The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will soon launch an online system that will streamline the process of application and issuance of travel clearance for minors traveling abroad (MTA).
Social Welfare Officer IV Cheryl Mainar of the DSWD’s Program Management Bureau (PMB) told reporters that applicants no longer need to submit the required documents physically to any agency office nationwide.
“The previous one was manual processing, meaning you have to go to DSWD offices to apply for travel clearance. Now, they don’t have to go to the offices. Just at home as long as they have an internet connection,” Mainar told reporters in a media forum.
Travel clearance is a document issued by the DSWD to minors or individuals below 18 years old traveling outside the Philippines who are unaccompanied by any of the parents or persons with parental responsibility or legal custody over the child.
The processing time for applications with complete verified and authentic documents will be one to three days in the new MTA system, according to the PMB.
Complete information on the application process and documentary requirements can be found in the DSWD Memorandum Circular 22, series of 2024 (https://www.dswd.gov.ph/issuances/MCs/MC_2024-022.pdf).