Applicants whose passports were scheduled for release on or before December 2020 have until January 7, 2022 to claim them before they get cancelled, the Department of Foreign Affairs has warned.
The Department of Foreign Affairs will cancel and dispose of all unclaimed passports starting January 10, 2022, the agency announced last week.
All unclaimed passports which were scheduled for release on or before December 2020 can be claimed until January 7, 2022, at the DFA Consular office where they were processed.
Applicants who are unable to claim their passports before the said date must file for a new passport after securing a certificate of unclaimed passport from DFA.
Passports scheduled for release after December 2020 are not affected.
The announcement is in accordance with the DFA Department Order No. 2021-012 on the Disposal of Unclaimed and Spoiled Passports.
“A passport left unclaimed by its holder one (1) year after the date it was received by DFA Aseana, or by the Consular Office (CO) or by the Foreign Services Post (FSP) shall be canceled,” it reads.
DFA clarified that there is no penalty for passports claimed at a later date, the agency encouraged the public to claim their passports within 30 days from its scheduled release.
Another person may be authorized to claim the passport on behalf of the applicant provided they comply with the requirements.
For more information on the requirements and checking the schedule of the release of passports, visit the DFA website (www.dfa.gov.ph )
Tags: #travel, #passports, #DFA