Passport for Minors: Requirements and the SPA Rule
Department of Foreign Affairs · passports
Quick answer
A minor's Philippine passport costs ₱950.00 regular or ₱1,200.00 expedite and is valid 5 years. The minor and either parent must appear, with a PSA Certificate of Live Birth and one valid ID each. An authorised adult companion needs a notarised Special Power of Attorney.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from DFA's official published sources: DFA Office of Consular Affairs | Requirements for Minor New Applications (https://consular.dfa.gov.ph/minor-new/, retrieved 2026-08-31); DFA Office of Consular Affairs | Passport FAQs (https://consular.dfa.gov.ph/passport-faq/, retrieved 2026-08-31); DFA Office of Consular Affairs | Courtesy Lane Eligibility (https://consular.dfa.gov.ph/courtesy-lane-eligibility/, retrieved 2026-08-31); DFA Office of Consular Affairs | Valid IDs for Passport Application (https://consular.dfa.gov.ph/valid-ids-for-passport-application/, retrieved 2026-08-31). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with DFA before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-08-31.
A minor’s passport runs on the same fee as an adult’s and half the validity. The complexity is entirely in who brings the child and what they carry.
Fee and validity
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Regular processing | ₱950.00 |
| Expedite processing | ₱1,200.00 |
| Penalty, lost or mutilated ePassport | ₱350.00 |
| Validity, under 18 at the time of application | 5 years |
| Validity, 18 or older | 10 years |
DFA publishes no separate minor’s rate. The authority for validity is Section 10 of RA 11983 and Section 53 of its IRR.
Processing times
| Processing | NCR | Outside NCR |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | 10 working days | 12 working days |
| Expedite | 5 working days | 7 working days |
The core requirements
| # | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 1 | Confirmed online appointment, unless Courtesy Lane eligible |
| 2 | Accomplished application form |
| 3 | Personal appearance of the minor and either parent, or an authorised adult companion |
| 4 | PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth; a Local Civil Registrar copy may be required if the PSA copy is unclear or unreadable |
| 5 | At least 1 valid identification card each for the minor applicant and the accompanying adult |
The accompanying adult submits supporting documents depending on the minor’s case, and DFA publishes 13 such cases.
The supporting-document cases
Under Section 6 of RA 11983, further documents prove identity, citizenship and the absence of travel restrictions.
| Case | What DFA requires |
|---|---|
| Newborn under 1 year with no PSA birth certificate or Report of Birth, born in the Philippines | A certified true copy of the Local Civil Registrar birth certificate authenticated by the PSA |
| Newborn under 1 year, born abroad | The original Report of Birth, or a first indorsement from the Consular Records Division |
| PSA Certificate of Live Birth registered 1 year after the event | At least 1 of: school records; or a baby book, health record or equivalent |
| Marital minor, married parents on the PSA certificate | The accompanying parent’s valid Philippine passport or other competent proof of identity, plus a copy of the spouse’s |
| Marital minor, alien accompanying parent | The non-Filipino parent’s foreign passport, plus a copy of the Filipino parent’s Philippine passport or other proof of identity |
| Accompanied by an authorised adult companion | A notarised Special Power of Attorney from either parent or the legal guardian, the companion’s proof of identity, and copies of the parents’ proof of identity |
| Non-marital minor, unmarried parents on the PSA certificate | A separate published case |
| Minor not accompanied by a parent | A separate published case |
| Non-marital minor, mother deceased, acknowledged by the father | A separate published case |
| Absence of the father | Named adults may accompany the minor in a published order |
| Non-marital minor, mother deceased or absent, father unknown | A separate published case |
| Minor foundlings in the Philippines, not for adoption | A separate published case |
| Prospective adoptee or adoptee, domestic and foreign adoption | Four separate published cases |
The SPA rule
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Who executes it | Either of the minor’s parents, or the legal guardian |
| Form | Notarised Special Power of Attorney |
| Also required | The companion’s passport or other competent proof of identity, and copies of the parents’ proof of identity |
| If executed abroad | Notarised at the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate, or apostilled by the local authority in an Apostille Convention country |
The apostille guide covers that second route: ₱100.00 regular released after 5 working days, ₱200.00 expedited after 2 working days, or ₱200.00 for an e-Apostille after 1 working day. The Philippines joined the Convention on 14 May 2019.
Walking in with a small child
Minors aged 7 years and below are Special Lane eligible.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Days | Monday to Thursday, during regular operational hours |
| Where | DFA Aseana and Consular Offices |
| Who may accompany | Either parent, a legal guardian, or an authorised representative |
| Siblings | Minor siblings may also use the lane during the minor’s application |
| Proof for parents | The eligible minor’s PSA birth certificate |
| Proof for minor siblings | Documentation showing their relationship to the parents on their own birth certificates |
| Proof for a guardian or representative | A court-issued guardianship order, an SPA for parental consent and authorisation, and other relevant legal documents |
| The cost catch | Only senior citizens and PWDs may choose regular processing; all other special-lane applicants and companions pay for expedited processing at ₱1,200.00 |
A solo parent’s minor children are also covered, provided the minor applies at the same time as the parent and the parent’s name appears on the child’s PSA Certificate of Live Birth or Report of Birth.
The IDs DFA accepts
| Rank | ID |
|---|---|
| Primary | Philippine Identification (PhilID) |
| Primary | Electronic Philippine ID (ePhilID) |
| Primary | Digital National ID, printed copy submitted |
| In lieu | SSS card, GSIS card, UMID card |
| In lieu | LTO driver’s licence; a student permit is accepted if in card format |
| In lieu | BLTO driver’s licence issued 2022 onwards |
| In lieu | PRC ID; OWWA E-Card; COMELEC voter’s ID or certificate |
| In lieu | PNP permit to carry firearms outside residence; senior citizen ID |
| In lieu | Airman licence issued August 2016 onwards |
| In lieu | Philippine Postal ID |
| In lieu | MARINA seafarer’s record book or SID issued February 2020 onwards |
| In lieu | Valid or latest passport, for renewal |
| For minors | School ID; if not applicable, a certificate of enrolment with the minor’s photo and the school’s dry seal |
That is 15 alternatives to the PhilID. The National ID guide covers the primary document, and the ePhilID guide its paper and digital formats.
Collecting the passport
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original DFA-issued receipt | A lost receipt needs an original notarised Affidavit of Lost Receipt |
| Original acceptable ID | From the list above |
| Old passport | For renewal applications |
| Minors | DFA publishes additional requirements for a minor’s release |
| Unclaimed | Cancelled after 1 year, per Department Order No. 2021-012 |
What the whole file costs
| Document | Published fee | Where it is covered |
|---|---|---|
| Minor’s passport, regular | ₱950.00 | This page |
| Minor’s passport, expedite | ₱1,200.00 | This page |
| PSA Certificate of Live Birth, viewable online copy | ₱130.00, valid 60 days | PSA birth certificate |
| PSA marriage certificate, for the parents | ₱130.00 | PSA marriage certificate |
| PSA CENOMAR, where civil status is in question | ₱185.00 | PSA CENOMAR |
| Apostille on an SPA executed abroad, regular | ₱100.00 | Apostille and red ribbon |
| Apostille, expedited or electronic | ₱200.00 | Apostille and red ribbon |
| A correction petition if a birth entry is wrong | ₱1,000.00 or ₱3,000.00 | PSA correction of name |
Worked totals, arithmetic on the published fees:
| Scenario | Components | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Passport plus one PSA birth certificate | ₱950.00 plus ₱130.00 | ₱1,080.00 |
| Passport plus birth and parents’ marriage certificates | ₱950.00 plus ₱130.00 plus ₱130.00 | ₱1,210.00 |
| Two children, regular processing, one birth certificate each | ₱1,900.00 plus ₱260.00 | ₱2,160.00 |
| Special-lane child forced to expedite, plus a birth certificate | ₱1,200.00 plus ₱130.00 | ₱1,330.00 |
| Two children through the special lane at expedited rates | ₱2,400.00 | ₱2,400.00 |
| Passport plus an apostilled SPA at the regular rate | ₱950.00 plus ₱100.00 | ₱1,050.00 |
| A correction petition first, then the passport | ₱1,000.00 plus ₱950.00 | ₱1,950.00 |
The clocks
| Deadline | Figure |
|---|---|
| Regular release, NCR | 10 working days |
| Regular release, outside NCR | 12 working days |
| Expedite release, NCR | 5 working days |
| Expedite release, outside NCR | 7 working days |
| Validity, under 18 | 5 years |
| Minimum validity before booking a flight | 6 months |
| Unclaimed passport cancelled | 1 year |
| PSA viewable online copy validity | 60 days |
| Apostille, regular | 5 working days |
| Arrival on the day | No earlier than 30 minutes before the slot |
What this page does not cover
DFA does not publish, on the pages read for this guide, a separate fee for a minor’s passport, the detailed document lists for the non-marital, foundling and adoption cases, the release requirements specific to minors, or the renewal checklist for a minor’s ePassport. None of those are stated here.
Related
The new passport guide covers an adult first application, the passport renewal guide renewals, and the appointment booking guide the Special Lane rules in full.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is a minor's passport and how long is it valid?
- DFA publishes ₱950.00 regular and ₱1,200.00 expedite for passports applied for in the Philippines, without a separate minor's rate. Under Section 10 of RA 11983 and Section 53 of its IRR, a passport issued to a Filipino under 18 at the time of application is valid for 5 years, against 10 years for an adult.
- What are the core requirements?
- A confirmed online appointment unless Courtesy Lane eligible; an accomplished application form; personal appearance of the minor and either parent or an authorised adult companion; a PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth; and at least one valid ID each for the minor applicant and the accompanying adult.
- My child is a newborn without a PSA birth certificate. What then?
- For a newborn under 1 year old with no PSA birth certificate or Report of Birth yet: if born in the Philippines, a certified true copy of the Local Civil Registrar birth certificate authenticated by the PSA; if born abroad, the original Report of Birth or a first indorsement from the Consular Records Division.
- The birth was registered late. What extra document do I bring?
- Where the PSA Certificate of Live Birth was registered 1 year after the event, at least one of: school records; or a baby book, health record or equivalent document.
- Can someone other than a parent bring the child?
- Yes, with a notarised Special Power of Attorney executed by either parent or the legal guardian, that companion's passport or other competent proof of identity, and copies of the parents' proof of identity.
- We are abroad. How do we execute the SPA?
- DFA states an SPA executed abroad may either be notarised at the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate, or apostilled by the local authority in a country that is part of the Apostille Convention.
- What if the parents are not married?
- DFA publishes a separate case for a non-marital minor applicant, meaning unmarried parents as stated in the PSA Certificate of Live Birth, plus further cases where the mother is deceased but the child is acknowledged by the father, where the mother is deceased or absent and the father is unknown, and where none of the listed adults can accompany the minor.
- Can we skip the appointment?
- Minors aged 7 years and below may use the Special Lane without an appointment, accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or authorised representative, with minor siblings also covered. But all special-lane applicants other than senior citizens and PWDs must pay for expedited processing at ₱1,200.00.