Singapore to Europe by Land: Visa Requirements for Filipinos

Following an album we posted about the journey from Singapore to Europe (Russia) by land, undertaken by TripZilla’s very own Editor, Dina, a lot of our Filipino readers have been asking about visa requirements.

We certainly don’t want to stop you from fulfilling your travel dreams because of visa restrictions! Therefore, we’ve quickly dished out a rough visa guide to help you recreate this EPIC land trip.

To recap, this is the sequence of countries that Dina traversed:

Singapore → Malaysia → Thailand → Laos → Vietnam → China → Mongolia → Russia

Southeast Asia

Filipinos obviously will not have a problem traversing through the Southeast Asian countries included in this itinerary. Dina spent about two weeks in this leg of her journey but you can go longer, especially if it is your first time in these countries.

Also read: Backpacking Southeast Asia: 10 Days in 5 Countries with Just ₱25k (All-In)

Here’s a quick guide on how long you can stay, visa-free, in each Southeast Asian country:

• Singapore – 30 days
• Malaysia – 30 days
• Thailand – 30 days
• Laos – 30 days
• Vietnam – 21 days

China

Unfortunately, visa-free entry to China for Filipinos is only applicable to Hainan Province (15 days), Hong Kong (14 days) and Macao (30 days). If you want to visit Beijing as Dina did, you will have to get yourself a Chinese visa prior to your trip.

The following are the basic requirements to get a Chinese visa:

• A valid passport, with at least one page clear from both sides for the visas and valid for the next six months.
• A visa application form, completed and signed in capital English letters. You can obtain your copy here.
• One coloured photo — recent, front view, white background and in 48mm x 33mm size without head covering. Glue (not staple, taped, clipped or detached) in the appropriate field.
• Travel itinerary. Space is provided in the application form but you can use a separate sheet if necessary. Simply indicate the dates, activities and place of stay.
• Ticket and hotel reservations. However, if you are staying at a friend’s or relative’s, have an invitation letter ready (printed, faxed or photocopied). The letter should contain the applicant’s full name, gender, date of birth, passport number and other relevant details, the inviting person’s full name, contact numbers, address, signature, stamp and relation to the applicant as well as other relevant information regarding the trip including who will be shouldering the expenses. Also include a photocopy of the inviter’s Chinese ID or passport with Chinese Residence Permit.

The following documents are also being required:

• For first time Chinese visa applicants:
  • Bank Certificate of Deposit Balance(including the past 6 months bank statement) and the receipt for payment of this certificate;
  • BIR-stamped Income Tax Return Form;
  • Certificate of Employment (detailing the salary and the length of employment );
  • Business Registration Certificate (if you are the owner);
  • Professional ID/Student ID (if applicable);
  • Other relevant documents proving the applicant’s economic condition/ employment/study, or supporting the applicant’s travel to China, or explaining the travel purpose (if applicable)
• Previous Chinese Visa

Visa fee are as follows:

You can submit your application in person, through someone you trust or via a travel agency. Regular processing time is 4 working days however you can have it released after 3 days for an additional ₱1,100 or after 2 days for an additional ₱1,700 per visa. Express and rush services are not applicable for first time applicants.

For more details, check this link.

Mongolia

Rejoice because Filipinos can stay in Mongolia for up to 21 days without a visa! Now you can go and enjoy the vast desert landscapes of the country for three weeks at most.

Russia

Filipinos will have to apply for a single or double entry (very rare) tourist visa to Russia, which allows them to stay in the country for no longer than 30 days.

The following paperwork should be submitted to the Consulate to obtain a visa:

• Visa application form, filled in online and printed.
• A valid passport, with at least one page clear from both sides for the visas and valid for not less than six months since the date of departure from Russia.
• One passport-sized photo attached to the application form with glue.
• A standard travel confirmation from a hosting authorised Russian travel agency, accredited by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a copy of a travel voucher from the same travel agency in Russia (per application). Fax and e-mail copies are acceptable. The confirmation must contain the (1) agency’s reference number, (2) registration number, (3) the date of entry to and the date of exit from Russia, (4) the purpose of the trip, (5) the number of entries to Russia.
• Tickets that contain dates similar to the ones indicated in the confirmation and application forms.
• Visa fee to be paid to the UNITED COCONUT PLANTERS BANK after submitting all of the documents. Keep in mind that the fees are not subject for reimbursement if the application is refused. The fees are as follows:

For more details, check the links here and here.

BONUS: Central Europe

Since you’re already in Moscow, you probably would like to head out to Europe and travel even more because…why not? From Russia, there are various land connections to cities like Paris, Berlin, or even London!

You have two options to enter Europe:

Route 1: Through Belarus

If you would like to explore Belarus, you need to apply for a tourist visa by submitting the following documents to the local Consular office:

• A completed visa questionnaire
• 1 passport photo
• Original letter of invitation with signature or seal (if business) of the inviting party
• Other documents required by the Consular office (depending on purpose of visit and type of visa)
• Passport valid at least 90 days after the expiry of the visa

For more details, check this site.

Route 2: Through the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)

To enter these places, you will need to apply for a Schengen Visa passport and you should be able to visit 23 more EU and EFTA member countries.

Whew. That’s a whole bunch of visas to apply for but nothing’s impossible when you want to fulfill your dreams, right? You might even want to head to Canada, USA or South America (mostly visa free!!!) and you will have gone on an epic trip around the world! Congrats!