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.
- Passport application form (front and back downloadable from here
) - For Green Passports or those issued after 01 May 1995 you need the ff.:
- Present passport together with the application form
- Photocopies of the inside and the back cover.
- Photocopy of the pages showing latest Bureau of Immigration departure and arrival stamps.
- 3 pcs passport size pictures with royal blue background (This one is a bit tricky because if it doesn’t pass their standards, they will ask you to have your picture taken again. There is a mini photo studio “conveniently” located at the entrance of the DFA auditorium just in case you are one of those rejected. You’ll only find out if your rejected right at the very last step of the process when all you have to do is submit your documents. It is quite irritating.)
- NSO Certified Marriage contract (for married women)
Here’s a little tip that most people don’t know. Instead of waiting in line at the DFA just to schedule an appointment you can actually request for an appointment online. I found this out by accident and when I got to the DFA with my printed out appointment, the guard even asked me if I was an official or something. He actually made my day because I was already so frustrated at how they shuttled us back and forth from one line to another. So if you want to do that and save yourself a few steps go here : Passport Application Appointment System.
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.
