My Pre-Departure To Do List

You got your passport with valid visa & tickets ready, Congrats! 2 of the most common advises you probably heard by now are: (1) enjoy your remaining stay with your family & (2) eat as many of your favorite filipino dishes (because chances are, they are not available or taste differently).

 Here is my list of things I tackled before leaving the country:

1. Identification Cards
-- I decided not to change my surname yet in all on my documents. If ever, they normally just ask for a photocopy of your NSO marriage license. Things to change will include: Driver's License, SSS, BIR, bank accounts & the likes.

2. Credit Card(s)
-- To keep or not to keep is totally up to you. Call your Credit Card Company for payment options or special instructions while living abroad to be able to determine if you should maintain a PH credit card or not.

3. Communication options
-- You know you will miss your family, so, take the time to determine on how to contact them once you reach your destination. Sure, internet is just there -- but, people like my mom, who is zero knowledge in using a PC & refuses to learn it ... well, that is not so easy now, isn't it?
-- If you have a cellphone company line & do not want to maintain it anymore, you need to have this cut. Or if you wanted to maintain a prepaid PH sim, then its time to get one if you haven't yet. With me, I decided to keep a PH prepaid sim card.

4. Documents
-- Bring with you documents that you felt you might need there. I have my NSO birth certificate, NSO marriage license, Deutsch A1 Certificate, University Diploma, Transcript of Records & the likes with me.
-- I had my marriage license translated to German recently, the charge is: 1,400php.

5. Clothing
-- I will list down what I have in my bag in a different blog topic, mainly, because its a long topic. lol.

6.Other items you want to bring with you
-- okey, let's face it: we have tons of stuff we wanted to bring. But we have to bear in mind that there are a certain weight allotment given to us. Best to check it with your airlines... read the fine prints! It will be costly for us if we went over the said allotment. What to do? sort your items. Bring the stuffs you MUST bring now on this trip or set aside the things you can bring with you next time. On your next visit maybe? -- You have an option to 'Balikbayan box' the other stuffs. Just bear in mind that it takes around 1-3 months to get there. Time for you to do a research on this!


Always check for new advisories and restriction of what you can or cannot bring with you. This will save you alot of trouble.

Happy packing!!!

Claiming my CFO Sticker

Congratulation & your most awaited Passport with Visa is in your hands. It's time to get your CFO sticker! What is CFO? What were my experience in attending the CFO seminar? Just click on the questions for the link.

As reminder, do research on the topics I wrote in this blog, before heading to the respective agencies out there. For one, there might be new updates might need or no longer need requirements and the likes. A good example right now is about the CFO being just beside the DFA office in Cebu as I mention in my previous blog. Yes, I went back to Cebu for the sticker. Just recently, the DFA moved to a different address already, although the CFO still at the same location.

Anyway, going back -- This is what you need to bring with you:

1. your passport with Visa
-- photocopy your Identification page in your passport (the one with picture) & your visa page.

2. Ballpen
-- they will ask you to fill up a form. Information needed are similar to what the CFO seminar ask for.

3. Your green copy CFO certificate
-- they will attach this to your passport.

Just wait for them to process it and viola! You now have your CFO sticker affixed to your passport.

Do double check the name printed on the sticker.

Happy weekend!!!