How To Renew Philippine Passport Using Married Name

One of the things that I gave priority to after getting married was my passport renewal. It was actually timely for a name change too, as my passport was about to expire in a few months (September 2016). I also decided to take on my husband's name, by choice of course, because (1) I've long wanted to carry his surname, and (2) having the same last name would help identify my husband and I as one family unit (i.e. easier endorsements when it comes to applying for visas, opening joint bank accounts, making loans). 

Moving forward... if you happen to be newly married like me (married just last year!), or already married but haven't gotten the chance to change your last name on your passport yet, you can just refer to our infographic. Please note that the one I made is more applicable for Filipinas who are married to a local as well. The requirements and documents may still differ when it comes to your application type (i.e. for spouse of foreign national who would change their civil status from single to married, for married women who would like to revert to their maiden name).

TIPS WHEN SETTING AN APPOINTMENT

It was July of last year when I got my scheduled appointment online. I still didn't have a copy of our Marriage Contract at the time (the one printed on PSA Security Paper), but I still chose to book in advance despite the odds. Of course, I made a back up plan in
case our MC didn't arrive on time. So I made sure to request 4 copies of our MC's Certificate of True Copy, which was readily attainable at the Local Civil Registrar (City Hall). 

There was one setback when I was applying online because the allotted time slots were at least 2 months later. The earliest appointment that I could book was September, and the nearest DFA site that could accommodate my preferred schedule was in Aseana. Despite the far location (I live in Quezon City), the date still gave me an advantage, as I waited for our MC to arrive. And while waiting, I already started getting photocopies of all my IDs and supporting documents.

IDS AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

The IDs that are accepted when renewing your passport may vary [check the list of IDs and other supporting documents here]. Despite bearing my maiden name, the government issued picture ID that I provided was my UMID, which was still accepted by the DFA personnel. I also submitted the original and photocopies of our PSA Marriage Contract (the encoder no longer returned the original MC), Barangay Clearance, and Readable SSS-E1 Form. I was supposed to bring my Postal ID with my married name, but it didn't arrive in time for my renewal.

A THING OF BEAUTY! The first pages of my new Philippine Passport.
MY APPLICATION TIMELINE

09:20 - Check-out from hotel
09:23 - 2-minute walk from Red Planet Hotel to DFA Aseana 
09:25 - Waited in line at first gate 
09:28 - Waited in line at Door 5  
09:33 - Waited in line at Appointment Verification counter
09:35 - 10:20 - Waited in line for processing (part of 2nd batch
10:20 - 10:40 - Waited in line at Door 1
10:40 - 10:45 - Verification of submitted ID and supporting documents
10: 47 - Paid for passport fee at cashier (P950 for regular processing / 20 Working Days)
10:48 - Encoding (got my queue number
10:50 - Waiting time for encoding 
10:52 - Number called 
10:53 - 10:59 - Data & Photo Capturing 
11:00 - Paid passport's delivery fee 


In less than 2 hours, I was done! It helped that I brought a lot of IDs and supporting documents, and that I had each one photocopied beforehand. Securing copies in advance definitely helped me save on both time and money (xeroxed documents were not cheap at DFA Aseana!). So make sure to do the same, as not to experience any hassles or delays while processing your application.

Explore & Be Free!
Mai

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