I've been to a lot of embassies - it's part of my job. But so far, one my favorite is the…read moreSingaporean Embassy in Taguig. Nevermind that it's one of the biggest foreign embassies in Manila, or that it's design is so avant garde it tends to be a bit polarizing during dinner parties that the Ambassador loves throwing. The best part about the embassy is its people. The Ambassador here is one of the best people you can ever hope to work with in the diplomatic corps. None of the ego and power-tripping everyone in my field has come to expect from embassy officials. Even the staff are amazing, which is saying something. THIS is what the diplomatic corps should be.

This rating is even generous compared to the service they provided. Walked in to talk to a…read morerepresentative since a phone call will lead to nothing. The multiple guards outside and at the window don't know anything at all and the directives given them don't help. I was told that the embassy doesn't have any customer representative that will assist personally. I was given a small slip with the phone # and email address in it if I want to inquire anything. It's very difficult to secure an appointment to apply for a visa. They had a date set to release the slots but were immediately taken as it opened. They don't give out extra dates and times but advise you to reach out to the accredited agencies. It doesn't make it easier because the agencies don't have available slots either. I can't believe that the Korean embassies have different policies on their visa requirements. Disappointed? Very! How I wish I settled seeking visa from the country I came from, if only I was not crunched for time.

Thanks for nothing. We were told to reschedule an appointment that was made way too early. First…read moreemail, was told to check website for available appointment when December opens. Second email, was given a site to reach out. Called using the app that disconnects you after waiting for about an hour. Tried again and finally got to speak with someone after another 45minutes of waiting. Was told all is good and will receive a confirmation email with the rescheduled appointment. No confirmation was sent. Email received asking for documents. Documents sent. Email received just to inform me that I can no longer reschedule but had to schedule and pay for a new appointment. Some premium lounge service. Nothi g premium about customer service. I do not recommend this agency. Useless! No help at all.

The first time I ever used the services of VFS Global in Makati was when I took a trip to London…read moreand Ireland. I had to lodge my application via an agent who made the appointment for me and all I had to do was fill up the application form, make sure I had all my requirements completed, and show up for the submission, answer some quick queries about my trip, and then have my thumbprints and photo taken. The process was pretty straightforward and since we had an appointment at a not so busy time, the application process was very quick. To further expedite the processing of my visa I was offered to pay an extra fee and they were able to speed up and deliver my visa to the UK and Ireland. The second time around was for my visa to Australia and I went through the same quick process but minus the interview and photo with thumb marks. The process was even a lot quicker and I swear I was in and out in just about twenty minutes. The agent processing my papers were very quick and friendly. They answered my queries and addressed my minor concerns quite well. I was very happy with this service and I think it's quite clever of the embassies to avail of their services. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to apply for visas.

In my opinion, the worst "embassy" experience. EVER. First off all, the requirements to get a visa…read moreon their site is not clearly defined. Secondly, the people who work here are the rudest people you will ever meet. Their "embassy" is miserable; cramped and, when I was there, had only one freakin' fan to ventilate the room (it was also the peak of summer. It was sooo uncomfortable!). For me, the whole process to get a single entry Visa was just NOT worth the time and money. When I mean money, everything I spent was enough for me to apply for a US Visa. Not. Worth. It. For me to get my Travel Visa, it took me 4 whole days! I wish I was joking but, no. I don't even know where to start to explain how horrible this experience was for me! Basically, this is what happened: Day 1(Tuesday): arrived at TECO, waited for 2 hours, was denied because my documents were not "valid" (one of my documents was my Taipei Visa from 2 months before which the lady as about to throw away because it was 'useless') AND because I am a solo female traveller (WTF?!) Day 2 (Wednesday): woke up early to get my NSO birth certificate at the NSO office because, apparently, the birth certificate you have to present has to be original and very recent; returned to TECO only to be told that I missed the cutoff by 5 MINUTES! (Totally trip from home to Quezon City to Makati was 6 hours of my life that I will never get back) Day 3 (Thursday): arrived at TECO 2 hours before cutoff, stayed in line until after 12NN, passed the document requirements, told that my Visa will be available for release on Monday (the day I had to fly to Taipei), given the option to return the next day to pay for a "rush fee"... Day 4 (Friday): arrived for the Visa release cutoff; stayed there until 4PM, paid the "rush fee" and got my Visa by 530PM! OMG!!! The whole process of applying for a Taipei Visa is just sooo inconvenient!!! They'll make you travel back and forth to their office because they will constantly tell you that you're missing something each time. In addition, just about every other country I've applied a Visa to gives the minimum of 4-6 months but not Taipei. Does this mean Taiwan doesn't want people from other countries to visit? So, they don't need the tourism? I don't know with Taipei but, for me, I won't be heading back to Taipei unless I really really needed to. HOWEVER, I know many of you out there need to get a Taipei Visa one way or another. So, here are my learnings for a hassle-free process: a) If you have a US Visa, Australian Visa or Japan Visa, apply online! You will just print it at home and not even step into this horrible place. b) Have a travel agency do it for you! Yep, pay other people deal with the stress. It's worth every peso!

I've gotten my tourist visa last February for a trip on last March to Taiwan. It's too bad, we…read morestill need visa for Taiwan, even though its an Asian country. The country's beautiful, people are very helpful and there's a whole lot of foodtrip wating for you out there (Asia countries are best on spices and weird foods!) Process of getting a tourist visa in Taiwan Taipei Economic Cultural Office is pretty simple. You just need to fill up the online form on their website, print it and submit it with supplementary documents such as your birth certificate, bank statement / certificate. passport photo and your certificate of employment. Passport is mandatory, of course. :) Application is from 8 till lunch time and then releasing of documents is in the afternoon. Make sure you are early cause there's a lot of people applying for visa and the office is small. And be patient with the clerks and staff.. they tend to be masungit. Be on their good side. :) Don't forget to ask the guards any questions. There was an instance where there were just only a few of people left in the room for releasing, numbers not getting called, we asked the guard, it turns out they are already closing and the clerks are just waiting for you to approach them. So there. :)

Switzerland is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and I am so blessed to have such a…read moredeeply rooted relationship with this country. Their democracy, beauty, quality of life, and culture is utterly amazing. The embassy of Switzerland in Manila is small but they are well organized and have good relations with the locals and expats alike. There is also a sense of community in their activities and events and its always interesting for me to be up to date with their news and current events as I consider Switzerland my second home and a place I travel to every year. Their relationship with the Philippines aims in bringing together a better understanding of Swiss culture, business, politics, and economics to better bridge the gap that we have in working together. Of course their reputation of being a neutral country is very much prevalent and I find their diplomatic relations to be always admirable and fair. The main embassy itself processes more long term services and the tourist visas are done through an outsourced service provider called TLS Contact, which is also quite an efficient system.

If you're a Filipino citizen or of any other country that requires a visitor visa to be able to…read moretravel to New Zealand, it's important to be aware of the fact that New Zealand does things a little bit differently in this regard. There are no interviews at the embassy, but rather the process is conducted and applications are lodged via the New Zealand Visa Information and Application Centre. My personal experience was very pleasant. They were extremely efficient at overseeing the application process for me. I simply had to set an appointment, come on time, submit my documents, pay the courier fee, and keep my fingers crossed. Mission accomplished!

Nobody likes lining up at embassies. NO BODY. Waiting in a queue for someone to tell you that…read moreyou're probably not a terrorist and mark it down on your passport just isn't very enjoyable, but it's a necessary inconvenience for everyone in the Philippines. Unfortunately our passports don't carry much cache and someone has to vouch that we aren't traveling with anthrax in our pockets. To make things even more complicated, different VISA centers operate a little different. Some are better than others, even though they mean the same thing. Those applying for Schengen visas have the choice of any country they are visiting, and choosing the best one is essential to save time. The Italian visa center (shared with New Zealand) is about average. The queues are long, but they do have family lanes for large groups. The waiting area is small and it can get a little tight during peak seasons, but the place is well air conditioned. It's still going to take you the entire day, but this is a little better than others.

Most people don't know, but filipino passport holders don't need visa to go to Brazil because of a…read morebilateral agreement signed between Brazil and the Philippines. If you got excited and want to plan your trip, drop by the Embassy of Brazil. The staff there are very friendly and can give you all the information you need about the country. Moreover, the Embassy of Brazil organize lots of nice events here in Manila in order to show Brazilian culture, like Brazilian Film Festival and also the carnival party Brazilipinas. I took part in all of them and I can tell I had a lot of fun! Good films, great music, nice food...and, of course, caipirinha! Don't know what I'm talking about? So check the Embassy's events schedule and be part of this amazing cultural interchange between Brazil and the Philippines. You'll see both countries have much more in common that one can wonder.