Still no walk-ins for passport, apostille services: DFA

MANILA – Walk-ins are still not allowed in consular offices (COs) and temporary offsite passport services (TOPS) sites across the country, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

The statement came after an old advisory issued in 2016 resurfaced online drawing confusion among seafarers and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“A DFA advisory stating that no appointment is needed for OFWs intending to renew their passports at DFA Consular Office NCR (National Capital Region) Central is currently circulating on social media. This is an old advisory issued in 2016 before the pandemic, and is no longer applicable,” the agency said.

“Walk-ins are no longer allowed in DFA CO NCR Central and in all DFA COs and TOPS facilities, in view of the current health emergency arising from the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic,” it added.

The DFA had been implementing an appointment-only arrangement for its passport and apostille services, even for those availing the courtesy lane.

The scheme has been in effect since May 2020 as part of the agency’s efforts to provide continuous services even during the pandemic.

To avoid any inconvenience, the DFA advised active OFWs to set their appointments through https://passport.gov.ph/ by choosing DFA NCR Central (Robinsons Galleria – Active OFW Lane) site.

“The public is strongly advised to refer only to the official website and social media accounts of the DFA for updated announcements,” the DFA said.