Following a complaint posted on social media by a kabayan concerning the Embassy-on-Wheels held in Dhahran last 23-24 February 2018, the Embassy of the Philippines in Riyadh would like to remind our kababayans that for passport renewal, an appointment is required.
Only the following can renew their passports without an appointment:
- children who are seven (7) years old or below;
- senior citizens who are sixty (60) years old or above;
- those who are pregnant;
- physically-challenged applicants;
- certified offshore workers; and
- those whose passport has been declared lost, damaged or mutilated.
Aside from the above categories, the Embassy also allows walk-in applicants with a compelling family, medical or legal emergency upon presentation of substantial evidence.
Unfortunately, the complainant does not belong to any of the above categories and was not able to present any evidence of an emergency that justifies an exemption from the appointment requirement.
Considering the very high demand for passport renewal services, the Embassy wishes to remind our kababayans that passports may be renewed as early as within a year of its expiry in order to avoid the inconvenience of having to renew their respective passports at the last minute.
We note that during our two-day regular EOW, we processed a total of 490 passport applications including 50 walk-in applicants, who fell within the allowed categories.
Finally, the Embassy is implementing measures to increase its capacity to better serve a greater number of passport applicants in the coming months.
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