Lost, stolen, and damaged or mutilated passports can cause problems for any Philippine passport owner looking to work abroad as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) or travel abroad to visit neighboring countries for fun and relaxation. So it is very important that you take care of your passport as it can be a daunting task to have to replace it. You will go back through the process of application. Better make sure that you handle your passport with care.
But in case your passport gets damaged or lost, please check the details below how you can replace it and the steps you need to do.
When is a Philippine passport considered lost or damaged/mutilated?
Claiming that a passport is lost is easy. If you cannot find it regardless of how much effort you spent looking for it, then it is as good as gone. If it was stolen, then the passport is also considered lost. If the passport is valid, you might want to report it to the police immediately.
Declaring it damaged or mutilated, on the other hand, is another story. Before it can be considered as such, it needs to satisfy the following requisites:
- Data page or any information on it is rendered unreadable or has been torn removing any information from the page
- Passport chip has been damaged and is no longer readable
- Machine readable zone (MRZ) is no longer readable or has been torn from the datapage
- Photo on the datapage is no longer visible, has been tampered, or the quality is questionable/
- Pages have been torn out and are no longer available
- Cover has been unstitched from the booklet
- Stitching of booklet has been undone
- Booklet has been severely water-damaged / water-logged and/or visa stamps have bled out
What are the requirements?
General requirements
Generally, the requirements for securing replacement for lost or damaged Philippine passport is the same as the requirements for first-time passport applicants.
- Personal appearance
- Confirmed online appointment for applicants with expired passports and issued travel documents (lost-valid passport applicant may proceed directly to the Consular Records Division at DFA-Aseana without an appointment)
- Duly accomplished application form available via the DFA website.
- Government-issued IDs
Additional requirements
Lost VALID passport: If the passport is still valid, there is a 15-day clearing period.
- Police Report in English (Original and photocopy)
- Affidavit of Loss in English (Original and photocopy)
- Penalty Fee: Php350.00
Lost VALID passport found before the clearing period is up: In cases when the lost passport found and returned within the 15-day clearing period, the applicant needs to submit the following:
- Notarized Affidavit of Retrieval (with detailed explanation on when, where and how passport was found)
- Original and photocopy of data page and last page of passport
Lost passport if abroad: If the Philippine passport holder lost it while abroad or outside the Philippines, a replacement must be filed in the consular services from the embassy of the Philippines in whatever country where the passport was lost.
- Accomplished application form (can be downloaded from the Philippine embassy in the country you are in)
- Police Report written in English and authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country where the report was filed.
- Notarized Affidavit of Loss of Passport and authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were the affidavit was executed
- Birth certificate secured from the NSO and authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
- Photocopy of lost passport if available
Lost EXPIRED passport: Lost expired passport is treated as a new application with the following additional requirements:
- Affidavit of Loss in English
- Penalty Fee: Php350.00
Frequently Lost Passport: Regardless of validity dates, frequently lost passport will be treated as a new application.
- Police Report in English
- Affidavit of Loss in English
- Penalty Fee: Php350.00
Lost passport with available Travel Document: In case the applicant used a Travel Document to travel back to the Philippines, lost passport application with available Travel Document will be treated as a new application.
- Original Travel Document
- Affidavit of Explanation
Lost passport and lost Travel Document: In cases when the applicant lost both the passport and the Travel Document used to travel back to the Philippines, then it is as good as a new application.
- Original Travel Records from Bureau of Immigration
- Affidavit of Explanation
Lost passport for Dual Citizen: In case of applicants with Dual Citizenship, the following documents are also required.
- Report of Birth OR Identification Certificate issued by the Philippine Foreign Service Post or the Bureau of Immigration
Lost passport for a Naturalized Citizen: In addition to the general renewal requirements, a Naturalized Citizen will also need the following:
- Identification Certificate of Naturalization from Bureau of Immigration
Lost passport for applicants who became a Filipino citizen by Election: Applicants for passport replacement for Filipino citizen by election also need to bring the following documents.
- Affidavit of Election of Philippine Citizenship
- Identification Certificate of Election from BI
Mutilated or damaged passport: If the passport has been damaged or mutilated, then it will be treated as a new application with a 15-day clearing period.
- Affidavit of Explanation
- Applicant must surrender mutilated/damaged passport
- Penalty Fee: Php350.00