Getting a Philippine National ID isn’t as hard as obtaining other government IDs considering that it’s designed to be THE valid ID you can use for almost everything. And before you add additional load to the PhilSys registration website, make sure you have all the requirements you need for your visit. There’s only two main requirements to get a Philippine national ID:

Philippine National ID Requirements

• Original NSO Birth Certificate
• Valid government ID with a signature, photo, and a thumbmark

How to Get NSO Birth Certificate

This is the most important document you’ll need when you apply for your national ID. The Philippine Statistics Authority or PSA (the people that provide your NSO birth certificate) has a limited workforce because of the pandemic so expect delays when you make a request. Here’s how you can get your birth certificate:

• • Visit https://psahelpline.ph/ and click the “Order Now” button
  • Select the reason for requesting a birth certificate.
  • Fill out your birth certificate application form and click “Continue” when you’re done
  • Type in the name of the person requesting the birth certificate. You may also do this on behalf of someone else. For this, you’ll need to indicate your relationship with that person.
  • Indicate your delivery details. You’ll need to provide the details for an authorized representative who can receive this on your behalf, if applicable. Once finished, click continue.
  • You will be directed to an order summary page where your reference number which will be used to track your document can be found.
  • Pay for your order via 7-eleven, Gcash, PayMaya, or Coins.ph
  • Once paid, you may check on the status of your order here by entering your reference number.
  • Wait for your birth certificate to be delivered.

Valid ID

In addition to your NSO Birth Certificate, you’ll need to provide one valid ID that contains the following information: your full name, front-facing photograph, and signature or thumb mark. This can be proved using any of these documents:

Philippine National ID Requirements Primary Documents:

• • DFA-issued Philippine Passport or ePassport
  • GSIS or SSS-issued Unified Multi-purpose Identification Card (UMID)
  • Land Transportation Office (LTO)-issued Student’s License Permit or Non-Professional/Professional Driver’s License

In case those three primary IDs are not available, you can provide any of the secondary documents listed below:

Philippine National ID Requirements Secondary Documents:

• • PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth/NSO-issued Certificate of Live Birth with Birth Reference Number (BreN)
  • LCRO-issued Certificate of Live Birth
  • PSA-issued Report of Birth
  • PSA-issued Certificate of Foundling
  • Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Identification Card
  • Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) ID
  • Seaman’s Book
  • Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID
  • Senior Citizen’s ID
  • SSS ID
  • Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) ID
  • License to Own or Possess Firearms (LTOPF) ID
  • NBI Clearance
  • Police Clearance/ID
  • Solo Parent’s ID
  • PWD ID
  • Voter’s ID
  • Postal ID
  • Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) ID
  • Philhealth ID
  • Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA)-issued Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV)
  • A national ID from other countries
  • A residence ID from other countries

If you absolutely have no access to these documents you may submit any of these IDs to support your application.

• • Employee ID
  • School ID
  • Barangay Clearance/Certificate
  • Barangay ID
  • City/Municipal ID

After securing these two requirements you’re ready to apply. Here’s a step-by-step process on how to register for a Philippine National ID or visit the PhilSys website to start your registration process.