Philippine Passports Could Get More Expensive by 2028
The proposed fee is P1,500 for regular applications.
by Zoe Andin
Published on Sep 21, 2026
(SPOT.ph) On top of rising ticket prices and fuel surcharges, you might have another travel expense to brace for soon: higher passport fees.
In a letter presented during the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) 2027 budget hearing, Senate Finance Committee Chair JV Ejercito said that APO Production Unit, Inc. requested that it be allowed to raise the fees to sustain production.
"They are saying that [with] the failure to adjust the price, they might be forced to cease their operation and baka mamaya wala tayong passport by next year,” Ejercito said on September 18.
APO Production Unit is proposing an almost 58% increase from P950 to P1,500 for regular applications, with OFWs and senior citizens paying a discounted P1,200.
However, Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro clarified that the proposal came as a “consequence of certain negotiations.” For its part, the DFA is negotiating with the printer to postpone the increase until mid-2028 in line with the first batch of next-generation passports.
Also read: What Counts as a Damaged Passport?
DFA wants to wait for the next-generation passports
The DFA said it wants to time the proposed increase right, given its plan to release the updated Philippine passport by mid-2028 with improved security features, additional pages for the 10-year validity, and updated contactless chip technology in line with International Civil Aviation Organization standards.
“Naisip ho namin, kung mag-i-increase kami, let's say sa January, sa nire-request nila, eh paano 'yung next generation [passports]? Eh iba na 'yung papel... ‘yun lang ang pakiusap namin sa kanila, 'til mid-2028,” Lazaro said.
The Philippine Passport Act only allows passport fees to be increased once every three years, but it's been much longer than that since the last hike: domestic passport processing fees have stayed the same for more than 10 years. Even Lazaro acknowledged that “it’s about time.”
Following the launch of the ePassports in 2009, passport fees increased from P500 for regular applications and P750 for expedited processing to the current P950 and P1,200.
For applications in the Philippines, these processing fees have stayed the same since then even as passport validity was extended from 5 years to 10 years in 2018.
On whether passports will continue to be issued next year after the APO Production Unit flagged a potential halt of operations, Lazaro said the DFA will meet with the printer on the matter.
“Kailangan din namin i-convey yan. Mag-co-communications plan po kami. Hindi naman basta-basta. Kailangan pa rin ho ng enough explanation,” Lazaro said.
Senator Bong Go has already called APO Production Unit's proposal “untimely”, citing higher prices linked to the war in the Middle East, unemployment, and the additional burden on Filipinos, particularly OFWs.
Also read: The Senate Wants to Abolish the Travel Tax Before 2026 Ends
Zoe thinks a lot but forgets just as much. Writing helps her deal with both problems. When she isn't writing, she spends time baking sweets, wandering around, or staring up at the moon.