1 day ago
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MANILA, Philippines — Married women in the Philippines may now revert to their maiden name when renewing their passports, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
Citing Section 5(f) of the New Philippine Passport Act, the DFA - Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA) said that women may voluntarily revert to their maiden name once.
Who is eligible to revert to a maiden name?
Section 5 (f) states:
"For a woman who wishes to revert to the use of her maiden name, a duly authenticated birth certificate by the PSA: Provided, That she can only revert to her maiden name once and all her other existing identification cards and pertinent documents shall likewise reflect her maiden name…”
Requirements for reversion to maiden name
For married women seeking to revert to their maiden names, the DFA-OCA listed the following requirements:
- An original and photocopy of a PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth or PSA Report of Birth.
- An original and photocopy of a PSA-issued Certificate of Marriage or PSA Report of Marriage.
- Notarized Affidavit of Explanation that includes a request for the reversion of maiden name in the Philippine passport or travel document and stating that the applicant has not hitherto availed of the reversion.
- Latest-issued Philippine passport or travel document.
- Any valid and existing Government-issued ID accepted for passport application, reflecting the maiden name of the passport applicant.
Married women who wish to use their maiden names in passport applications due to annulment, nullity of marriage, legal separation, judicially recognized foreign divorce, or the death of a spouse must submit the following documents:
Annulment, declaration of nullity of marriage, judicially-recognized foreign divorce, legal separation
- Submission of an original and photocopy of a PSA-issued Certificate of Marriage (COM) or PSA Report of Marriage (ROM) with annotation reflecting the nullity or dissolution of marriage, judicial recognition of foreign divorce, court decree of legal separation.
- An original and photocopy of a PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth or PSA Report of Birth.
- Latest-issued Philippine passport (if available).
Death of spouse
- Submission of an original and photocopy of a PSA-issued Certificate of Death (COD) or Report of Death (ROD) of spouse, or apostilled, or authenticated Foreign Death Certificate with English Translation, if applicable.
- An original and photocopy of a PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth or PSA Report of Birth.
- Latest-issued Philippine passport (if available).
