I am so glad that Department of Foreign Affairs Passport Appointment System exists. I remember the inconvenience of waking up very early and queueing up as early as 3am when I first applied for a passport. I almost gave up on the idea of travelling abroad.
My recent passport will expire on August. I have the machine readable which I believe will no longer be honored by October 2015.
If you are planning to get a passport or renew your passport, you can now choose the date and time of your appointment at DFA.
Choose the branch where you want to set an appointment. I have provided the links to redirect you to the branch of your choice.
Aseana Business Park
Bradco Ave cor Macapagal Blvd
Paranaque City
Conception St cor Arroceros
Manila City
Lingkod Pinoy Center
Level 1 West Lane
Robinson's Galleria
Ortigas, Pasig
7th Floor Megamall Building C
Mandaluyong City
4th Floor Metro Alabang Town Center
Muntinlupa City
The list of documentary requirements are listed on the website. Please make sure that you have them photocopied before arriving on your scheduled date. Although there is a photocopier available but it is wise to avoid unnecessary delays caused by incomplete requirements.
I had my passport renewed at DFA Megamall. My appointment was at 2pm but I arrived around 1:15pm.
Passporting Steps:
A. Verification
You will be asked to present the printed Application Form you filled out from the website. Then you will secure a queueing number. Keep the number stub because you will need to present that to the cashier.
B. Processing
Make sure you have all the photocopied supporting documents ready. At the processing window, the person in charge will check your Application Form, the required supporting documents and will ask you your preferred processing -- Regular (15 working days) or Express (7 working days). You will be given a voucher to present to the cashier.
C. Cashier
The cashier only accepts cash payments. Regular Processing costs P950 and Express Processing costs P1,200. The guard on duty will ask for your queueing number. After payment, proceed to Encoding.
D. Encoding
The first three steps took only 15 minutes to finish. At the encoding section, this is where your picture, thumb prints and signature will be captured. There is no need to bring passport size photos. This step took me 45 minutes. The delay is understandable because it takes 5-10 minutes to process per person. Takes longer for babies and children because of the photo capture.
You can opt to have your passport delivered by paying an extra P120.