A birth certificate is necessary when you want to apply for nearly any official identification card or document you would need in the Philippines, including but not limited to a passport or any valid government ID, a marriage license, or a visa. Issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), a birth certificate is a legal document that details your vital information, such as your complete name, birth date, gender, nationality, and parents’ names. It’s the most common document needed when you’re applying for a valid ID or transacting with any government agency. Here’s how you can get a PSA birth certificate in the Philippines:

Who can get a copy of a birth certificate?

Only authorized individuals are allowed to request a copy of a birth certificate, namely:

• the owner of the birth certificate
• the person’s immediate family or direct descendants
• if a minor, the person’s guardians or institution in charge of the minor
• a court or public official when necessary in administrative, judicial, or other official proceedings
• a nearest kin, in case of death
• another individual authorized by the person in the birth certificate

What are the requirements?

These are the basic requirements you need to bring when requesting a birth certificate:

• application form with correct and accurate information, including:
  • Complete name (first, middle, last)
  • Complete name of father
  • Complete maiden name of mother
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • If late registration, the year of registration
  • Requestor’s complete name and address
  • Relationship
  • Number of copies needed
  • Purpose of certification
• any acceptable valid ID, such as
  • Driver’s license
  • Postal ID
  • Employee ID
  • NBI clearance
  • Passport
  • Senior Citizen ID
  • SSS ID
  • GSIS ID
  • PRC ID
  • IBP ID
• original authorization letter, if applicable
• fee payment

What is the process?

You can choose between offline (on-site) and online processes. For the online option, you can choose between two platforms: PSA Helpline and PSA Serbilis.

Via walk-in / on-site

Cost: PHP 155 per copy issuance, authentication, and annotation of Birth Certificate

Process:

1. Schedule an appointment slot at the PSA Online Appointment System.
2. Go to your scheduled appointment. Be there at least 30 minutes early.
3. Present your appointment slip (printed or digital).
4. Get an application form and queue ticket number. Fill out the application form properly.
5. At the transacting window, submit the corresponding fees, accomplished application form, valid ID, queue ticket number, authorization letter (if applicable), and other supporting documents.
6. Check the official receipt (OR).
7. On the scheduled release date, proceed to the releasing area and present your OR, valid ID, and other necessary documents to claim your birth certificate.
8. Check if everything is in order with your document.

Via PSA Helpline (online)

Website: psahelpline.ph

Availability: Only within the Philippines

Cost: PHP 365 per copy of Birth Certificate. You can pay via credit card, ATM, GCash, 7-Eleven, Maya Bayad outlets, and DragonPay.

Process:

1. Open the PSAHelpline.ph website.
2. Click the “Order Now” button.
3. Click the “Birth” button. Tick off the box at the bottom to indicate that you accept the terms and conditions. Click “Continue”.
4. If you are requesting your own Birth Certificate, choose “My Own Birth Certificate”. If you’re ordering for another person, choose “For Someone Else”. Then click “Continue”.
5. Fill out the requested details in the form, namely sex, civil status (if female), first name, middle name, last name, birth date, and the type of valid government-issued ID. Once done, click “Continue”.
6. Provide your name and delivery address. Once done, click “Continue”.
7. Review the Certificate of Live Birth form. Make sure all details are correct and accurate. Indicate the number of copies you need. Once done, click “I Confirm”.
8. Pay the necessary fees.
9. Wait for the delivery of the document at your chosen address. You can check the status of your request at the PSAHelpline.ph website.

Delivery:

• For Metro Manila, 3 to 4 working days
• For provincial areas, 3 to 8 working days

You need to personally receive the requested documents and present one signed valid government-issued ID to the courier upon delivery. The courier will not release the document to anyone else, even if you provide an authorization letter. Delays may occur depending on the status of the requested certificate within PSA’s database.

Via PSA Serbilis (online)

Website: psaserbilis.com.ph

Availability: Within and outside of the Philippines

Cost: For local requests, PHP 330 per copy of Birth Certificate. For foreign requests, USD 20.30 per copy of Birth Certificate. You can pay via credit/debit/prepaid cards and e-wallet payment facility of PesoPay.

Process:

1. Open the PSASerbilis.com.ph website.
2. Click “Birth Certificate”.
3. Read the terms and conditions and data privacy notice and tick the boxes to indicate that you agree.
4. A pop-up box will appear, asking two questions: if you had any corrections or amendments to the birth certificate and if you were able to previously get a copy of the birth certificate from PSA. Once done, click “Next”.
5. Fill out the details requested. They should match the details in your Birth Certificate.
6. Provide your delivery details.
7. A summary of the information you provided will appear next. Check carefully if all details are correct.
8. Pay the necessary fees.
9. Wait for the delivery of the document at your chosen address. You can check the status of your request at the PSASerbilis.com.ph website.

Delivery:

• For Metro Manila, 4 to 6 working days
• For provincial areas, 6 to 8 working days
• For areas outside the Philippines, delivery period will be dependent on the services of Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost)

Unlike requests through PSAHelpline.ph, you may authorize a representative to receive on your behalf, if you are the document owner and you are unable to receive the document, especially for overseas requests. You simply need to present a signed authorization letter, your valid ID, and the valid ID of your authorized representative.

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