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How To Renew Philippine Passport Abroad: Guide for OFWs and Filipino Immigrants

Need to renew your Philippine passport?

If you’re an overseas Filipino worker or a permanent resident abroad, it’s usually more convenient and less costly to apply for passport renewal in your host country than in the Philippines.

No need to leave your work abroad or wait until your next vacation back home, as you can go to the Philippine Embassy or Consulate-General for your passport renewal.

Yes, going to the consular office can be quite a hassle. But you can spare yourself from stress by being prepared—know what to do and what to expect before, during, and after your passport renewal application abroad.

This guide provides crucial information for adult Filipinos who will renew their passport abroad as well as the specific renewal procedures in certain countries where most Pinoys live.

Watch Video: Tips When Renewing Philippine Passport Abroad
Who Can Renew a Philippine Passport Abroad?
When To Renew Your Philippine Passport
What Are the Documentary Requirements I Should Submit To Renew My Philippine Passport?
General Tips and Reminders for Philippine Passport Renewal Abroad
Country-Specific Philippine Passport Renewal Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
References

Watch Video: Tips When Renewing Philippine Passport Abroad

Who Can Renew a Philippine Passport Abroad?

Filipino citizens living and/or working overseas whose passport will expire in a year or less.
Overseas Filipinos whose passport has visa pages that are running out.
Dual citizens.
Married women who want to use their spouse’s surname.
Widows and annulled women who want to revert to their maiden name.

On the other hand, passport renewal abroad isn’t allowed under the following instances:

Lost or damaged passport – Replacement of a lost or damaged passport is treated as a new application and not a renewal.
Tourist visa – If you’re traveling abroad on a tourist visa, you should go back home to renew it.

When To Renew Your Philippine Passport

In order for you to travel abroad, your passport should be valid for at least six months.

This is why it’s important to check your current passport’s validity before booking an international flight. It might be already up for renewal.

However, don’t wait until your passport reaches its last six months of validity. It should be renewed at least a year before it expires.

Processing takes much longer abroad than in the Philippines. Embassies forward applications to the DFA office in Manila, where passports are printed and then shipped abroad by batches.

Depending on your overseas location, you’ll have to wait for one to three months for your new passport.

Also, online appointment systems usually get filled up fast, as appointment schedules are rather limited. You’d want to book way ahead before your passport expires.

What if you need to come back home immediately, but your passport is expiring, already expired, or lost?

You may secure a travel document, which allows a one-way trip to the Philippines for Filipinos who meet certain criteria. Contact the embassy or consulate in your host country to inquire about getting one.

What Are the Documentary Requirements I Should Submit To Renew My Philippine Passport?

Philippine Consulates and Embassies abroad set different documentary requirements. To determine these requirements, you may take a look at our separate guides below for different countries.

Some of the common documentary requirements¹ that Philippine consulates ask are the following:

Accomplished online appointment form and application form
Current e-Passport with photocopy of data page
If you have to change your name in your passport, bring an original PSA authenticated documents

General Tips and Reminders for Philippine Passport Renewal Abroad

1. Renew only in the Philippine embassy or consulate with consular jurisdiction over your current state/region of residence

Consular jurisdiction refers to the areas where an embassy or consulate provides services such as processing passport renewals.

Embassies don’t accommodate applicants who live outside their consular jurisdiction.

To save your time, money, and effort, make sure to go to the embassy or consulate that holds consular jurisdiction over the area where you’re currently living.

Let’s say you’re an OFW in Saudi Arabia living in Jeddah. You can’t file your application in the Embassy in Riyadh because Jeddah is not part of its consular jurisdiction. Instead, you must renew your passport in the Consulate in Jeddah.

Aside from the embassies and consulates, you may also renew your passport in VFS Passport Renewal Centers.

These renewal centers aim to make the passport renewal process of Filipinos easier and more convenient. For instance, there are VFS Passport Renewal Centers in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar to help OFWs in Saudi Arabia with their passport renewal.

However, most of these facilities are solely for passport renewal. In case you have to change some information in your passport, you have to address this concern in the embassy or consulate.

Check our separate guides for each country below to determine the VFS Passport Renewal Centers in these countries.

2. Personal appearance is required

Philippine embassies and consulates require overseas Filipinos to come to their respective office to personally renew their passport.

This rule has started when the first e-passports were issued abroad in 2010.

Part of the requirements for this modern passport type is capturing the applicant’s biometrics data and image. The embassy needs to take your photo, fingerprints, and digital signature on-site when you apply for passport renewal. This means you don’t have to bring your passport-size photo anymore.

3. Be on time

Arrive at the exact time of your scheduled appointment. If you come late, your appointment will be canceled, and you’ll have to book a new appointment.

Don’t come too early either. You won’t be allowed to enter until 15 minutes before your appointment schedule. Embassies and consulates do this to prevent overcrowding within their premises.

So that you won’t have to wait too long outside the building, try to arrive up to 15-30 minutes early.

4. No need to submit a birth certificate

Submission of a birth certificate for passport renewals in the Philippines and abroad is no longer required, except for these cases:

Applicants below 18 years old.
Replacement of lost or damaged passport.
Renewals for correction of information in the passport.
Applicants included in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) watchlist.

5. Women can renew their passport abroad to change their name

If you recently got married and want to use your husband’s surname, submit your marriage certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and authenticated by the DFA.

Those who want to revert to their maiden name must submit the PSA-issued death certificate of their deceased spouse or PSA-issued marriage certificate with an annotation that shows annulment/divorce instruction, whichever is applicable.

6. Photocopy all your documents before applying for passport renewal

Both original and photocopies of the requirements are needed for passport renewal. Whether the embassy/consulate has a photocopier or not, it’s better to have your documents photocopied beforehand.

It will save you the time and energy of having to go back and forth during your application.

7. Follow the embassy/consulate protocols for visitors

Philippine embassies and consulates have strict guidelines that visitors must observe. You will not be allowed to enter if you break even just one rule.

Here are the standard protocols everyone is expected to follow at the embassy or consulate.

a. Dress appropriately

Wear decent clothing—something that covers your body just right, like a collared and sleeved shirt with pants and closed shoes.

Revealing and informal attire is considered inappropriate and not allowed during Philippine passport renewals.

Avoid coming to the venue wearing any of these items:

Sleeveless, spaghetti-strapped, or tube-top outfits.
Clothing with low neckline.
Transparent clothes.
Shorts.
Low-waist paints.
Slippers.

Also, you’ll be asked to remove the following (if you’re wearing any) during photo and biometrics capture:

Heavy make-up.
Colored contact lenses.
Earrings, necklaces, nose rings, and other facial jewelry.

To avoid delays, it’s best not to wear them on the day of your passport processing.

b. No companions allowed

Only applicants with a confirmed appointment are allowed inside the embassy/consulate.

You can’t bring a companion unless the person also has the same appointment schedule as yours. Otherwise, your companion will be asked to leave the premises.

Applicants who require assistance—specifically senior citizens, persons with disability (PWD), and minors—can come with one companion only. Some embassies and consulates also allow pregnant women to bring a companion.

c. Comply with safety protocols

All Philippine embassies and consulates implement a no face mask, no entry policy. Some of them are even particular with the type of face mask everyone should wear (e.g. surgical/non-surgical mask).

Wear your face mask at all times. The only time you’ll remove it is during the photo-taking session.

Also, make sure to bring your own pen, tissue, hand sanitizer, and other essentials. These things are not provided for sharing at the embassy or consulate.

8. Check your information thoroughly during data verification

After encoding your personal data on a computer, the embassy personnel will show the screen for you to review your information.

Take the time to double-check everything. Tell the personnel if you spot any misspelled entry or error, so it can be corrected immediately.

If you find out the error too late (like when you’ve claimed your passport), it can cost you not only money but also another trip to the embassy. You’ll have to apply and pay for passport renewal again.

9. Prepare cash for the processing fee

Cash is the commonly accepted payment mode for passport renewals worldwide.

Many embassies don’t accept credit card and debit card payments so bring the exact amount for the passport renewal fee.

If you are applying in a VFS Passport Renewal Center, expect that you are going to pay additional fees for the renewal of your passport.

10. Claim your passport within six months to avoid cancellation

You might be very busy, but make sure to get your new passport as soon as it’s available.

Most embassies keep passports for six months up to one year. After that period, unclaimed passports get canceled, and the applicant will have to re-apply and pay the passport fee again.

11. Present your original old passport only when claiming the new one

Unlike in the Philippines where applicants submit their old passport during their application, embassies ask overseas Filipinos to present their current passport only when their new passport is available for release.

Thus, you can keep your old passport while waiting for the new one. Submit your old passport for cancellation when claiming your new passport.

Country-Specific Philippine Passport Renewal Guides

1. How to Renew Philippine Passport in Saudi Arabia

2. How to Renew Philippine Passport in UAE (United Arab Emirates)

3. How to Renew Philippine Passport in Kuwait

4. How to Renew Philippine Passport in Qatar

5. How to Renew Philippine Passport in Malaysia

6. How to Renew Philippine Passport in Hong Kong

7. How to Renew Philippine Passport in Singapore

8. How to Renew Philippine Passport in Japan

9. How to Renew Philippine Passport in the US

10. How to Renew Philippine Passport in Canada

11. How to Renew Philippine Passport in the UK (United Kingdom)

12. How to Renew Philippine Passport in Australia

13. How to Renew Philippine Passport in Italy

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I do a walk-in application to renew my Philippine passport?

2. I can’t get an appointment for Philippine passport renewal because all slots are full. What should I do?

3. I need to renew my passport now, but I can’t secure an appointment. Can I still travel back to the Philippines with an expired passport?

4. Can I still renew my expired Philippine passport?

References

Requirements for Adult Renewal Applications. (2021). Retrieved 13 October 2021, from https://consular.dfa.gov.ph/services/passport/requirements/passport-adult/adult-renewal-epassport

Written by Venus Zoleta

in DFA, Government Services, Juander How

Venus Zoleta

Venus Zoleta is an experienced writer and editor for over 10 years, covering topics on personal finance, travel, government services, and digital marketing. Her background is in journalism and corporate communications. In her early 20s, she started investing and purchased a home. Now, she advocates financial literacy for Filipinos and shares her knowledge online. When she's not working, Venus bonds with her pet cats and binges on Korean dramas and Pinoy rom-coms.

Browse all articles written by Venus Zoleta

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