Showing posts with label Passport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Passport. Show all posts

MY EXPERIENCE RENEWING MY PASSPORT AT DFA ALI MALL

August 15, 2017

MY EXPERIENCE RENEWING MY PASSPORT AT DFA ALI MALL



WHAT YOU NEED TO DO BEFORE GOING TO THE DFA OFFICE:
THREE MONTHS BEFORE:

1. Create a valid email address.
2. Get an appointment online at passport.com.ph
3. Choose a date and fill up the application form.
4. Verify your appointment by clicking the link sent to your email address.
This is very important. If you don't verify your appointment and clicking the link, your appointment will be dropped.

DAYS BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT:

Prepare to bring the following:

a. the old, expired or expiring passport.
b. the printed application form
Download your application form from the link emailed to you, then print in A4 size paper. DO NOT SIGN THE APPLICATION FORM. The link will also include the printout of the date of your application. 
c. the printout of the date of your appointment
You will need to present this printout to gain entry to the DFA office on the date and time of your appointment.
d. the xerox copy of the data page (where your information and picture can be found) of your passport.


ON THE DAY OF THE APPOINTMENT:

Dress properly. No sleeveless shirt/blouse.


There are no instructions as to the dress code.
But the requirements for photo states there should be no sleeveless shirt/blouse.

The instructions can be found at the encoding section.



MY APPOINTMENT IS ON A SATURDAY AT 1:00 P.M AT DFA ALI MALL:

12:30 PM: Arrival at DFA Ali Mall. 
I presented my application form and printout of the date of my appointment. I was allowed to enter at once, even if my appointment is at 1:00 PM.
The line in the middle is where you enter and present the printout of your appointment


12:30 PM - 12:40 PM: Evaluation, Signing, Payment
Evaluation: The DFA personnel reviewed my application form to find out if it's complete. 
Signing: The DFA personnel verified my information and asked me to sign my application form. He also gives the receipt for presentation to the cashier for the payment of passport fee. 
Payment: I presented the receipt and paid 1,200 pesos. Only cash is accepted.
NOTE: If your appointment is on a Saturday, you pay 1,200 pesos rush processing fee. You cannot choose to pay the regular processing fee. 
There is a special window for senior citizens, persons with disabilities,
minor children and pregnant women.
This means they do not interfere with the regular line.


In case you forget to photocopy the data page of your passport,
there's a photocopy section and notary public available inside the DFA office.


12:40 PM - 1:10 PM: Lined up for Encoding
The waiting time is 30 minutes. There are only 3 of the 6 encoding counters open. I'm presuming it's because it's lunchtime. When 1:00 PM arrived, other counters opened.
This is the long line at encoding.

1:10 PM- 1:20 PM: Encoding

Encoding and Data Capture: Taking of passport photo, finger printing of thumb and index finger, checking of accuracy of data encoded, signing.

Average time for actual encoding is 4-5 minutes. 


The encoding section

There is also a special line at encoding for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, minor children and pregnant women.


1:20 PM - 1:30 PM Courier section

My tip: Have your new passport delivered by courier to save time and expense. Why?

1. The date indicated in your receipt is just a TENTATIVE DATE of release. So if you arrive on the date indicated, you cannot be sure that your passport is ready for release.
In my case, tentative date of release is after 7 working days.

The receipt showing tentative date of release.

They make you sign a waiver, which means they cannot commit to the release of your passport on time.


2. Date of release is limited to weekdays, 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM. 

3. The line at the releasing section is long.

4. Courier fee is only 150 pesos.


The courier section is beside the encoding section

1:30 PM: Departure from DFA

We were given this reminder after encoding.

_________________________________________________________________________


TENTATIVE DATE OF RELEASE IS JUNE 28, 2017
ACTUAL DELIVERY OF PASSPORT: JUNE 29,2017


MY PASSPORT ARRIVED ON TIME!!!

Check out my Post: Walk-In Passport Applications at the DFA: Is it Allowed?

WALK-IN PASSPORT APPLICATIONS at the DFA: Is it allowed?

February 11, 2017

Photo courtesy of citizenservices.com.ph

WALK-IN PASSPORT APPLICATIONS at the DFA: Is it allowed?



UPDATE AS OF JUNE 26, 2018!!! 
The list of those who can use the courtesy/walk-in lane has been expanded. Even PARENTS and MINOR SIBLINGS of minors 7 years old and below, COMPANIONS of senior citizens and PWD, and MINOR CHILDREN of solo parent with solo parent ID can walk in. 


  • The following can avail of the Courtesy Lane Facility without need of an online appointment:
  1. Senior citizens (60 years and over) with proof of age
    • Senior citizen is allowed one (1) companion
    • The companion of the senior citizen must be an immediate family member, i.e. spouse, siblings, adult children, adult grandchildren, and children-in-law of the senior citizen and must show proof of relationship.
    • If the companion is not an immediate family member, the companion has to show proof of travel arrangements (e.g. confirmed plane or hotel booking) with the senior citizen to be able to avail of the courtesy lane facility.
  2. People with disabilities (PWDs) with proof of disability
    • PWD is allowed one (1) companion
    • The companion of the PWD must be an immediate family member, i.e. spouse, siblings, adult children, adult grandchildren, parents-in-law, and children-in-law of the PWD and must show proof of relationship.
    • If the companion is not an immediate family member, the companion has to show proof of travel arrangements (e.g. confirmed plane or hotel booking) with the PWD to be able to avail of the courtesy lane facility.
  3. Solo parent with valid solo parent card, and his/her minor children
  4. Minors seven (7) years old and below and his/her parents and minor siblings
  5. Pregnant women
    • If pregnancy is not visible, applicant must present medical certificate/records.
  6. Overseas Filipino Workers (Land and Sea based) with valid proof of status, such as:
    • Valid iDOLE card
    • Valid Employment contract
    • Valid Work Visa
    • Seaman's book stamped at international border less than 365 days from date of application
  • Senior citizens, PWDs, solo parents and their minor children, pregnant women, and OFWs have the option to choose from regular or expedited processing of their passport application.
  • The companions of the senior citizens and PWDs, minors seven (7) years old and below, their parents and minor siblings are to be assessed expedited processing fee because they are not entitled to use the courtesy lane; they are accommodated for their convenience.
  • All applications made on Saturdays — whether those entitled to use the Courtesy Lane or those accommodated for their convenience – shall be assessed expedited processing fees based on the relevant provision of the Passport Act. 


UPDATE AS OF JULY 14, 2017: This popped up when I was trying to open www. passport.com.ph.

This clarifies the question on who can walk-in at ANY DFA OFFICE and the document they need to present:

1. Senior Citizen: Senior Citizen ID (no mention of other proof to prove age.)
2. Person with Disability (PWDs): PWD ID or visible disability
3. Solo parent: valid Solo Parent ID (this is new!!!)
4. Pregnant women: medical certificate (what if obviously pregnant? :))
5. Minors below eight (8) years old: ?(I suppose it's the birth certificate or old passport)




NOTE: For news updates as of June 2017, please see the end of the article.


If you wish to apply or renew a Philippine passport in the Philippines, you have to make an online appointment. The earliest appointment schedule you can get in offices in Metro Manila and nearby provinces is at least 2 months from the date you request for an appointment. If you want an earlier date, earlier dates are available for other satellite offices in less accessible places like Zamboanga, Butuan and Tacloban.

Earliest appointment schedule is 2 months from today.

Because of this situation, a lot of my readers are asking if they can get an earlier slot by walking-in at any of the branches of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). If a satellite office is just new or has not configured their system to allow online appointments, they allow walk-in applications for a limited time before their system is configured to allow online appointments.(See the news on Walk-in passport applications at DFA Ali Mall for a limited time)


However, as of this writing, the existing satellite offices are all online so the only way you can apply or renew your passport is by getting an appointment online. 

THERE ARE HOWEVER, CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS.

WHEN IS WALK-IN PASSPORT APPLICATIONS ALLOWED
There is a line in each DFA office known as a courtesy lane. They process walk-in passport applications in the courtesy lane. People qualified to use the courtesy lane can process their passport applications without getting an appointment. They can arrive at the DFA office without an appointment, walk-in, present proof that they are qualified to use the courtesy lane, and then have their applications processed immediately. 

Below is a list of persons allowed to use the courtesy lane: (source: Department of Foreign Affairs site )

• Regular government employees / with GSIS / appointed by Civil Service Commission


• Dependent of government employee 
  - Legal spouse 
  - Parents 
  - Unmarried children


• Retired government employees (one year availment)


• Incumbent elected officials


• For barangay level, only the following are entitled: 
  - Barangay Chairman 
  - Barangay Kagawad 
  - SK Chairman


• Endorsement from House of Representatives must be endorsed by DLLU (Department Legislative Liaison Unit) of the DFA before lodging their applications to Courtesy Lane


• Media Personnel must first secure endorsement from Public Information Services Unit (PISU) before going to Courtesy Lane.


• Referrals made from DFA employees (limited to 3 referrals per month) and Head/s of other government agencies must secure proper endorsements duly signed by authorized signatories of their respective offices. Only original copies will be accepted for verification purposes. Photocopy of DFA employee’s valid I.D. / government agencies official’s Department I.D. must be attached for verification purposes.


• Minor (7 years old and below)


• Senior Citizens (60 years old and above)


• PWD (genuinely disabled) / with PWD I.D.s


• Pregnant (genuinely pregnant) / with medical certificate


* In case of lost or stolen VALID (not expired) passport (the applicant may proceed directly to the Consular /Division at DFA Aseana without an appointment (http://www.dfa.gov.ph/2013-04-04-07-00-36)

PASSPORT FEE: P1,200.00 (10 working days)
Senior citizens have an optional processing fee of P950.00 (20 working days)
NOTE: All passport fees charged when using the courtesy lane is the same as the express passport processing fee rate. They cannot opt for the regular rate of 950 pesos, except senior citizens. 

I suppose the reason for this is that people using the courtesy lane are in a hurry to get their passport and couldn't wait to schedule an appointment online. It has the effect of filtering people who are really in a hurry to have their passports released and discouraging those who are not in a hurry.

SPECIAL CASES OF OFWS (Overseas Filipino Workers)

OFW's are allowed to walk-in at the following :

1. At any DFA satellite office nationwide, through the courtesy lane 

2. At the dedicated passport center of OFWs located at Robinsons Galleria


Checkout the following news articles:

July 2016 DFA advisory for OFWs wishing to renew at Robinsons Galleria

The announcement that the DFA satellite office in Robinsons Galleria will be exclusively for OFWs applying for passports

FOR URGENT CASES:
You can write a letter request to the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, stating your reasons for asking to be allowed to walk-in and process your passport without scheduling an appointment. Take note, however, that JOINING A TOUR or GOING ON TOUR are not considered valid reasons.

MY TIP:
Try DFA Ali Mall. About a month ago, a friend of ours tried to apply for a passport at DFA Ali Mall and was allowed to process it without an appointment. Take note that she went there after lunch and on a weekday. I presume that if they don't have too many applicants, they also allow walk-in applicants. But that's discretionary and uncertain. 

UPDATE AS OF JUNE 2017:

I renewed my passport last June 16, 2017 and interviewed the DFA personnel on the issue of walk-in applications. They informed me of the ff:


1. All passport applicants must get an appointment. Walk-in applications are NOT ALLOWED IN ALL DFA OFFICES, except for the following persons:
a. Senior citizens. Persons with disabilityc. Pregnant womend. Minors 7 years old and below.
Note: I forgot to ask what proof they consider as valid. I'm presuming old passports, birth certificates or any ID bearing date of birth is enough proof in the case of senior citizens and minors 7 years old and below. In the case of persons with disability, I presume the proof of disability is the disability card if the disability is not visible or visible physical disability. In the case of pregnant women, if the pregnancy is not visible, a doctor's certificate may be accepted. 

2. Walk-in applications by OFW's will only be entertained at the Robinsons Galleria satellite office.


3. Walk-in applications by government employees will only be entertained at DFA-Aseana office. 


4. Walk in applications by senior citizens, persons with disability, pregnant women and minors 7 years old and below is allowed in ALL DFA OFFICES. All other exceptions discussed above will be entertained at DFA-Aseana. OFW's will only be entertained at the Robinsons Galleria Office.


Check out my PostMy Experience Renewing My Passport at DFA Ali Mall last June 2017.



My tips for fast passport processing at SM Megamall (DFA NCR East)

February 9, 2013

My tips for fast passport processing at SM Megamall 
(DFA NCR East)



1. Take the first slot, which is the 10:00 AM slot
At the first hour, there will be no backlog yet in processing of applications. If the personnel slows down in their work or encounters many people with incomplete or troublesome documents, the 10:00 AM appointments will not be affected by it.

As you can see, before 10:00 AM, there are already 10 waiting customers.


2. Get a Thursday slot. 

In my experience, Thursday is usually a slow day. There are less lines during Thursdays, whether in a bank, government offices or shops.

Take note that the fee for weekend passport appointments is more expensive than weekday slots.

3. Know where to go


This tip is basic because knowing where to go saves time. This especially holds true in this case because the SM Megamall building where the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) holds office is relatively new. It will be confusing to find for those who do not frequent this mall or is not at all familiar with SM Megamall. So I'm making a special post here.

The DFA Satellite Office for passport processing is located at the 7th floor of SM Megamall Carpark Building C. Carpark Building C is located in front of SM Megamall Building A.

How to go to Carpark Building C:

If you're using public transportation: get off at the Megamall bus bay terminal beneath Bldg C, and take the elevator to the 7th floor.

If you're using private transportation: enter carpark building C and park at the 7th level parking lot. To get to the carpark C entrance, enter Julia Vargas Ave. as shown by the blue arrows below, turn right at bank drive, turn left at the dead end, turn left again to go to carpark C.

Photo courtesy of SM Megamall facebook page
Blue arrows on the left are mine to indicate a one-way street
Red dots are car park entrances

Where is to park:
7th level carpark building C
5th level carpark of building A


For more details about the exact location of the passport center, check out my post "Where to Find the SM Megamall Passport Processing Center."


4. Park at the 7th level parking lot of Megamall Car Park Building C


Make sure to park at the 7th level parking lot of building C, especially if you have children and senior citizens with you. The pedestrian exit of the 7th level goes directly to the entrance of the DFA. There's no need to climb stairs or walk far.

This is the 7th level of Car Park  Building C
A short walk going to the left side of the photo leads to the entrance of the DFA.
If you park at the 5th level car park of SM Megamall Building A, you need to walk far and climb the stairs shown above to reach the DFA.
The left corridor at the same level of the DFA entrance leads to the 7th level of Car Park Building C. There will be no stairs to climb to reach the entrance.

For more details about where to find Megamall Carpark Building C, check out my post "Where to Find the SM Megamall Passport Processing Center."


5. Get your queue number first

When you enter the door of the passport center, the guard will immediately direct you to the right side after you enter the door towards the verification desk. You fall in line at the verification desk while the clerk checks your passport application form and attached documents. After the clerk at the verification desk finishes checking your application form and documents, he will direct you to the Smarto system pictured below to get your queue number.

My tip is for you to get your queue number first because this will determine the order when you will be served, instead of getting it after coming from the verification desk.

This is the touch screen machine where you get your queue number.
The ticketing machine is located near the entrance

6. Get both regular and priority numbers if you have senior citizens, minors, pregnant women, persons with disabilities and or overseas Filipino workers in your group.


If you're renewing your passport together with your kids and your parent like I did, your passports will be processed as a group. In this case, you can get both the regular and priority numbers in the queue, as shown above in the ticketing machine.




But take note note that it doesn't mean that when you get the priority queue ticket, you'll be served first. In our case, the regular service ticket was served ahead of the priority ticket. I presume it's because the regular service ticket had at least 5 counters assigned to it while the priority service ticket only had one.

"Priority services" is a misnomer for this service. It's actually the queue ticket for walk-in applicants. Check out my post "When is walk-in passport application allowed?"


7. Have complete xerox copies of documents before arriving at the site.


As you can see below, if you fail to xerox copies of some of your documents, there is a copier service inside the waiting area. However, I strongly advise that you complete the xerox copies of your documents in order to avoid delay in receiving your documents.

In our case, a person ahead of us failed to xerox some of his documents, so he fell in line at the xerox machine (1st delay) then he fell in line again after us (2nd delay). We were 6 in our group so it's like falling in line behind 6 people.


Inside DFA Megamall waiting area


My review: The DFA did a very good job in streamlining passporting services at their SM Megamall site. We finished the whole process in 50 minutes. We were 6 people who applied for renewal of passports. 

For step-by-step account of how the whole process went, see my post" My experience renewing my passport at SM Megamall".

Where to Find the SM Megamall Passport Processing Center (DFA-NCR East)

February 5, 2013


Where to Find the SM Megamall Passport Processing Center (DFA-NCR East)


The DFA Satellite Office for passport processing is located at the 7th floor of SM Megamall Carpark Building C. Carpark Building C is located in front of SM Megamall Building A.

How to go to Carpark Building C:

If you're using public transportation: get off at the Megamall bus bay terminal beneath Bldg C, and take the elevator to the 7th floor.

If you're using private transportation: enter carpark building C and park at the 7th level parking lot. To get to the carpark C entrance, enter Julia Vargas Ave. as shown by the blue arrows below, turn right at bank drive, turn left at the dead end, turn left again to go to carpark C.


Photo courtesy of SM Megamall facebook page
Blue arrows on the left are mine to indicate a one-way street
Red dots are car park entrances




Best parking options:
First Option: 7th level carpark building C

Car Park Building C is at the right
We arrived 9:30 AM but it's still closed so we lined up like all the other cars

SM Megamall Building A is at the left

The Car Park Building C entrance opened at 9:40 AM


This is the 7th level of Car Park  Building C
A short walk going to the left side of the photo leads to the entrance of the DFA.

Second Option: 5th level carpark of building A

After parking at the 5th level of SM Megamall Building A, proceed to Bruno's Barbers.
The exit that leads to the entrance of the DFA office is the one beside Bruno's.

After exiting the door beside Bruno's Barbers, you go up these steps to go to the DFA.
When you reach the top of the steps, you turn left to reach the entrance of the DFA.
The corridor to the left also leads to the 7th level of Car Park Building C.

This is the view from the top of the steps.
This is the bridgeway between Megamall Building A and Megamall Car Park Building C.
The door you see leads to Megamall Building A.

SM Megamall Passport Renewal and Processing

September 24, 2012

SM Megamall Passport Renewal and Processing:
Making an Online Appointment


It's welcome news that passport processing for new applications, renewal of passports and application for lost passports can be done at SM Megamall. Having this service available at a mall makes it more convenient to the public. A mall is always located at an accessible place. Public transportation is always available. Parking areas are already provided. And to top it all, the mall is usually open all days of the week, even holidays. This particular service is available Mon-Sat, including holidays. Those who do not wish to be absent from work just to get a passport can avail of this service on a Saturday or during a holiday.


How to make an online appointment

1. Go to www.megamall.passport.com.ph

2. On the left side of the screen, click "Set an appointment. The screen below shows you what will appear when you do this.


3. Fill up the blank with the captcha phrase then click "Start Individual Appointment Process". If you're applying as a family, there's another item below that you can click to start the family appointment process.

After clicking "Start Individual Appointment Process", you will see the screen below. Fill up all the items below then submit.

My tip: Make sure  the email you put is correct otherwise you will not be able to confirm your appointment.  You need the link in the email confirmation to verify the date of your appointment and to be able toprint your application form. If you wait a long while and do not receive an email confirmation, most probably you made an error putting your email address. Just make a new appointment and the previous appointment you made will be automatically dropped.



4.  After submitting your personal information, you will see the screen below. Pick your date to see what slots are available. 

The days available for passport appointments are as follows:
Monday to Saturday: 
every 30 minutes, from 10:00 am - 11:30 am, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm.
My tip:  If you wish to get your desired date and time, book one month before. The earliest you can book an appointment is a month before your desired date.



5. After you pick your date and click the slot you want, the screen below will appear to indicate that the process has been completed. Then check your email.




My tip (updated as of  November 2012): If the screen above (at paragraph no. 5) does not appear, and you get an onscreen message to go to dfa.gov.ph, this means you are booking an appointment for more than 5 persons using one email address. The appointment software limits the no. of bookings per email address to 5 persons. You need to use another email address for the additional persons you plan to book.
For instance: a. For family applications: You can do a family application for 5 people maximum using one email address. The remedy is to use another email address to book the other family members.
b. For individual applications: Even if you book people separately or at different dates, as long as the appointment has been confirmed and has not been cancelled or used, you  are limited to only 5 people using that same email address. The remedy is to use another email address.

6. You need to check your email within 24 hours so you can confirm your appointment by clicking the confirmation link within the email. Otherwise, your appointment will not be confirmed. The sample email is shown below:



Dear  000000000000,
Your appointment has been set.
Your appointment is on Sat, Oct 27, 2012 from 10:00 am to 10:30 am.Please make sure you arrive at the DFA at 10:00 am.
You will be expected to arrive for your appointment at exactly 30 minutes before your schedule.Even if you arrive early, you will not be entertained until 30 minutes before your appointment.If you arrive late, you will need to secure another appointment for another day.
Please be advised that appointments from 5:00PM onwards will be considered rush processing.
=====================================================- IMPORTANT INFORMATION - =====================================================
Your Reference Number: 000000000000
1. Click the link below to confirm your appointment and print your application form. 2. Use Long Bond Paper when printing.3. Be sure to bring your application form with you on your appointment date.4. Please do not sign the application form. You need to sign it with the presence of a DFA officer in the processing window.
-----------------------------------------------------Confirmation Link:http://megamall.passport.com.ph/email/view/ref/5e4b47dc910239c7c90a1bdcd1ceaeb124500d4a------------------------------------------------------ If you do not confirm within 24 hours by clicking -- the confirmation link, your appointment will be  -- canceled.                                        -=====================================================
You will need to have a PDF reader installed in your computer such as Foxit Reader or Adobe Reader.

Please note that we've replaced your previous appointments with this one.You are not allowed to place multiple appointments in our system.
0000000000000000

7. After clicking the confirmation link, the screen below is what you will see.



This is your application form. You have to print it and bring it with you to the DFA.
You see the date and time of your appointment
under the heading "E-Passport Application.

My tip: If you make an error in the application form, just cancel your appointment and make a new one. At the homepage, on the left side of the screen, you can click "Cancel appointment".

8. Proceed to DFA Megamall on the date and time of your appointment. 

Arrive 30 minutes before. You will not be entertained until 30 minutes before your appointment. If you're late, you will need to get a new appointment.


Location of DFA Megamall Consular Office: 7th Floor Megamall Building C, EDSA corner J. Vargas Avenue, Mandaluyong City.


View Larger Map


NOTE: The DFA Appointment System is also available BY PHONE via the hotline (02) 737-1000. You can call anytime from 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday to Saturday.