A Guide to Getting your Philippine Passport

A passport is an important recipe for you to travel. Moreover, our passports is one of the most legitimate and valid primary IDs so getting one is actually a win-win for all of us. The traditional way of getting a passport is by bringing all of your requirements to a local DFA satellite or to the main DFA site, line-up together with other applicants, and you pay it and wait for your passport to be delivered. Today, however, the system has changed it up a bit. Now, everything is fixed so you won't have to spend more than an hour in a DFA office if you're applying for your passport!

In this article, we will be detailing the guide of you getting your Philippine passport. No hassles, no extra efforts, everything can initially be done in the comfort of your own homes!

Would I still be required to personally go to DFA satellite offices?

Yes, the online thing is just for the appointment. It's some sort of a slot-reservation for you to secure an appointment there. Given the fact that all of the requirements are with you on the date, you will be able to complete the passport processing.

Read: Requirements and Procedure for Applying Driver’s License in the Philippines

How do you set up your appointment online?

You can think of it like this: scheduling an online appointment is just a digital way of you filling out the application form and paying the fees. Before the latest update, you don't have to pay for it upon finishing the online application. However, due to the fact that people have been disregarding their appointments, the DFA amended the system; they required people to pay for the process before they end the application.

This way, people will force themselves to be present on the date of their appointment.

Now, let's go to the process itself.

Step 1

Access https://www.passport.gov.ph/appointment. Once you access that link, you will be opened to the Terms and Conditions section. A lot of people think that it's irrelevant but it actually is a very important thing to note.

After reading, you can choose whether you will have an individual appointment or a group appointment. The difference is that in selecting the individual appointment, you will only be able to process for yourself and in selecting the group appointment, you can process up to five (5) applicants.

Step 2

The next step is to select a specific office where you want to make your appointment. Now this is the part where it gets a little bit difficult. Because of the fact that thousands of people try to apply for a passport every day, the slots usually get filled out around early in the morning.

Select the Region, the Country, and the Site. Both the region and the country will be populated automatically so you just have to select the site. Once you select the site, the details of the exact office address and the contact number will be populated on the right hand-side part of the page.

Step 3

Now that you have a specific office, you have to schedule the date and time of your appointment. Be sure to arrive on the scheduled appointment date an hour or half an hour early. Anticipate long lines in the entrance and other external things that might occur.

There's a built-in calendar which will provide the available dates and the dates that are already full. Once you select a date, you can then select a time for your appointment.

Read: Helpful Techniques and Tips to Pass the Civil Service Exam

Step 4

Now, you would have to supply the system with personal information. You'd have to put in your phone number, mobile number, and your email address as a point of contact.

Populate the fields with all personal information and hit on next.

Step 5

The family information part is where you have to supply the system of your parents' information. If you're unsure of this, it's better to double-check with them to avoid problems coming up on the date of your appointment.

You need both your Father and Mother's full name and their citizenship.

Step 6

The next step is to specify what type of application you're doing. Whether it's a NEW application, the type of application where you don't have a record yet. RENEWAL or the type of application where you renew your passport because its validity has expired, and if it's LOST where you are going to request for a replacement of your passport because it is either lost or stolen.

In addition to that, you will also be asked to select the basis of your Philippine citizenship. Just select it truthfully and everything will go flawless.

Read: Who are Exempted in taking the Civil Service Exam – Complete List

Step 7

Time to fill out your contact information. You have to supply the system with your complete addres and number. So that you have a few options on where you can be contacted.

If you're an individual appointment, then that's all good. However, setting it up as a group appointment would need you to have it wrapped up with a group contact information for simple and easier means of communication.

Steps after the online appointment

After that, you will receive an email with a code for your payment. Whether you selected the regular processing of P950.00 or the express of P1, 200.00, the payment is subject to processing fees and charges so be prepared with that. You'd have to pay that within the next 24 hours when you finished the appointment. Failure to do so can result to you starting all over again with lesser hopes of getting the appointment on the dates you want.

Once everything is set, make sure to bring and present everything on the date of your appointment.

Appointment date tips and reminders:

• Try arriving at least an hour earlier than the exact appointment date. This is to avoid being stuck in lines if a lot of people are going to be present.
• Photocopy all of the IDs and documents you have. You may not need it but it's better to be sure.
• The requirements you will need is a true and original copy of your PSA-certified birth certificate, together with two (2) valid IDs. To see the list of the accepted valid IDs, click here.
• Once you're there, the guards and other personnel are equipped with the knowledge of how the process works. Don't be shy to ask them on how everything goes into play.
• Once there, make sure that all of your documents can easily be accessed. You don't want to panic or delay the process by just because of your requirements.
• Gather all of your documents in one clear envelope so you can see everything in one place.
• Expect a lot of people even if you think that there's none. By this, you will have the expectation and can even bring you a better deal if you expected less.

With the new technology and systems, getting your Philippine passport has never been this easy. Although it might be a newer process for some people, it can actually strip off a lot of time than the regular processing.

Do you plan on finally getting your Philippine passport? No need for you to look elsewhere, we got you!