How To Apply For Australian Tourist Visa in the Philippines + Tips

The Beauty Junkee in Sydney, Australia, 2013

I'm leaving for Cairns, Queensland, Australia for an adventure of a lifetime courtesy of Philippine Airlines. I will be visiting the Great Barrier Reef! I've only been reading about one of the biggest reef systems in the world in science books and it has never crossed my mind that I will get to visit it one day, but truly, dreams do come true. I have secured my approved visa two weeks ago and I thought of sharing the process of application for Australian Tourist Visa in the Philippines today.

Why visit Australia? Personally, if there's another country that I'd love to live in aside from the Philippines and Japan, it would be Australia. Because it is abundant in flora and fauna, perfect for the nature lover in me; I need nature that's why even if I'm having a love-hate relationship with my country right now, I would still want to live and die here at the end of the day because the Philippines is blessed with the best natural wonders.

Okay, before my post gets political, I'll take you through the process of applying for an Australian Tourist visa in the Philippines:

 STEP 1: Download the mandatory forms at the Australian Embassy website

There are two forms you need to download:

1. Application for Tourist Visa Form Subclass 600 (Click HERE for the form)
2. VISA Checklist (Click HERE for the form)

Fill up the forms promptly and no erasures, please.

Update: VISA Checklist form has been updated; you will be handed the updated version in the visa processing office so no need to download this form. But if you want to be sure, download it anyway.

STEP 2: Gather all necessary documents

Here's a quick list of the important documents that I filed together with the application form and checklist:

1. Latest Birth certificate (Photocopy only)

2. Latest Bank Certificate (Photocopy only; Not older than 3 months; Address to EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA 1st- 5th fl., Dona Salustiana Dee Ty Tower 104 Paseo De Roxas, Makati City)

3. Certificate of Employment

4. Latest copy of Income Tax Return

5. 2 Passport Photos (one for each form)

6. Photocopy of the details page of latest passport, notarized (Passport should not be expiring in 6 months)

7. Other supporting documents (Please visit VFS Global's website, the partner agency of Embassy of Australia in the Philippines)

8. Australian Visa Fee (P5,000.00; Managers Check; pay to AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY, prepare P50.00 to produce MC (for BDO customers))

9. Visa processing fee (for walk- ins; P625.00)

For the supporting documents, I presented the following:

1. SEC Certificate/Business Registration

2. Photocopied and notarized pages of my old passport with proof of travel to Japan and Australia. You can present proof of travel to or visas from OECD countries if you have any and Japan and Australia are one of them.

3. Proof of intention of travel aka plane tickets

If you are traveling with your family or other people and lack any of the documents, for example, ITR, file copies of Affidavit of Support from your family/group and other primary documents from them, particularly Business Registration, Bank Certificate, and Certificate of Employment.

STEP 3: File your application

VFS Global is the partner agency of Embassy of Australia in the Philippines. There are three ways to file your application:

1. Walk- in- go to VFS Global and file your documents.

2. Courier- ship your documents and forms to VFS Global. Prepare one way fee of P1,115.00 for the pick up. Cheque must be paid to VFS SERVICES PHILIPPINES PRIVATE INC.

3. Online- file your application online at VFS Global's website

Personally, I always prefer walking in when filing visa applications. The address of VFS Global is Mezzanine floor, Ecoplaza Building, Don Chino Roces ext., Makati City. Office number is 790-4900. Australia Visa office can be accessed via an external escalator at the driveway of the building.

IMPORTANT: Filing of Australian Visa application is from 8AM-4PM only.

That's it! You will be issued a ticket that you should keep as it contains the reference number that you will use at VFS Global's website to track the status of your application.

If your visa application is approved, you have options in claiming it:

1. Pick- up

2. Courier

3. Email

Australian Visa grant

To save time, resources, and money, I opted for the visa grant to be emailed to me. Someone from the Australian Embassy emailed the grant to me.

TIPS:

1. Processing of my visa application took 10 days only. But still, it's best to apply 1 month before your travel date.

2. To be sure, print a copy of your Australia Visa Grant and bring it with you to the trip.

3. If you are going to file your documents personally, you have to leave your items in a locker at the VFS Global office. No bags allowed inside the Australia Visa application office; only the necessary documents, pen, and cellphone (but cellphone usage is not allowed inside the office). Locker charge is P75.00.

4. Don't buy tickets before you get the result of your application!

5. Processing fees are non- refundable if your application is denied.

6. Bring government IDs like GSIS and SSS for the checklist form.
7. Always best to have at least 6 digits in your bank account for the bank certificate.

Hope you found this entry very useful. Many thanks to Maye of The Travel Junkie for helping me out on my application- it's been three years since my first visit to Australia and I've completely forgotten about the process already LOL.

Great Barrier Reef, here I come!