The VFS Philippine ePassport Renewal Centres (PaRC) in Abu Dhabi (World Trade Center) and Dubai (Wafi Mall) will cease operations on June 30, the Philippine missions in the UAE announced on their official Facebook accounts on Wednesday.
This means, starting July 1 this year, all Philippine passport applications and renewals will be exclusively processed by the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General in Dubai.
No reason was provided by the Philippine missions for the cessation of the outsourcing of passport services, but noted: “All passports processed by VFS PaRC Abu Dhabi and Dubai on or before June 30, including those that remain unclaimed, may be collected from the Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General in Dubai starting July 1.”
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“Applicants whose renewed passports are ready for collection but remain unclaimed are advised to claim them at the earliest opportunity,” they added.
The first VFS PaRC was officially inaugurated in Dubai on November 21, 2019. It was the first time the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs outsourced its passport renewal process.
The following year, the PaRC at VFS Global at World Trade Centre in Abu Dhabi opened on June 12, 2020, coinciding with the commemoration of Philippine Independence Day.
Prior to the operations of PaRCs, Filipinos in the UAE had to visit either the Consulate in Dubai or Embassy in Abu Dhabi for passport services. The system will revert to this previous arrangement on July 1.
Filipinos who have inquiries or require assistance may contact the Philippine missions at these numbers:
Or email: abudhabipe.passport@dfa.gov.ph or passport.releasing@pcgdubai.ae.
Source: Khaleej Times