Note from author:

THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED AS OF JULY 15, 2010. SOME INFORMATION BELOW MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE ANYMORE. FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO RENEW YOUR PASSPORTS  AT THE DFA-ASEANA, CLICK HERE:

http://teystirol.com/2010/07/15/how-to-renew-your-passport-in-4-steps-dfa-aseana-with-pics/

REMINDER:

The DFA Passport Appointment System by Internet is currently available ONLY for the DFA Passport in Manila.
It is important that all the needed details (i.e. full name, date of birth, place of birth, latest passport number and date of issuance) are provided when you make the request for appointment.

IMPORTANT UPDATES FROM THE DFA AS OF 02.16.2010 (The DFA website has been revamped and the old links have been replaced. I have updated this post (in red) and the links as well as of 2/16/2010. Thanks for reading!)

Note: There are currently two types of passports being issued right now: the Machine-Readable Passport and the newly implemented Biometric Passport a.k.a EPass or Electronic Passport. The requirements  and procedures listed below mostly apply to those who are applying for a Machine Readable Passport. For those who prefer the EPass or Biometric passport the requirements are more or less the same but the procedures are different. To find out more about EPass or Biometric Passports check this out : FAQ on the Philippines EPassport (source: dfa.gov.ph)

Here are the Passport Requirements as of 02.16.2010 for:

A. FIRST-TIME APPLICANTS

Additional Requirements:

If already widowed: Death Certificate of the deceased husband;

For Minors (below 18 years old)

If minor is NOT traveling with either parent:

If both parents are abroad:

For Muslim applicants

1. Please refer to requirements for first time passport applicants.

• For those whose births were not registered:

B. PASSPORT RENEWAL (for holders of Philippine Passports)

Brown Passport or issued prior to 01 May 1995

1. Old passport and photocopy of passport pages 1,2,3 (amendment). The pages showing latest Bureau of Immigration departure and arrival stamps.
2. Supporting document with complete middle name.

Green Passport or issued after 01 May 1995

1. Present passport and photocopy of inside and back cover.
2. The pages showing latest Bureau of Immigration departure and arrival stamps.
3. For illegitimate minor, personal appearance of mother is required.

For married women, who want to use surname of their spouse:

1. Personal Appearance is required
2. Marriage Contract (MC) in Security Paper issued by NSO or CTC issued by the Local Civil Registrar duly authenticated by NSO.

For Minors (below 18 years old): Personal appearance of either parent is required.

1. If minor is NOT traveling with either parent:
2. Original and photocopy of DSWD Clearance
3. Affidavit of Support and Consent
4. If both parents are abroad:
5. Affidavit of support and consent (must be authenticated by the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate General if not executed before a Philippine Consul).
6. Special Power of Attorney (must be authenticated by the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate if not executed before a Philippine Consul designating the representative by name and authorizing him to apply for a passport on behalf of the minor).
7. Passport and photocopy of the passport of person travelling with the minor.

Other supporting documents you might want to bring with you: (courtesy of PinoyMoneyTalk)

• Marriage Contract
• PRC / IBP ID
• Land Title
• Driver’s License
• Government Service Record
• Old SSS-E1 form or digitized SSS-ID
• School Form 137 or Transcript of Records
• Other documents that show full name and birth details of applicant and/or citizenship
• Voter’s Registration Record
• Baptismal Certificate
• Seaman’s Book
• Income Tax Return (Old)

UPDATED PASSPORT FEES as of 06.29.2010:

• MACHINE READABLE PASSPORT (MRP-regular process) 44-pages         P  500.00
• ELECTRONIC PASSPORT (EPASS-regular process) 44-pages                   P  950.00
• EXPEDITED PROCESSING – ADDITIONAL CHARGE  OF                             P  250.00
• REPLACEMENT OF LOST VALID PASSPORT                                              P  700.00

o0o ~~~~ o0o

My original post: (links updated as of 02.16.2010)

Did you know that there are online companies that can assist you if you need to apply for or renew your passport? For my own passport, I opted to do it myself which was quite a hassle to do so I’m contemplating if I should do it differently for the passports of my kids. If you plan to do it yourself here are some of the things you need to prepare for to help you out.

But if you want somebody else to do all that for you and all you have to do is show your face at the DFA you can also try Pilipinas Teleserv. They can do your passport, NSO birth, marriage, death and other certificates as well. They also deliver it right to your doorstep. If you are an American seeking to renew your passport and want someone to assist you, you can try American Passport dot com. Both of these agencies are non-government agencies that process your documents for you and they can come in very useful for folks that are too busy to do all the legwork.

ETA: I’ve updated this post and added a few more info in response to the queries below. I’m glad that this post has helped you and hope that this additional information  like Regional Consulate Offices etc. will be even more helpful as you go through processing your passports.

Question from Billy:

just want to ask if i can renew my passport without my presence?and how long will it take to get it?

Answer:

If you are residing in the Philippines, then you are most likely to renew your passport at the DFA Main office, Roxas Blvd in Pasay City. However, if you are in the province and coming to Manila is not doable for you there are actually Regional Consular Offices located around the country where you can apply at. As for non-appearance options, even if some agencies offer to do all the initial legwork for you like processing and compiling the required documents for submission and scheduling an appointment for you , the DFA still requires you to “appear” unless you are under “8 years old” or “65 years old and above” because they take a picture of you at the very end of the process for their file purposes. Therefore, you still have to be present.

As to how long it will take to get your passport, it depends on how much you want to pay. Usually, the regular wait is 14 days which costs P500,  for expedited processing or 7-days wait it’s P750 and for replacement of lost valid passports it’s P700. (see update above)

DFA REGIONAL CONSULAR OFFICES

But before you head out to Manila, you might like to check this out and see if there is a DFA office near you to save you all that travel.

Btw, there are also scheduled Mobile Passport Services in various Local Governments where DFA officials go to different public venues and process passport services right then and there. I know one was recently held at Festival Mall Alabang. For schedules on that you can check this link (updated):

http://dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php/schedule-of-sobile-services

Now here’s a visual of the actual procedure at the DFA Manila Office (pics courtesy of the DFA website)

These pictures are no longer available as the DFA has since updated its website.

Hope this helps!