Passport Renewal in Korea

My passport is expiring this year in April, so I paid the Philippine Embassy a visit this week. It was an extremely cold day that day. The temperature was a freezing -15, so there weren’t many people at the embassy, which was a good thing because I finished processing the entire renewal in an hour.

Before coming to the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, you have to secure an online appointment.Fridays, Saturdays and official holidays are non-working days. Once you have an appointment, prepare the following documents with you. A copy of these documents and requirements for other consular services can also be found on the Philippine Embassy Seoul website:

1. A photocopy of your expiring passport (first page containing your personal information only)
2. Duly accomplished E-Passport Application Form. This can be downloaded from the Embassy website or obtained from the Embassy’s Consular Section. If you can't download the form, it's fine. You may fill up one when you get the embassy. Also, your photo is not required.
3.  Prepare KRW 80,520 or USD 60 as payment for passport renewal.

The person who encoded my passport details told me that it takes about six (6) to eight (8) weeks to process the E-Passport. The Philippine embassy website also states that approved applications are transmitted for printing to a central processing facility in the Philippines, which is why it will take more than 4 weeks before you receive your renewed passport.

I could have availed of the courier service or 일양 (il-yang), but I decided not to. I want to personally receive my renewed passport.^^

Now, it's very important to bring your Identification Certificate, Oath of Allegiance, and Order of Approval if you are a DUAL CITIZENSHIP holder. I forgot to bring them with me on that day, but since there weren’t a lot of people visiting the embassy then, I was given free printed copies of those three documents. Otherwise, I would have had to come back home, set up another appointment, and bring them with me. So, please do not forget to bring them along with you. They told me that I have to have them with me at all times, especially when conducting business in the Philippine embassy.

The embassy is open from 9am to 3pm Mondays to Thursdays and 9am to 4pm on Sundays. Passport releasing starts at 1pm to 4pm. For more information, you may visit their website http://www.philembassy-seoul.com/consular.asp#pt2  Or you may also call them through the following list of phone numbers: http://www.philembassy-seoul.com/contact_us.asp

Here's the address: #5-1 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

To get there by subway, get off at Noksapyeong Station (Line 6), take exit#4, walk straight to the bus station and take the green Minibus #03 bound for Hyatt Hotel. Please click on this link to the the Philippine Embassy's location.