Phillipine Passport

[Dave Hounddriver]

so frankly the extra cost of an agent is a waste of money IMO... SO LONG AS YOU TAKE ALL OF YOUR DOCS, THIS WILL SAVE YOU A RETURN TRIP... Grrr yes, i had to go back for that 'one more piece of info'.

I think everyone has to go back for that 'one more piece of info' and many find that they do not have 'all the docs' and the bureaucracy makes it very difficult to get them. That's why agents have as many clients as they do.I agree, that if you are here and helping your gf get a passport then you could do it without an agent if you want to do all the work. My time, which some would say costs me nothing, is worth a lot more to me than the price that an agent charges. So, to each his own. I am also the kind of guy who pays the ancient one to renew my visa because I don't want to frig around with it.I say these things because you had mentioned that the agent is a 'waste of money'. This makes it clear that there are two equal and opposing points of view and neither is wrong. It just depends how involved in the process a person wants to get.

[ThommoPerth]

Ok, thanks a lot people for your help. I will get her to follow up.

[billten]

I think everyone has to go back for that 'one more piece of info' and many find that they do not have 'all the docs' and the bureaucracy makes it very difficult to get them. That's why agents have as many clients as they do.

I do agree with you Dave, as i said IMO. But i do know that my neighbour has to go back twice (first time he needed another document and second time his NSO birth certificate was "blurry" and they wanted a better copy), and he was using and agent. Sometimes i think that the passport people make stuff up as a joke...

[ThommoPerth]

My gf has succsefully applied for a passport and did not have to gather any other info which means she fronted up with all the reqired paper work.

She sais she started in the que at 3 am and there were heaps of people there. She also said many people never had the required documents which help things up and took much time for the officers there to process. She got in about 3pm and was only in there a short while then told her she would have her passport about 29 Apr.

[billten]

she started in the que at 3 am and there were heaps of people there. She also said many people never had the required documents which help things up and took much time for the officers there to process. She got in about 3pm

Wow, that is crazy, we got down there at about 7am and were out by 10 both times we went there.

[Call me bubba]

New passport article and tips.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and if that journey is to a foreign country, your first step will likely be getting a passport from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Before the DFA can give you a passport,

it needs to know who you are and whether you are who you say you are.

You will need to have a National Statistics Office-certified copy of your birth certificate which could now be requested online.

You will also need a government-issued ID like a Voter's ID or driver's license.

Students can use their school IDs when applying for a passport.

The DFA also requires the submission of supporting documents that prove your identity.

Among those listed on its website are marriage contracts, land titles, transcripts of records, or "other documents that show the full name and birth details of applicant."

If you don't have those, your driver's license will do.

You should have all your documents and IDs photocopied before heading to the DFA.

Setting an appointment

If all your papers are ready, you can set an appointment with the DFA so your application will be processed.

This can be done over the telephone, through (02) 737-1000 or online

If setting an appointment over the telephone, Customer Care Officers will ask you for your personal information and remind you of what you need to bring.

They will also give you the code that you will need to download and print your application form.

You can also set an appointment via DFA's dedicated passport website.

You can choose the date and time of your appointment,

then get your reference number and a link for the application form through e-mail.

Never ever rely on fixers to do these things for you. Better safe than sorry, right?

Getting your passport

below applies only to Metro manila site

On your appointment date, go to the DFA Consular Office at the Aseana Business Park at the corner of Bradco Avenue and Macapagal Boulevard in Paranaque City.

The DFA says you need to be there, with all the required documents and IDs, 30 minutes before your scheduled time. If you come late, you will need to set another appointment.

Also remember to dress appropriately: No sandos, spaghetti straps, shorts, or slippers.

Once at the consular office, you need to head to the processing area so the DFA can check your papers.

When that is done, you will be told to head to the Passport Enrollment Section, where you will pay P950 for regular processing, which takes 15 working days. If short on time, you can pay P1,200 for rush processing and get your passport after seven working days.

The DFA will also take your picture for your passport. Since this is an official government document, you are expected to look directly at the camera with a neutral expression. "Contrived expressions such as raised eyebrows, squinting or frowning are not acceptable," DFA says.

After paying, you will be told to head to the Encoding Section for data capturing and you're done.

You can either come back on the release date to pick up your passport or pay them to have your passport delivered to you.

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/traveling-abroad-101--how-to-get-a-passport.html

[TexasRangersFan]

All the above is true. May I add that many Filipinos who had "Tourist" Visas were pulled from line or even the aircraft itself. This was done on the so called guise of "Human Traffic-ing" Whether they were actually tourists or going to a job secretly setup, the govt did not give them permission to leave. Even us foreigners can't leave without an Emmigration Clearance so yes, even we need permission from the RP govt to leave too. Filipinos must give the reason why they want to leave. If they fail to give a satisfactory answer, they aren't going anywhere....

Is this true? Do they really remove many Filipino's off airplanes that are leaving the Philippines on a Tourist Visa to another country? What about those countries that do not require a Visa to visit their country's?

The reason I ask is because my girlfriend and I are leaving to go to Singapore in a few weeks to comply with the Tourist Visa requirements for me here in the Philippines. We are also taking a friend of ours with us. Will they take them off the airplane? We have round trip tickets. Hotel reservations.

Thanks

[Mike S]

I believe they are looking for young girls traveling alone or in a group just have all you documents in order and with you and you should be OK ..... but Steve is right they will pull suspected girls from the plane or not allow them to board ..... I would say you will be OK ..... lots of guys travel with their GF's especially when they need to exit for their 18 month or 2 year visa renewal ......

As to having to use an agent to do most things here in the Phils .... that is up to you but you can do it yourself ..... on the BACK of the passport app there are all the requirements you need to apply for a Philippine passport ........ for marriage license go to the NSO and they have a copy of what you need to get married ..... you can also get all the info you need for applying for your 13a at the BI ..... just go to these places and ask ...... now this is in Cebu City I don't know about any place else because this is where we did all our business and we got married .... got a 13a and she had her passport renewed and her name changed on it ..... it has gotten a bit easier because they have the written info available at these places ..... but you gotta ask .... :thumbsup: :cheersty:

[Dave Hounddriver]

The reason I ask is because my girlfriend and I are leaving to go to Singapore in a few weeks to comply with the Tourist Visa requirements for me here in the Philippines. We are also taking a friend of ours with us. Will they take them off the airplane? We have round trip tickets. Hotel reservations.

You will go through emigration at the airport and the official will ask your g/f a bunch of questions, including why she is leaving the country with a man who is not her husband. Depending how she answers those questions you will either have no problems or they will deny her permission to exit the country. Odds are about 90% in your favor if she is bright enough to answer the questions carefully and everything is above board.

[Papa Carl]

I guess we were just lucky, and my wife (now but not then) already had her passport, but before we were married she used to come to Malaysia to visit me often. As I was a Brit staying in Malaysia (3 month tourist visa), she simply stated she was visiting her boyfriend. Only once at Malaysian immigration did one of the officers require me to state that she was my girlfriend, in all other cases (4 times) she was simply passed through. At no time did she have any difficulty leaving the Philippines. They did ask why she was travelling and she simply stated she was visiting me while I was in Malaysia.

Lucky I guess....., it was meant to be!

Papa Carl