Will We Ever Meet? Pandemic Blues

Will We Ever Meet?

(Updated 18 August 2020)

One of my most popular posts here on PhilFqs is this one: How To Get My Filipino Girlfriend To The USA

I plan to do some extensive re-writing there and add some ideas I have about overcoming the difficulties single Filipinos face in getting tourist visas to visit the USA.

Many Americans tell me, “Hey I don’t want to know about getting visas like the US Fiancee visa (K-1 or K-2)

I Just Want To Meet My Freind in Person

In the past, I have always had a “pat” answer that many readers didn’t like, but it was always a course of action that worked, and it didn’t require anyone’s permission.

Just get a passport. get on a plane, and come here and spend some time with your friend.

But Now COVID 19 Has Gotten In The Way

As of now, and until further notice, only Filipinos and foreigners who are legally married to Filipinos are allowed to enter the Philippines.

How long will this last?  I don’t know.  It could need tomorrow.

But my (educated) guess is that it’s going to continue until 2021.

The Philippines simply can not afford infection rates like the USA is currently suffering.  They know very well here how opening the “floodgate” to tourists will cause huge increases in positive COVID cases and more importantly, hospitalizations.

So closing the “barn door” BEFORE the horse is stolen seems like a smart course of action to protect the country and its citizens …especially from travelers who come from the USA, where leadership is in denial.

I do not look for the relaxation of this entry decision for some time to come.

So She Can’t Get a Visa and He Can’t Come To The Philippines.

What the heck is a couple supposed to do?

Well, it’s not an easy time at all.  I am not a lawyer or any sort of professional visa consultant or advisor.

(These guys are, I highly recommend them)

But one thing you can’t certainly consider is having your friend meet you in one of the many countries aside from the USA where s/he can travel without a visa.

You coordinate a visit with him or her in a third-party country, and you have finally had the chance to meet and get to know each other.

In addition, should the meeting go really well and you decide to file a K-1 visa petition to bring your friend to the USA. you will have already satisfied one very important visa requirement … an in-person meeting, face-to-face.  (can be anywhere in the world, doesn’t have to be in the Philippines).

Where are those Countries Where Filipinos Can Travel Visa-free?

I thought you’d never ask ;-).  Here ya go, thanks Klook.com

Visa-Free Destinations for Philippine Passport Holders

Although the Philippines still has a long way to go in terms of travel freedom, currently ranking 74th out of 199 countries, there are still over 60 countries you can visit without obtaining a visa! So if you’re itching to travel anytime soon, check out the list of countries you can enter visa-free for your next getaway!

* Some of these destinations may not require you to head to their embassy for the visa application, but they will issue a visa on arrival or might need you to apply for an e-visa (like St. Petersburg, Russia just did!)

ASIA/OCEANIA

VISA-FREE

• Taiwan – 14 days

• Singapore – 30 days

• Indonesia – 30 days

• Malaysia – 30 days

• Hong Kong – 14 days

• Macau – 30 days

• Fiji – 4 months

• Thailand – 30 days

• Vietnam – 21 days

• Myanmar – 14 days

• Micronesia – 30 days

• Israel – 90 days

• Mongolia – 21 days

• Laos – 30 days

• Cambodia – 21 days

• Brunei – 14 days

• Vanuatu – 30 days

• Palestinian Territories

VISA ON ARRIVAL/E-VISA APPLICATION

• The Marshall Islands – 90 days

• Palau – 30 days

• Papua New Guinea – 60 days

• Armenia – 120 days

• Georgia — 30 days

• India – 60 days and must arrive through designated air/seaports

• Iran – 30 days

• Kyrgyzstan – 1 month, with visa on arrival available at Manas International Airport

• The Maldives – 30 days

• Nepal – 90 days

• Sri Lanka – 30 days

• Timor-Leste – 30 days

• Tajikistan – 45 days, arrival at Dushanbe International Airport

• Samoa – 60 days

• Tuvalu – 1 month

AMERICAS

VISA-FREE

• Bolivia – 90 days

• Brazil – 90 days

• Colombia – 90 days with an available 90-day extension

• Ecuador – 90 days

• Peru – 183 days

• Suriname – 90 days

• Costa Rica – 30 days with available extensions of up to 90 days

• Haiti – 3 months

• St Vincent and the Grenadines – 1 month

VISA ON ARRIVAL/E-VISA

• Nicaragua – 90 days

• Dominica – 21 days

• Saint Lucia – 6 weeks

• Saint Kitts and Nevis – 30 days

• Trinidad and Tobago

AFRICA

VISA-FREE

• The Ivory Coast – 90 days

• Morocco – 90 days

• Gambia – 90 days

• Rwanda – 90 days

VISA ON ARRIVAL/E-VISA

• Cape Verde

• Comoros – 45 days

• Djibouti – 31 days

• Guinea-Bissau – 90 days

• Kenya – 3 months

• Madagascar

• Malawi – 90 days

• Mauritania – visa available on arrival at Nouakchott-Oumtounsy International Airport

• Mauritius – 60 days

• Mozambique – 30 days

• Somalia – 30 days

• Togo – 7 days

• Uganda

• Gabon

• Lesotho

• Sao Tome and Principe

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

EUROPE

VISA ON ARRIVAL/E-VISA

• Russia – 8 days, exclusive to Kaliningrad Oblast and Leningrad region

My Recommendation:

Unequivocally, Bali, Indonesia.  A wonderful place, great people, culture and scenery and very foreigner-friendly.

So, perhaps the answer to Will We Ever Meet? is Yes.