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The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines is offering emergency appointments only for passport and citizenship services that require an in-person appearance. Please be aware that emergency appointment availability is extremely limited.
The American Citizen Services (ACS) team in Manila and Cebu serves the large and geographically diverse U.S. citizen community in the Philippines. We register births, issue passports, and can assist in emergencies, such as the death, arrest, hospitalization, or destitution of a U.S. citizen, during a natural disaster or other crisis event, with issues involving missing persons or children – including international parental child abduction and adoption – and when a U.S. citizen is the victim of a crime in the Philippines.
We do not provide walk-in services; you must have an appointment to enter the U.S. Embassy in Manila or the U.S. Consular Agency in Cebu. These efforts help us to meet social distancing requirements designed to limit the spread of COVID-19. Additional details about pandemic conditions in the Philippines are available on our COVID-19 information webpage.
COVID-19 restrictions continue to affect our operations. As a result of ongoing staffing shortages and the need to maintain social distance in our waiting room, we do not expect to return to pre-pandemic citizenship and passport appointment levels in the near future. This means appointment wait times may be longer than expected. We will continue to prioritize service provision to U.S. citizens with immediate travel plans or who are in emergency circumstances.
If you need emergency assistance, such as to report the abduction of a U.S. citizen child, the arrest or death of a U.S. citizen, or if you have been the victim of a crime in the Philippines, please call us at (+63) 2 5301-2000 or email us at ACSInfoManila@state.gov. Call 911 to contact the Philippine National Emergency Hotline in a life-or-death emergency. Call 117 to reach the Philippine National Police Hotline to report a crime or an emergency requiring a police response.
Please scroll below for information about Social Security, Veterans Affairs, USCIS, voting in U.S. elections, and U.S. tax matters. For information about visas to the United States, visit our visas page .
One of the highest priorities of the Department of State and U.S. embassies and consulates abroad is to provide assistance to U.S. citizens incarcerated abroad. The Department of State is committed to ensuring fair and humane treatment for U.S. citizens imprisoned overseas. We stand ready to assist incarcerated citizens and their families within the limits of our authority in accordance with international, domestic, and foreign law.
When an U.S. citizen dies abroad, the Bureau of Consular Affairs assists the family and friends. The Bureau of Consular Affairs attempts to locate and inform the next-of-kin of the U.S. citizen’s death. The Bureau of Consular Affairs provides information on how to make arrangements for local burial or return of the remains to the United States. The disposition of remains is subject to U.S. and local (foreign) law, U.S. and foreign customs requirements, and the foreign country facilities, which are often vastly different from those in the United States.
International Parental Child Abduction
International parental child abduction is the removal or retention of a child outside their country of habitual residence in breach of another parent or guardian’s custody rights.
The State Department is committed to assisting U.S. citizens who become victims of crime while abroad. At the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines and the Consular Agency in Cebu, consular officers, agents, and staff work with U.S. citizen victims of crime in the Philippines and help them understand the procedures of Philippine government agencies, police systems, medical systems. We can also help connect the victim to other available resources. To learn more about how we can help, please click on the link below, learn about local legal resources, or contact us.
Emergency Financial Assistance
If you are a U.S. citizen in need of emergency financial assistance, please refer to the State Department’s page for emergency financial assistance for U.S. citizens living and traveling abroad. If you need to get money to a U.S. citizen outside the United States, you have a number of available options. Read more at Travel.State.gov
U.S. citizens in need of emergency financial assistance while abroad should first attempt to contact their family, friends, banking institution, or employer. Our American Citizen Services unit can assist in this effort, if necessary.
Use a commercial money transfer service, such as Western Union or MoneyGram., to wire money overseas. Money transfer cost comparison tools online can help you identify the best option. The person receiving the money will need to present proof of identity such as a passport.
Sending Money through the U.S. Department of State
When the commercial options listed above are not available or feasible, family or friends may send funds via the U.S. Department of State for delivery to a destitute U.S. citizen abroad at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. The U.S. Department of State assesses a $30 fee to establish an account and transfer funds.
Destitute U.S. citizens may be eligible for a loan from the U.S. government to travel to the United States. Repatriation loans must eventually be paid back to the U.S. government. Your U.S. passports will be limited at the time the loan is issued and in most cases you will not be issued a new passport until the loan is paid in full. Contact us for more information.
Local legal and medical resources that may be required while traveling or residing abroad.
Legal Assistance Medical Assistance Hospitals and Medical Facilities by RegionIf you require legal assistance in the Philippines please visit the link below.
If you require medical assistance in the Philippines please visit the link below.
Hospitals and Medical Facilities by Region
If you require information about local medical facilities, please visit the link below.
If you are a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident (green card holder), you are responsible for filing U.S. federal income tax returns while abroad. You will find useful information on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website, such as Frequently Asked Questions about taxes or how to apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
If you are a U.S. dual citizen or U.S. citizen living outside of the United States, you can register with the Selective Service System.
If you live in the Philippines and have questions about Social Security Administration (SSA) services, contact the SSA Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) in the Philippines.
U.S. service members, veterans, and their beneficiaries can apply for benefits on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website. The Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) may also be able to help veterans and beneficiaries with questions about benefits and services. The Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) may also be able to help veterans and beneficiaries with questions about benefits and services.
Depending on where you are eligible to vote, you may get your ballot by email, fax, or internet download. To start, complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) here. Print, sign, and return the FPCA to your local U.S. election office. Include your email address so election officials can reach you if there is a problem. If your state delivers ballots electronically by fax only, include your fax number. If you request electronic delivery and include your email address or fax number, you will receive your blank ballot 45 days before general and mid-term elections and generally 30 days before special, primary, and run-off elections for federal offices. We recommend completing a new FPCA each January, or when you move.
The United States is a party to the Hague Adoption Convention, an international treaty which seeks to ensure that intercountry adoptions are made in the best interests of the child and that safeguards are in place for their protection. All adoptions in another country must take place according to both U.S. and local laws for the adopted child to be eligible to immigrate to the United States. You should work with a U.S. adoption service provider specifically authorized to facilitate intercountry adoption. You can find more information about authorized authorized adoption service providers and the intercountry adoption process at travel.state.gov and are invited to direct questions to Adoption@state.gov.
A child born outside the United States to a U.S. citizen parent or parents may be eligible for U.S. citizenship if the parent(s) meets the requirements for transmitting U.S. citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act. U.S. citizens eligible to transmit citizenship to a minor are required to file for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA).
U.S. embassy and consulate personnel cannot perform marriages. Depending on the local law, civil or religious officials generally perform marriages. If your marriage overseas was performed in accordance with local law, it is valid in the country where it took place. Whether your marriage is recognized elsewhere depends on the laws of that place.
Renunciation of U.S. Citizenship
If you intend to renounce your U.S. citizenship, please let us know by emailing ACSInfoManila@state.gov. We will then email you with your next steps, to first set up a phone interview, and later, an in-person appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
Consular Affairs (CA) is the public face of the Department of State for millions of people around the world. We provide many services, and the most common are listed below.
U.S. Citizens overseas can renew passports, replace passports, or apply for new passports.
Please call: (+63) 2 5301-2000
Outside of Office Hours, contact: (+63) 2 5301-2000
Outside of the Philippines: (+63) 2 5301-2000
Emergency Contact – All Locations Enroll in STEP International Parental Child Abduction Arrest of a U.S. Citizen Death of a U.S. Citizen Victims of Crime Emergency Financial Assistance