Maroon is the new green. For Philippine passports, that is.
The new maroon-colored passport is machine-readable, in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s requirement. Green passports, however, will still be valid until their validity date according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), but there might be a catch.
Read it here: Green passports OK until validity date but…
Photo requirements
The photo of the new passport must show a full frontal shot of the passport holder’s face, occupying approximately 70-80% of the photograph. The photograph should be printed on good quality photo paper, preferably matte, and must be free from ink marks, dirt, grease, or other stains.
Background color of the pic must be royal blue or dark blue. Size must be 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm.
Applicant should be in decent attire with collar and sleeves and in dark-colored shirt. Ears and forehead should be visible. Wearing of accessories, colored contact lenses or eyeglasses, with name/name board are not allowed.
Application requirements – New applicants
- Personal Appearance is required
- Duly accomplished application form
- Birth Certificate in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO); if unreadable, bring a Certified True Copy of Birth Certificate issued by the Local Civil Registrar
- Three (3) colored photos of the applicant (see photo requirements above)
- Original ID (e.g., Senior Citizen’s ID, Voter’s ID, digitized government-issued IDs like SSS, PRC, BIR, Driver’s License, original school ID for students only) AND original supporting documents indicating full name, date and place of birth and citizenship (see list below)
- NBI Clearance (not required if presenting 2 digitized Identification Cards)
- NSO Marriage Certificate of parents if Last & Middle name are foreign sounding (Chua, Ong, etc)
Application requirements – Renewal for those holding brown passports or passports issued BEFORE May 1, 1995
- Personal Appearance is required
- Old passport and photocopy of passport pages 1,2,3 (amendment)
- The pages showing latest Bureau of Immigration departure and arrival stamps
- Supporting document (see list below) with complete middle name and Original ID
- Three (3) colored photos of the applicant (see photo requirements above)
- NSO Birth Certificate in Security Paper (SECPA) or Negative Birth Record from NSO if born in 1950 or below
Application requirements – Renewal for those holding green passports or passports issued AFTER May 1, 1995
- Personal Appearance is required
- Present passport and photocopy of pages 1,2,3 (amendment) inside and back cover
- The pages showing latest Bureau of Immigration departure and arrival stamps
- For illegitimate minor, personal appearance of mother is required
- Three (3) colored photos of the applicant (see photo requirements above)
Other supporting documents
- Marriage Contract
- PRC / IBP ID
- Land Title
- Driver’s License
- Government Service Record
- Old SSS-E1 form or digitized SSS-ID
- School Form 137 or Transcript of Records
- Other documents that show full name and birth details of applicant and/or citizenship
- Voter’s Registration Record
- Baptismal Certificate
- Seaman’s Book
- Income Tax Return (Old)
You can apply for a new passport at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) office.
Or if you want to save time, you may apply online or via phone using the Philippine Passport Express Delivery Service by Pilipinas Teleserv (www.passport.com.ph). Processing fee is P1,300 payable upon the delivery of your passport to your house.
* Note: We are NOT in any way related to Pilipinas Teleserv.
Update (January 2014): Green, Maroon MRP Philippine passports valid only until 2015
thanks for this. i’ve been looking for the requirements myself since i have the green one.
Thanks for the info. Need to find time for renewal to avoid problems with my future flights.
thanks for the info. what if you weren’t able to renew your passport by January 2010 and you’re trying to leave from another country, can you still exit using the green passport?
hi dupax,
i think you will not be allowed to leave the country by Jan 2010 with green passport… in short, void na yung mga green passports after 2009
jinryll – please read dupax’s question first before giving your advice
to dupax – this is ok if you are leaving from another country to a different country. however, it will be a problem if you are going back to phils
malapit na kasi election, kelangan na ulit ni labandera ng pera
Unfair naman sa mga Green Passport holders na valid pa beyond 2009. Ang mahal kasi ng passport eh.
I believe this is not true. Please post some more supporting notices coming from valid sources (i.e. embassy, DFA website, etc). Though I agree that the MRP is better, it would be unfair to force people into changing their passports (unless it’s free and hassle-free) despite its validity.
I don’t even think they can handle processing millions of passports of OFWs already abroad.
For the record, it takes months (around 45 days earliest)to apply for a new passport in Japan. Costs even higher.
And if I may add: Your DISCLAIMER is not at all convincing… You can do better, you know.
I hope wala ka ngang kaibigan from this Pilipinas Teleserv, coz hindi ka maysadong bulgar sa iyong endorsement.
Hope di ka nila binayaran….
To my dear fellow Pinoys, please let us use the power of the net. The information is just a google away.. Let’s be extra careful on what we read..Always check for facts first.
God bless us all…
The info about the January 2010 deadline was only relayed to me by my friend working in DFA Manila so I assume it’s official. Tomorrow I’ll call DFA to confirm about the validity of the passports. But it’s been known for some time now that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requires all members states to have machine readable passports (MRP) no later than April 2010.
@Nick, as I said in the note, I am not connected and do not know anyone connected to Pilipinas Teleserv. If I was paid by someone to advertise, I will announce it.
I just renewed our passports and expecting to get it on February 11. It took me less than an hour to process our applications because it was a bad weather when I went to DFA. Only a few people applied because the rest of them just stayed home. It was flooding on some parts of the city.
Mr.James,
I am not surprised at all that your friend in the DFA seems to be confused as well.
For one, ttheir DFA website SUCKS bigtime! Their website was my starting point in searching for the facts regarding the MRP. And guess what I found…. NOTHING! They will bury you with all those crappy YOUTUBE videos that they forgot the basic information about it. Can you believe that!
The official website of the DFA is next to useless — nobody seemed to be thinking about its purpose for being there — which is information dissemination, among others.
Perhaps you can tell your friend this feedback.
For instance, isn’t it funny that they have the Citizen Services and Consular Services with sublinks to PASSPORT and yet NONE contain the basic information about the MRP?
C’mon DFA people, surely you can do better than that. Pasulitin nyo naman yung taxpayer’s money na ibinabayad sa inyo…
I found this…
MANILA, Philippines — If you are the owner of a manually scripted passport (green or brown) that is still valid beyond 2008, don’t rush into replacing it with a machine-readable passport.
Reason: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is scheduled to issue “electronic passports” to the public starting December.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/107832/After-the-machine-readable-passport-now-comes-the-e-passport
Mr. James,
Any news from the DFA? I thought you said you would call them as you have mentioned in your last posting.
Also, my first posting containing the website/link of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore which is clearly mentioning the guidelines for regular green passports was omitted. Why?
In the interest of my fellow Pinoys reading this. Check out this link:
Update here: Green passports until validity date but…
can somebody help me? the Canadian embassy sent a letter to my daughter to mailed
to them her passport for visa issuance, stating on the letter that it’s much easier
to facilitate if she will gave the maroon passport ( I thought it’s for all those
who will renew their passport and the validity is going to expired soon) that’s why
we sent the requirements together with the green passport that valid till 2012
is there gonna have a problem once the visa issued at the green passport? or is’t ok
if when she will going here in canada can she renew the passport and attached the green
passport w/ visa to the new maroon one? is’t possible? these bother me a lot?I need advice
for these..thank you very much…
Mykell,
Huwag kang mag alala, pag nakarating na sila dito using their nakakaduling na green na passport at kung gusto nilang mag renew ng bago, ang visa na nakalagay sa nakakaduling na green na passport ay hindi na kailangan basta mayroon na silang permanent res. card.
mykell dimaapi same problem here, did the canadian embassy gave your daughter an Immigration VISA using the old green passport?
The appointment system sounds pleasant to the ears but it is ABSOLUTELY NOT what everyone is expecting. When you say that you have an appointment on that day, you’ll expect that there wont be long lines and what not. But lo and behold, you have to wait for FIVE HOURS to finish your passport application!
Please don’t go on media telling everyone that it would only take 30 minutes for you to get your passport because that ONLY APPLIES TO CELEBRITIES AND NOT TO THE MAJORITY.
One more thing about the so called “COURTESY LANE”. It is universally known that courtesy is given to SENIOR CITIZENS, PREGNANT WOMEN, DISABLED AND CHILDREN. My 4yrs old son applied for a passport but he WAS NOT given any courtesy so HE HAD TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER THREE (3) HOURS JUST TO HAVE HIS PICTURE TAKEN compared to those people who were given some courtesy simply because THEY KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE EMPLOYED AT DFA AND WERE ESCORTED TO THE COURTESY LANE. And the DFA employee wasn’t even patient enough to take a photo of a 4yrs old kid. Whats up with that? The kid waited for that long, you dont expect him to be in a good mood, right?
I’m sure this feedback will not be given any importance and what not but I hope I was able to send the message across.
Hi, Everybody!
Is Thumbmark important to renew my Passport?
Thanks.
hello poh..pwede q poh bang e readable yong green passport ko sa brown passport kahit na matagal pa ang expiry date nya?kc poh gusto ko ng brown..at my tanong pa poh aq kung pwede ko bang gamitin yong maiden name ko?thanks poh
almost all websites do have nice and gorgeous presentable outlook on its profile….but some questions bothered us a lot…do you really guys, CARE about all your customers..? do you really do your JOB as what all stated in your site..? we really..!!!! and even ME do really expects Greater output with your new process through online but it seems to be more harder for some others with all these… for instance with my passport.that was scheduled to deliver on June 27, 2011 pa in my given address…but still now, my passport haven’t arrive yet… I do have worked right now, with that maybe i don’t have extra time to go to DFA personally,,, and i’m just afraid so that with that delay of the delivery of my passport… i’ll pay charge to the DFA because of losing my passport and for some allibis…. as far as i know…the charge was 200 pesos…and that’s really a big hole in my pocket…. I just hope for your accurate assistance and CARE for us…. Thank you…!!!!!
can somebody use her maiden name in the application of passport if she became a widower already
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