Amending Philippine Passport After Marrying U.S. Citizen?

[Karen_and_Jay 2]

Has any Filipina here amended (or has any American husband helped his Filipina wife amend) her Philippine passport to change her name from her maiden name to her married name at the Philippine Consulate General in New York City?

I was hoping someone could describe the process so we'd have an idea of how long it should take and what we will need to bring with us. My wife and I completed all the appropriate forms ahead of time and would like to know if it is possible to complete our portion of the process at the consulate in only half a day.

This is what we are bringing:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR AMENDMENT OF PHILIPPINES PASSPORT:

* Valid passport & 1 photocopy of passport data pages

* Passport amendment application form (unsigned so we can sign in front of consulate official)

* $20 fee

REPORT OF MARRIAGE:

* 4 original Report of Marriage Contracted Abroad forms (unsigned so we can sign in front of consulate official)

* 4 passport-style photos each for my wife and for me

* 1 original & 4 photocopies of Marriage Certificate

* 1 original/certified true copy & 4 photocopies of my wife's & my currently valid passport or state-issued driver license

* $25 processing fee

* 1 original & 4 photocopies of Affidavit of Late Registration of Marriage (unsigned so we can sign in front of consulate official)

* 1 Information Sheet on Filipinos Marrying Foreign Nationals (signed)

I have several questions:

1) Can we sign most or all of the documents in front of a consulate official or must they be signed & notarized before we arrive? The passport amendment instructions say forms must be signed & notarized if submitting them by mail, but I don't even know if that is an option anymore.

2) Is it true that all Philippine passports must now be amended or renewed in person, either at a Philippine consulate or in the Philippines?

3) Is it okay if the Information Sheet on Filipinos Marrying Foreign Nationals is already signed? I didn't see any note on that form saying the signature needs to be witnessed by a notary public.

4) Do you know what "certified true copy" of a passport or drivers license means? I'm assuming we can just bring my wife's original passport & my original passport (& drivers license) & that should be enough.

5) Do we need an appointment to fill out the paperwork for an amendment of passport or can we just show up during business hours (9 a.m. to 12 noon, 1 to 5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.)?

6) Does anyone know how we can pay the $20 passport amendment fee & the $25 report of marriage fee? Must it be cash? Check? Money order? Are credit cards accepted?

7) Approximately how long will it take for us to fill out the papers at the consulate? Is it possible to finish in a few hours?

8) Will the amended passport be ready by the end of that day or will it take up to 10 weeks like a new passport application?

9) Will my wife be issued a completely new passport, or the passport simply be corrected? If it is only corrected, how does it look?

10) If the passport will not be ready by the end of the day, can we submit a self-addressed stamped envelope so that the completed passport can be mailed to us (as with other legal documents)? If so, how much postage should we include?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Jason & Karen

Edited September 14, 2011 by Karen_and_Jay

[Messybrownhair 251]

I did both but through mail. It was a pain! Paid by money order and we had everything notarized, including the passport copy. I would think going in person is a much better idea than mailing it

The express mail, self addressed and stamped envelope cost me $13 (ny to pa)

You don't get a new passport, just a sheet attached on it like a visa

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Waste of money and time, unless you plan on travelling back to the Philippines, before she becomes a US citizen in about three years. The cheapest way to avoid hassles with the name change, other than just taking a copy of your marriage certificate with you when you travel outside the US, is to get an "Affidavit of One and the Same". We spent a day at the San Francisco Consulate, spent almost $200 altogether between pictures that had to be taken by one of the vendors in the building, and the various filing, document, and postage fees. And, we never used any of it!

[Karen_and_Jay 2]

I did both but through mail. It was a pain! Paid by money order and we had everything notarized, including the passport copy. I would think going in person is a much better idea than mailing it.

What was a pain - getting everything notarized?

The express mail, self addressed and stamped envelope cost me $13 (ny to pa)

You don't get a new passport, just a sheet attached on it like a visa

Thanks for the info! Wow, why $13? The passport isn't that heavy!

Waste of money and time, unless you plan on travelling back to the Philippines, before she becomes a US citizen in about three years.

We would like to have the option of traveling, and we were afraid that there would be a problem at the airport or a border crossing if we didn't use her married name. We would like to go to Niagara Falls, and from what I've seen, there is much more to do on the Canadian side. BTW, my wife is not in any rush to become a citizen.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

We would like to have the option of traveling, and we were afraid that there would be a problem at the airport or a border crossing if we didn't use her married name. We would like to go to Niagara Falls, and from what I've seen, there is much more to do on the Canadian side. BTW, my wife is not in any rush to become a citizen.

When you cross the border, being a USC, the experience will be quick and painless. For your wife with a Filipino passport, the process will be longer. Last time I crossed the Canadian border was before 9/11, and I got waved through, but the two French nationals in my travelling party took about 20 minutes to clear through Canadian customs.

[KT and Xyrena 4]

Hello - I went through the process of changing my name AND updating my passport but here in the West Coast so I am not sure how busy the Phil Embassy is in NY so timing might be a little different. Answers below

Has any Filipina here amended (or has any American husband helped his Filipina wife amend) her Philippine passport to change her name from her maiden name to her married name at the Philippine Consulate General in New York City?

I was hoping someone could describe the process so we'd have an idea of how long it should take and what we will need to bring with us. My wife and I completed all the appropriate forms ahead of time and would like to know if it is possible to complete our portion of the process at the consulate in only half a day.

This is what we are bringing:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR AMENDMENT OF PHILIPPINES PASSPORT:

* Valid passport & 1 photocopy of passport data pages

* Passport amendment application form (unsigned so we can sign in front of consulate official)

* $20 fee

REPORT OF MARRIAGE:

* 4 original Report of Marriage Contracted Abroad forms (unsigned so we can sign in front of consulate official)

* 4 passport-style photos each for my wife and for me

* 1 original & 4 photocopies of Marriage Certificate

* 1 original/certified true copy & 4 photocopies of my wife's & my currently valid passport or state-issued driver license

* $25 processing fee

* 1 original & 4 photocopies of Affidavit of Late Registration of Marriage (unsigned so we can sign in front of consulate official)

* 1 Information Sheet on Filipinos Marrying Foreign Nationals (signed)

I have several questions:

1) Can we sign most or all of the documents in front of a consulate official or must they be signed & notarized before we arrive? The passport amendment instructions say forms must be signed & notarized if submitting them by mail, but I don't even know if that is an option anymore.

If you are applying in person - I will leave them unsigned and wait to sign them in front of the CO.

2) Is it true that all Philippine passports must now be amended or renewed in person, either at a Philippine consulate or in the Philippines?

Yes. The Phil Embassy is implementing biometrics for all Filipinos living abroad. If your wife has a green passport, I think you need to apply for a new one. If your wife is holding a maroon passport, then the passport amendment form is appropriate.

3) Is it okay if the Information Sheet on Filipinos Marrying Foreign Nationals is already signed? I didn't see any note on that form saying the signature needs to be witnessed by a notary public.

Yes you should already sign it.

4) Do you know what "certified true copy" of a passport or drivers license means? I'm assuming we can just bring my wife's original passport & my original passport (& drivers license) & that should be enough.

I agree. Certification is only applicable if you submitted your application by mail. A copy is just fine

5) Do we need an appointment to fill out the paperwork for an amendment of passport or can we just show up during business hours (9 a.m. to 12 noon, 1 to 5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.)?

I am from the West Coast and not sure how packed the Phil Embassy is in NY so I think you should give them a call to check.

6) Does anyone know how we can pay the $20 passport amendment fee & the $25 report of marriage fee? Must it be cash? Check? Money order? Are credit cards accepted?

It says on the website either cash, money order or CASHIER's check. No credit/debit cards. No government agency/ies accept credit/debit cards for payment.

7) Approximately how long will it take for us to fill out the papers at the consulate? Is it possible to finish in a few hours?

Filling out papers should be a breeze. Once you send in your documents and she does her biometrics, that's all that needs to be done.

8) Will the amended passport be ready by the end of that day or will it take up to 10 weeks like a new passport application?

You can check with the Embassy but it took mine 3 business days when I last renewed my passport.

9) Will my wife be issued a completely new passport, or the passport simply be corrected? If it is only corrected, how does it look?

She will be issued a new passport.

10) If the passport will not be ready by the end of the day, can we submit a self-addressed stamped envelope so that the completed passport can be mailed to us (as with other legal documents)? If so, how much postage should we include?

Yes this will be required if you want it mailed to you or you can also pick them up in person. I would use an USPS Express flat rate envelope. It costs around $18 but will get to you overnight. The priority flat rate envelope is just about $5 and will arrive within 2-3 days.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Jason & Karen

[Messybrownhair 251]

I was not issued a new passport because my passport is still valid until 2015, so I did not need a new one. I think that if your passport is close to expiring, then you can just ask for a new one, but I didn't have to.

Yes, getting the pictures taken and having everything notarized was a pain and expensive! Lol.. I will be doing a lot of traveling and I wanted all documents in the same name, so I wanted to have my passport amended.

In general, I find that the PCGNY is a little inefficient, they are almost impossible to contact by phone, and they don't reply to emails.

I don't know why it cost $13, maybe because I wanted express mail (not priority mail) and it was 1-day guaranteed delivery with signature. I didn't want to take any chances with my passport. And they return a lot of papers back to you, the Report of Marriage, your marriage certificate, etc.. so it wasn't just a passport

I think it took 3 weeks in total for it to come back.

No need for biometrics if you are just having it amended, btw.

[Karen_and_Jay 2]

Hello - I went through the process of changing my name AND updating my passport but here in the West Coast so I am not sure how busy the Phil Embassy is in NY so timing might be a little different. Answers below

Thanks for all your helpful answers!

In general, I find that the PCGNY is a little inefficient, they are almost impossible to contact by phone, and they don't reply to emails.

Same here. I e-mailed with no answer in 1.5 weeks. When I called them, I navigated the automated system to different menus, and no one ever answered. When I found the passport menu, it rang 15x with no answer, I got a message saying "That mailbox is full. Goodbye.", & they hung up on me!

I don't know why it cost $13, maybe because I wanted express mail (not priority mail) and it was 1-day guaranteed delivery with signature. I didn't want to take any chances with my passport. And they return a lot of papers back to you, the Report of Marriage, your marriage certificate, etc.. so it wasn't just a passport

I think it took 3 weeks in total for it to come back.

Thanks for your help!