How to Apply Passport Online in the Philippines ( 2022)

How to Apply for Passport Online in the Philippines -2022, after kick-off this article let's have a short brief about the history of Philippines passports.

Philippines Passport Illustration.

A passport is both a travel document and a primary national identity document issued to the citizens of any country of the world. And it applies to A Philippine Passport as well. 

The history of passports here in the Philippines is primitive. Since the Spaniards arrived in the Philippine islands, indigenous peoples have been commencing travel freely within the islands and its outskirt neighboring Asian states. 

Amid- to facilitate trade and commerce primarily in the particular of seafaring during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. 

During Spaniard's colonel in the Philippines, they introduced a travel document, called the chapa, or citations of safety to go from one place to another, which the ancestral natives used from the 1500s to 1600s. 

In Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued this passport and abroad by any Philippine diplomatic missions, with definite exclusion. 

In 1946 the first edition of the Philippine passport was released after gaining independence from the United States of America. 

And on September 17, 2007, the DFA  began issuing maroon machine-readable-passports for their Filipino citizens, and then the next biometric- passport was issued by DFA on August 11, 2009. 

Let us retrieve back to the main topics, how to apply online for the Philippines passport.

How to Apply Passport Online in the Philippines:

The passport application process in the Philippines is simple indeed. But so far, the challenge was underlying securing an appointment schedule for the application is the COVID-19 pandemic to deal with its enormous surges. 

In persuasion, the applicant must note the re-shuffle of DFA office hours and allocations of applicant numbers allowed per day to comply- properly with the COVID-19 protocols.

NEW PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS LIST:

After commencing an application for a new passport, we need to go through the followings passport requirements chart wholeheartedly. 

01. To Confirm Appointment Online:

If you are up to applying for a new passport, the first step for you is to secure a slot by confirming an appointment Online. 

Either you may accomplish this task of your- own at home with your gadget or assign someone who provides this service in exchange for a nominal service charge if you have restrained of time. 

And the best secured time is to do it a minimum of three months before your travel date. 

Since all government agencies in the Philippines are still forced by the community quarantine- protocols and maintaining a skeleton workforce, aftermath, delay of service & halted operations are pronounced routine. 

Thus, the earliest available slots might be too late for you among the high volume of applications. Find more details in the following sections.

WALK-INS are allowed now, in compliance with the rules of (IATF) to prevent an outbreak of the COVID-19 surge, walk-in or courtesy lane services had been forced- to be suspended- temporarily during pandemics. 

Lately, from March 16, 2022, these services retrieve back in all (DFA) offices in the Philippines. 

Following these who are eligible to use the courtesy- lane is now allowed for prevailing walk-in facilities on all (DFA) offices. 

The applicant also may be required to book an online appointment in case of reluctant to physically- visit the (DFA) office. For urgent applications, you can send an email at oca.cl@dfa.gov.ph.

For walk-in, the followings are allowed to:

• Senior citizen- accompanied by one companion: The respective companion accompanied by a Senior citizen must be a lineage or first relatives. Besides, a travel partner could be accompanied- by a Senior citizen conditionally showing authentic proof of travel arrangements with the applicant. Proof might be a plane ticket or hotel booking.

• Persons with disability (PWD) and with one companion: The respective companion accompanied by persons with a disability must be a lineage or first relatives. Besides, a travel partner could be accompanied- by persons with a disability conditionally showing authentic proof of travel arrangements with the applicant. Proof might be a plane ticket or hotel booking.

• Pregnant woman: In- case the baby bump is not yet noticeable of a pregnant woman. A medical certificate or records must be present during her visit.

• Solo parents and their minor child: A solo parent must present a valid solo-parents card.

• Minor seven (7) years old or below: The minor who is seven years old or below, must be accompanied by their parents. In the absence of parents, the applicant must submit a Special Power of Attorney executed by the parent/s designating the minor’s companion to assist in the application process with Passport or Valid Government issued ID of authorized adult companion. And the Special Power of Attorney must be authenticated by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate if executed abroad. Be- noted that all Special Power of Attorney or Affidavit of Support and Consent must have a copy of the parent/s valid ID or passport.

• OFWs: Land-based and Sea-farers: For an OFWs (Overseas Filipino workers) Must bring any of the listed IDs. Valid iDOLE card, Work Visa, Employment Contract, or Seaman’s Book Stamped at international border less than 365 days from date of application.

Let us know how to set an appointment online?

1. To set an appointment, visit the following link DFA Online Passport Appointment System website.

How to set an appointment online.

1. Read carefully written Terms and Conditions on the online passport form, and then tick the box. It conformed you have understood & agreed to comply with the terms & conditions.

Select Option Criterion.

1. Select your option from the criteria: INDIVIDUAL Appointment or GROUP Appointment. Choose the one that complies with you.

DFA Appointment Site Location Area Page.

1. Complete the DFA appointment site location- area page: Please fill up the DFA appointment site location- area page to confirm your nearest or most desired DFA office/branch. Late on, you can change your site location if your first located branch is found unable to secure a slot at your convenient time frame, read the notice phase wholeheartedly and tick the box then click the Next button.

Fastest Open Slot Date and Time Calendar.

1. Select the fastest open slot date and time from the onscreen calendar: In this phase, the applicant needs to select the latest open-slot date and time marked by a green pen. Contrary, the rest of the RED-marked dates were -occupied priorly.

02. Duly Accomplished The Passport Application Form:

During setting an appointment, it's mandatory to duly- accomplish the online passport application form. 

Once filling up the application form and complete the payment, you will receive an e-mail confirming your appointment schedule, containing the link to your application form. 

Click the link to download and print out your accomplished form. You may find a blank copy of the application form here with this link, the Passport application form you need to print out on A4-size paper.

03. Birth Certificate:

A copy of your birth certificate is mandatory and must be:

• Original.

• PSA-authenticated.

• Printed on PSA security paper.

NOTE: If the PSA-authenticated Birth Certificate is hard to read, get a supporting copy from the Local Civil Registrar.

04. Find Appended Bellows Valid ID List:

Any from the following listed IDs, you need to bring one original and a photocopy. 

• Philippine Identification (PhilID).

• Social Security System (SSS) Card.

• LTO Driver’s License.

• Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Card.

• Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID).

• Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) ID.

• Voter’s ID or Voter’s Certification from the Officer of Election Commission duly attested with Dry Seal. Along with Voter’s Certificate, you also need to provide NBI or police clearance.

• Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) E-Card.

• PNP Firearms License.

• Philippine Postal ID (issued November 2016 onwards).

• Airman License (issued August 2016 onwards).

• Senior Citizen ID (if senior).

• School ID or Certificate of Enrolment with student’s photo and the school’s dry seal (if student).

• Seafarer’s Record Book (SRB) issued from February 2020 onwards by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).

Remark's: Be sure that all your presented IDs are (original and photocopy) is noticeable, untampered, and pieces of information must remain the same, along with the set of documents presented during the appointments.

5. Physical Appearance:

To meet an appointment schedule- all applicants must have physically appeared at the conformed DFA Office, whether the online application was made oneself or via an agent. 

Since the passport application process must imply collecting your biometrics data and photo capture of the respective applicant. 

Photo shot code of conduct: As precautions- please be noted the proper attire or dress code is strictly to follow (Sleeveless Clothing, Plunging Necklines, See-through Tops, Spaghetti Strapped Tops, Tube Tops, Halters, Sando, Cargo Shorts, and any other types of Shorts are prohibited). Regardless, Colored contact lenses and Ornaments like Earrings, Necklaces, or other Facial Piercings are not allowed in passport photo capturing.

To be continued...