PR-122-2016
ADVISORY:
Philippines Will No Longer Accept
Non-MachineReadable Passports and
Travel Documents by 2017
(Riyadh, 7 August 2016) – The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia informs the Filipino community and all concerned applicants for Philippine visa that, in view of the 24 November 2015 deadline set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the phasing-out of non-machine readable passports/travel documents, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) shall no longer allow the entry of foreign nationals holding non-machine readable travel documents in all its international airports and seaports by the 1st quarter of 2017.
In this connection, the Philippine Embassy will no longer accept said non-machine readable passports/travel documents for all visa applicants effective 1 October 2016.
This directive will be applied to all types of passports, including ordinary, official, diplomatic and/or service documents, except for temporary travel documents designed for emergency situations as per ICAO guidelines and subject to the approval of concerned Philippine authorities.
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