How to Apply for a UK Tourist Visa (Cebu City, Philippines)

/ Christine Layumas

I have read a few articles online on how to apply for a UK Visa in Cebu and I thought I’d make an updated one since I just applied for my boyfriend’s tourist visa to the UK last April 7, 2016.

My boyfriend and I will be travelling to the UK to watch the World Ultimate & Guts Championships 2016 this June and being the busy man that he is (as if I’m not busy), I became his instant travel agent.

I searched online and found out that we can apply for his tourist visa here in Cebu through VFS Global in Keppel Center. We went there to inquire but their staff won’t accommodate inquiries. They will only accommodate you if you have an appointment to submit your documents. They’ll just tell you to go online so don’t bother going there to inquire. Also, make an appointment only when your travel date is in three months or less.

How to Start the Application

  1. Register an account at – UK Online Application
  2. Create an application and fill up the online form thoroughly. You will be asked to fill out information about your:
    • Passport & Travel Information
    • Personal Details & Travel History
    • Family Details
    • Employment & Income
    • Family and Friends in the UK
  3. Review everything before submitting your application because once you have clicked “confirm” and have digitally signed your application, you may no longer edit it. So double check everything!
  4. Pick your appointment schedule and pay for the visa fee via credit card or bank deposit.
    • Visa Fee Breakdown: (For Cebu applicants only)
      • Visa Fee          – USD 123.60
      • User Pay Fee – USD 75.40
      • Total                 – USD 199
  5. Print your appointment confirmation and prepare your documents. You may also prepare your documents first before making an appointment. In our case, I scheduled his appointment 2 weeks before so that I’ll have enough time to prepare.

Supporting Documents

  1. Valid Passport
  2. One Passport Sized Photo with white background (45mmx35mm)
  3. VFS Appointment letter – sent to your email
  4. Printed Application Form
  5. Previous travel documents/passports
  6. Financial Documents
    • Bank Certificate with six months bank statement or passbook – You may request this from your bank. We got it an hour after requesting it from BDO Gorordo
    • Credit Card Statements
    • Property Titles – I just attached the receipt of our car under my boyfriend’s name and its registration.
    • Proof of Earnings
      • Income Tax Return
      • Payslips, if employed
  7. Details of Employment or Studies
    • Student – A letter from your school or education provider, on headed paper, confirming your enrolment and leave of absence.
    • Employee – A letter from your employer, on headed paper, detailing your role, salary, length of employment, and confirming leave of absence.
    • Business Owner – Business registration documents confirming the business owner’s name and date the business started trading. This may include DTI/SEC Registration, BIR Registration, Mayor’s Permit (A photocopy would be okay. My boyfriend brought all the original documents but VFS only got the photocopy).
  8. Travel Details
    • Plane ticket bookings – We bought our ticket ahead of time.
    • Hotel/accommodation bookings – I booked refundable hotels at Hotels.com
    • Itinerary – Sample (UK Itinerary)
  9. Supporting documents of family or friends in the UK
    • Invitation letter from family or friend – We had an invitation letter from the UK Ultimate Ltd. as guests to the Team Philippines delegation during the tournament. We attached this on the application.
    • Financial Documents of your family or friend

Appointment at VFS Cebu (as narrated by my boyfriend)

We arrived 30 minutes before my boyfriend’s appointment time and they just let him in. Cellphones are not allowed inside. Please also bring a ballpen just in case. I had to go back to our car to get a ballpen.

The staff there arranged his documents. Make sure to put everything in a brown envelope. I have read that the documents should be put on a plastic envelope but they didn’t allow this. They instead asked for the documents to be put on a brown envelope. Also, separate the original documents from the other documents because the only original document they got was my boyfriend’s NSO. They just took the photocopy of the other documents.

After sorting all his documents, he went into a tiny room with a staff who asked him to state his name and asked him the countries he has visited in the past 5 years. He had his photo taken and his fingerprints as well. The whole process took less than 2 hours to complete.

We were told to wait 15 working days to receive the verdict. My boyfriend signed up for the text service for an additional fee of Php 200 (from what he recalled) but it didn’t help too much since they will also email you once there has been a decision on your application.

The Verdict

My boyfriend’s visa was approved!! The whole wait took only around 10 working days. His appointment was on April 7th and we received his passport on April 21st through 2GO. You may also choose to pick up your passport at VFS but the staff said it’s faster if we have it shipped through 2GO. Sorry can’t share at the moment a picture of his visa because his passport is still at the Italian Embassy.

It was a fast process and this is way easier than applying for a US Tourist Visa since there’s no interview and it’s available in Cebu thanks to VFS!

VFS Global Services Philippines Private Inc., 
9th Floor, Keppel Center, Unit 905, Samar Loop
cor. Cardinal Rosales Avenue, 
Cebu Business Park, Cebu City 6000

They are open Monday to Friday during the following times: (Based on the VFS Website)

Application Submission (with prior appointment) – 7:00-13:00

Pick Up Time – 14:00-16:00

Hopefully my post has helped you in preparing for your visa application. lol Still crossing our fingers that my boyfriend’s Schengen Tourist Visa will be approved. We just submitted his documents yesterday. For more questions about our UK Tourist Visa Application experience, just leave a comment below! 🙂

Good luck on your application and safe travels!<3theadventuresoftingting

30 thoughts on “How to Apply for a UK Tourist Visa (Cebu City, Philippines)”

  1. Hi! When you submitted the application were you able to select Cebu VAC? I’m trying to book an appointment at Cebu VAC but currently the only option is Manila. Thanks!

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    • I was actually able to book an appointment at the Cebu VAC.. Maybe you can try to contact VFS cebu? Sorry I can’t be that much of a help because when I booked our appointment, the Cebu option was there. 🙂

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    • Hi Mich..were you able to book an appointment for cebu?if so id like to ask how u did it as im having the same prob as you. I couldnt find any option for Cebu..only Manila..looking forward to your reply. Sol

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  2. Hello. I have the same problem with you Mich. I am using the new link (not the VISA4UK link which I have an account) to create my application and only Manila option shows. Mich, where you able to make an appointment at the Cebu VAC? Help! 🙂

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  4. Hi my niece is planning to apply a visit visa to uk,. how can she pay online? Will world pay accept bank transfer? As she doesn’t have have a visa credit card..is the application thru cebu always use the VFS .Global? pls reply ASAP
    Thank you
    Jeanette

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    • Hi Jeanette!

      I’m not quite sure with how you can pay through bank transfer because I paid through credit card but I’m sure that there will be payment instructions for bank transfer before she needs to pay. And yes you need to go through VFS Global if you’re applying here in Cebu City.

      Hope this helps! 🙂

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  5. Hello, I’m about to submit my UK application but there’s no Cebu option for Visa application center page only Manila. Do you know why?

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  6. Hi Christine, kapag ba nag pa appointment ka thru online on vfs uk pwedeng mahuli na yung online payment? or kailangan muna mag pay bago magpa appointment? thank you hope to hear from you.

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      • Hi westend i have question again, sorry! Im trying to answer the UK visa application form via online.
        Theres a question there

        1.”Have you been issued any visa for the UK, UK Overseas Territories or Commonwealth Country in the last 10 years?” i searched on this and found out that Australia, Singapore and Malaysia is part of commonwealth country. Ilalagay ko siya diba if nakapunta nako?

        2. Yung nagpunta kaba ng appointment center VFS in Manila, ang binayaran mo lang is fee for: Courier Service and SMS service?

        3. Wala na ba babayaran na VFS Handling fee? Kasama na ba siya doon sa visa fee na binayaran mo online once you submitted the application?

        Thank you again.

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  7. Hi Christine i have a question again, sorry! Im trying to answer the UK visa application form via online.
    Theres a question there

    1.”Have you been issued any visa for the UK, UK Overseas Territories or Commonwealth Country in the last 10 years?” i searched on this and found out that Australia, Singapore and Malaysia is part of commonwealth country. Ilalagay ko siya diba if nakapunta nako?

    2. Yung nagpunta kaba ng appointment center VFS in Manila, ang binayaran mo lang is fee for: Courier Service and SMS service?

    3. Wala na ba babayaran na VFS Handling fee? Kasama na ba siya doon sa visa fee na binayaran mo online once you submitted the application?

    Thank you again.

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  9. Hi! I find this blog so helpful. Unlike the problem stated above, I was able to select Cebu as an Option. I just would like to ask if the Travel details is really a must? I’m planning to book a ticket once my Visa is approved already. Thank you 🙂

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  10. Hello, Miss Christine. Good day! I hope this still work 😊 I would like to ask if asa ta magpay for the visa? We are applying for uk visa and already got the application form but after we filled out the form we don’t see any option for visa fee, only the services. The only problem is we don’t know where to pay and we still didn’t receive any email about the confirmation of our schedule interview. Can you help us or give any opinion or suggestion? Thank you miss christine 😊 hope to get your reply soon 😊

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    • Hi Irish,

      It was actually 2 yrs ago since I applied so I can’t concretely remember how I paid but I tried opening my UK Visa online account and can you try to do this:

      1. Go to ‘View my Applications’ at the menu above

      2. Under ‘My Applications’, your completed form will be there. The processes are there:

      -Application Completed
      -Sign Declaraton/Declaration Signed
      -Book Appointment
      -Pay For Application – CLICK THIS

      Hope this helps 🙂

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  11. Hi Miss Christine, thanks for the reply 😊 but i think i messed up something or i don’t know. This is my first time, i’m from cebu but when we filled out the form we used gov.uk and got email confirmation of our appointment date in manila but til now we still didn’t receive any message from vfs cebu or manila maybe we still didn’t pay for the visa but we didn’t see payment option for the visa when we finished the application, all we pay is for the service pack which cost php500 for checking docs before going to appointment. Are we still applying vfs here in cebu? For they can just forward my documents in manila at the said date appointment? What should we do? Can you give me the link where we can see the payment option for the visa fee? Thanks alot miss Christine 😊

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