Comelec to resume 2-year listup for overseas Filipinos

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday announced that the registration of overseas voters for the 2028 national and local elections would resume starting from Dec. 1, 2025, until Sept. 30, 2027.

“All citizens of the Philippines, who are abroad during the 30-day voting period, at least 18 years of age on the day of the elections and not otherwise disqualified by law, may register as overseas voters,” it said.

During the registration period, the Comelec will be accepting applications for registration, transfer of registration records, reactivation, change of name/correction of entries, change of address, inclusion/reinstatement and certification.

READ: 2025 polls: Comelec assures online overseas voting is ‘protected’

Required papers

At the same time, it reminded applicants that the requirements include any valid Philippine passport, a certification of the post, or an original or certified true copy of the order of approval of their application to retain or reacquire their Filipino citizenship, or a photocopy of their Seafarer’s Identification Record Book (for seafarers).

Applications may be filed in any Philippine Post abroad, such as embassy or consulate; designated registration centers outside of the Philippine posts abroad; Comelec Office for Overseas Voting; and designated local field registration centers in the Philippines, during office hours.

The last registration period for voters abroad was held from Dec. 9, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2024.

According to Comelec data, there were an estimated 1.241 million registered overseas voters during the May 2025 polls. /cb