How to Renew a Philippine Passport in the US?

Philippine nationals who wish to visit the US are required to have a valid passport. If you are a Philippine passport holder and your passport expires during your stay in the US, you should immediately apply for a passport renewal at a Philippine embassy or consulate. Follow our post to learn how to renew a Philippine passport in the US

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The Philippine passport renewal in the US

Apart from the regular passport, the Philippines uses an ePassport, which means that it includes an electronic chip that stores information about its holder. However, you can also renew your non-ePassport. 

Your Philippine passport renewal in the USA will require a personal appearance at a Philippine Consulate General or the embassy, for which you will have to make a passport appointment on the Department of Foreign Affairs website.

The Philippine embassy is located at 1617 Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C.

You can find a Philippine Consulate General in:

• Agana, Guam
• Atlanta, GA
• Chicago, IL
• Honolulu, HI
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• Miami, FL
• New York, NY
• San Francisco, CA

Find out more about passports from these articles:

Philippine passport renewal in the US – requirements for adults

Once you’ve made the online appointment, you will have to gather the following for your personal appearance at a Philippine consulate or the Philippine embassy:

• confirmation of your online appointment;
• completed passport application form;
• proof of Filipino citizenship such as a Philippine birth certificate, old passport, government-issued ID, or a marriage certificate;
• current ePassport/non ePassport with a photocopy of the data page;
• if your passport is damaged, a notarized Affidavit of Explanation.

One of the following forms of ID with a photocopy – for non-ePassport applications only:

• valid/latest passport
• Social Security System card
• Unified Multi-Purpose Insurance System card
• Government Service Insurance System card
• Professional Regulatory Commission ID card
• Philippine Identification card
• Overseas Workers Welfare Administration e-Card
• Land Transportation Office Driver’s License
• Senior Citizen ID
• Airman License (issued after August 2016)
• Philippine Postal ID (issued after November 2016)
• Philippines National Police Permit to carry firearms
• Seafarer’s Record Book (issued after February 2020 by the Maritime Industry Authority)
• Commission on Elections Voter ID or Voter Certificate issued by the main office in Intramuros, Manila*.

*NOTE: Further verification may be required for certificates issued by the Commission on Elections’ regional offices. If submitting a Voter Certificate, you must present a police or NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) clearance.

For married women who wish to change their last name to that of their husband’s, original Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) authenticated documents will be required:

• annotated birth certificate
• annotated PSA marriage certificate
• a marriage contract
• spouse’s death certificate.

Philippine passport renewal – dual citizenship

Apart from the regular passport requirements for a renewal, a dual citizenship applicant must submit the following:

• PSA birth certificate or report of birth* (original and a photocopy);
• Philippine citizenship identification certificate issued by the Philippine Foreign Service Post or the Bureau of Immigration** (original and photocopy).

*if the passport applicant is a dual citizen from birth, i.e. has one Filipino parent and another parent from whom they derive their citizenship or if both parents are Filipino, but the applicant was born in a country that recognizes jus soli/birthright citizenship.

**if the Philippine citizenship was retained or reacquired in accordance with the Republic Act No. 9225 (the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003).

Philippine passport renewal – naturalized citizen

As a naturalized Filipino citizen wishing to renew your passport, you will have to submit your Identification Certificate of Naturalization issued by the Bureau of Immigration.

Philippine passport renewal in the US – requirements for minors

Philippine passport renewals for applicants 18 and younger will also require a passport appointment and the personal appearance of minor applicant. The minor applicant should be accompanied by either a parent or legal guardian (authorized adult companion) to their passport appointment.

The following should be gathered before the appointment:

• confirmation of the online appointment
• completed passport application form
• proof of Filipino citizenship such as a Philippine birth certificate, old passport, government-issued ID, or a marriage certificate
• current ePassport/passport with a photocopy of the data page
• original and photocopy of the proof of guardianship
• the parent’s/legal guardian’s passport or valid government-issued ID* (original and photocopy)
• school ID (if the minor applicant is a student)
• if the passport is damaged, a notarized Affidavit of Explanation.

 *NOTE: see above for a list of acceptable forms of ID for a passport application.

If only one parent is accompanying the minor to their appointment, the parents’ marriage certificate is required. If the minor’s parents are not married and the mother is not attending, a Special Power of Attorney must be executed by the mother and submitted with the application. If the Special Power of Attorney is issued abroad, it will have to be authenticated by the Philippine Consulate General or Embassy.

Philippine passport renewal in the US – fee and payment methods

The passport renewal has a flat fee of $60 that can be paid in one of the following ways:

• cash
• money order
• bank draft
• certified check
• cashier’s check.

Keep in mind that personal checks or payments using credit or debit cards won’t be accepted.

How to renew an expired Philippine passport in the US?

An expired Philippine passport calls for a new passport application. So what are the expired Philippine passport renewal requirements? Well, since it’s an entirely new application, the application process will proceed like that for a new passport.

Philippine passport renewal in the US – processing times

Your new Philippine passport will be printed by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila. The processing times are approximately from 4 (four) to 6 (six) weeks from the date you submit your passport application.

Get your Philippine passport photos quickly and hassle-free

New Filipino passport applications as well as passport renewals don’t require you to submit a picture of yourself since your photo will be taken at the embassy or consulate.

However, if you wish to take your time and get a perfect passport photo without being rushed, or perhaps you immediately need a photo for your travel document, try Passport Photo Online.

This application will allow you to take your ideal passport photo in the relaxed setting of your home (or anywhere else you feel comfortable), letting you retake your pic as many times as you want at no extra cost.

The app’s AI system scans your photo for any errors, adjusts it to the correct government-required dimensions, replaces the background with a plain white one, removes “red-eye”, and runs a thorough verification check to make sure your photo is good to go!

With Passport Photo Online you get to save up to 40% off compared to other passport photo services, and you’re in for a double refund if your pictures don’t get accepted by the authorities (which is very, very unlikely).

How to renew a Philippine passport in the US: FAQ

We’ve put together this FAQ section to clarify any doubts you may have regarding Philippine passport renewal in the United States.

How to renew a Philippine passport in the US – closing thoughts

All Filipino passport renewals call for a personal appearance at a Philippine consulate or the Embassy of the Philippines in Washington, D.C. You can renew your ePassport or Passport once you’ve gathered all the necessary documentation proving your Filipino citizenship. Make sure to book your online appointment well ahead of your planned travel date since the waiting time may extend up to 2 (two) months.

Sources

• [1] https://www.philippineconsulatela.org/applicant-for-renewal

Karolina Młodzka

Karolina’s passion for law, technology and photography led her to PhotoAiD S.A., where for the past 3 years she has been an expert in the implementation of passport photo compliance procedures in +80 countries around the world.