Can I Renew My Passport Before It Expires?

The quickest answer to this question is yes.  In fact, it is highly advisable to have your passport renewed before it expires as most countries require that your passport be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your departure.

Here are a few more pointers that frequent travelers need to know about passport renewals:

1. Frequent travelers must not wait until their passports are nearing expiration before they have it renewed.  If your work or business requires you to travel often, you must renew your passport once you have used up half of its pages.
2. In urgent cases when you need to travel but only have less than six months validity on your passport, the Consulate may extend its validity under the following circumstances:
   • If your passport expired within the last calendar year;
   • If your current passport is not an e-passport (it does not have the symbol for a microchip on its front cover);
   • You have already applied for the renewal of your passport and are just waiting for its release;
   • The reason for your travel is an emergency such as the death of a relative or sudden illness of a family member.  Such cases must be supported by documentary proof (doctor’s certification, emails, and other correspondences).
3. If your passport expires while you are abroad, you may apply for a temporary travel document to allow you to travel back to the Philippines and have your passport renewed.  You may get this at the Philippine Embassy in the country where you are located.
4. Newly married women have the option to change their last name upon renewal of their passports; however, this is not mandatory.  A married woman may keep her maiden last name in her passport if she so wishes. Should she decide to change her last name to her husband’s, she will have to retain this name until her husband passes away or when her marriage is legally dissolved (as in an annulment recognized by Philippine laws).
5. Filipinos who are naturalized as US citizens lose their privilege to renew their Philippine passports.  If their passports are still valid at the time of their oath-taking in US soil, these are automatically invalidated.  They may apply for a Philippine passport upon reacquisition of their Filipino citizenship.