Here’s everything you need to know about the Philippine National ID Card (also called PhilSys ID or Phil ID) — from the documentary requirements to application steps to application venues in the Philippines and abroad.
What is the Philippine National ID or PhilSys ID?
The Philippine System Identification Act or PhilSys Act (Republic Act 11055), signed into law by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte on August 6, 2018, mandates the government to create a single identification card for all Filipino citizens and foreign residents in the Philippines that will serve as their official national ID.
The intention is to establish a single national identification system for all Filipino citizens and resident aliens of the Philippines for the purpose of promoting seamless and efficient delivery of government service, streamlining bureaucracy, and enhancing administrative governance, among others.
With the Phil ID, any cardholder can now transact with various government agencies such as SSS, GSIS, BIR, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, etc. using just a single ID (replacing current IDs such as UMID, Postal ID, Voter’s ID, etc.).
What’s the status of the implementation of the National ID?
Here are the latest updates and developments regarding the National ID card as of October 2018:
- The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the primary implementing agency of the PhilSys Law, announced that a “trial” implementation will begin by December 2018, targeting 1 million beneficiaries of the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) Program of the government, who will be the first recipients of the PhilID.
- After the trial run with the UCT beneficiaries, the PSA will roll out a full-blown National ID registration in 2019 targeting 5 million individuals, increasing to 25 million individuals every year from 2020 until 2023.
- There are still no hardware and software providers tapped for implementation, but the PSA plans to conduct public bidding in as early as November 2018.
- A consortium of companies composed of Ayala Corporation, AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Aboitiz InfraCapital Incorporated, and Unisys Philippines submitted an unsolicited proposal to design and develop the infrastructure for the PhilID. This is yet to be approved by the government.
Who are eligible to get the National ID?
All Filipino citizens, including Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) based abroad and dual citizens residing in another country, are eligible to get the Philippine National ID.
Resident aliens (foreigners) residing in the Philippines are also qualified to avail of the National ID.
Is the National ID free of charge?
Yes! Availing of the National ID will be free to all Filipinos and foreign residents in the Philippines.
What are the requirements to apply for National ID?
Applicants need to fill out and submit the PhilSys Application Form, supported by the presentation of any of the following primary documents:
- Original copy of Birth Certificate issued by PSA (formerly NSO), plus one government-issued ID which contains the applicant’s full name, photo, and signature or thumb mark; or
- Valid Philippine passport; or
- Unified Multi-purpose Identification or UMID card issued by SSS or GSIS; or
- Other equivalent documents approved by the PSA.
Resident foreigners also need to present their Alien Certificate of Registration or ACR ID during application.
Where can I apply to get the National ID?
Once operational, applicants may visit the following registration centers in the Philippines to apply to get the Phil ID:
- Regional and provincial offices of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
- Civil Registry Office (LCRO) in each city or municipality
- Any Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) branch
- Any Social Security System (SSS) branch
- Any Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) branch
- Any Pag-IBIG or Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) branch
- Commission on Elections (COMELEC) local or provincial office
- Any Postal office (under PHL Post or Philippine Postal Corporation)
- Other government agencies or GOCCs as may be assigned by the PSA
Take note that, at present, there are currently no registration facilities yet in these offices, which means they are not able to process any National ID card application at the moment. PSA targets to mobilize the registration centers listed above in 2019.
Where can OFW or Filipino citizens abroad apply to get the National ID?
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and Filipino citizens residing abroad may apply to get the National ID in any Philippine Embassy or Philippine Foreign Service post, or other registration centers designated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and PSA.
Again take note that there are currently no registration facilities yet in these locations. The National ID registration centers (in the Philippines and abroad) are expected to start accepting applications only by 2019.
What is the application and registration process?
Here’s a step-by-step guide when applying for the Phil ID.
- The applicant shall personally visit a designated registration center to submit a duly accomplished PhilSys Registration Form (Form No. 1) and to present any supporting documents mentioned in the requirements list above.
- The registration staff checks and ensures that entries provided in the application form are consistent with the documentary requirements presented.
- The biometric information of the applicant (front-facing photograph, fingerprints, and iris scan) shall be captured, except for applicants below five (5) years of age, in which case their demographic information and front-facing photograph shall be sufficient.
- If the applicant’s biometric and demographic information are found to be unique, a PhilSys Number (PSN) will be generated for the applicant. Otherwise, further verification shall be conducted by the PSA and no PSN shall be issued yet.
- Once the PSN is issued and the application deemed complete and successful by the registration staff, the Phil ID shall be issued to the applicant.
What personal information will be included in the National ID?
The following information related to the applicant will be collected and stored in the PhilID database:
I. Demographic Data
- 1. Full Name
- 2. Gender / Sex
- 3. Date of Birth
- 4. Place of Birth
- 5. Blood Type
- 6. Address
- 7. Citizenship (Filipino or Resident Alien)
- 8. Marital Status (optional)
- 9. Mobile number (optional)
- 10. E-mail address (optional)
II. Biometric Information
- 1. Photograph
- 2. Full set of fingerprints
- 3. Iris scan
When can we start applying to get the National ID?
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), they will first implement a trial run by December 2018. During this trial run, 1 million beneficiaries of the government’s Unconditional Transfer Program will be the first recipients of the Phil ID.
Once the trial run is successful, the full implementation of National ID card application will begin. PSA expects the full roll-out for all Filipino citizens and foreign residents by September 2019.
Information and Image Sources: Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA PhilID), Philippine Star, ABS-CBN News, Entrepreneur Philippines, Rappler
