Goodbye Longer Waits! DFA Releases Passports Faster

Filipino passport applicants can now celebrate because the wait for passport releases has been cut short.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officially announced that starting 1 Oct 2018, they would shorten Regular Processing of Philippine passports to 12 working days from the original 15 working days. Those who require rushed or Express Processing can have their passports available for release as early as six working days as opposed to the original seven working days. Passport applicants still have to pay a fee of 950 for Regular Processing, while a fee of ₱1,200 is required for Express Processing.

According to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, “We made a promise to the President and to our kababayan that we will work hard to give them fast, efficient, and secure passport services. Shortening the length of time our kababayan would have to wait before they can receive their passports is part of that promise”. On the other hand, passport applicants outside of Metro Manila can expect the release of their passports after 12 working days for Regular Processing and seven working days for Express Processing.

Image credit: Department of Foreign Affairs Official Facebook Page

In addition to these improved local passport services, the DFA is in the process of expediting passport processing for applicants abroad who file for their passports in the Philippine Embassies and Consulates in various countries. Other improvements include shortening the wait to secure online appointment slots and increasing the DFA’s capacity to process 20,000 passports a day.


News sourced from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

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About Author

Therese Sta. Maria

Therese's close friends know that if they haven’t seen her around recently, then she’s probably having an adventure with her luggage and camera in hand. Though she loves staying at home and spending lazy afternoons with friends, there are times when she has to be "away from home to feel at home," — that’s when she’s bitten by the travel bug. See her travels on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reesstamaria/">@reesstamaria</a>.

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