New Philippine ePassport Renewal Center Inaugurated in Singapore

Hon. Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines, inaugurated the new Philippine ePassport Renewal Center in Singapore on 28 January 2022 in the presence of other distinguished dignitaries.

In a bid to ease the ePassport renewal process for Filipino nationals living overseas, the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines and VFS Global had signed a contract on 6 August 2021 to extend Philippine ePassport Renewal services to eight other countries aside from Singapore.

Hon. Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines (4th from left), with H.E. Mr. Joseph del Mar Yap, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Singapore (2nd from right), Mr. Nathaniel G. Imperial, Assistance Secretary- ASPAC (1st from left) and Mr. Brigido J. Dulay, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs (2nd from left), at the unveiling of the plaque of the Philippine ePassport Renewal Centre in Singapore.

The launch of the VFS Global ePassport Renewal Center in Singapore marked the first time the Department of Foreign Affairs outsourced its ePassport renewal process for its nationals living in the Asia Pacific region.

Following the success of the operations in the pilot location in Dubai which operates 12 hours every day, VFS Global successfully expanded its services to one more city in the UAE. This was followed by Centres in other countries like Ireland, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UK, and the US, amidst the pandemic.

Commenting at the launch of the ePassport Renewal Center (PaRC), Hon. Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines, said

"The establishment of ePassport Renewal Centers in various parts of the world is an attestation of the President's commitment to ensuring that government services are accessible and convenient to every Filipino. Singapore is certainly a priority for this service, as over 200,000 Filipinos in Singapore will benefit from having the option to renew their passport in another location aside from the Philippine Embassy."

Mr. Jiten Vyas, Regional Group COO, VFS Global, added

"We would like to thank the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines for its continued faith in us. Our passport and consular services have been growing from strength to strength, and we look forward to bringing those best-in-class services to Filipino nationals here in Singapore with this new Centre."

Key benefits of the Philippine ePassport Renewal Center:

Improved passport services to Philippine nationals living overseas
Reduced crowding at Consulates/Embassies and greater convenience for the customer submitting their application with VFS Global
Strict verifiable processes to ensure accuracy of biometric data collection
Flexible 'prime time' services at select locations for submissions beyond regular office hours
Optional two-way courier services for safe delivery of your passports
Application tracking facility with the SMS service
Form filling support

Important information for Philippine ePassport Renewal services customers in Singapore:

As the safety of our customers and employees is our priority, VFS Global has implemented strict health and safety measures in line with Government guidelines for physical distancing at the Centres.

Customers must wear a face mask/face covering to enter the premises, and a temperature reading will be required on arrival. Customers exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, including fever (higher than 37.3 degrees Celsius), cough and difficulty in breathing, will not be allowed to proceed with their applications and be allowed to reschedule their appointments for another day.

Customers can visit our website: https://services.vfsglobal.com/sgp/en/phl or email us at info.philippinesg@vfshelpline.com for more details.

Philippine ePassport Renewal Center
Address in Singapore: 79 Anson, 15-02, Singapore 079906
Email id: info.philippinesg@vfshelpline.com
Website: https://services.vfsglobal.com/sgp/en/phl
Submission Timing: 0800 hrs-1600 hrs (Monday to Friday, except holidays)

*VFS Global will be responsible only for accepting applications for client missions. All applications submitted will continue to be assessed and processed by the respective client missions. Timelines for turnaround are as per the discretion of the authorities.

News Source: ACN Newswire