A passport is an official travel document issued by the government that certifies the identity of a person’s citizenship and nationality required for international travel or port of entry. Your passport is your ticket and access to visit other countries in the world. It is the topmost requirement whenever you enter a new country.
Philippine passport holders can travel to various countries around the world, each with distinct visa requirements. As a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Filipinos can travel to these countries without a visa but only a passport: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The following countries are also visa-free for Philippine passport holders, according to visaindex.com: Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Dominica, Fiji, Gambia, Haiti, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Macao, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Niue, Palestinian Territories, Peru, Rwanda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Taiwan, Tajikistan, and Vanuatu.
The following countries provide visa on arrival for Philippine passport holders: Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Palau, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tuvalu.
Here are the complete procedures and requirements in getting a passport in the Philippines in 2024. The new passport in the Philippines is now valid for 10 years (for Filipinos 18 years or older). That means more time to travel the world, less cost and less time to consume renewing an expired passport. A passport is the most important ID of being a citizen in a country and being a citizen of the world. So, if you’re planning to visit those countries, you need to have your passport first and foremost. The website of the Department of Foreign Affairs has made Filipino passport processing simple and very convenient.
The first thing you need to do is to schedule a passport appointment online at this website: https://www.passport.gov.ph/appointment. Read the Terms and Conditions, mark check on the checkbox, then choose “Start Individual Appointment” if you are applying for yourself.
Prior to making a schedule online, make sure your documents are already complete.
Among the documents you need is the original and photocopy of Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-authenticated birth certificate on security paper. Local civil registrar copy is required if PSA Birth Certificate is not clear or cannot be read. If you are a married female (who is using your husband’s surname), you must also present the original and submit a photocopy of the PSA-authenticated marriage contract on security paper or report of marriage.
Other requirements are at least one primary ID and at least two supporting documents. The following acceptable IDS are the following: digitized SSS ID, driver’s license, GSIS E-Card, PRC ID, IBP ID, OWWA ID, digitized BIR ID, senior citizen’s ID, unified multi-purpose ID, and voter’s ID. (UMID)Other acceptable valid IDs: old college ID, alumni ID, and old employment IDs.
As supporting documents, at least 2 of any of the following documents should also be submitted for passport processing: digitized Postal ID, NBI Clearance, Police Clearance, Barangay Clearance, PSA Marriage Contract, Land Title, Seaman’s Book, School Yearbook, Government Service Record, Readable SSS-E1 Form or Microfilmed Copy of SSS-E1 Form, Elementary or High School Form 137 or Transcript of Records with readable dry seal, Voter’s Certification, List of Voters and Voter’s Registration Record (receipt should be attached).
The next step: Select your DFA regional office to apply for a passport. Select the Region (ASIA PACIFIC), Country (Philippines) and Site (Davao, Cebu, etc.). On the left side, the selected Office Name, Address and Contact Number will be displayed.
The third step: Choose the date and time of your appointment. Available dates of appointments are marked by green color on the calendar where you can make an appointment while fully booked are marked by red color. Same thing with the time. Choose an available and desired date and time for your appointment.The fourth step: Enter your Personal Information. Accomplish the form which includes your phone number, mobile number, email address, last name, first name, middle name, birth date, gender, civil status, birth legitimacy, country of birth, province and city/municipality.
By the way, an active mobile number is needed in this section. Additionally, you need to provide an active and valid email address. This is where DFA will send confirmation and notification about your passport application. In addition, they will also email the reference number for the payment of your passport.
It is important to provide only honest and true information to the DFA passport application form online. The DFA has a right to deny or refuse any passport application for reasons such as any incorrect information or failure to provide genuine and correct details of any applicant. Make sure you have checked each detail as correct and accurate.
The sixth step: Confirm your appointment. Open the email sent by DFA. If you are using Google Mail (Gmail), go to the Updates category in your inbox and look for the DFA Email “appointment – DFA Passport Appointment System – Notice of Provisional Schedule”. The email contains a message about the finalization of your provisional booking. It is used to confirm your temporary appointment within 72 hours, or else it will be cancelled.
The seventh step: Print out the documents and bring them to your passport appointment. The checklist includes the following: Confirmed Application Form (with Appointment Reference Number (ARN), barcode and eReceipt number) and Two Copies of eReceipt. In addition, you also need to bring the required documents for passport application.
The eighth step: Go to the DFA Office. On the date of your appointment, bring all your requirements and go to the selected DFA Office. Present your printed application form to the officer in the Appointment Counter. Get your queue number and wait for your turn at the Information Counter to present your documents. Then, you’ll be asked to pay the corresponding fee to the Passport Enrollment Section.
The regular processing fee is P950: passport is released 15 working days within Metro Manila and 20 working days for regional offices. Express processing fee is P1,200: passport is released 7 working days within Metro Manila and 10 working days for regional offices. The penalty for lost and mutilated ePassport is P350.
The ninth step: Confirm your personal details at the encoding section. After the payment has been made, you’ll be asked to proceed to the Encoding Section. The DFA staff will evaluate the documents you have submitted to support your application. You must also confirm they are correct. Have your photo captured, signature and biometrics taken. Your photo will be taken. Be sure you wear decent attire because you will have this photo on your passport for 10 years. In addition, DFA does not allow jewelry such as earrings and necklaces and colored contact lenses during photo capture. Your fingerprints and signature will also be taken. DFA will give back your receipt with the date when you will receive your passport.The tenth step: Claim your new passport. Receive your new passport at the date stamped on your receipt. If you did not use a courier service, you need to claim your passport at the Passport Releasing Section in DFA. Otherwise, wait for the delivery of your passport. Check if all the data on your passport are correct before leaving the Consular Office.
The Philippine passport number is not permanent. The DFA issues different passport numbers when you renew your passport.Pursuant to the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 10928, the Philippine passport has a ten-year validity period for those issued to Filipinos 18 years or older. Filipinos under 18 years will still be issued five-year valid passports.
By the way, you need to have a passport and a visa to visit the following countries: almost all of the European countries, Australia, Canada, China, some African and South American countries, and the United States.
