How to apply for Philippine 10-year passport in Dubai

With the announcement that Philippine passports are now valid for 10 years, many Filipinos in Dubai have rushed to get their hands on the new travel document. The new passport doubles the duration of the passport, which in turn means fewer trips to the consulate for renewal.

Philippine Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes said on Wednesday that "almost 2,000 Filipinos have applied for passport renewal in the first five days since the 10-year passport was rolled out on January 3 in Dubai".

But how exactly can you apply for a Philippine passport? What are the requirements? If you need a refresher on how to get your hands on a Philippine passport or maybe renew your old one, then this guide is for you.

What do you need:

- Dh240 passport processing fee

- Your old passport

- Two copies of the passport data page

- Photocopy of the UAE visa page

- Accomplished E-passport application form and OAV form

How do you get it done?

The passport application/renewal process can be done in less than a day. Here are the steps:

1. Apply for an appointment - The most important step is to secure an appointment via the consulate website. Select a date and time and once you get the confirmation email, you have to print it.

2. Go to the consulate - on the date and time of your appointment. Make sure that you are on time, otherwise you'll have to go back to step 1. Your first stop is the Passport Processing Cabin.

3. Drop your old passport - There will be a box marked with the date and time of your appointment. Drop your old passport here. You must now wait for your name to be called in by one of the staff.

4. Pay for your passport renewal -  Proceed to the cashier where you'll have to pay Dh240 to get your passport renewed.

5. Get your photo taken -  Go to the Encoding area to get your photo and new data captured. During this step, you must remove any hair accessories, glasses, earrings, or necklace that you are wearing at the time.

6. Congratulations! Now you only have to wait a couple of days for your new, 10-year passport to be released. 

Once your passport has been released, simply visit the Releasing section of the consulate and you'll get your new passport. Note that you must present the original receipt and old passport in order to get your hands on the new one.

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