I just came from the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) earlier today to renew my passport and get one for Yz. Unlike before were you don’t have to be physically present to have your passport renewed via travel agencies or facilitators. Now you are required to be there in person. So since I was there i decided to get one for my daughter as well.
The actual application process was much easier compared to before. You can go to passport.com.ph and apply for a new or renew a passport. Were after completing the online forms you’ll be asked to choose a date and time for your appointment with the DFA. All the information you need to know regarding requirements and processes are on their site as well as the PDF document they’ll ask you to print and present at the gate of the DFA office upon your appointment date. In this light I found the agency to be very informative and straight-forward.
But regardless of the appointment system, it still took us 6 hours and 30 minutes to go through all the 3 steps needed to acquire a passport. This is due to the volume of people waiting inline alongside you. Still the experienced wasn’t that unpleasant since the new DFA building was relatively accessible and had good centralized air-conditioning. There is also a shopping arcade across the street where you can go to kill the time while you wait.
All in all it was an easy but tiring undertaking. Thankfully they offer to ship the passports to your doorstep for a reasonable price of 120 pesos per passport. Below are some information you may want to know if you’re planning on getting/renewing a passport.
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Passport fees:
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