How to renew your passport

I got my new passport! After a few weeks of waiting, it was finally delivered.  I cannot forget what I’ve experienced while at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to renew my passport as well as apply for my daughter’s.  I thought that renewing a passport wouldn’t be an ordeal thinking it would take only a few hours.  Well, I was wrong since it took a whole day.  We went on July 7th in the afternoon then came back the next day due to brownout.  There was no generator so they cut off the line and asked us to come back the next day instead.

Probably I should have opted for a morning appointment instead of choosing 3pm schedule.  Anyway enough on my rants, here are some tips I would like to share:

Schedule an Appointment

DFA doesn’t entertain walk-in applicants anymore.  To renew your passport you can schedule your appointment at the DFA Passport Appointment System online or call the hotline number (02) 737-1000.  It would be better if you can select a morning schedule to avoid long lines.  Take note of your reference number if you are going to have an appointment online and could not print the application form since there’s no other way to retrieve it again.  So if you could print the form, please do so.

Please take note as well the government workers are not required to set an appointment.  They can walk-in to apply for their passports.

Prepare Your Documents

Have your IDs, Old passport and other documents you have be photocopied before you go to DFA to save you time. There are photocopying machines inside the DFA building but there are long lines.

Bring a Snack

One cannot tell if you will be able to finish the process of renewing a passport easily.  Some are lucky enough to have their passport renewed in three hours but that isn’t always the case.  You cannot bring a companion unless you have a kid with you applying for a passport as well.  Bring a food so that you won’t miss your turn when your number is called while you buy some snacks.

The day of your schedule

1. Go at least thirty minutes before your scheduled appointment.  For passport renewals, go the gate that is on the side of the DFA.  The main gate I think is the one in front of McDonalds so you cannot go inside on that gate if you are renewing your passport.
2. One inside the gate for renewals, go to the Appointment Counter near the gate and give your printed passport application form to have your reference number confirmed.
3. Go to the processing section.  Get a number and wait for it to be called.  Have your documents ready.
4. Go to the Passport Enrollment Section and pay the passport fee.
5. Go to the Encoding Section for data capturing and have your photo taken.
6. If you want to have your passport delivered, proceed to the Delivery Counter to pay for the delivery fee.

That’s it! Just don’t expect that having an appointment will have you renew your passport easily.  After waiting for hours and coming back the next day just to have my passport renewed, I want to use it and go out of the country, LOL.

Tags: appointment, dfa, how to, passport, Rants