Is it difficult for my gf to get her passport in the philippines on her own or is it advisable to go through a travel agency there? She was told about having to go through an interview on her own but if she used a travel agency she wouldn't have to interview.

Thanks

My wife was able to schedule an appointment on the internet. She thought the officials held her up for additional fees. Take some extra money just in case.

No its not difficult, very easy infact got mine only a matter of 5 working days PHP500 which is really good..
I advise you not to have a travel agency because they will charged big.
Hope helps!!

Thanks,
She was told it will take more than a month to get it on her own? How did you get it in 5 days?

Hello..

You're fiancee can apply her passport within a day or even half a day..
Here's the requirements:
http://www.dfa.gov.ph/consular/form-ppt-page2.pdf

Personal Appearance is required.*
�� Duly accomplished application form.
�� Birth Certificate (BC) in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) or Certified True Copy (CTC) of
BC issued by the Local Civil Registrar duly authenticated by NSO.
�� Three (3) colored photos of the applicant taken against a royal blue background. Applicant should be in decent attire with collar. Photo must be of good quality, and must have been taken within the last six (6) months. Photo size: 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm. Facial image size: Not less than 3 cm.
DFA has the right to reject photos that do not comply with specifications and international standards.
�� Proof of identity / Supporting documents indicating full name, date and place of birth and citizenship
�� Other Supporting documents (please refer to the list below)

Additional Requirements
For married women, who want to use surname of their spouse
�� Marriage Contract (MC) in Security Paper issued by NSO or Certified True Copy issued by the Local Civil Registrar duly authenticated by NSO.
For married women who would like to revert back to their maiden name
�� If already widowed: Death Certificate of the deceased husband;
�� If marriage is annulled: Certified true copy and photocopy of the first page and the dispositive portion of the judgment on annulment and NSO-issued MC with the
annotation on the annulment decree;
�� If divorced: Certified true copy and photocopy of the first page and the dispositive portion of the judgment on divorce secured by foreign spouse authenticated by
the Philippine Embassy or Consulate where the divorce is obtained.

Here's the application form, she should print it in legal size (long bond) paper.
http://www.dfa.gov.ph/consular/form-ppt-page1.pdf

Once she completes all the requirements, she's ready to go to DFA in Manila..(if she's from manila).
Then, remind her not to follow persons who are approaching her outside the DFA, those are just fixers who will charged her with lots of money, they will say there's no number anymore and sometimes they will tell you to have the picture taken in their office...Just DON'T follow them..go straight to the DFA's basketball court where the first step is. I also suggest that, she should go there early like maybe at 5 am because there's a lot of applicants.

Sometimes the picture that you have is not enough for their specifications...you just have to have another picture taken inside the DFA... that will just cost you 150 pesos..compared to the price that the fixers are offering outside which is about 500 pesos..so better be strong not to follow them.

It will only take her the whole morning or even less to have the whole process...there's a line to follow..steps that are easy to follow..

She won't need any interview at all..she will just have to present all of her documents to window..and they will just check it.

The last process would be payment, if she wanted to get it after 7 days..she will have to pay 750 pesos to expediate..the regular processing will take 14 working days.

I hope it helps you a little...

Rhoge & Frank

It's easy & mine it only took 3 days & i paid P750,if 5 days P500 @ Cagayan de Oro City. I advised not to used travel agency. Good luck

The only reason I used travel agency in getting a passport is I was working 7 days a week and couldn't get away. It took 1 week for the agency to process it. The "interview" you're referring to is the personal appearance of the applicant and even if you will an agency, you'll still need to go there and appear before the DFA officer. After that, I got my passport within a week. With new procedures in getting a passport, some say it takes longer to get it.

--Mae

Hi,

In my suggestion, its better to apply personally at DFA. i have talked to an agency in Megamall, and they required additional documents than "you" personally apply it for yourself.

It took me one week for them to release my passport (September 2007), i only paid P500 for that while agency like In Megamall they asked me P1500 ( 21 days processing)

But if your girlfriend, hates long lines, then maybe you may opt to just pay an agency to do that, but still she needs to be interviewed and needs her personal appearance at DFA before the passport be released.

Strange but true, a team from the DFA regional office in Tacloban Leyte visited the municipality building in my asawa's small community north of Ormoc in mid-2006, calling it a "passporting seminar". She filled up the application using her new married name, submitted her documentation, paid the standard fee, was screened and interviewed and had her passport later the SAME DAY!!! She was NOT required to have the CFO Guidance and Counseling session certificate. I was stunned. It's very odd because it's hand written, but authentic. Just goes to show you how the standard process is sometimes far from normal.

Well my Fiancee went to renew her passport a few days ago in Cebu City. She got there around noon time to the DFA office.
There was lines of people outside halfway down the block. She said she thought it was at least 1000 people there and they only had 3 windows open taking applications. She was told by a guard if you expect to get processed in the same day you need to line up by 4am and expect to be there all day.

She also was told with the new electronic passports is a backlog and it is taking a minimum of 15 to 20 business days even with paying the expedite fee which totals 750Php.

She went to the agency close by he did all her paperwork and the had her come to the dfa office next day at 4:00pm to give a thumbprint and they put her in special line and she was done in an hour or so. She paid 1300PhP total so an extra 550 to not have to wait in line all day, seemed worth it to me.

He said call him May 2nd they might have it by then.

just a friendly reminder

do not deal with those people outside DFA . some will pretend to be an applicant n talk to you and ask things abt your application and then will suggest someone that can make your transaction faster not knowing that that person is a FIXER.

BE CAREFUL OF FIXERS ,., it almost got me ,., thank God i listened to my guardian angel and my instinct

I preferred to have mine renewed through a travel agency 'coz it saved me time and I couldn't be absent from work. Didn't have to be at the DFA Davao by 5 a.m. and fall in line. The charge was 1,200 pesos. E-passporting started last November 15 and I was not able to beat the deadline. I was inside the Office for fingerprinting and signing for only 30 minutes and I was done. Took a month for mine to be released.