FAQs on Machine Readable Passport

I haven't yet changed my old green Philippine passport to a new Machine Readable Passport (MRP) which is maroon in color because it's expiry date will be on November 2010. My hubby's will be on 2011. It's our plan to renew it once we'll visit Philippines next year by April. It is more convenient for us. Then a friend who just visited Philippines last January told us that she was told by the immigration officers that we need to change our old passport six months before this year ends. If that would be the case, my hubby and I will need to change plus the baby. On the other hand, another friend who just came back from Philippines who's residing in Bangkok informed us that our green Philippine passport will still be valid until the expiry date...We're confused...Which is correct?

My sis-in-law searched in the internet for the clarification of our doubts about the issue of renewing and FAQs on this new passport and we found an article from the Philippine Embassy, Bangkok the following:

What is a Machine Readable Passport?
A Machine Readable Passport (MRP) is a passport where the personal details of the applicant is printed in such a way that it can be read by the naked eye and at the same time, it has a “machine readable zone” containing the personal data of the passport holder that can be read by a machine or computer.

What are the other features of the Machine Readable Passport?
The new MRP is now maroon in color while the old Philippine passport (Non Machine Readable) is green in color. The MRP consists of 44 pages while the green regular passport contains 32 pages. The data page of the MRP is now fully printed while the data page of the green passport is manually scripted.

Is there a new photo requirement for the issuance of a Machine Readable Passport?
Yes, you must have your passport photo taken against a Royal Blue color background instead of a white background. This new requirement is necessary because the security feature encoded in the printed photograph of the holder is more pronounced against a royal blue background.

Must I appear personally at the Embassy?
Yes, all applicants whether for passport renewal or those applying for the first time, MUST appear personally before a Consular Officer at the Embassy to affix his/her thumb mark and sign his/her application form. His/her signature and thumbprint will be stored in the new passport database.

What are the benefits of a Machine Readable Passport?
Since a Machine Readable Passport has a machine readable zone that can be read by a machine or computer, the processing of travelers at ports of entry and exit is faster because the data in the passport can be read by the machine and stored automatically in the database of immigration offices. In the past, the information is manually encoded in the database. This means greater convenience and security for the traveler.

How can I get a Machine Readable Passport?
You may come to the Embassy (Consular Section) located at 760 Sukhumvit Road corner Soi 30/1, Bangkok, Thailand, 10110.

How much is a Machine Readable Passport?
The passport fee did not change. It still costs B2,250.00.

What will happen to my old green passport since it is not yet expired?
The green Philippine Passport is still valid until date of expiry.

Now, I am relieved...The last part answers our query.

For more information visit the official website of Philippine Embassy, Bangkok

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