—– SEE LETTER RECEIVED FROM THE EMBASSY BELOW —–
Yes! You’ve read it right. For the longest time since our last post (OFWs can travel even with less than 6-mos valid passport), we thought that passport validity extension is no longer allowed at the Philippine Embassy in Doha except only for legal or medical emergencies.
Maybe uncommon to some, but there are cases that you have simply overlooked your passport validity only realizing it while making your next flight booking. Aware of the 6-months passport validity requirements, we knew what could happen should we travel to other countries following the international aviation rule. This could really give a lot of stress to someone especially if travel plans are all in place and the effects are more costly than just simply ruining the entire vacation for the family.
Almost everyday, we are receiving inquiries and request for assistance regarding this subject. Most often, they have either booked their flights or have secured leave approval from their companies only to find out later that their flights will fall within the 6-months passport validity period.
My usual reply, of course, is based on what I’ve personally experienced (last year 2016) and assured them that so long as the return flight is from workplace to home country only, there should be no problem.
We are even blessed to have kind subscribers who notified us that they were allowed visa extension and renewal in the DFA Office in their area/province while applying for OEC. They were advised that their new passport will be sent to the DFA office of the country where they are working.
Until one of my friends here in Doha asked me the same question and visited the Philippine Embassy office last 27th March 2017 just to make sure about it. He was very excited to give me the news that he got his passport extension for another one year!
I immediately made a call to the Embassy hotline number and was told that they are doing this recently in response to the requests of many Filipino expats in Qatar to allow passport extension here in Doha. According to the staff, they are allowing extension provided that the passport holder also applies for PASSPORT RENEWAL simultaneously. The extension costs QR80 and the regular passport renewal costs QR240. And this is a GOOD NEWS especially for those who are in this stressful situation right now.
One should just only go personally to the office of the Philippine Embassy-Doha with their original passport (in good condition) and should simply fill-out a form (specify the purpose of the travel) and just be ready to present your old passport validity and return ticket for approval. The original passport with the extension stamp will be released on the same day of application. The renewed passport will be available for release after 4-6 weeks (list of passport for pickup is also available on their Facebook page or may be delivered to your office via Q-POST).
For more inquiries about PASSPORT EXTENSION / RENEWAL at the Philippine Embassy Doha, you may call their hotline numbers: 5527-5123; 4493-0426 or 4498-6477. This post will be updated as soon as we receive further information from the Philippine Embassy Doha.
Lets spread the news!
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- ANSWER THIS QUESTION ON THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW. What suggestions can you make in order to avoid missing our passport validity? (Comments should be on this blog and similar answers are acceptable so long as we keep the discussion/comment board healthy and helpful.)
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Updates! Updates!
We received a reply from the PHILIPPINE EMBASSY – DOHA referring to out inquiry regarding the subject. Please take time to read and share to your friends.
We especially thank our new Ambassador, Mr Alan L. Tibayan and his communication staffs for replying to our humble inquiry. MARAMING SALAMAT PO!
ANSWER THIS QUESTION ON THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW. What suggestions can you make in order to avoid missing our passport validity? (Comments should be on this blog and similar answers are acceptable so long as we keep the discussion/comment board healthy and helpful.)
I have missed a very important class on 2016 and from that day onwards, I keep a calendar organizer on the wall in the office. I write down every single appointments and validities of IDs and important documents. You may also store it on the calendar of your mobile phone or on your desktop and will alarm 2-3 months before the validity date. You can also make a file of an alert list in an excelsheet and put all the important dates eg passport, QIDs etc and to be alerted 2-3 months before.
Great suggestions @SingleSavedSanctifiesSatisfied great going on your blog too. Keep it up sis!
Since everyone has mobile devices, and the unit is always on their side, it is better to make a reminder or put in the calendar (6 months in advance of the expiration date of their passport) and make an alarm for it. In this way it reminds us and we will remember, because its one of the very important Identification, specially OFW’s.
Thanks mam @Threzya! Surely this is very helpful.
Off course with technology we can store our passport details including its validity in our cell phones which we carry all the time so we never miss any of our important documents….validity at that; even our QID, Driving License validity dates.
Alerts.. use alerts available in all smart phones. This should be atleast 6 months before the expiry date. Then a monthly alert to notify you regarding the renewal.
Another way, using MS outlook calendar in the office.
In this busy ofw life. We nwed assistance interms of renewal of important travel documents.
Sir maganda umaga poh.Hihinge lang po sana ako ng advise. Kasalukuyan po ako nagtatrabaho dito sa qatar ang itatanong ko lang poh last Sept.17 2016 expire ng pataka ko po at hanggang ngayon hnd pa na renew ng companya dahil daw walang pera yon palagi ang rason nila.Tapos poh ang isa pang problema passport expiry ko po May 30 2017. Merun na po akong ticket for vacation this coming April 16 2017.Sana poh matolongan nyo ako.
I feeel for you kabayan medyo mahirap ung situation mo. I dont usually advise for these subjects but as far as i know po dapat company magrerenew. Pero sa case na ganyan minsan helpless po talaga tayo.
What i can suggest is you go to the embassy and ask if pwede kau umuwi na expired ang pataka at forgood. Kasi mam di kau makakabalik with expired qid. Otherwise baka matulungan po kau ng embassy ng ipush ung employer po ninyo… just my personal advise po. Sana po maayos and sana po balitaan nyo rin po kami. Email nyo po ako sa bestlifeqatar@gmail.com
hi po. tanung lang din po sana ako kung pwede ba din magpa extension nang passport na di po ofw?ma expire na po kasi itong passport ko sa december 3,2017,pero pupunta po kasi ako nang hongkong this coming august 19,2017.nakapa book na po kasi kami nang ticket ko. salamat po sa sasagut
Hello sir. Try nyo nalang din po lumapit sa dfa office na malapit sa inyo. Check nyo po if pwede kau magpaextend and/or magparenew. Im sure matutulungan nila kau then dalhin nyo lang po ung ticket nyo para makita nila ung reasons. I will also appreciate if you can give ne feedback po para maipost natin for additional info.
Kung sakali po ba na ma renew ang Pataka ko before ang flight schedule wala bang magiging problema sa immigration na next month na ang expire ng passport ko poh.Sa pinas ko nalang e renew 2 months naman poh yong vacation ko.
Depende po. Pero dapat po ung passport is still valid hanggang pagbalik nyo dito para pwede pong iassume na since me contract pa po kayo dito pwede pa po nyo iparenew pagbalik. Pero for peace of mind, pwede po kau pumunta sa embassy before kau umalis to apply for extension sabay na ng renewal.
ah ganun poh ba pero ok lang ba mag tanong or mag apply ng extension kht expired pa yong pataka kc sabi ng opisina namin etry pa daw nilang e renew.Saturday & sunday bukas ba yong Philippine Embassy dito sa qatar.
Hindi po ako talagang professional on this but from what i know po, pwede naman po mag-apply ng extension or renewal ng passport kahit pa-expire na yung pataka kasi wala naman pong hinihinging QID details during passport renewal/extension.
Pero dapat po pag nagparenew kau ng QID iparegister po yung passport number kasi di ba po hindi na tinatatak yung visa natin sa passport. If makakakuha kayo ng passport extension, no need to change the passport details on your QID for now. Pero once na makuha nyo po yung new passport, need po ipaaupdate un sa QID. So better po talaga na makapunta kayo ng embassy to help you with this.
Sana po maayos ang if theres any update, will appreciate your feedback po para marelay din po natin sa mga kabayan natin na nasa ganito rin pong situation. In that case we will be able to advise them accordingly po. Salamat sir and praying that everything will be well!
Ano poh requirements kung mag apply ng passport extension.
You can check on the blog sir… i think need nila magfillout ka ng form then returnt icket po. tapos kailangan nyo na rin po magparenew ng passport altogether.
Gud eve sir! eh sir pano naman po kung uuwi kna ng pinas at di babalik agad dito sa qatar,, ?ok lng po ba magtravel 1 week before ng expiration ng passport? like in my case po, feb 12, 2018 ang expire ng passport ko then feb 28 po ang expire ng contract ko… di po kaya ako magkakaproblema if ever 1mon or 1week b4 expiration ako uuwi? Thank u po & Godbless…
Hello po. I was just wondering po if its not possible for you to renew it now since you still have more than 3 months to go. Mas mainam po siguro un para less problem po? Otherwise pwede namannumuwi ng paexpire na ang passport since and destination nyo naman is home countrym but what im suggesting is for your future use… since me enough time pa naman po kau til february 2018.
Magpapakasal na po kasi kami ng asawa ko pag uwi ko kaya sa pinas ko na po plano magrenew since magpapalit na po ako ng family name para isahan n lng po at hindi naman po ako agad2 babalik ng abroad para magwork and isa pa po kasi sa concern ko is baka di nila ako pauwiin agad after mafinish ung contract kasi magra2madan na by May at un po ung iniiwasan ko😁😁 pero possible po tlga un di po tlga ako magka2problem if 1month b4 expiration ako uuwi?
Usually po basta me exit permit kau or approval from employer at bound to home country (straight flight) wala naman po problem un mam.
yehey!! super thank u po sir😃😃 god bless u & more power!!
hi sir. i hope po masagot mo po.ang katanungan ko. pauwi po kasi husband ko ngaun nov. 27 ofw po sya from qatar and same issue po his passport validity is until march2018. ilang days nlang po kasi pauwi na sya. sabi ko po pumunta sya ng embassy para malaman po agad. kapag po ba ganun pwede po ba dito na lang sya mag renew ng passport. thank you po sir.
Sorry po for the late response. But since some of the questions are almost the same, let me give a general answer po. Usually po basta less than six months na lang po ang passport validity at OFW, hindi na po makaapply ng OEC visa BMONLINE, meaning sa pinas nalang po makakaapply neto. Also, if OFW na me valid contract pa, sa Pilipinas na rin po pwede magpaextend or magparenew ng passport. Kailangan po sa pinakamalapit na DFA office po kau magaapply and depende po sa knaila kung maga-grant kau ng extension and/or renewal kaya dapat dala nyo po copy ng contract showing na pagbalik nyo ay valid pa sya. Pero kung sa question po na mamakuwi sa pinas, basta hindi po direct flight or hindi naman lalabas ng ibang airport other than PHI, usually wala naman pong problema. Pero if the flight is still 5 months before the expiration, pumunta na po kay sa embassy to request for extension or renewal since me time pa po. Mas mahirap po minsan maabala sa pinas kasi bukod sa stress, mababawasan pa yung araw ng bakasyon natin. Also, this blog is to spread awareness na lagi po icheck yung validity ng mga documents natin kasi po talagang as per experience ko rin po, medyo nakakastress po talaga, hehehe. Sana po makatulong ung sagot and you can also go through the other answers or even sa blog po mismo since na discuss din po ito doon. Thank you po and sana maayos po yung mga papers nyo and will appreciate your feedback and even updates sa mga pagbabago sa procedure sa atin para din o makatulong tayo sa iba. Salamat po mga kabayan! – Kuya Zeke/BEST LIFE QATAR
Magandang araw Kabayan. Pakisagot naman po ito. Yung passport ng anak ko less than six months nalang ung validity pero nag-apply naman kami ng extension ng passport niya good for one year (naapprove naman), Pwede bang isponsor ko siya ng Family Visit Visa, okay po ba sa Qatar immigration ung Extension lang na passport? Please do reply, Maraming Salamat!
Again hindi po ako taga embassy or taga BOI para po sumagot with finality but we will try to answer your query based on experience po. Since extended naman po ang passport, good as ok to travel po sya. Depende po on how urgent sya makapunta dito sa Qatar kung within the 6 months bago po magexpire ang passport baka po wala naman problem since me extension stamp naman. Kasi po minsan if the WWExpress will be technical about it, baka sa kanila palang di na tanggapin for Qatar Embassy process pero ipaconsider nyo nalang po with the extension plus due to URGENCY of the flight (though wala po tayong details about it). try nyo na rin po para malaman nyo from WWExpress kung pwede po or hinde.
Sir Zeke Good afternoon po. ask lng po sana regarding sakin. mag expire po ang passport ko this september 8, 2019. planning po ako lumipat ng other company and papa cancel po sana ang visa and id ko then pupunta ako ng sri lanka para ma process ng bagong company ung visa ko dito sa Qatar. under renewal process na naman po ung passport ko. will there be a problem po if mag travel ako sa Sri Lanka on 1st week of May? then siguro po after 1 week babalik ako dito ng Qatar. Salamat po
Hello po. Right now what i can suggest is since May pa naman po yung travel nyo, try nyo na po sa embassy na magpaextend/renew. Kasi magkakaproblema na po kau magtravel to Sri Lanka kasi less than 6 months nalang passport nyo by that time. Unless sa Pinas ang uwi nyo ok lang. April palang naman so me chance pa kau makiusap sa embassy – basta exnsion at renewal ang package nyong irequest para maapprove. Kasi kung extension lang di kau papayagan.
hi sir Zeke, salamat po sa info. under renewal process na po si passport sir kaya lang kaka apply ko lang last 8-April-2019. pwede na po ako magpunta dun para ipa extend po tama po ba?
Good afternoon po Sir, mayroon po akong driving license rito sa Doha, tanong ko lang po kung paano ang pagkuha ng driving license sa Manila? Kailangan pa po bang ipa-translate ang driving license at saan po maaring magpa translate rito sa Doha ? Maraming salamat po.
Good afternoon. Can I ask if my mother should renew her passport in Qatar? She will go back to the Philippines on June 2020, but her passport will expire on October 2020. Is it required to renew her passport in Qatar before her flight?
Thank you so much.
Can you still read my reply? JUST CHECKING because i realized some people who asked me questions which I answered did not read/get back to my reply.