Philippine green passport validity and expiration date
一月 30, 2009
Earlier this week, we wrote about getting the new, maroon-colored machine readable passports (MRP) because they will soon become unusable. There are a lot of rumors going on about the validity date of the current green passports (including the email currently circulating saying by January 2010, they cannot anymore be used) but unfortunately, we have not heard any official word yet from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
I asked my friend working at the DFA to confirm, once and for all, what the actual rule is. I also called the DFA office in Manila and this is what we found out:
The current, green passports can indeed be used until its validity date but the risk is that by 2010, some countries have the prerogative not to accept it anymore as a valid travel document.
Take note that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) require all member states to issue machine readable passports no later than April 2010. This means that after April 2010, other countries can decide not to accept into their borders any foreigner who holds a passport that is not machine readable.
The DFA representative I talked to advised all Filipino passport holders to always inquire with the embassy or immigration office of the country they plan to go to about the validity of their non-machine-readable passports. The DFA cannot ensure that all countries will accept Filipino green passports after 2010. Some of them might but they also have the prerogative not to, according to the DFA.
For all travels within the Philippines, however, green passports can still be used even in 2011, 2012 or until the passport’s validity period.
Hope this clears up the issue.
四月 28th, 2009 at %I:%M%p
It’s just a scam to get more money. Sure countries have choose whether to accept them or not, but no country is going to refuse them. The only countries that would care require visas for Filipinos anyways and guess what? The visas themselves are machine readable and have been for awhile.
Just for a point of reference, even the US will be accepting non machine readable passport, provided the holder has a visa.
五月 29th, 2009 at %I:%M%p
oh. u have to wait 7 days to get the new passport if expedited.
14 days for the normal process. 1 month if you are requesting it from an embassy.
what a joke.
in malaysia, the malaysians can get the new passport in one hour!
一月 11th, 2010 at %I:%M%p
yeah, visa is machine readable!
一月 14th, 2010 at %I:%M%p
As written in DFA’s website announcement, all Green passports will be accepted until its expiration date.
二月 20th, 2010 at %I:%M%p
“For all travels within the Philippines, however, green passports can still be used even in 2011, 2012 or until the passport’s validity period.”
- Do domestic airports require passengers to go through immigration?
二月 20th, 2010 at %I:%M%p
Passports are not required, but a valid ID is. The passport can be used as that valid ID.