BANK CERTIFICATE vs BANK STATEMENT: What’s the Difference? Which is Needed for Visa Application?
Proof of funds, often called show money, is one of the most common and the most important requirements in visa applications.
Whether you’re applying for a Korean visa, Japanese visa, UK visa, Canadian visa, Australian visa, or Schengen visa, you will need to submit documents that will prove that you have the financial means to support your trip.
Two of the documents you can use are bank certificate and bank statement. These are very different documents. But what’s the difference? And which of them can give you better chances of approval?
WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS GUIDE?
Bank Certificate vs Bank Statement
- A bank certificate is usually a one-page document that certifies that you have an account with that branch. Often, the latest available balance is indicated. But in some banks, you can request that some details be included.
- A bank statement is a detailed record of the balance and the transactions on that account within a specified period of time. It includes the amounts deposited into, the amounts withdrawn from, and even the interests gained by that account, and the corresponding dates.
Which is better for visa application?
Embassies have varying sets of requirements that they need visa applicants to meet. What’s better is whatever is required by the embassy. For example:
- For Japan visa, only a bank certificate is required.
- For Australian visa and Canadian visa, only a bank statement is required.
- For Korean visa, Chinese visa, Schengen visa and many other visas, BOTH a bank certificate AND a bank statement are required.
For bank statements, the number of months to be covered varies. Some embassies need to see the transactions within the past three months (Korea), some four months (Canada), and others six months (Schengen: Greek, Italian, French; China). It’s usually specifically indicated in the list of visa requirements.
However, in most cases, it’s a great idea to submit both rather than just one.
How to get a bank certificate or bank statement?
Just head over to your bank and request for it.
Different banks have different rules. For example, in my experience with BDO, I always had to go to the specific branch where I opened my account. I can’t get a bank certificate or bank statement from any other branch.
On the other hand, with BPI, I can get a bank certficate/statement from any of their branch. I don’t need to travel to my main branch to request for it.
Service fees usually apply. Try to get a copy of the official receipt too because some embassies require that it be attached to the actual document.
How much money should I have on my bank account to have my visa application approved?
We answered that and many other questions about SHOW MONEY in this post: SHOW MONEY FOR VISA APPLICATION & IMMIGRATION!
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Yosh Dimen is a full-time travel blogger. He has three passions in life: social media, travel, and movies. Yosh has won 3 Philippine Blog Awards and a Palanca Award. Learn more about his personal journeys at Yoshke.com.
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