Applying for Extension of Passport Validity

I completely forgot that my Philippine Passport will expire in August 2011. I was meaning to renew in back in March after my last travel in Singapore. If not for Nokia’s invitation to fly to SG again, I would have completely forgotten it.

So I went online and tried to schedule for my passport renewal. The closest date I could get was 4 weeks away so that rules it out.

My last option is to apply for extension of the validity of my passport. Here’s what I needed to do that:

1) Photocopy of the front and back pages of your passport.

2) Letter addressed to the Office of the Director, Department of Foreign Affairs stating your urgent case and request for an extension.

3) Photocopy of flight itinerary or plane tickets.

4) Other supporting documents (letter of invitation, work contract if OFW, etc).

In my case, I just printed out the email invitation sent to me by Nokia as well as the booking from their travel agency which shows the dates when I will be flying.

When you go to DFA along Macapagal Avenue, pass thru Gate 3. They will then point you to Door #3 where you will line up at the information booth to show your documents and be given a Form to fill up.

From there, proceed to Door #1 and into the Main Lobby where a guard will check your form and give you a numbered stub. Once your number is called, give back the stub with your name and reason for interview. Your name will then be called out.

The long wait then begins:

Depending on what time you arrive at the DFA and how many people are lining up, expect between half a day to a whole day just to get the interview. I arrived at the DFA just before 8:30AM and was number 22 in line. At 11:30am, they were only serving #18.

The worst part is that they are calling out names and not numbers so it’s hard to track the progress unless you ask the guard once in a while.

I got out just a quarter past 12 noon — my application for extension was granted, given a receipt to pay Php200 at the Cashier on the 2nd floor, and come back 2 days later to pick up my passport.

Was talking to a lot of people who were also getting their extensions (mostly OFWs) and found out sometimes the process is fast (one guy only waited 15 minutes) and sometimes it’s really long (as in whole day long). I guess my 4 hours of wait is just the average.

Note: I am told by the officer that they will grant me the extension but I should not be using it repeatedly and that I am to file for renewal as soon as I get back. So it’s really a case to case basis.