DFA opens passport center in Dubai mall

MANILA,Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday opened a passport renewal center in a mall in Dubai.

The DFA said the opening of the center would give Filipinos an alternative to avail themselves of passport services “in two of the Middle East countries with the highest concentration of Filipino workers – the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.”

DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and an official of VFS Global signed the memorandum of understanding on the establishment of the center. 

The DFA said it was the first time the government has outsourced part of its passport renewal service to a private company.

It said VFS Global operates 87 centers that provide passport and consular services to five governments in 27 countries worldwide. 

UAE is home to about 600,000 Filipino workers, the second-largest concentration of Filipino workers in the Middle East.

The DFA said the center at the Wafi Mall would allow Filipinos in Dubai and the northern UAE to choose between renewing their passports at the Philippine consulate in Dubai or at the center.

Those who renew their documents at the center will pay an additional convenience fee on top of the normal cost of passport, it said.

It said the center would only do simple passport renewal services that do not require any changes in the biographic details of the passport holder, including acceptance of application, capturing of biometrics, payment of fees, and release of passport. 

It added that the actual production of the passport is still with the DFA.

The DFA quoted Locsin as saying the center at the Dubai mall is a welcome addition to the agency’s range of services. 

It said the opening of the passport renewal unit was in response to President Duterte’s call to all government agencies to improve their services to the public, especially to overseas Filipino workers.