hi ppl and thankyou

[poss30]

Havent been on here for a while but i have taken all your advice and im going to phili in april to meet my fiance and apply for visa.fully prepared thanks to this forum.i hope

Although im not taking thousands of pages of yahoo chat with me.Im going to take a pic of the list of dates we have chatted and print that off(cant seem to print that list off the pc for some reason)coz to be honest i dont want anybody else ready the stuff we have talked about its way to sensitive .

just a quick question if anybody knows

when i go to the bank to pay the visa fee can i take £500 sterling or do i have to go to money changer first to get peso.now i know that sounds like a stupid question becoz im going into a bank but it is the philippines and ive never set foot near one.4 shotguns and an ak-47 put me off.

anyway if nobody knows its fine.i just came back on to say thanks to everybody that gave me the advice last year it has helped me so much.

i still browse most days looking for info but i think im prepared now

take care guys i will post what happens with the application and what we handed in just in case it helps somebody else.if its successful of course

[andypaul]

Havent been on here for a while but i have taken all your advice and im going to phili in april to meet my fiance and apply for visa.fully prepared thanks to this forum.i hope

Although im not taking thousands of pages of yahoo chat with me.Im going to take a pic of the list of dates we have chatted and print that off(cant seem to print that list off the pc for some reason)coz to be honest i dont want anybody else ready the stuff we have talked about its way to sensitive .

just a quick question if anybody knows

when i go to the bank to pay the visa fee can i take £500 sterling or do i have to go to money changer first to get peso.now i know that sounds like a stupid question becoz im going into a bank but it is the philippines and ive never set foot near one.4 shotguns and an ak-47 put me off.

anyway if nobody knows its fine.i just came back on to say thanks to everybody that gave me the advice last year it has helped me so much.

i still browse most days looking for info but i think im prepared now

take care guys i will post what happens with the application and what we handed in just in case it helps somebody else.if its successful of course

Cant you send the money to the better halfs bank account?

[poss30]

she doesnt have one.the only bank account she knows is banko de poss

[poss30]

its ok andy ill find out when im there.im getting used to how it works over there now this will be my 4th time since feb 07.

im glad your on coz i remember your advice and would like to say thankyou

[andypaul]

Check back later im sure some one will have upto date advice.

The bank your planing on using is it near the missus, might be worth her asking inside. if its a small branch they might get a little shaky if a brit walks in with 500 quid in british money (how they tell if fake etc)

Most likely best to gt your missus a gfmc card or even yourself so you can draw the money as pesos

Then not have to worry about the days exchange rate or if the bank will accept you just know in a phill bank it will take hours for the cashier to speak to her supervisor her to her manager the manager to their area manager etc etc. Even if others tell you and the Mahal checks out for you in advance.

[poss30]

these are the banks i meen fella off the british embassy manila website.im sure they will take sterling but im the kinda guy that likes to go armed with all the info


To reduce your waiting time at the Application Centre, we recommend that you prepay your visa fees at any branch of Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of Philippine Islands, Banco De Oro, or Metro Bank.

If you are pre-paying at a bank:
- The bank will accept fees only in cash
- Please carry a photo copy of the passport data page to the bank
- You can schedule an appointment one day after date of deposit of fees at the bank
- You can also visit the Application Centre without an appointment on the next working day. However, waiting times may be longer for applicants who have not taken an appointment.
- The bank's fee receipt will be valid for 45 days from date of issue. Please turn in your application within that period.

[poss30]

no not near missus she lives binangonan but shes meeting me in manila so we can sort everything out befor 2 weeks in peurto galera

[poss30]

binangonan rizal.sorry

[poss30]

prob just being daft becoz they are the main banks its just ive never been in 1 of them to see if they exchange sterling and i dont want to be walking around makati with 500 in my pocket if i need to change it to peso. want it all done as quick as poss so i can sod off to the beach lol.i hate city's

[andypaul]

these are the banks i meen fella off the british embassy manila website.im sure they will take sterling but im the kinda guy that likes to go armed with all the info


To reduce your waiting time at the Application Centre, we recommend that you prepay your visa fees at any branch of Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of Philippine Islands, Banco De Oro, or Metro Bank.

If you are pre-paying at a bank:
- The bank will accept fees only in cash
- Please carry a photo copy of the passport data page to the bank
- You can schedule an appointment one day after date of deposit of fees at the bank
- You can also visit the Application Centre without an appointment on the next working day. However, waiting times may be longer for applicants who have not taken an appointment.
- The bank's fee receipt will be valid for 45 days from date of issue. Please turn in your application within that period.

Well some remittance companies will allow you to pick up cash at the counter from these banks. You could arrange the pick up at the branch and then simply pay it in. Job done no strolling around with hefty amounts.

If you can speak to the manager or your mahal can then you could transfer it straight to them job done.

Strolling round with 500 quid in pesos or sterling is a bit iffy imo.

[poss30]

what do you meen by remittance companies.sorry if im being stupid. im taking sterling for the visa and holiday because last time my visa debit card would not work in the atm's and i got a bit stuck. my main prob was changing 500 sterling into peso with money changer (bad idea imo). theres a metro bank near robinsons mall in makati so i was gonna get taxi with 500 in my pocket to robinsons then just go to bank but i dont know if they take sterling for visa or if they change money.never been in a bank in phili. so hows it work with the remittance companies

[poss30]

do you know if the banks in phili are like here.where they have currency exchange coz like i say ive never been near one.way to many weapons in 1 place for me

[poss30]

i just worry to much damn this stella.phili banks especially the main ones have goto love sterling surely.so plan is go to metro bank in makati with my mahal and a copy of her passport and £500.ill sit back and chill next to the guy with a kalashnikov and let her do the talking

[andypaul]

what do you meen by remittance companies.sorry if im being stupid. im taking sterling for the visa and holiday because last time my visa debit card would not work in the atm's and i got a bit stuck. my main prob was changing 500 sterling into peso with money changer (bad idea imo). theres a metro bank near robinsons mall in makati so i was gonna get taxi with 500 in my pocket to robinsons then just go to bank but i dont know if they take sterling for visa or if they change money.never been in a bank in phili. so hows it work with the remittance companies

Type remittance in to search


basically companies which you give the money you want to convert to pesos or whatever and send it over.

examples are xoom, philrem and pnb to name three

[poss30]

yeah never thought of that i looked at pnb off a post on another thread coz ive been using western $$$$$$$$ union

[poss30]

so i can use pnb to send money to any bank in phil for pickup

[andypaul]

yeah never thought of that i looked at pnb off a post on another thread coz ive been using western $$$$$$$$ union

spend thirty mintues looking into cheaper options you will save enough to buy a crate of smb for phill and if large amounts enough for a crate of stella before the price hike this weekend

[andypaul]

so i can use pnb to send money to any bank in phil for pickup

there are several companies pnb being one which bank you looking at metrobank i presume?


remittance companies have tie ups with various banks so some cheaper and faster for one etc

[poss30]

lol.never bothered looking becoz she doesnt have a bank account and i thought she needed one to use other avenues.hopefully she will be with me june/july anyway.just in time for our 3 weeks of summer.thanks again.helpful as always and i hope to put mine and my mahal's successful experience on here soon

[poss30]

Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of Philippine Islands, Banco De Oro, or Metro Bank.
any of them to be honest.i just know where the metro bank is coz ive been to robinsons mall in makati.ill look into it all tho ive got over 3 weeks to sort it.now you have give me a few options to look at

[poss30]

i just find it a bit strange that you can walk into 1 of them banks and pay for the visa application

[vbkelly]

its ok andy ill find out when im there.im getting used to how it works over there now this will be my 4th time since feb 07.

im glad your on coz i remember your advice and would like to say thankyou

why you don't open her an account,so in that way you can send your money to her

[Pepe n Pilar]

Here are two options to choose from:
1) Let your fiancee open a savings account in any Bank just as long as she presents 2 valid id's (passport, SSS, company id, driver's license, TIN, voter's id, postal id etc) So you can send the money direct to her account thru a corresponding bank which will take 3-5 banking days. Ex. Barclays, Bank of London or Citibank is a corresponding bank of BPI.
2) You can send the money to any tie-up company of big banks ie. Xoom (a tie-up company of Banco de Oro) then your gf can pick up the cash even without an account maintained with that Bank. She will just be asked of a tracking number which you nominated when you send the cash to her. You will then give it to her which she will present to the counter when claiming the cash. She will just have to present 2valid id's.
Money transferred fom your account to your gf's account is automatically converted into peso or US dollar. With Western Union ( a remittance company) when claiming the cash the teller will ask the recipient if she wants it in peso or USdollar. If you will submit documents personally to the visa office then you will have to pay in Manager's Check in peso.

[poss30]

thanks but im going personally to submit the visa with her.hopefully she wont need bank account in phili becoz she will be with me soon.not sure how long it takes to open bank account in phili anyway if true to form it will take ages.

im going to bank to pay visa with cash like the vfs site says you can.i just wondered if you can walk in the bank with £500 sterling or you have to take peso.anyway i will find out in april and let you know

i appreciate your time

[andypaul]

Bank accounts are one of the things which seem to be pretty easy to open as long as you have the correct paperwork.

its up to you.

But just from experience its handy to have an account in phill but to be honest just from picking up over the counter you will save money in exchange rates. Will you need to pay the air fare for your Missus?

Also worth having one open for when you return in the future or need to buy a propety, help a family member?

[walesrob]

I opened an account at HSBC in Manila, the process is very simple even for me as a non-resident of Philippines. I can send money through Internet Banking here in the UK, its easy, no hassle.

As far as I remember you (or your lady) would need 2 forms of ID and proof of address, thats about it. Individual banks have different requirements, but I don't think its that difficult to open an account.

[poss30]

yeah thanks for that guys.i will do it when im with my gf then.my bank is barclays here but if we open an hsbc bank account in phili and i open a hsbc bank account in england its gotto be cheaper than western *****. if .no no no when my mahal gets visa im gonna fly over to bring her back with me also ive put on the application i will be available if needed if we get interview.

im dont want my mahal walking around schipol airport lost .only thing is i use klm coz they fly from durham tees vally which is 5 mins away but i cant get one way flight for her only in business class £1500 cheapest for 1 way im gonna have to ring them

[poss30]

have any of you bought a ticket for 1 way from phili to uk? i cant understand when u try with klm it will only let you do business class.£1500 for 1 way flight is stupid when i can get economy flight for £533 return and i cant afford that

[andypaul]

yeah thanks for that guys.i will do it when im with my gf then.my bank is barclays here but if we open an hsbc bank account in phili and i open a hsbc bank account in england its gotto be cheaper than western *****. if .no no no when my mahal gets visa im gonna fly over to bring her back with me also ive put on the application i will be available if needed if we get interview.

im dont want my mahal walking around schipol airport lost .only thing is i use klm coz they fly from durham tees vally which is 5 mins away but i cant get one way flight for her only in business class £1500 cheapest for 1 way im gonna have to ring them

My wife bought a ticket one way (quite common in phill) using KLM via Scipol far easier to buy in phill than by a brit in the UK.

You don't need an account say you want to transfer money for example by phill rem or pnb you can ring them up and give them the details via debit card or transfer money into a local bank over the counter with say barclays for philrem and they do all the work.

The exchange rate with westen union

£ 500.00 Money transfer fee* £ 37.00 Total estimated amount £ 537.00

Estimated exchange rate 1 United Kingdom Pound = 81.4347891 Philippine Peso
Estimated local currency pay out = 40717.40 Philippine Peso

pnbs rate 84.15 and 5 pound charge = 42075 pesos

phill rem 83.90 and 7 pound charge =41950 pesos

plenty more remittance companies the two i used as examples are not perfect imo, you can pay more to have the money delivered direct to her door if you really want.

[poss30]

i will be there with her andy.so i get my mahal to ring klm and book flight back.same filght as mine using my card and it only costs maybe 500