A new law is nudging the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) into the digital age, which means no more lining up at their offices soon. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed the New Philippine Passport Act on March 11, which requires the DFA to establish an online application portal and electric one-stop shop that is “readily accessible on its official website to facilitate convenience of application and ease in gathering and submission of the requirements.”
Beyond the screen, Section 19 of the New Philippine Passport Act also authorizes the DFA to offer offsite and mobile passport services, extending its reach beyond traditional consular offices and foreign service posts.
Prior to this law, Filipinos could only schedule appointment services—not submit applications—for passport application, passport renewal, visa application, or apostille application on the DFA’s online portal under the Passport Act of 1996.
What to Expect from DFA's Online Passport Applications Under the New Act
Under the third reading of the bill, first-time applicants are still required to appear in person for biometric and biographic data capturing, but senior citizens and overseas Filipino workers (OFW) will no longer need to show up in person to renew their passports. However, this no longer appears in the final version of the signed law. We'll have to wait and see for DFA's specific instructions on this.
Instead, Section 20 of the New Philippine Passport Act is set to put up special lanes to ease the in-person application processes for senior citizens, OFWs, persons with disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women, minors aged 7 years and below, single parents, and those with exceptional cases.
Unfair and discriminatory practices in passport issuance will also have a fine of up to P250,000 and six-year imprisonment at the maximum.
The new passport law takes effect on March 30, which is 15 days following its March 15 publication in the Official Gazette
*This story originally appeared on Spot.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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