Implementation of the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) project in China

The Philippine Embassy in Beijing wishes to inform Filipinos in China that from 01 August 2008, the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Consulates General in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xiamen will be accepting and processing applications for the new Machine Readable Passport (MRP).

The MRP is a passport where the personal details of the applicant are printed in such a way that they can be read by the naked eye and at the same time, it contains a machine readable zone containing the personal data of the passport holder that can be read by a machine or computer.

Since the MRP has a machine readable zone that can be read by a machine or a 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. This means greater convenience and security for the traveler.

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 old green passport is manually scripted.

The MRP also has the following security features: watermarked paper, colored UV fibers, UV reactive inks, special designs, microtexts, laser perforated numbers, ultrathin laminates resistant to forgery and chemical, thermal and mechanical attacks, letter screen, invisible personal information and holograms.

Only the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila prints the Machine Readable Passports. Applications received by the Embassy and the Philippine Consulates General in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xiamen will be sent to the DFA by special courier service. In view of the transit time, it will now take SIX (6) weeks for a new MRP to be released to the applicants, from the time the application is received.

Old passports being renewed will only be cancelled upon receipt of their MRP replacements.

All applicants whether for the renewal of a passport or those applying for the first time MUST appear personally at the Embassy or any of the Philippine Consulates General to affix his thumb mark and sign his application form. Applications by mail cannot be accepted. The passport fee remains the same at RMB500.

The old green passports will still be honored as bonafide travel documents issued by the Philippine government until their expiry dates.

For more information on the new MRP, please contact the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai at 021-62798337 or by email at passport@philcongenshanghai.org or the Philippine Embassy in Beijing and the Philippine Consulates General in Guangzhou and Xiamen.

Source: Philippine Consualte General, Shanghai

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