Tips on ROM/Renewal of Passport at the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles

[M and C 32]

1. Have your documents/requirements ready before you go to the Consulate. Check if none is lacking:

http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/consular%20services/conserv-registry.htm#ROM

http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/consular%20services/conserv-ppt.htm#1

Report of Marriage form: http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/NewForms2010/ROM.pdf

Passport form: http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/NewForms2010/passport%20July%202012.pdf

In the ROM requirements, the website says to submit 4 photocopies of the Marriage Certificate and Birth Certificates. I suggest you make 5 copies instead before you go to the Consulate because once your ROM has been approved, you will be asked to make a copy of each document for submission for the passport ammendment/renewal. That way, you will only need to make a copy of the approved ROM with the Consulate seal, signed by the Consul. There is a shop a few doors down the hallway which makes copies for 50 cents per page. In that same shop, they could take yours and your spouse's pictures at the required size for the ROM (1.77 in x 1.37 in with plain white background). Each set of 4 photos costs $12.

2. Once you enter the Consular Office, a security guard will be by the door and will give you a form for the passport renewal and registration for absentee voting (for Philippine national elections -- president, vice president, and senators). Go to the window for Civil Registry. Submit your ROM forms with the necessary documents and wait for them to approve, sign and put a seal on it. While waiting you will have to pay the processing fee of $25. You may also submit the registration for absentee voting form at the civil registry window, which they will also return to you after they have signed it.

3. Once your ROM has been approved you may now proceed to the passport renewal/ammendment. But first they will require you to make a photopy of the approved ROM form. Once done, the security guard will direct you to a room where they will process your registration for absentee voting -- from taking a picture, to taking a picture and capturing thumbprints.

4. The next thing will be the passport renewal/ammendment. I did them both at the same time since my passport was expiring this year anyway. I suggest you fill out the downloadable form before you go to the Consulate so you don't have to fill it up there. That would save you a couple of minutes. In the passport booth they will take your picture and thumbprints, and make you check if the information that is to be printed on your passport will be correct. Take your time in proofreading the entries because the passport production would be in the Philippines. You wouldn't want to get a new passport with erroneous information or misspelled names. Once done, they will direct you to pay the processing fee of $60.

5. At the cashier, they will ask you if you will pick up or have your passport delivered to your home. If you request for a delivery, you will also need to pay the mailing fee of $20.00. They will give you the tracking number. They will take your old passport along with your payment. They say they it will take around 6-8 weeks for the new passport to be delivered.

I got all three transactions (ROM, passport, registration for absentee voting) done in just an hour. I went on a Friday, at around 10:20 AM. We (my husband and I) were out before lunch break. I guess the key thing is to have all documents ready in the necessary number of copies. Fill out at home the downloadable ROM and passport forms. Bring cash, because they don't accept debit or credit cards.

The consulate is in the middle of Koreatown, so if you're into Korean food, you can pick your choice. But if you're craving for some Filipino food, there's a food truck in front of the building where you can buy lunch.

Edited October 28, 2014 by M and C

[zuluweta 250]

Did you get your old passport back along with your new passport?

[Hank_ 9,171]

Yes they return your old passport with the new passport

[zuluweta 250]

Yes they return your old passport with the new passport

I plan to choose the option of picking up the new passport at the Philippines embassy. How will I be notified that the passports (old and new) are ready to be picked up?

[Hank_ 9,171]

Don't know how they notify you, my wife had hers sent back by mail.

[apple21 953]

They will stamp your receipt with a release date.

Edited May 3, 2015 by apple21

[zuluweta 250]

OK, I do hope they stick to the scheduled pick-up date on the receipt then.

BTW, do they ask for US ID like state ID/drivers license at the Philippines embassy? How about green card?

[apple21 953]

BTW, do they ask for US ID like state ID/drivers license at the Philippines embassy? How about green card?

For passport renewal, no.

Edited May 5, 2015 by apple21