Kids

PSA: Travel Permits For Kids Can Now Be Processed Online!

by Kevyn Gohu
March 17, 2025

No need for the hassle of going to the DSWD to get our kids’ travel permits! Here’s how parents can get travel permits for their kids

While most parents don’t travel without their kids, some still do, whether it’s to study abroad or to accompany relatives. However, back when there was no permit, this left kids open to child trafficking, kidnapping, and the like. With most people not too sure how to identify traffickers without escalating the situation, the DSWD made travel permits for kids a requirement. Luckily, parents don’t have to go to the DSWD Field Office to get the permit anymore. They can get the travel permits for kids online!

Why this new development?

DSWD’s move to process the travel permits for kids online is in hopes of making it more convenient for parents. Parents who are usually working or living far away from their child’s registered DSWD Field Office can now just schedule a video conference. It’s particularly helpful, especially for OFWs who want to see their children and can’t help the legal guardians or process the documents themselves.

According to DSWD Assistant Secretary Ada Calico, travel agencies would usually do this for families but would request a special power of attorney (SPA). An SPA is like a letter of authorization with extra steps: not only is it written by a lawyer, but it requires notarization. Even companies that process work-related documents for their employees request for these. However, it still costs a good PHP 1,500 ~ PHP 3,000 for the creation of the document with an extra PHP 100 ~ PHP 200 to notarize.

While it does save the parents from the stress of personal appearances, it does feel illogical, especially for DSWD, who would be held “accountable” for this process. “We were basically authorizing a person not related [by blood to the applicant] to process the papers and accompany the child abroad,” Calico says in an interview with Inquirer.

How can parents apply for travel permits for kids?

The ones who usually undergo the process are adopted kids, “kids leaving with their biological father but not their legally recognized father,” or kids who are permanently moving abroad but are accompanied by a sibling who’s 16 years old and above.

The process will be the same, except it will be done online. On their website, mta.dswd.gov.ph, parents will have to make an account to begin the process. Scheduling the meeting for verifying and validating the minor’s details will be via video call, making it easier for parents to choose when to get a travel permit for kids. But don’t worry; the travel permit will last for a year, according to the DSWD.