WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY FOR A PHILIPPINE EPASSPORT?

Transcription

1 WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY FOR A PHILIPPINE EPASSPORT? PHILIPPINE PASSPORT The Philippines has instituted the electronic passport (epassport) system for all its citizens. The epassport features microchip technology and a host of other security features thereby ensuring that Philippine passports are virtually tamperproof. epassport issuance is also compliant with the security standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The Philippine epassport has an integrated circuit (chip) within its pages containing data that are essential in verifying the identity of the passport holder. These include the personal biographical information found on the data page of the passport, the biometrics of the passport holder, the unique chip identification number, and a digital signature to verify the authenticity of the data stored on the chip. The chip technology allows the information stored in an epassport to be read by special chip readers at almost every international port of entry. The Consulate General receives and processes applications for epassports, which in turn is sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila for printing and issuance. Please allow 8 to 10 weeks for the entire process up to release of passport to applicant. The Consulate General advises all Philippine passport holders, whose passports are expiring within the next 6 months, to renew their passports if they intend to travel within the aforementioned period. All Filipino citizens applying for passports with the Philippine Consulate General will no longer need to submit photographs, as their picture, together with their fingerprints and signature, will be taken onsite. This means that all passport applicants, regardless of age, are henceforth req uired to appear personally. There is no need for an appointment as applicants are served on a walkin basis. 1 / 19

2 Renewal of epassports GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: 1. Dulyaccomplished passport application form, typed or printed legibly in black or blue ink 2. Original and one(1) photocopy of the following: Identification Certificate for Dual Citizenship; Oath of Allegiance, and Order (all originals will be returned) 3. Latest original passport and one photocopy of data page of passport (original will be returned) 4. Proof that the applicant is not a US/Foreign citizen (Original and photocopy of any of the following: valid green card, valid US visa, visa adjustment, notice of action, work permit, RA9225 Identification Certificate[for Dual Citizens]) 5. If you wish to received your passport by mail: Selfaddressed return envelope, with appropriate stamps for express or priority mail with tracking numbers via US Postal Service, if Passport is to be mailed back. For applicants outside the US, prepaid mailing envelope from DHL. Otherwise, you could pick up pesonally or through authorized representative. 6. Passport fee of $60.00 (nonrefundable), payable in cash or money order made payable to "Philippine Consulate General. Personal checks and credit cards are not accepted. 2 / 19

3 Note: The Philippine Consulate General assumes no responsibility for any delay or loss in the mail, or while the documents are in the custody of the courier service. The applicant should note the tracking numbers of all envelopes used and submitted. The Consular Officer reserves the right to require additional proof or documents from an applicant, to prove his/her citizenship or identity, and ensure accurate and complete personal data entries, pursuant to the Philippine Passport Law (R.A. 8239) and the Foreign Service Act. (R.A. 7157). Additional Requirement for Passport applicants with manuallyscripted passports, machinereadable ready passports (MRRP) and machinereadable passports (MRP) Effective 01 July 2016, pursuant to Department of Foreign Affairs guidelines, all applicants for passport renewal holding manuallyscripted passports, machinereadable ready passports (MRRP) and machinereadable passports (MRP), which were issued before March 2010, are required to submit the following: 1. Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA, formerly NSO)issued birth certificate, original and two (2) photocopes (Copies may be ordered online via ); and 2. PSA Marriage Certificate or PSA Report of Marriage (if using married name) Additional Requirements for Replacement of Lost Passport 3 / 19

4 1. Affidavit of Loss or Police Report filed within the US Northeast 2. Original and photocopy of a state ID, driver s license, permanent resident alien card, or any other valid photo identification 3. Photocopy of latest Philippine passport that was lost 4. Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA, formerly NSO)issued birth certificate, original and two (2) photocopes (Copies may be ordered online via ) 5. Report of Marriage (if marriage was solemnized abroad) or PSA Marriage Certificate (if marriage was solemnized in the Philippines), for married women. Applicant may apply for PSA Marriage Certificate online at 6. Selfaddressed return envelope, with appropriate stamps for express or priority mail with tracking numbers via US Postal Service, if Passport is to be mailed back. 7. Passport fee of $ if lost passport was a Machine Readable Passport or epassport; $90.00 if lost passport was a Machine Ready Readable Passport or Green Manual Passport. Fees (nonrefundable) are payable in cash or money order made payable to "Philippine Consulate General. Personal checks and credit cards are not accepted. 4 / 19

5 A 15day waiting period, on top of the 8 to 10week processing period, will be imposed for purposes of securing clearance from the Department of Foreign Affairs on lost passports. Additional Requirements for Passport renewal of Minors (below 18 years of age) 1. Dulyaccomplished passport application form, typed or printed legibly in black or blue ink, making sure that the Affidavit of Consent to Travel portion in the form is signed by the minor s parent/s 2. Photocopy of Report of Birth for applicant was born outside the Philippines. Applicant may apply for PSA Birth Certificate online at New Passport (for minors born abroad, applying for the first time) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: 1. Dulyaccomplished passport application form, typed or printed legibly in black or blue ink 2. Report of Birth 3. Selfaddressed return envelope, with appropriate stamps for express or priority mail with tracking numbers via US Postal Service, if Passport is to be mailed back. For applicants from 5 / 19

6 outside the United States, prepaid mailing envelope from DHL. 4. Passport fee of $60.00 (nonrefundable), payable in cash or money order made payable to "Philippine Consulate General". Personal checks and credit cards are not accepted. New Passport (for those who have reacquired Philippine citizenship or for newlyregistered Philippine citizens) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: 1. Dulyaccomplished passport application form, typed or printed legibly in black or blue ink 2. Original and one (1) photocopy of the Identification Certificate for Dual Citizenship (original will be returned) 3. Latest original passport and one photocopy of data page of passport (original will be returned) 4. Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA, formerly NSO) issued birth certificate, original and two (2) photocopies (Copies may be ordered online via ) 5. Report of Birth, if no old Philippine passport is available, and applicant was born abroad 6 / 19

7 6. Report of Marriage (if marriage was solemnized abroad) or PSA Marriage Certificate (if marriage was solemnized in the Philippines), for married women. Applicant may apply for PSA Marriage Certificate online at 7. Selfaddressed return envelope, with appropriate stamps for express or priority mail with tracking numbers via US Postal Service, if Passport is to be mailed back. For applicants from outside the United States, prepaid mailing envelope from DHL. 8. Passport fee of $60.00 (nonrefundable), payable in cash or money order made payable to "Philippine Consulate General". Personal checks and credit cards are not accepted. New Passport due to Change in Name ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS for change of name due to marriage: NSOcertified original copy and one (1) photocopy of marriage certificate, if marriage was solemnized in the Philippines (original will be returned). Applicant may apply for NSO Marriage Certificate online at Original and one (1) photocopy of marriage certificate (original will be returned) and dulyaccomplished Report of Marriage Contracted Abroad form (please refer to Report of Marriage requirements in the List of Consular Services), if marriage was solemnized abroad 7 / 19

8 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS for change of name due to death of husband, divorce, annulled marriages: Authenticated death certificate of husband, or authenticated court order of presumptive death, for widowed applicants NSO Marriage Contract, with annotation reflecting the annulment of marriage, for annulled marriages. Applicant may apply for NSO Marriage Certificate online at Original and one (1) photocopy of Divorce Decree (original to be returned), for divorced applicants (allowed only in cases where the Filipino spouse did not act as the plaintiff; not allowed when both parties were Filipino citizens at the time of the marriage) Note: If the Filipino spouse acted as plaintiff, and has since remarried and assumed her second or succeeding spouse s surname, the Consulate General may issue a Certificate of Subsequent Marriage, indicating both of the names used by the applicant and an explanation of why the new passport cannot reflect her current married name. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT for change of name due to legitimation upon subsequent marriage of parents, or as ordered by Philippine courts or by the Civil Registrar General: NSO Birth Certificate with annotation reflecting the change of name due to legitimation. Applicant may apply for NSO Birth Certificate online at 8 / 19

9 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT for change of name due to adoption NSO Birth Certificate, reflecting the adoptive surname. Applicant may apply for NSO Birth Certificate online at Changes in name allowed under Republic Act 9048: Republic Act (RA) 9048 authorizes the city or municipal civil registrar or the consul general to make the following changes in name, without the need of a judicial order: correction of clerical or typographical errors in any entry in civil registry documents, except corrections involving the change in sex, age, nationality and civil status of a person change of a person's first name in his/her civil registry document under certain grounds specified under the law through administrative process REQUIREMENT: NSO Birth Certificate with annotation reflecting change of entry. Applicant may apply for NSO Birth Certificate online at 9 / 19

10 The Consular Officer reserves the right to require additional proof or documents from an applicant, to prove his/her citizenship or identity, and ensure accurate and complete personal data entries, pursuant to the Philippine Passport Law (R.A. 8239) and the Foreign Service Act. (R.A. 7157). WHAT IS A PASSPORT? Under Republic Act No (The Philippine Passport Act of 1996) a Philippine passport is a document issued by the Philippine government to its citizens requesting other governments to allow its citizens to pass freely, and in case of need, to give them lawful aid and protection. You may fill out and print your Passport Application form here. WHO OWNS THE PHILIPPINE PASSPORT? The passport remains at all times the property of the Philippine government, the holder being a mere possessor thereof. The fraudulent acquisition, loss or destruction of the Passport is a crime punishable under the law, with penalties stipulated under RA The Consular Officer is authorized to determine if the applicant can apply for a passport, and what documentary evidence must be presented. WHO CAN ISSUE A PHILIPPINE PASSPORT? 10 / 19

11 Only the Secretary of Foreign Affairs or any of his authorized consular officers may issue a Philippine passport. WHO CAN APPLY FOR A PHILIPPINE PASSPORT? Only citizens of the Republic of the Philippines are entitled to a Philippine passport Former Filipino nationals who are naturalized citizens of foreign countries are no longer entitled to use or renew their Philippine passports, having lost their Philippine citizenship (Commonwealth Act No. 63 of 1936) Those who have acquired foreign citizenship by naturalization but have reacquired Philippine citizenship upon taking the oath of allegiance to the Republic in accordance with R.A the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003" may apply for Philippine passports, if they satisfy the requirements of R.A The Philippine Passport Law In the interest of national security, public safety and public health, a consular officer may refuse to issue a passport, restrict its use, withdraw or cancel a passport. In view of the need to determine an applicant s current citizenship, a consular officer may require an applicant to present a valid document of foreign residency i.e., a US Permanent Resident Card, US Visa, INS notice, etc. DOES IMMIGRATION STATUS IN THE US MATTER WHEN I AM APPLYING FOR A 11 / 19

12 PASSPORT? No matter what your status is here in the US, you can apply for a Philippine Passport, provided that you can show us that: 1. You are who you say you are Proof of Identity 2. You are still a Filipino citizen Proof of Citizenship What the Consulate verifies is the truth of the Oath signed by all passport applicants: I solemnly swear under penalty of law that I am a Filipino; I am the person in the attached photograph; the thumbprints on this form are mine, I have never made false representations in any of my passport applications; the statements made on this Application Form are true and correct; and the attached supporting documents are authentic. WHAT KIND OF PASSPORT WILL I RECEIVE? Applicants able to comply with requirements will receive the new Philippine epassport. The epassport is a project of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, in compliance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations created to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. The 188 contracting states of the ICAO, which includes the Philippines, agreed to issue ICAO Standard epassports by The DFA started issuing epassports in 2009, three years ahead of the deadline. 12 / 19

13 An epassport is a passport which features microchip technology, using an integrated circuit containing data essential in verifying the identity of the passport holder. These include the personal information found on the datapage of the passport, the biometrics (fingerprints) of the passport holder, the unique chip identification number, and a digital signature to verify the authenticity of the data stored on the chip. Once a chip is rendered, it can no longer be changed, so the reliability of the information is intact. The information on the chip can also be crosschecked and verified against the datapage of the passport, which contains an integrated photograph of the passport holder, a digitized secondary photo, and an electronic print of the holder s signature, covered by an ultrathin holographic laminate, among other security features. The chip, embedded in the booklet itself, is more resilient than the machinereadable zone on which the MRP is relies. Information can be read through a contactless scanner, reducing the likelihood of tearing during the scanning process. Hence, the security and durability provided by the epassport is superior to the machine readable passport (MRP). Since the job of the border officials is to verify citizenship, identity and desirability of the travelling foreigner, having a passport with this kind of integrity, which validates identity and citizenship, leaves only one question for border officials to answer. Whether a traveling foreign national is considered a desirable or undesirable alien depends on the conduct, background and history of the individual traveler. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PROCESS A PHILIPPINE PASSPORT? All passports are printed by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila. Processing at the Consulate of the passport application is on a firstcome first served basis. It usually takes between 1 to 3 hours during heavy traffic days, from start (filing of application) to finish (biometrics.) A Certificate of Enrollment stating the date your new passport will be available for release will be given to each applicant. In view of transit time to and from Manila, regular passport applications received abroad will be available for from four (4) to eight (8) weeks from the date of application. Applicants are advised to plan trips or interviews where they will need valid passports only AFTER RECEIVING THE NEW EPASSPORT. 13 / 19

14 DO I NEED TO COME TO THE CONSULATE PERSONALLY TO APPLY FOR A PASSPORT? Yes, PERSONAL APPEARANCE IS REQUIRED FOR ALL, since the biometrics of the applicant is captured during the application process. Hence, APPLICATION BY MAIL IS NOT ACCEPTED. Unlike the Machine Readable Passport which had exceptions for personal appearance for senior citizens above 65 and children below 8 years old, there are NO EXCEPTIONS FOR THE PERSONAL APPEARANCE with the epassport. WHAT ARE THE NEW PHOTO REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EPASSPORT? Regular Renewal / First Time Passport applicants NO PASSPORT PHOTO REQUIRED your photo will be taken digitally by our processors during the passport application enrollment step. Pose: Straight frontal shot (no tilting of head) 14 / 19

15 Medium smile (no teeth showing) Collared shirt/decent attire Both ears visible/both eyebrows visible (no bangs) Head scarf/veil for religious or health reasons allowed Image can be rejected for the following reasons: Distorted image head is tilted or smile is too wide Women excessive makeup, large earrings Men wearing makeup, earrings colored contact lenses that disguise the natural color of the applicant's eyes 15 / 19

16 use of headgear other than scarf/veil for religious or health reasons use of eyeglasses/shades poor photo quality/poor or uneven lighting Replacement of Lost Passport / Irregular cases One (1) colored passportsize (4.5cm X 3.5cm) photo with plain white background required. You may have your passport photo taken at any studio, as these will only be used for filing purposes ( How do I change or amend data on my passport? The applicant is advised to present documents to justify the need to change/amend data found on his/her passport. The Consular Officer reserves the right to require further proof. Applicant is further advised that implementing changes/amendments may not be carried out immediately, but may require corresponding with the Philippine Statistics Authority. 16 / 19

17 ( Would it be possible to keep my current passport uncancelled while the new one is being processed? The Philippine Consulate General will not cancel a passport as long as it is valid. The applicant is only required to present it to the Philippine Consulate General when he/she comes to apply for a passport. Once the new passport arrives, the applicant is required to present his/her old passport for cancellation. Once cancelled, the old passport will also be returned to the applicant. ( If I cannot come in person, could I receive my passport through the mail? An applicant s passport may be mailed as long as he/she provided the Philippine Consulate General with a selfaddressed return envelope, with appropriate stamps for express or priority mail and with tracking numbers via the US Postal Service. For applicants outside the US, prepaid mailing envelope from DHL. The US Postal Service has made price changes in its mailing services effective January 2018: TYPE 17 / 19

18 NEW Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope US$24.70 Priority Mail Regular Flat Rate Envelope US$6.70 Please be guided accordingly. Can someone else pick up my passport on my behalf? 18 / 19

19 An present (c) (d) applicant s (a) (b) Current Passport Letter Original the following: of passport Passport and claim Authorization; photocopy stub may of the be applicant of received the ID of by if the someone it is representative; subject else, to cancellation; as long as the and representative could the arrival of my What passport? can I do if I do not have the luxury to wait for four to eight weeks for All passports If Document A The the an Travel applicants family, Document to medical avoid are needs has advised any or to legal emergency a inconvenience. establish oneway to emergencies, apply proof authority travel at least that to and to the six your travel other months Philippines, impending to analogous the prior Philippines he/she to travel the cases). is expiration could an in emergency lieu be issued of a their passport. a (e.g. respective Travel death in. 19 / 19