The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) temporarily suspended on Wednesday, March 23, the walk-in application for apostille services at its office in Parañaque City due to the sudden influx of applicants.
In an advisory, the DFA said they suspended the apostille services as the demand for such services has already reached the maximum number of applications it can process within the day.
The DFA added that walk-in service for apostille applicants will resume the following day, March 24.
Reports showed that long lines of applicants formed outside the DFA Office of Consular Affairs at the Aseana Business Park as early as Tuesday night to have their documents processed for application for jobs abroad.
However, the DFA reminded the applicants that there is no need for them to line up late at night.
"Nagpapapasok kami ng mga aplikante at nagbibigay ng numero simula 7 a.m. Hindi po kailangang pumila sa DFA-Aseana ng dis-oras ng gabi (We are starting to accept applicants at 7 a.m. There's no need to line up at the DFA-Aseana late at night)," it said.
The DFA likewise advised applicants to consider going to other DFA offices for the processing of their documents.
These are the consular offices that are accepting walk-in applicants for apostille services according to the DFA:
- NCR West (150 applicants)
- NCR East (100 applicants)
- Pampanga (80 applicants)
- NCR South (150 applicants)
- CO Iloilo (60 applicants)
- NCR Northeast (80 applicants)
- La Union (50 applicants)
- Davao (90 applicants)
- Cebu (100 applicants)
- Cagayan de Oro (37 applicants)