The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) offered 10 practical tips to the general public when applying for a passport. These tips are to ensure that applicants will have a fast, efficient and hassle-free application process:
1. Do not deal with fixers.
2. Contact the DFA for the latest passport information. Visit their webste at www.dfa.gov.ph or call 556-0000.
3. Apply for your passport at least 12 weeks ahead to your scheduled trip. Check the validity of your passports and update your documents accordingly. A passport is valid for five years, but airlines and countries require passports with validity of six months prior to the expiry date.
4. For Metro Manila Applicants, secure an appointment when applying for a passport. Log on to www.epassport.com.ph or call 737-1000. Come on time for your appointment. Appointment is free of charge. Click here for instructions on how to apply passport online.
5. Prepare your passport requirements before your appointment. These include the completely filled-out application form, the old passport and photocopies of its pages for renewals, the National Statistics Office-certified birth certificate, and IDS and their photocopies for new applicants. There is no need to bring ID photos as your photographs and thumbprints will be taken on site.
6. For those in the provinces, apply at the nearest Regional Consular Office (RCO). RCOs are located in nineteen (19) cities and municipalities around the country. Also check if there is a scheduled Mobile Passport Services (MPS) in your area.
7. Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) can apply at the Passport Extension Office located at the ground floor of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) in Ortigas. The facility operates on a first-come-first-served basis and is exclusive for OFWs.
8. Pay only P950 for regular processing (20 working days) and P1,200 for expedited processing (10 working days).
9. Have your passport delivered through courier service. DFA encourages applicants to have their passports delivered through courier service to avoid the hassle of coming back to the DFA. Passport delivery charges a nominal fee of P120.
10. Take good care of your passports by not tampering it (stapling, exposing to heat or moisture, bending, folding and the like). This is to protect the electronic chip and the other security features of the passport
Source: www.dfa.gov.ph
