Do Filipinos require visa

[JoandJelly]

Do Filipino people require a visa to enter North Cyprus? Thanks.

[JBA]

No - according to the TRNC London office, only Albanians and Nigerians require a visa. Anyhow, how would they get one as there is no TRNC consulate in Phil.

However, it is not so simple as they do require a visa for Turkey and they must apply to the embassy and can't get one online. They can go transit but that means arriving at Istanbul with Turkish Airlines but Turkish Airlines don't fly to/from the Philippines. To futher complicate matters, Turkish Airlines for some reason think Filipinos require a TRNC visa and often won't let them board the plane.

For my friend's last visit she took an extra flight to Dubai and boarded Turkish Airlines there so that she could use the transit route at Istanbul. She was also armed with a letter of invitation from me which included the statement that her visa was waiting at Ercan and a letter (obtained by a TC friend - I know not how) from the TRNC government tourist office also stating her visa was waiting at Ercan. Even so it took a lot of argument and a phone call from me to the check-in desk at Dubai (1 hour before the flight) and the scanning and sending of my passport ID page and residency before they would let her board.

I later decided that if this were to happen again I would make a prior visit to Turkish Airlines here before booking the flight to try and arrange some sort of pre-clearance - but without knowing if that was possible.

[TRNCVaughan]

"...only Albanians and Nigerians require a visa...."

I think you'll find that's Armenians and Nigerians.

[sophie]

Good grief. Are you saying that all the Filipino maids, hotel workers, waitresses/waiters, the list goes on went through all that rigmarole? What's special about Armenians and Nigerians I wonder?

[JBA]

I don't know - I just know my friend's experience.

I understand that, properly done, employees have their work permits in advance so that would be enough to satisfy Turkish Airlines. What they do about a Turkish visa and/or transit I don't know.

But Filipinos coming here to work or live have a further hurdle to overcome. The Philippines government runs a course on 'living/working abroad' and the emigrant must attend this course and get a certificate or the Philippines government won't let them leave unless the return flight is in the near future, i.e. clearly a holiday.

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option= ... Itemid=833

[Paul 50]

I know some Vietnamese girls who work here, in Tempo, I might add!! Wonder how they manage, I know one of them went home for February and made it back

[JoandJelly]

Thank you very much for the information.

[TB10pilot]

My understanding is that they can visit for 90 days. If they work or intend to stay on, they need a visa.

[MrA]

See here, clear advice from the correct department.

http://mfa.gov.ct.tr/consular-info/visa-regulations/

[sophie]

Oh, so you must show you have 85GBP for every day you intend to be a visitor and a confirmed hotel reservation ,hmmmm.

[JBA]

No Sophie. A letter of invitation as specified, together with a written promise to support the applicant and a photocopy of host's passport id and residency pages has proved adequate in the past to get my visitors through immigration

[sophie]

That's more like it JBA. The 85GBP quoted I thought was pushing it a bit much.

[skeeds2000]

Hi,

My brothers filipino girlfriend came here this time last year for 2 weeks via Istanbul and had no problems at all coming through Ercan. She was using her Filipino passport and I had given her my address and contact details as she was staying with us, I also met them at the airport, she was not asked for any of the paperwork. She was only given a 30 day visa though not a 90.

Regards

skeeds2000

[JBA]

Ercan is not a problem. The problem is Istanbul - can you use transit or must you get a visa for Turkey. Normally you would be with the same airline arriving/departing Istanbul so they will forward your luggage to the next plane - but Turkish Airlines and the rest don't fly from the Philippines. If you have to collect your luggage and check in again then you need a Turkish visa - and Filipinos must apply personally to the embassy.

[mikelapta]

JBA I read ın Cyprus Star a few weeks ago Turkısh Aırlınes flyıng dırect to Manılla from Istanbul 3 tımes a week...

[MrA]

Turkish airlines fly daily Istanbul-Manila direct

[sophie]

Well, lets face it, they do say in their Ads that they fly to more countries that any other airline, don't they?