THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has advised those who will secure travel clearance for minors going abroad to submit complete supporting documents so this can be approved within 24 hours.
“The travel documents will be approved and issued within 24 hours as long as the supporting documents, including the social worker’s assessment, are complete and in order,” said DSWD 7 Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre.
Macapobre encouraged people to process their application ahead of time and not a day before the actual date of travel to avoid inconvenience.
A travel clearance is a document issued by DSWD to Filipino minors 17 years old and below who will be traveling to a foreign country unaccompanied by their parents, and to an illegitimate child traveling with his or her father.
“The issuance of the travel clearance is also a measure to prevent any form of abuse against minors,” Macapobre added.
To secure a clearance for a traveling minor, one should fill up an application form then submit the Philippine Statistics Authority-issued birth certificate of the minor with a photocopy.
They should also submit a notarized affidavit of consent of both parents, solo parent or legal guardian permitting the minor to travel to a foreign country alone or with a specific companion, with a copy of a valid identification card and signature.
They should also submit two original passport-size photos of the minor taken within six months from the time of application. (EOB)