In 2024, I made a ballsy move, travelling across the Pacific to visit my then-boyfriend, now-husband, and his family in his hometown. It has been more than half a year since I got back, and I thought it’d be great to give you a guide on how the visa processing went down.

In this blog post, you’re going to see the timeline, how long it took me from the application to the flight itself, and the steps from doing your research to actually getting your visa.

Timeline

To give you a quick overview of how long the entire process took, below is the breakdown of the timeline. It took me exactly 2 months from the first time I reached out to my flight.

Wednesday, 28 Aug 2024

I sent an email to the embassy requesting the requirements.

Friday, 6 Sep 2024

I sent a follow-up email.
I received the list of requirements from the embassy.

Monday, 16 Sep 2024

I sent the embassy all the documents in one PDF.

Tuesday, 24 Sep 2024

I sent a follow-up if they received my documents.

Monday, 30 Sep 2024

I sent a second follow-up on my documents.

Tuesday, 1 Oct 2024

I sent a third follow-up on my submission.

Wednesday, 2 Oct 2024

I received an email from the embassy asking for more documents:
- A scanned copy of my passport.
- A copy of my then-boyfriend’s DNI (Their national ID).
I submitted the requested documents.

Thursday, 3 Oct 2024

I received a call from the embassy that I should include proof of relationship when I submit the documents to the embassy on 11 Oct.
They sent me an email inviting me for a visa interview on the date they mentioned in the call.

Friday, 11 Oct 2024

I submitted physical copies of my documents.
I had my visa interview at 11 am.
I paid for the visa application fee.

Monday, 14 Oct 2024

I received an email from the embassy saying I can pick up my visa at 11 am on Wednesday, 16 Oct.

Wednesday, 16 Oct 2024

I went to the embassy to get my passport.
I bought my flights on the exact day.

Thursday, 24 Oct 2024

I flew to Argentina.

Now, here is the step-by-step guide to obtaining your Argentina Tourist Visa.

Do your research

Before anything else, I spent hours scrolling through Reddit, Google, and YouTube looking for guides. As a first-timer, I was severely anxious throughout the entire process.

My top two resources are: This blog from I am Aileen and this page from the Argentine Embassy.

I had these two open in my tabs every step of the way!

Show intent – Send an email to the embassy

To formally start the process, reach out to the embassy via email approximately 1-2 months before your trip to ask for the requirements.

You can find their contacts here. Here is an example of the email I sent in 2024.

You don’t have to be super specific in the details yet, as that information will be included in the actual cover letter you will write as a part of your application.

As you can see, it may take some time for the embassy to get back to you, so make sure you follow up every now and then!

Gather the requirements

After my follow-up email, I immediately got a response from the embassy listing down the requirements and their instructions for submissions. Since I live outside Manila, I had to submit the documents digitally first.

Here are the requirements that I had to submit, and how I got them

FSV FORM (VISA APPLICATION FORM)

This document is attached to their email. I only had to fill it out.

NOTE & DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY

This is the proper cover letter that should include all the information they need to know for your trip. Be sure to answer the following:

When is your trip?
What is the purpose of your trip?
Who will be financing your trip?
How will you be financing your trip?
When will you be coming back to the Philippines?

They would also include an attachment that you will use for the itinerary.

Here is my sample cover letter. I had to censor some texts for privacy reasons.

VALID PASSPORT for at least six (6) months upon entering Argentina, with at least two (2) adjacent blank pages.

I’ve had my passport since 2019. If you need a guide on how to get your passport, see here.

ONE (1) 4×4 CM or PASSPORT-SIZE PHOTO

I went to Picture City and told them I need this with a white background. They usually have visa packages, so you don’t have to worry!

PROOF OF ACTIVITY

This is your Certificate of Employment. Something you should ask your HR for this document, and they’ll know what to do!

This document should include the following:

Passport Number
Designation
Years of Tenure
Brief Job Description.

If you’re an independent contractor like me, you also need to include your Certificate of Registration from the BIR. You may need to submit other supporting documents as a business owner, so make sure to reach out to the embassy for the final actual list of requirements.

PROOF OF INCOME

This is an original copy of your bank certificate that will be requested through your bank. You would also need to present your bank statements for the last 3 months or a passbook, and it should reflect your transactions from the last 3 months. Make sure these are under your name (duh?)

The process of getting the bank certificate depends on your bank. If you’re with RCBC, like I am, you would need to physically go to the bank and request it.

ROUNDTRIP FLIGHT RESERVATION (Including DOMESTIC flights in Argentina, if applicable)

Your application is not a definite approval of your visa. Tickets to Argentina are pricey, so don’t rush into buying them yet.

I used OneWayFly to reserve tickets. When you purchase a ticket, you actually get a reservation for that flight that you can actually buy within 48 hours of reserving the ticket. A reservation costs 24 USD (~around 1500 PHP).

HOTEL BOOKING CONFIRMATION

During my trip, I stayed at my then-boyfriend’s house, and so I had him submit an invite through Trámites a Distancia (TAD). He has to download the document he submitted and send it over to you, the applicant. Here is the step-by-step guide for the invitee.

If you have an accommodation, make sure to have the reservation under your name. Download the voucher and include it in the list of requirements.

(OPTIONAL) CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS OR PAY SLIPS

These are listed as optional documents, but I added them in the submission because I’m not taking any chances.

Make sure to include the statements and payslips from the last 3 months as well.

(OPTIONAL) PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP

This was not listed anywhere, but the embassy sent me an email days after I submitted my initial documents to add in photos as proof of relationship when I submit my final documents.

I basically just put photos of me and my then-boyfriend in a paper and printed it.

(OPTIONAL) YOUR INVITEE’S DNI

This is optional if you’re not invited by someone to go to Argentina. But if you are, ask them to send you a photo of both of the sides of their DNI.

Attend the Consular Interview

Once the embassy has deemed your documents complete and acceptable, they will schedule you for a consular interview.

Mine was supposedly at 11 am, but there were several interviewees on that day as well, so I had to wait for a few minutes in the lobby. I was the last one to be interviewed.

The interview covers the basic topics:

What is the purpose of your trip?
Who are you flying with?
Where are you staying?

Some fun questions I got asked were do you know how to speak Spanish now? Any specific place you’d like to visit? Where my answers were respectively un poquito, and anywhere where there are capybaras.

It was not as nerve-wracking as I thought it would be, being my first visa interview. It was actually chill. The consul was not intimidating at all; this is a compliment.

Pay the Visa Fee

After the interview, the officer-in-charge will give you a slip to pay at BPI. You would need to pay the Philippine Peso equivalent of 150 USD, which would be 9100 PHP in 2026.

Once the payment has been made, you need to get the payment slip and go back to the embassy.

The embassy will verify the transaction. Once verified, they will ask you to leave your passport and that they will contact you soon once they have an update on your visa application. Just to remind you, your visa is not yet approved until you actually see your visa in your passport.

Get your Visa

The business day after my interview, I got an email from the embassy saying I could pick up my passport and my visa on a specific date. I did, and I immediately bought my flight tickets.

Now that you have your visa, don’t forget to enjoy the trip and make friends with the locals! They’re very affectionate and social, as a Filipina, I knew I just blended right in… But I still can’t drink mate without eating something sweet.

Here are some photos from my trip there in 2024!