before you go to SIngapore. There’s nothing to do but try. 🙂 Good luck!

  25. Magtatravel kami ng bf ko this coming nov16 sa HK 3days and 2nights kami don may 2yrsold na kaming anak and ang dadi ko ang nagprovide para makapag avail kami ng tour package. Ano po pwede kong dalhin na documents para mapatunayan na dadi ko ang gumastos para sa tour namin american citizen sya.

    1. You could get him to execute and affidavit of support and attach his financial documents.

      1. Hi may roundtrip tix, hotel voucher and itinerary na po kami After ko po macomplete yung mga documents na kailangan ko kuhanin sa dadi ko, ok na po ba yon? Or kailangan din po namin dalhin NSO namin and ni baby may 1000$ na din po kaming pocket money

      2. Hi Line. I would suggest na dalhin nyo na rin ang NSO marriage cert and birth certificate ng baby nyo, tutal wala na mang mawawala sa inyo. Hindi ko masasabi kung okay na ba ang documents nyo kasi depende talaga yun sa IO — wala naman silang sinusunod na checklist or something. It would depend on the totality of your situation…if they think something’s not quite right, that’s when they ask for more documents. This article really contains most of what I know about the documents that MAY be required, so I suggest you go through it again, and basically think of whatever documents you can produce that will help you prove, if necessary, that you’re only going abroad as tourists, that you can pay for your stay there, and that you’re coming back as declared in your departure card. I can’t give you assurance that your documents are okay na because it’s just impossible for me to predict that, so just bring as many documents as you can.

  27. Hi po., tatanong lang po sana I plan to travel this coming dec to Dubai to visit my fiancee.Im gonna travel alone. , I don’t have have work but suportado naman po ako ng fiancee ko. This is my first time actually na traveling out of the country , Except this document passport,affidavit of support,visa,bank statement,Return tickets and also cfo certificate.ano pa po bang kailangn para makapass sa IO? Please reply thanks 🙂

    1. Hi Joanna! Sorry for the delayed reply. Make sure to bring the receipt or any other proof that your return tickets have already been paid for. Hotel reservations kung hindi ka mag-se-stay sa flat/residence ng fiance mo. Since meron ka nang CFO certificate, baka hindi na necessary, pero just to be sure, magdala ka na lang din ng proof ng relationship nyo, like pictures, messages, etc. And also your fiance’s documents that will prove na dun nga sya sa Dubai nagtatrabaho at naninirahan, like siguro copy nung contract nya. And records ng mga remittances nya to you. I think that’s it… Good luck! 🙂

  28. hello, can i ask , last sept 23, 2015 it was my flight to singapore but unfortunately na offload ako, this coming october 18 nag pa book ulet ako flight to SG.. i just want to ask kung okay na ba mga papers/documents na dadalin ko since i have a work hir in phils COE leave cert company id return ticket hotel voucher .. i also have a friend sa sg.. ask ko lang din if malalaman ba ng io if na offload na ako since wala naman mark ang passport ko..thankyou

    1. Hi Charlotte! I don’t know if they have records of offloaded passengers. Hindi ko rin masasabi kung okay na ba yung papers mo kasi nasa IO talaga yun but bring as many documents as you can lang, just in case irerequire nila. Good luck!

  29. Hello,

    Salamat sa iyong blog talagang nakakatolog sa akin. Pero may itatanong padin ako. Nagtratravel na ako sa ibang bansa 2013 with my foriegn bf. Now, we just got married. Sa nganyon ang tanong ko, kilangan ko ba pa ng CFO Sticker kahit magtravel lang kami sa Bali Indonesia as a tourist?. Sa ngayon ang siya sa US. this coming December we are going to meet in Bali Indonesia, Kailangan ko ba ang ticket ng asawa for Indonesia? May plano din kami na magkuha ng visa para sakin for Netherlands in INdonesia. Kung sasabuhin ko nakukuha din ako ng visa para sa Netherlands sa Indonesia ma rise up ba ang mga tanong ng IQ.?

    Salamat Po.

    1. Hi Quin! I think you only need to get the CFO once so kung nakuha mo na yun before, I think you can just use that. I don’t know kung kakailanganin mo ba ng kopya ng ticket ng asawa mo pa-Indonesia pero you might as well prepare it, wala namang mawawala sa yo. If you mention you will be getting a Netherlands visa in Indonesia, baka tatanungin ng IO bakit doon ka pa kukuha ng visa na meron namang embassy ng Netherlands dito sa Pilipinas. Good luck!

      1. Salamat sa quick replay. Pero hindi ako kumukuha ng CFO before. Baka lucky lang ako noon at kasama ko siya noon. Salamat again.

      2. Ah okay. Siguro, it might be best if you get a CFO certificate now, just in case ire-require, kasi nandoon sa rules na Filipinos who are meeting their foreign spouses/partners overseas dapat may CFO cert. Good luck!

  30. Hi everyone!

    Comments are closed as I am currently very busy with work. Please review the article and read through the other comments to look for situations similar to yours. If you feel that you really MUST ask my advice, such that you are willing to pay for my time, please send the details of your situation to travel@smalltowngirlsmidnighttrains.com — you will then receive a confirmatory email outlining the procedure for travel consultation together with my PayPal and BPI account details. 😀 Please note that this also applies even if you post your question on another article or in Facebook. 😀

    I wish there were more hours in the day so I have enough time for all the things that are important to me: family, work, this blog, etc. But since that’s not possible, this is the best I can do. 🙂 Have a wonderful day!