RP passport fee lowest in the world – DFA

The Philippine passport fee is way below what other countries in Asia and many others outside the region are charging, according to a survey by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Charging P950 or $21 for a passport "barely covers the actual cost of producing the electronic passport or ePassport since much of the fee goes to printing, lamination, and other production expenses," the DFA said in a statement Sunday. The cost of the Philippine passport is one of the lowest in Asia as Thailand collects $33, Brunei 37, Malaysia $97, Cambodia $120, Singapore $52, and Japan $180. The US charges $110 and Canada $86. The DFA conducted the survey in June, involving at least 60 countries that issue ePassports or machine-readable passports. —JE/VS, GMANews.TV