Renewing RP Passport in DFA

[johncar54]

My wife is going to RP at the end of November for a month. She will need to renew her Green passport whilst she is there. I know that she must make an appointment on line but our questions is: Her passport was issued in her maiden name. It was subsequently amended at the consulate in Madrid to show her married name.

She will of course want the new passport to be in her married name.

Question; Has anyone done just this? If so, what did you need to produce? (I have read the info on the DFA web page but, as always, we each have a more specific set of circumstances which are not always addressed on such pages)


Also has anyone recent experience of how long one must wait between making the appointment on-line and the appointment date ?

Thanks

[raynaputi]

marriage certificate is needed for renewing passport for someone married..if the old passport is in her maiden name, the marriage certificate should show that..i'm just not sure what other supporting docs for this since she's living in Spain..maybe others can help..

With regards to making the appointments online and the actual date of renewal, if there's available appointment the soonest u want it, then it's good.

[johncar54]

Thanks Raynaputi.


I have just completed the on-line application shown as: Individual Application

I submitted it and that was that. I did not get any follow up screen.

I don't want to submit another application if the first was sent.

Can anyone tell me if they got the same result as me or if, after the first page was submitted, a subsequent page or pages appeared ?

I assumed I would get a page either showing a date or asking what day/s would be suitable.

Any info please?

Thanks John

[sars_notd_virus]

they will send you an email confirmation for appointment date and time and if its suitable or available for your wife,she can confirm it and print the email confirmation , bring it with her on her appointment date together with the supporting documents (marriage contract) for change of status.

[johncar54]

Thank you Sars you are a a star!

[johncar54]

Am I being too anxious.

As I said I completed the application (it was just one page) and clicked on send. I got a message asking if I really wanted to submit the info. I clicked yes and that was it.

Nothing more, nada mas, wala ng iba pa !

I expected an automatic reply to say that the application had been made/ received etc. But Nothing !

It's 24 hours later now and no email acknowledgement either.

Is this normal or has the application gone into cyber space forever to orbit the lost world of lost computer info ?

[raynaputi]

Am I being too anxious.

As I said I completed the application (it was just one page) and clicked on send. I got a message asking if I really wanted to submit the info. I clicked yes and that was it.

Nothing more, nada mas, wala ng iba pa !

I expected an automatic reply to say that the application had been made/ received etc. But Nothing !

It's 24 hours later now and no email acknowledgement either.

Is this normal or has the application gone into cyber space forever to orbit the lost world of lost computer info ?

my officemate was trying to get a schedule too for her family's passport renewals the other day and she's not receiving confirmations too...hmmm...:Erm: not sure what the problem was...:doh

[purple]

My cousin works for DFA here in Cebu. You don't have to wait for any email confirmations. Just go to the DFA to have the passport renewed and let her bring the a marriage certificate in SECPA and cost of 1,500Php for expedited process which is 10 business days and your wife is good to go. No other documents needed, just fill the forms that it needs to be amended. It is like the form you will sign here when you first get a passport.

[sars_notd_virus]

Am I being too anxious.

As I said I completed the application (it was just one page) and clicked on send. I got a message asking if I really wanted to submit the info. I clicked yes and that was it.

Nothing more, nada mas, wala ng iba pa !

I expected an automatic reply to say that the application had been made/ received etc. But Nothing !

It's 24 hours later now and no email acknowledgement either.

Is this normal or has the application gone into cyber space forever to orbit the lost world of lost computer info ?

heres another link, a the step by step video johncar: (comprende amigo!!!)

http://www.dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php/video-clips?task=videodirectlink&id=13

[johncar54]

My cousin works for DFA here in Cebu. You don't have to wait for any email confirmations. Just go to the DFA to have the passport renewed and let her bring the a marriage certificate in SECPA and cost of 1,500Php for expedited process which is 10 business days and your wife is good to go. No other documents needed, just fill the forms that it needs to be amended. It is like the form you will sign here when you first get a passport.

Thanks for that but from the web page supplied by Sars (http://www.dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php...rectlink&id=13) it makes it clear one must have an appointment. From the list of documents it appears to me that a number of docs are needed to renew a passport. I agree that logically if one has been granted a passport then they should be able to renew it without producing all the paperwork again. Unfortunately most Governments don't work on logic !

Sars, whilst the video presentation is great it does not answer my question. That was, should I have got a response when I made the application for the appointment on line ? I want to know whether I need to keep trying until I get an acknowledgement response or should I wait. I will try to call DFA in the morning, but with the time difference I have missed it a couple of times. I really must tie a ribbon on a finger, so I will remember !!!!

Thanks everyone for your help.

[johncar54]

Further to the above.

I tried again on line using Internet Explorer. (I think I had a problem with my other browser) Anyway it took me on to the 'make an appointment' page and then on to finally printing the application form and confirming the appointment.

Incidentally. I also came upon the facility to apply for Birth Cert, Marriage Cert and various other docs which may need from NSO. The applications can all be made on line and delivered to one's door (in RP of course). At present one cannot pay online but will be introduced soon.

An excellent service.

Thanks again for the help

[sars_notd_virus]

my officemate was trying to get a schedule too for her family's passport renewals the other day and she's not receiving confirmations too...hmmm...:Erm: not sure what the problem was...:doh

not sure whats going on as well,maybe lots of lags

[sars_notd_virus]

how long will ur wife stay in the Philippines for vacation johncar? why not try another appointment by phone /online until u get response from them or maybe she can apply thru travel agency than line up in DFA Manila as lots of fixers are there which may delay more of her passport renewal

[johncar54]

how long will ur wife stay in the Philippines for vacation johncar? why not try another appointment by phone /online until u get response from them or maybe she can apply thru travel agency than line up in DFA Manila as lots of fixers are there which may delay more of her passport renewal

Hi Sars, maybe you did not see my last post above. It worked. Well, except that we could not any slots for the day we wanted, which was a Monday, but it seemed all the times were free for the Friday, which we have booked. As my wife will arrive on Weds I wanted her to have a day or two to get over the flight, and if necessary, obtain any last minute bits of required paper !

[johncar54]

Amazing service from DFA

I have emailed DFA regarding a passport application a couple of times, including outside office hours and have been surprised that I have received an almost instant reply.

The latest was last Sunday. I sent the question at about 2 am Monday RP time and 25 minutes later got the reply.

Well done DFA

I hope my wife gets similar attention when she makes the application in person on 3rd December.

[sars_notd_virus]

good news johncar,goodluck on your wifes appointment on the 3rd of december:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[johncar54]

Well we made the appointment for two days after she arrived in Manila. She attended in good time, and joined a queue, she says of a couple of hundred. She was there hours but finally made the application, so much for appointment, but Good News

Bad News about a week later she got a call saying there was a problem with her name. Odd because it was the same as the amendment made by the Phil consul in Madrid. She returned to DFA and joined the queue .....

The passport will now be issued on 5th Jan 2011, Wonderful her non transferable
flight is on 28th Dec.

I called many times (around 50) got through, got cut off, but finally managed to speak to a lady who really wanted to help. When my wife went to DFA the following day as requested, the guard said no such person worked there, join the queue...................

Many more calls and finally I found the lady again. She is an assistant secretary with her own office, so maybe the guard should have known her. Anyway my wife eventually saw here and she is trying to get the passport issued in time for the booked return flight.

The 'promise' that a passport will take between 10 but no more than 15 days does not seem to any much.

Moe to come...... I hope good news !!!!!!

[johncar54]

The last report.

Eventually after further visits, to DFA, and long queues, my wife was told she was to collect her passport on 23rd (last day that DFA will be open before Christmas and her flight on 27th ).

On 23rd she was there when they opened, but still in a long queue. When she got to front she was told the passport had been sent by courier. Others in the queue said they had been told that the day before but theirs had not arrived. My wife asked for confirmation that it was with the couriers. After several hours she was told, it had not been sent and that it must be somewhere in the office.

Further searching, further several hours, not found !

Fortunately she was able to talk to the senior person in the office on a higher floor who had assured her it would be ready for collection on 23rd without fail.

To cut a very long story short, a new passport was produced at 8 pm. Over 12 hours waiting and worrying.

I had called the office on the higher floor in the meanwhile as my wife phone battery had gone flat, and, to gain some sympathy, had told them that today was my wife's birthday. When she was handed the passport the staff sang 'happy birthday.' There were lots of apologies for the failures of DFA.

She arrived home at around 10 pm, exhausted, to join the guests who had been at the house all day to celebrate her birthday.

So I am now looking forward to my wife catching her flight at midnight on 27th.

I hate to think of the number of people who must miss their flights because of the foul ups by DFA. In our case the return flights had cost around 800 euros. I checked to see what flight she could have taken had she not got the passport. The best about 10 days later for a one way was around the 1,000 euro mark.


PS My wife has applied for Spanish nationality but has been putting off studying Spanish, its always mañana !! When she returns I will do everything I can to encourage her to study every day so that she gets he Spanish nationality and need never again depend on DFA.

[johncar54]

In the light of my wife's experience, I cannot see why DFA has bothered to start an appointments system. It clearly does not even nearly work.

[malditako]

just go to dfa office bring the old passport and marriage certificate and a picture thats it....i did mine at dfa pampanga took me 15 mins to apply then waited 2 weeks for the release.

[johncar54]

just go to dfa office bring the old passport and marriage certificate and a picture thats it....i did mine at dfa pampanga took me 15 mins to apply then waited 2 weeks for the release.

Well as you can see that was not the experience my wife had. What happened to her was third world incompetence at its worst.