Submitted a group application for a family of 3 and received 5-year ME visas within 5 business days 🥹🥹🥹 Sharing details for anyone with related concerns and sprinkling approval dust!

Timeline

March 12 Wed - Successfully booked appointments on VFS website*, after randomly refreshing for slots for a few days. Regular slots, VFS Quezon City (Gateway, Cubao). Paid Php520 per person (VFS service fee at that time)

May 13 - Appointment day. Arrived 8:15AM, entered** and got queue number (appt time is 8:45 but it didn't matter at that point), number called around 9:05, updated some docs as requested by staff***. Finished submission around 9:45, was informed that processing will take 7-8 business days. Overall spent around 1.5hrs at VFS, no extra services or additional payments

Updates as per VFS tracking webpage:

May 14 - Submitted to Embassy

May 18 - Under process

May 19 - On the way back to application center. Status updated to 'Ready for collection' by end of day

May 20 Wed - Arrived at VFS for collection around 12:15PM, 1 person queue, submitted receipt with auth letters, not more than 10 mins total

Profiles

• Father and Mother - 60s, retirees, no previous travel to Japan, multiple Asia trips in current passport
• Daughter (me) - 30s, self-employed, tech industry, 2 previous trips to Japan (this year and 11 years ago with SE visas), multiple Asia and EU trips in current passport

Application type: Multiple-entry tourist visa (PH nationals with considerable financial capacity)

Documents

• Appointment confirmation printouts
• Cover letter - only 1 from me on behalf of the family, mentioned that the trip is a gift from me and included reason for ME request (see below)
• Photocopies of passports and previous Japan visa
• Application forms
• Request for multiple entry - 1 each applicant. Reason: to visit other cities and experience different seasons conveniently
• Letter of guarantee - 1 each parent, I'm the guarantor
• Birth certificates - all applicants
• Marriage certificate - of parents
• DTI registration - of my business, as self-employed
• BIR docs / ITR - only mine
• Explanation letter for lack of Mayor's permit (WFH, no physical store). Handwritten as an extra requirement by VFS staff, but I suppose it could've been included in the cover letter
• Bank certificates - all applicants, 6~7 digits ADB / current balance
• Itinerary - Trip scheduled late June, 9 days in Tokyo & Hokkaido

Footnotes

* One account, separate appointments. From my experience, there seem to be multiple ways to book as a family:

1. Use 1 account each person, book separate appts for the same date
2. Use 1 account for everyone, book only 1 timeslot/appt and add each person as an applicant under the same booking -- seemed technically possible but encountered 'not enough slots' errors when I tried
3. Use 1 account for everyone, book separate appts (1 for each person) for the same date -- this is what worked for us

Basically, each applicant must have a booked slot in the system and submit the appointment confirmation with the application.

** I submitted everything by myself -- I actually went to VFS with parents, but only 1 representative per group is allowed inside. No authorisation letter was required.

*** They have blank forms/templates that you can ask for from the reception for free, as well as bond papers if you need to write letters instead of availing their printing service. I got Letter of Guarantee forms and handwrote an explanation letter as mentioned above

Happy to answer questions!