DFA is opening 177.5K passport slots at Metro Manila malls; Here's how to book yours

MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Foreign Affairs is opening five special off-site locations in Metro Manila on Wednesday to provide an additional 177,500 passport appointment slots to residents of the region and nearby areas.

DFA Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs Brigido Dulay on Monday announced that Temporary Offsite Passport Services (TOPS) offices will open at SM Mall of Asia, SM City North Edsa, SM Aura, Robinsons Place Las Piñas, and Robinsons Place Magnolia.

Each TOPS site has the capacity to receive 500 appointments daily and will operate from Mondays to Saturdays, DFA also said in a statement released Tuesday. 

With each site operating at full capacity, a total of 177,500 additional passport appointment slots will be available until the end of September on the DFA’s online appointment system. 

This is on top of the regular appointment slots at the Department’s ASEANA office and its consular offices all over the country. 

How to reserve an appointment slot

Appointment slots for all five sites may be accessed through the DFA’s online appointment system website www.passport.gov.ph.

As of this writing, all TOPS sites are already reflected on DFA's appointment system and slots are available for reservation. 

The temporary offsite passport services are also available to courtesy lane clients such as:

• overseas Filipino workers with valid or existing contracts
• senior citizens
• pregnant applicants
• children below 7 years old
• persons with disabilities
• solo parents

Courtesy lane clients can also email the DFA directly at [email protected]. 

Dulay assured that the DFA will open TOPS sites in other regions with significant demand for passport appointments. 

“We advise applicants to avoid falling prey to online fraudsters and scammers who are taking advantage of the situation by charging hefty fees,” Dulay cautioned.

Passport appointment slots, he emphasized, are free of charge and are only available through the DFA’s official website.  

— Bella Perez-Rubio