A Simple Guide to Applying for a UK Visitor Visa (Philippines Edition)
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
If the title wasn’t clear enough, this guide is specifically for Filipinos applying for a UK Visitor Visa. If you’re applying for a different type of visa, I won’t be able to help. Now, let’s dive in!
I want to preface that 2023and 2024 have been amazing years of travel for me both for work and for leisure! I haven't been out of the country before my first work trip with my current company and it jump started pretty much everything for me. My first international trip after almost 30yrs of existence was in 2022 for Singapore and Indonesia, both for work. Most travels I've had after that were also for work. But going back to the UK Visa guide, I'll also provide some context about my situation to give you an idea how it will be like for you but please be warned that each experience will be different.
1. CONTEXT
My husband and I, together with family, wanted to spend Christmas in the UK. We all have different financial backgroumds but we all succeeded in acquiring our Standard Visitor Visa. One of the most important things to consider if you plan to spend a holiday in the UK will be financial capacity and I will explain this in depth later on. But essentially, this was our only purpose--spend some time with family and friends in the UK over the holidays.
2. REQUIREMENTS
The official UK visa application process starts here: Apply to Come to the UK.
The UK visa website is one of the easiest to navigate. It’s clear, concise, and straightforward. Start by checking the eligibility requirements to confirm you qualify for the visa you’re applying for. There are several visa types, so make sure you’re selecting the one that matches your purpose.
3. APPLICATIONS
For the Philippines, the actual Visa application procerss is handled by VFS Global--which in my opinion is very strategic as our experience with them was very quick and easy! First things first.
Website for application : https://www.vfsglobal.com/united-kingdom/
Once you're done with your eligibility check, you can proceed to go to the UK VFS website and continue with your application. Again, still one of the easiest Visa applications I've done by far. As you're completing this application here are some thing you may want to be extra caitous with :
- Home Ties - This is where you extensively talk about your work, family, community ties in depth. How long you've been with your company, do you have any properties or assets in your name etc. For most countries, the Philippines is stypically tagged as Medium/high risk so this is just a way to assure them of the genuineness of your intent.
- Finances - Again, this is just to show how capable you are to finance your trip. If someone's sponsoring your trip, just make sure the amount you'll spend on a daily basis will be commensurate to the total amount of spend you'll declare. If you're unsure about this, try to estimate how much tours are going to be etc--everything will fortunetely be on Google. For tours, you can also consult Klook for ballpark figures on how much things will be so you can a bit more depth on how much you'll be spending.
- Purpose - I honestly wasn't overthinking how I answered the questions, everything was justy straightforeard. I did spend some time on talking about what I wanted to visit, things I wanted to see and try etc--although this wasn't a formal itinerary, it was fun to fioll out.
4. BIOMETRICS
There’s no interview involved in the visa process, so it’s crucial to ensure your answers to the online questions are factual, relevant, truthful, and accurate. The biometrics appointment is solely for collecting your documents and biometrics. The entire process took us about 30 minutes. While there is a fair amount of waiting before being called, I have to say the VFS process is quite efficient. VFS will collect your passport and you will be contacted via text/email (depending on your preferred communication) once it is ready for pickup.
5. RESULT
We received an email notification that our passports were ready for pickup. The pickup process itself took only about five minutes—shorter than our drive to the VFS center! Sitting in the car, we opened our passports and were thrilled to finally see the visa sticker.
Honestly, we were elated. There’s always a cloud of anxiety during these processes, especially for Filipinos who often face more stringent requirements. While citizens of other countries can travel freely, Filipinos must provide extensive documentation—proof of income, assets, daily expenses, and more.
That said, the UK visa application process was one of the smoother ones I’ve experienced. I’ll share comparisons with other countries in a separate post.
Getting a visa regardless of the country is a very nuanced process fo Filipinos. There's a lot of fear mongering happening more than actual education of what documents are required, should you have this amount of money etc. Utlimately, my goal is to share how I go through these processes as a normal Filipino and hopefully make visa acquisition easier for every Filipino. Happy travels!
Ochi is a twenty-something Corporate Trainer who loves to cook, take photos and videos of her food, eat and travel. On weekends, she's either drunk or snuggling in bed watching her favorite crime drama. 
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