Baby leaving Philippines on a British passport

Baby was born (illegitimate) in Philippines and now has a British passport. I see from advice here, that the DSWD clearance is definitely needed if we are to leave Philippines without his mother.
But does he definitely need a Filipino passport as well as the British one, to leave Philippines ? The DFA office is a long way from my girlfriend's house. He has the same name as me and I will have his Filipino birth certificate and a DSWD clearance.

I see that it will be advantageous for him to have a Filipino passport when he goes BACK to Philippines, no onward ticket required at check in and also no requirement for visa extensions if he stays longer than 30 days in Philippines (there would have to be Filipino visa extensions in his British passport to show to Filipino immigration on exit AFTER the NEXT Philippines stay).

I'm currently in the process of a British Passport Application , for my son who is currently residing in the Philippines . I'm interested in how you were granted a British Passport for your sibling . Also how long did the whole process take . Did you have any difficulties getting the application approved . Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated . Geoff

Hi Geoff
It wasn't for my sibling, it was for my son too.
I will describe only the most typical situation here, a British father and a Filipino mother with a child born in Philippines in the last few years.

The first thing to think about is if your son CAN get a British passport. YOU must be a British citizen BORN in UK (it's called "otherwise by descent" ) and the mother must not be already married to anyone else . You must also be mentioned on the Filipino birth certificates.

1. You apply online (using YOUR name as parent, if you're in UK) upload a photo of your son, make a payment, submit contact details of your countersignatory.
He/she MUST have known you for at least 2 years, not be family, and be a british/american/eu/commonwealth passport holder (NOT Filipino).
The photo can be taken with your own camera or phone but there are strict rules.

2. Later, the countersignatory is sent an email inviting them to witness the online photo.

3. If the countersignatory is accepted you are invited to send in documents to the UK passport office , I listed my papers above.

4. After that you just wait, overseas applications seem to be put on hold for 1 month until inspection.

5. After the inspection of your papers, 1 of 3 things occurs
a. they tell you to submit extra papers
b. your application is rejected
c. your application is approved

6. You normally must attend an interview around 2 weeks later.

7. After that, another 2 weeks later, a final decision is made about your application and, if successful, you will receive the child passport by courier.

It all took 2 months for us, but ours was an overseas child application from a UK address with a UK countersignatory and UK interview location.
Our main problem was finding a countersignatory. If you are applying from UK address, the countersignatory must only know YOU. But if you are in Philippines you must find a Brit/American who knows you both. If you both have the correct qualifications to get a UK passport and submit the papers in my list above you will have no problems. 2 months after application you will get a passport for your son! If you apply after September you will get a brand new dark blue design!
Other possible problems maybe not having baby doctor papers, ultrasound scans, photo of when mother was pregnant. Maybe you'll get away with not having all these. I don't know. I read that nobody has ever failed the interview. If you don't live with wife/girlfriend there is the logistical problem of submitting the papers together, each courier letter from PH is over 30 quid!

My girlfriend just came back from regional DSWD office. They told her because he has a British passport and I live in UK, he doesn't need a "DSWD travel clearance certificate".

But DSWD gave her a paper saying our son is exempt from requiring the travel clearance for filipino immigration. Girlfriend will accompany us to the airport in case immigration require an interview.

If the minor has a foreign passport that doesn't apply

The next problem is booking a return air ticket for me, but my son only travelling on the return leg.
If I book an online return flight for both of us the baby will be classed as a "NO SHOW" because he didn't fly on the outbound flight and he will be automatically deleted from the return ticket.
Has anyone has experience of doing this?
Best to book this with a travel agent, tell them exactly what you need

If baby is not having own seat then suggest booking direct with air line and ringing them to make booking.

Flew with Qatar and managed to buy return ticket for five old from Philippines to UK as a standalone ticket as we had booked other flights separately for complicated reasons. Should be able to book single ticket for own seat on the same principle. Only challenge is then organising seating together as two separate tickets but if arrive early for flight and booking in together should be ok.

Thanks. Useful to know.

Can I ask why you needed to go for an interview as going to do it for my stepson and thanks for the excellent information about doing child passport.

Every first overseas passport applicant is now required to have an interview. If you apply from Philippines, the interview is at the British embassy in Manila. If its a UK interview, you can choose the nearest HMPO office.
I read that nobody has ever failed the interview.

Ok thanks for that as I be applying in uk as he already as a certificate of entitlement right to abode in his Phillipine passport.

I had my interview in Birmingham.

No probs. Nice friendly lady. They just want to 'suss you out'. Take plenty of photos and other evidence of it being a genuine relationship. Copies of airline tickets/passport stamps covering the period of conception too.

My son is finally in England. The Filipino immigration officer told me he only needs a British passport to leave even if he was born in Phillipines. But this doesn't seem to be documented anywhere. Having a Filipino passport is advantageous on returning to Philippines.

The Asian immigration official at Heathrow gave me grief about single fathers though. I was also "interviewed" by police at my local bus station, guilty of being a father alone with his baby son. Many stranger females will compliment you or berate you if you are with your young son or daughter.

The main problem was booking infant airticket only INBOUND from Philippines to UK. You MUST add the infant after booking YOUR RETURN ticket, by calling the airline. If you book a return for the infant leaving UK and s/he does not fly on the outbound , the return will be automatically deleted, but this is not legal. You will also save UK departure tax on the infant outbound.
For ANY airline passenger, If you turn up at Manila Airport without having flown on the outbound flight, you will be looking at a very expensive mistake for adults, but maybe 8K pesos for infant.
But, happy to have succeeded! I guess this is end of this thread. Maybe to answer questions of course. I will be very happy to advise about British passport application for children from Philippines and leaving Philippines, if I can

congratulations. a busy life ahead for you.

Correct, I mentioned earlier in the thread that's exactly what happened to my sister when she flew to cebu to collect her grand daughter, the power of a british passport, congrats.

I saw your message, but it seemed to me that you highlighted the British birth certificate and didn't mention which passport your sister used etc. Also a British birth certificate implies that baby was born in Britain, so I didn't really understand

I just looked mate, I did say philippine birth certificate british passport in one post, my sis said as soon as she showed the child's brit passport that was good enough, no questions asked, the important thing is your son is here, the great escape my sis called it when she landed at Heathrow.

Congratulations Ian...and thanks for giving details that should be of help to others. Happy days ahead.

I arrived at my hometown bus station after the long flight from Manila and an overnight bus ride from Heathrow.
The local police suddenly pounced on me after seeing the cctv video ("anonymous tip") , an older man with a baby, demanding an explanation. They thought I was Gary Glitter or something. Diversity, pah, that's only for women and gays.
Two days later, 3 more police suddenly turned up at my house with cameras for collecting evidence, they asked lots of questions of course. Good luck getting the police to come to your house like this after a burglary! Anarcho-tyranny or what?
This was after an undercover policewoman, posing as seller of baby things, insisted on changing my son's nappy.
Eventually they realised I was no paedophile, for me it was terrible, but I regarded it as part of immigration process. It made me skeptical of the police though, lying, deceiving, possibly breaking the law as part of their investigations. Dixon of Dock Green, it was not!
We were referred to local social services and then after an interview, my son was declared "not in immediate danger".
Social services can be a big help but its best to get them off your back if you can.
You read stories about them taking more and more kids from parents for adoption (by who exactly?).
Anyone normal can see he was well looked after and wanted his dad!
The story continues (unfortunately) .

You need to get the press involved in this.

How bloody disgraceful !

Yours and your child's documents should have sent them packing. Ignorant fools.

I have travelled in and out of the the UK previously, alone...with THREE young children, two of them my Filipino stepchildren, without experiencing any of that kind of nonsense, as well as being a single parent to my son for many years.