All active overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are renewing their passports will now have a dedicated consular site and Online Appointment System, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.
The Consular Office in NCR Central at the 1st Floor Lingkod Pinoy Center Robinsons Galleria West Lane, Edsa corner Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City through its Online Appointment System at www.passport.gov.ph will now be devoted for all active OFWs passport applicants.
This latest development came amid mounting complaints against the perennially problematic DFA online passport appointment system that was further compounded by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Passport applicants who are eligible to avail themselves of the facility and qualify as active OFWs must show proof of the following requirements:
- For Land-based OFWs: Valid Working Visa or Re-entry Visa;
- For Seafarers: Valid Seaman’s Book Valid Seaman’s Book with arrival stamped not more than three hundred sixty-four (364) days from the date of application; and
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Any of the following:
- Valid Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) E-card;
- Latest OEC (Overseas Employment Certificate) receipt; and
- Latest OFW Information Sheet from POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration).
To book an appointment, an applicant must go to www.passport.gov.ph, then choose the site: DFA NCR Central (Robinsons Galleria – Active OFW Lane).
Passport applicants who do not qualify as active OFWs are advised to book an appointment at other DFA consular sites to avoid inconvenience. Unqualified or incomplete applications will not be accommodated, and any fees paid will be forfeited.