I. Overview of the National ID system

Republic Act No. 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, was signed by former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on 06 August 2018. It is an act establishing a single national identification system that aims to provide a valid proof of identity for Filipino citizens and resident aliens of the Philippines.

The National ID system refers to  the government’s central identification system  for all Filipino citizens and resident aliens in the Philippines.

The PhilSys Number (PSN) is a 12-digit randomly generated, unique, and permanent identification number that will be assigned to every citizen or resident alien upon birth or registration by the PSA.

  • The National ID refers to the valid proof of identity issued upon successful registration to the National ID system. It can be used to transact with the government and private sector.
  • It comes in various formats: (1) the National ID or the physical card; and (2) the ePhilID, which can either be printed or downloaded.
  • All the National ID formats have the same functionality and validity.

 

  • For Filipino citizens, the National ID has no expiration and will only be renewed upon the updating of demographic information and biometric information.
  • For resident aliens, the National ID is valid for only one (1) year and may be renewed annually.

The establishment of the National ID system is mandatory as stated in the PhilSys Act. It will integrate processes, systems, and services. As such, it is strongly recommended for Filipinos to reap the benefits of being part of the National ID system.

  • Currently, registration to the National ID system is open to all Filipinos, ages 1 and above.
  • For children 1 to 4 years old, only the demographic information and front-facing photograph will be collected and captured. Their PSN will also be linked to their parent or legal guardian. Once the child reaches the age of 5, the complete biometric information such as fingerprints, iris-scan, and front-facing photograph will be captured, as required by the law. Likewise at the age of 15, their biometric information will be recaptured.
  • The registrant is required to bring the original copy of any of the following primary documents:
    1. PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth AND one (1) government-issued identification document which bears full name, front-facing photograph, and signature or thumb mark.
    2. Philippine Passport or ePassport issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA);
    3. GSIS or SSS-issued Unified Multi-purpose Identification Card (UMID);
    4. Land Transportation Office (LTO)-issued Student’s License Permit or Non-Professional/Professional Driver’s License.
  • If the registrant does not have any of the above-mentioned primary documents, he/she may bring any of the following secondary documents:
    1. PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth/NSO-issued Certificate of Live Birth with Birth Reference Number (BreN)
    2. LCRO-issued Certificate of Live Birth
    3. PSA-issued Report of Birth
    4. PSA-issued Certificate of Foundling
    5. Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Identification Card
    6. Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) ID
    7. Seaman’s Book
    8. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID
    9. Senior Citizen’s ID
    10. SSS ID
    11. Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) ID
    12. License to Own or Possess Firearms (LTOPF) ID
    13. NBI Clearance
    14. Police Clearance/ID
    15. Solo Parent’s ID
    16. PWD ID
    17. Voter’s ID
    18. Postal ID
    19. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) ID
    20. PhilHealth ID
    21. Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA)-issued Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV)
    22. National ID from other countries
    23. Residence ID from other countries
  • The following identification documents shall be accepted as secondary supporting documents provided that they have a front-facing photograph, signature/thumbmark, full name, permanent address, and date of birth.
    1. Employee ID
    2. School ID
    3. Barangay Clearance/Certificate
    4. Barangay ID
    5. City/Municipal ID

II. Updates on National ID Implementation

As of 05 April 2024, the PSA recorded a total of 85,783,737 registrations.

  • The PSA has partnered with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for the production of the National ID and the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) for its delivery.
  • As of 05 April 2024, the PSA have recorded a total of 49,845,332 delivered physical cards.

III. Registration Process

There are four steps or processes in registering to National ID system:

  1. Go to any registration center and bring your supporting documents. Registration Centers can be found at the following sites:
  • PSA Regional and Provincial Office
  • Malls
  • Local Government Units (LGUs)

For the list of National ID Registration Centers, click below:

The PSA also conducts mobile registration in far-flung areas via:

  • PhilSys on Wheels
  • PhilSys on Boat

Present your supporting documents to the Registration Kit Operator (RKO).

For the list of supporting documents, click below:

2. Have your demographic data validated, and your biometric information such as fingerprint, iris-scan, and front-facing photograph captured.

3. Review and confirm your demographic and biometric inforamtion.

4. You will be issued a transaction slip containing your transaction reference number (TRN). Keep your transactionl slip, as your TRN can be used to track your National ID delivery and your ePhilID availability.

Note: The ePhilID can also be obtained immediately after registering to the National ID system if it is confirmed that there is no duplicate or discrepancy in the personal information provided.

Click here for the list of Registration Centers

  • In coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the PSA is developing strategies for the registration of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
  • For returning or departing OFWs, the PSA, in coordination with the DMW has set up registration centers in select DMW offices where OFWs can register for the National ID.

IV. Data Privacy and Security

  • The PSA seriously takes the responsibility of ensuring the privacy, security, and integrity of the data of registered persons. Sufficient safeguards shall be in place to ensure information security, cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy, including in compliance with the Data Privacy Act.

Click here to view the PhilSys Data Privacy.

  • The PSA has been working closely with the National Privacy Commission (NPC), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the National Security Council (NSC) regarding the architecture and processes of the National ID system, including to identify and mitigate privacy and cybersecurity risks.
  • The National ID system design adopts Privacy by Design principles wherein privacy is incorporated into its technologies by default and from the start. For example, the National ID system collects and stores minimal data and the PhilSys Number (PSN) is fully randomized, not revealing any information about the person such as their date of birth.
  • The National ID system is designed to empower people to have better access to public and private sector services and to enable service providers to shift their services to digital and online.
  • The data to be collected and stored by the National ID system is minimal and is strictly defined and restricted by the PhilSys Act and the Data Privacy Act. As a foundational ID system, the National ID system does not collect data beyond what is needed to uniquely identify individuals. For example, it does not collect information on socio-economic status, political or religious affiliation, criminal record, educational qualifications, etc.
  • Tokenization is also a key feature of the National ID system. Tokenization involves replacing sensitive data, in this case, the PSN, with derivative data so that the sensitive data is not compromised. There are two types of tokens that registrants can use: the PhilID Card Number (PCN) which is printed visibly on the front of the card (like how an ATM or credit card are linked back to an account number) and an Alyas PSN that can be generated by registrants through the PhilSys Portal and Mobile App. Either the PCN or Alyas PSN can be provided along with a One-Time PIN or biometric to do a digital authentication or e-KYC transaction.
  • Government agencies and the private sector cannot store the PSN itself in their databases but they can store specific tokens that will allow them to establish the uniqueness of individuals and to share or cross-check data with other agencies when consent is given or legally authorized.

V. Use Cases

The National ID will not replace functional government-issued IDs that serve other purposes. The National ID is a foundational ID that serves as a valid proof of identity, which would help ease transactions with both government and private sectors through easier validation and authentication of identity.

  • Currently, the use of National ID Authentication services is free of charge to those companies/agencies who underwent onboarding with PhilSys. In the long run, for sustainability purposes, if any fees are introduced by PSA, they will be minimal to avoid hindering adoption. Such fees are expected to be lower than the savings Relying Parties will gain by digitizing their processes, including onboarding. Nonetheless, PSA remains committed to offering these services to the government for free.
  • The possibility of charging fees will only apply to the onboarded RPs from the Private Sector.
  • All government agencies that require identity verification as part of their service delivery are eligible to apply as a Relying Party. Non-government organizations engaged in social protection can also apply as a Relying Party.

VI. THE NATIONAL ID AND ePHILID

Go to the nearest Registration Center and bring your transaction slip to request for the printing of your ePhilID.

Yes. For every registered person, a physical PhilID card is allocated. Registered person will still receive their physical card even if they have obtained an ePhilID.

  • In case of lost transaction slip, a registered person may be able to retrieve it by sending the following details on our official channels:
    1. FIRST NAME
    2. MIDDLE NAME
    3. LAST NAME
    4. SUFFIX (if applicable)
    5. DATE OF BIRTH (MONTH/DAY/YEAR)
    6. Sex (MALE/FEMALE)
  • In compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012, all information provided will remain confidential and solely be used for the processing of requests.

Yes. Replacement of National ID with peeled off photo is free and can be requested through the PSA Regional Statistical Office and Provincial Statistical Office. Below is the process of replacement:

  1. Bring your National ID with peeled off photo to the nearest PSA RSSO/PSO in your area.
  2. Present your National ID with peeled off photo to the PhilSys personnel and fill out the request form for the replacement.
  3. Surrender your National ID and submit it with the accomplished request form.
  4. Wait for the notification from PSA on the release of your replacement National ID.
  • Kindly wait for the announcement in our official channels for the process of replacement of lost/stolen National ID.
  • Please note that you only need to register ONCE for the National ID; with the issuance of your National ID, your PhilSys Number (PSN), which is your permanent unique identification number in the National ID system registry has already been generated.

You may reach us via the following channels:

Last Update: 25 April 2024