Bungad > Australia, Human Interest, Musings, News, Philippines > Pinoys in Oz Can Renew Passport by Post

Pinoys in Oz Can Renew Passport by Post

Disyembre 11, 2008 Jim Mag-iwan ng puna Go to comments

Filipinos in Australia can now apply for renewal of their passports by post. The move came after a number of complaints from Filipinos outside the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) who were required to apply in person to renew their passports. The Embassy required personal appearance for every passport renewal applicant because of “the need to incorporate biometrics in the passport and due to the highly technical specifications” of the new machine readable Philippine passports. Filipinos who wanted to renew their passports spend between Aus$200 and Aus$1,200 to travel to Canberra because of this initial guideline from the Philippine Embassy in Canberra.

The Philippine Embassy in Canberra claimed in its website that “soon became obvious that the requirement for personal appearance when filing applications can be an expensive and time-consuming process for our kababayans.” It announced that it ’sought’ the approval of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila to “allow for personal appearance at Philippine Honorary Consulates/Consulates General in state capitals.” 

Filipinos meaning to renew their passports will now have to spend between Aus$95 and Aus$200.

Given these facts, one will wonder whatever happened to the need to incorporate biometrics in the passport and due to the highly technical specifications. If they can authorize the personal application at the state capital’s Philippine Honrary Consulates/Consulate Generals, why not authorize the whole process of applying for passport renewal in the Philippine Honorary Consulates/Consulates General?

I’m also wondering how the pricing of services differs from one Philippine Embassy to another. If you renew your passport in Thailand, you would have to pay between THB2,250 (PhP3,063.52) and THB2,700 (PhP3,676.10). Here in Australia you are poised to pay between Aus$65 (PhP2,065.76) and Aus$78 (PhP2,479.02). If you renew your passport in the Philippines, you will have to pay between PhP 500 and PhP 700. Mailing the application back to Manila is not that expensive but I guess with the quality of postal staff we have back home, paying extra is inevitable.

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Categories: Australia, Human Interest, Musings, News, Philippines Mga Marka:, , , , , , , , , , ,
  1. kengkay
    Disyembre 12, 2008 bandang 12:59 umaga | #1
    Tugon | Sipiin

    dito mga total of 65 euro yung binayaran namin this year for passport renewal – for two passports na yan ha. kasama na yun yung postage stamps. renewal by post started her mga four years ago yata. at very efficient sila ha kasi mga two weeks or minsan nga one week pa lang ok na

  2. Jim
    Disyembre 12, 2008 bandang 11:12 hapon | #2
    Tugon | Sipiin

    wow, aside from being efficient, bakit parang mas mura??? well, sana naman standard ang Gobyerno sa lahat ng bagay, from services to service charges. kahit mag-compute ka ganun pa rin yata papatakan, mas mahal kung saan mas malapit pa sa Pinas. :(

  3. kengkay
    Disyembre 17, 2008 bandang 7:31 umaga | #3
    Tugon | Sipiin

    kasi daw mas mura naman pamasahe ninyo pauwi ng pinas, hahaha

  4. Jim
    Disyembre 22, 2008 bandang 3:47 hapon | #4
    Tugon | Sipiin

    :D siguro nga… eheheh…

  5. lazzysweety
    Enero 10, 2009 bandang 6:45 umaga | #5
    Tugon | Sipiin

    buti pa kayo jan,,dito sa uk damn 120£ang bayad sa pagrenew lang sa passport na yan hay naku filipino kahit saan di parin nagbago

  6. Jim
    Enero 11, 2009 bandang 10:31 hapon | #6
    Tugon | Sipiin

    salamat lazzysweety ‘di ako sigurado kung paano nila tinataya ang pag-presyo sa services nila. I guess it boils down to the standard of living pero kung sa Bangkok, it shouldn’t be more than double sa Pinas, pero more than eh. so diyan… hmmm… ewan pero sana with the great price we pay comes great quality service pero minsan… hindi…

  7. Gems
    Enero 14, 2009 bandang 9:46 hapon | #7
    Tugon | Sipiin

    so thats means hindi na kailangan pumunta ng Canberra to renew ng passport? aba okay to ah..

    • Jim
      Marso 13, 2009 bandang 12:41 hapon | #8
      Tugon | Sipiin

      Hi Gems salamat sa pagbisita. yes tama kahit by post na lang puwede ka na mag-renew. :D

  8. Ailene
    Agosto 14, 2009 bandang 8:00 hapon | #9
    Tugon | Sipiin

    hi! I am from country Victoria and Melbourne being the state capital . I am about to renew my Philippine passport. The site given by the Melbourne consul states the need to travel to Canberra which gave me so much heart burns…I am glad to come accross this blog.

    Anyway, would like to further ask help if how do i go about it? HOping for your reply and thanks in advance.

    Ailene

    • Jim
      Agosto 17, 2009 bandang 12:40 hapon | #10
      Tugon | Sipiin

      Hi Ailene you can visit the RP Embassy website (http://www.philembassy.org.au/passport.html) to get the needed form so you can post it to them. :) hope this helps.

    • malq
      Oktubre 4, 2009 bandang 10:51 hapon | #11
      Tugon | Sipiin

      Hi,

      I’m here in Melbourne and also about to renew passport. I saw this page, and hope, this will help:

      1) http://www.philembassy.org.au/no-need-to-travel-to-canberra-for-new-philippine-machine-readable-passport-mrp.html

      2) http://www.philembassy.org.au/passport.html

      Regards,
      Malq

      • Jim
        Oktubre 5, 2009 bandang 4:02 hapon | #12
        Tugon | Sipiin

        thanks Malq sa additional info. :D

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