Visa-Free Countries to Visit Together?

[crono_clone 213]

Hi everyone, 

 

I've spent almost all my vacation for this year already (yeah yeah I know, I've been greedy) and was thinking it might be easier if my fiance visited me this time in the western hemisphere while we're waiting for his K1 application to get processed. I feel like I wasted so many of those vacation days just sitting in an airplane.

 

Anyone have any good advice on which countries to look into? I see that there's several countries in Central America or the Caribbean that has visa-free entry for Filipinos and is only a few hours flight from Houston, like Costa Rica. Anyone here done that before? 

Edited April 9, 2018 by crono_clone

[JE57 243]

It's definitely a great idea.  However, be aware that you would be VERY limited in what flights your fiance could take to get to a destination in the western Hemisphere.  ANY flight that stops or MIGHT stop in the USA will not be an option unless your fiance applies for and gets either a transit or tourist visa to the USA.  Both seemingly unlikely or you wouldn't be asking this question in the first place.  Additionally you would want to verify that any other transit stops would not require a visa for transit.  So... shop around for flights and research visas.  I looks like there are flight options for Costa Rica on KLM connecting thru Hong Kong and Amsterdam that would likely work (although your fiance may require a transit visa for the schengen zone for Amsterdam).  ALSO, be aware that unlike other countries the Philippines immigration can and DOES prevent their own citizens from boarding outbound flights.   If your fiance does not have a strong travel history is a young woman and doesn't have a good source of income in the Philippines there is a possibility that even with a valid ticket and passport that the Philippines immigration might deny boarding the plane.   Finally be aware that your finance will be required to pay Philippines travel tax although this is minimal compared to the cost of the ticket.

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So.... while the idea of having a lovely vacation in Costa Rica sounds like a great idea the reality requires a significant amount of research and some risk of off boarding on the outbound leg from the Philippines.

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Good Luck and hope it works out for you...

 

[Boiler 47,707]

Slightly unusual but the OP is the she.

[JE57 243]

35 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Slightly unusual but the OP is the she.

Although the gender makes the offloading (denial of access to the flight by Philippines Immigration) less likely being a male it doesn't eliminate the risk and all the other aspects regarding needing to avoid a transit in the USA and having valid transit documents in other places make no difference in terms of gender of the traveler.   I tried in my post to be gender neutral except for the example of the young woman leaving the Philippines as I suspected the beneficiary was the male.   Prays and best of luck for the couple 

[Hank_ 9,174]

Travel tax is a regular fee for Filipinos when traveling, depends how long they have been back in the Philippines sense their last travels.  I believe it has be be a year or more since exiting.

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

7 hours ago, crono_clone said:

Hi everyone, 

 

I've spent almost all my vacation for this year already (yeah yeah I know, I've been greedy) and was thinking it might be easier if my fiance visited me this time in the western hemisphere while we're waiting for his K1 application to get processed. I feel like I wasted so many of those vacation days just sitting in an airplane.

 

Anyone have any good advice on which countries to look into? I see that there's several countries in Central America or the Caribbean that has visa-free entry for Filipinos and is only a few hours flight from Houston, like Costa Rica. Anyone here done that before? 

Not really a good plan.  Then both has to pay airfare, and then gonna have to pony up hotel and it would get expensive quick, then both would be in country where neither knew what to do or where to go.

 

Back when I was courting I would just fly to Philippine, Stay in the girls house, let the family cook, clean and basically take care of me. 

 

It would probably be cheaper for you to take off work unpaid and fly to PI.

[crono_clone 213]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I hadn't thought about the connecting flights or the potential issues with exiting so those are good points. I'm angling for a promotion this year so taking an unpaid vacation would likely look bad. I'd also likely lose more on those unpaid wages than I'd save, so the opportunity cost doesn't seem to be in my favor. My fiance only rents a bedspace in a boarding house near his work, so I'm going to have to get a hotel every time I visit anyway no matter what I do.

 

We're both male, which is why a fiance visa is our only option as gay marriage is not yet available in the Philippines. This probably limits our travel as most Caribbean countries are not very LGBT-friendly and are known to harass even tourists.

 

From doing some research, here is the list of countries in North and South America that don't need a visa for those with a Philippine passport:

Americas

1. Bolivia
2. Brazil
3. Colombia
4. Costa Rica
5. Ecuador
6. Nicaragua*
7. Peru
8. Suriname

From that list, Costa Rica still seems like the best option unless someone here has been to the other countries and think they might be better.

 

[javadown2 308]

14 hours ago, crono_clone said:

Hi everyone, 

 

I've spent almost all my vacation for this year already (yeah yeah I know, I've been greedy) and was thinking it might be easier if my fiance visited me this time in the western hemisphere while we're waiting for his K1 application to get processed. I feel like I wasted so many of those vacation days just sitting in an airplane.

 

Anyone have any good advice on which countries to look into? I see that there's several countries in Central America or the Caribbean that has visa-free entry for Filipinos and is only a few hours flight from Houston, like Costa Rica. Anyone here done that before? 

Never been to Costa Rica, but have heard it's really nice. Also hear that it is getting a little more expensive nowadays since there are lots of expats there now. You will save on travel time, but your partner might not...probable more expensive then the philippines for sure. But I hear you on losing vacation days due to flying, right off the bat you lose a full day flying to the Philippines, but on the good side when you leave you pretty much arrive the same time you left...