No more free passport extension, Pinoys in Saudi Arabia told

Filipinos in Saudi Arabia can no longer avail of free passport extension, the Philippine Embassy there said over the weekend.   The embassy said overseas Filipino workers will have to pay SR80 (P923.66) for the extension of machine-readable ready passports (MRRPs).   "The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh advises Filipinos in the Kingdom that the Department of Foreign Affairs has discontinued the extension of Machine Readable Ready Passports (MRRPs) gratis (free of charge) as the delivery of electronic passports (e-Passports) has normalized," it said in an advisory.   Those applying for the extension of their passports’ validity will be required to pay the consular fee for the extension of passport’s validity.    However, it said applications for extension of passport’s validity may be given due course only when the applicants simultaneously file their applications for e-Passports.   The fee for passport renewal is SR240 (P2,770.98), it said.   Tthe Embassy also urged all Filipinos to check the validity of their passports, and to ensure they apply for renewal of their passports at least six months before the expiry of their passports to avoid any inconveniences.   It likewise reiterated to all applicants its earlier advice for them to secure an appointment for passport renewal through text (SMS) to  0560503895 or online on the website, which provides for instant confirmations for appointments.   "Only a limited number of walk-in applicants are accepted at the Embassy’s Consular Section, and an appointment makes time spent at the Embassy shorter," it said.   The requirements for passport renewal are the original passport, photocopy of data pages, accomplished application, and SR240. - VVP, GMA News