How to renew your Philippine passport the easy way

My passport expired last June but it was only last month that I was able to renew it. It turned out to be a good thing though because my passport is now machine-readable. Though it now required a personal appearance at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to renew a passport, the process is still hassle-free if one were to use the services of DFA Passport Direct. The steps are as easy as 1-2-3-4:

1. Call (02)737-1000 and tell the customer service representative that you would like to renew your passport. The CSR will give you the details of the passport renewal process and will interview you for pertinent personal information. The CSR will then schedule the pickup of your documents and the date of your personal appearance at the DFA.

2. Prepare the requirements and payment of P1300. A 2GO courier will pick these up on the scheduled date.

3. Go to the DFA on the scheduled date and head directly to the covered court where the Pilipinas Teleserve booth is located. A friendly representative will lead you to the DFA offices where you will make an appearance and have your fingerprints and digital signature taken.

4. Wait for 7-10 working days for the processing of your new passport. After that, a 2GO courier will deliver your new passport right to your doorstep.

Of course, I could have applied for my passport renewal at the DFA directly and saved P800 (passport fee is just P500 as stated here). But I didn't want the hassle of lining up at the DFA for hours and going back and forth: first for the passing of documents and fingerprinting, then to claim your passport when it is released. So I'm glad there's the DFA Passport Direct option for people like me who don't have the luxury of time to personally apply for passport renewal at the DFA. Here's a look at the old and new: