Getting any type of visa if you are in the Manila is quite rigorous. They will ask you a lot of questions and documents to present in order to show the embassy that you have enough funds to support your travel and you won’t jump ship or work illegally in that country. We can’t blame them for doing that since we all know that Filipinos will do everything to find a better place to work and live, even if it means risking being put in jail.

Good thing we are in Qatar and we have permanent work here, that getting a visa is quite easy. They know that you are a resident and you won’t leave the country just so suddenly. Just make sure all your documents are complete and present it to them.

First thing is to know and prepare the needed documents for your visa application. They outsource the visa application to VFS Global which is known as the largest outsourcing visa specialists. Their website is user-friendly and you will get almost all the answers there.

**For anyone who has valid US, UK, Ireland or Schengen visa — then you can obtain a Turkish e-visa at least 3 months prior to your dates of travel, which would make your life easier. Just go to Turkish E-Visa Online Application website, fill out their form and pay $20.00 by credit card.**

Anyhow, below is the list of the documents for a Tourist Visa for those who are too lazy to go to their website, hehe:

• Valid Passport
  • Passport must be valid for at least 6 months upon arrival in Turkey and have 2 full blank pages available
• Copy of passport’s data page (A4 size copy)
• Visa Application form filled and signed
• Recent biometric photograph
  • The photo should be of Turkish Visa size (50x60mm), white-coloured background and not more than 6 months old
• For Non-Qataris, a valid residence permit with one copy
  • Valid for at least 3 months while applying
• For Non-Qataris, a sponsor letter mentioning salary, position, and duration of employment
• Hotel and flight reservations
• Letter of Invitation (only if you are staying with a friend/relative)
• Bank Statement for the last 3 months
  • We were told that at least QAR 5,000.00 (Php 71,000.00) should be the ending balance to avoid immediate rejection
• Health Insurance covering the duration of your stay
  • We got ours through World Nomads at around $35.00 (QAR 127.00 or Php 1,800.00) for a one-week stay

Once you have prepared all the necessary documents, you should schedule your appointment at the application centre and pay the fees:

So if you will be getting a Single Entry Tourist Visa, you will have to pay a total of QAR 365.00 (Php 5,183.00) in cash which is non-refundable. You can also add QAR 8.00 (Php 113.00) for an SMS notification for your application.

VFS Global is at the 3rd Floor Jaidah Square Building, Airport Road, Doha. The landmark is Jarir Bookstore which is on the Ground Floor of the building. You have to log and show your QID in the lobby in order to get in.

Once you have passed everything and pay the necessary fees, they will provide you with a receipt with your application number in it. You can track your application online or if you subscribed to their SMS, you will be notified on each stage of your application.

If you have complied with all the requirements, rest assured that your visa will be approved. We were notified that ours were approved only after 3 days! Their standard processing time is 10 working days but if there are no issues, just like us, it will be lesser.

Once you received your SMS, you have to go back to VFS and collect your passport. Their passport collection is only between 4PM-5PM Sundays-Thursdays except for Public Holidays and 2PM-3PM during Ramadan.