{"id":24385,"date":"2014-04-21T10:26:50","date_gmt":"2014-04-21T14:26:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/?p=24385"},"modified":"2024-08-07T03:08:17","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T07:08:17","slug":"dj-success-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/travel-blogs\/dj-success-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Reader Stories: How DJ Made All His Dreams Come True"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DJ,<\/p>\n

In our last reader story, I highlighted the story of Vikram and Ishwinder, an Indian couple who navigated a complex visa system in order to travel the world<\/a>. Indians face a lot of restrictions on where they can visit and, for most countries in the world, an extensive visa process.<\/p>\n

So do Filipinos.<\/p>\n

It took a Filipino friend in Bangkok four years to obtain an EU Schengen visa, despite having a good job, a fianc\u00e9, and lots of roots.<\/p>\n

So today, I talk to DJ. He’s a Filipino who has been living and traveling around Europe for years. He shares his experience getting approved for visas, travel tips, and advice for others from developing countries about realizing your travel dreams.<\/p>\n

Nomadic Matt: Tell everyone about yourself. <\/b>
\nDJ:<\/strong> Hello beautiful dreamers! I\u2019m DJ Yabis. I am 29 years old, and I grew up in the Philippines. I was born and raised in Cagayan and I moved to Manila when I was 17 to study industrial engineering at the University of the Philippines Diliman. <\/p>\n

In 2009, I moved to Europe<\/a> for my master\u2019s in international business as a full scholar of the European Commission through its prestigious Erasmus Mundus scholarship program.<\/p>\n

I have been traveling the world since 2007 and I have lived in Sweden<\/a>, Poland<\/a>, Germany<\/a>, and the Philippines<\/a>. <\/p>\n

I have worked as an industrial engineer, a pseudo-diplomat at the Philippine embassy in Stockholm<\/a>, a mystery shopper, and various odd jobs in music festivals.<\/p>\n

I realized while backpacking Southeast Asia<\/a> that I prefer to live abroad instead of just hopping from one country to the next. That realization pushed me to apply for Erasmus Mundus, which has been a big dream of mine. The longest nonstop travel I normally do is in the summer, when I usually travel around Europe from June to September.<\/p>\n

\"DJ<\/p>\n

What inspired your original trip?<\/strong>
\nI actually draw a lot of inspiration from movies<\/a>, literature<\/a> and music. I love watching European films, especially Spanish and French films. For instance, my Erasmus Mundus experience was totally inspired by the French-Spanish film L\u2019Auberge Espagnole<\/em> (The Spanish Apartment<\/em>).<\/p>\n

I also love reading about David Sedaris\u2019s life in France and novels from Swedish writers like Jonas Jonasson and Stieg Larsson. One of my favorite travel books is Night Train to Lisbon<\/em><\/a> by Pascal Mercier and it inspired me a lot, too (go buy and read it!).<\/p>\n

As a Filipino, you often can’t just show up to a new country. Do you find getting visas difficult? What are some of the problems you encounter? <\/strong>
\nUsually it is. It is particularly hard to get visas from most “developed” countries in North America, the UK<\/a>, and Europe<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Even if you’ve fulfilled all the requirements asked of you, the embassies still question your reason for visiting and always think you\u2019re not going to go back home. This is especially true for single female travelers who seem to get rejected the most. My friends and I have all been denied visas at one point or another.<\/p>\n

The requirements are no joke either. <\/p>\n

For example, if you\u2019re applying for a Schengen visa to Europe<\/a>, you need to show your itinerary, prebooked hotels for your entire stay, travel insurance, flight reservations, bank account, credit card statements, income tax return, leave request from your boss, and certificate of employment if you\u2019re an employee or relevant documents of your business if you own one.<\/p>\n

There are a lot of hoops to jump through, and you still could get rejected for your visa simply because embassies always come in with this prejudice that we’re trying to illegally immigrate.<\/p>\n

\"DJ<\/p>\n

So how do you make your application process successful?<\/strong>
\nTo make your visa application successful, you have to submit all the required documents and they have to be accurate and perfectly submitted. I am 100% sure your visa will be rejected if you fail to submit one of them. <\/p>\n

Normally they require your passport, bank account, proof that you have a job or own a business, flight details, itinerary, travel insurance<\/a>, and of course your purpose of travel.<\/p>\n

When you go to the embassy for your interview, dress appropriately and answer all the questions confidently. A lot of people tend to be scared because of all the stories they hear from others or read online. Don\u2019t be one of those people. There is nothing to be scared of if you are honest about your intentions of visiting the country and you have all the required documents to support your claims. If you act nervous, you’ll just create more suspicion.<\/p>\n

Most people who get denied don\u2019t have enough proof they plan to return home. My best tip is to make sure you have all the supporting documents to prove that you have a job or own a business. The more roots back at home you can show, the better your application looks.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve submitted everything and still get denied, you can appeal the decision in writing. Most embassies are required by law to give you a valid reason for denying you and give you advice on what you should do to get approved.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s no guarantee that you will get approved.<\/p>\n

\"DJ<\/p>\n

What countries are easier for Filipinos to get visas from?<\/b>
\nFilipinos can go visa-free to all countries in Southeast Asia<\/a>, some countries in the Middle East, Oceania, Central America<\/a>, South America, and Africa, so it\u2019s not that bad. <\/p>\n

You can check the full list here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As for countries that are easier for Filipinos to get tourist visas from, the following rank high on the list: <\/p>\n