FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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 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.

• 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.

• 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

As of 17 October 2024, the PSA recorded a total of 90,405,682 registrations. 

As of 21 October 2024, the PhilSys Pampanga recorded a total of 2,470,764 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 17 October 2024, the PSA have recorded a total of 54,246,118 delivered physical cards.

• As of 09 August 2024, the PSA have recorded a total of 511,103 delivered physical cards.

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

1. Go to any registration centers and bring your supporting documents. Registration Centers can be found at the following sites:

• PSA Regional and Provincial Office

• Malls

• Local Government Units (LGUs)

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

• PhilSys on Wheels

Present your Supporting Documents to the Registration Kit Operator (RKO). 

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 information.

4. You will be issued a transaction slip containing your transaction reference number (TRN). Keep your transaction 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.

• 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.

• 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..

• 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.

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

As provided under Republic Act 11055 or the Philippine Identification System Act, the National ID and the ePhilID shall be recognized as a valid proof of identity in transactions with public and private establishments; non-acceptance of the National ID without just and sufficient cause is subject to fines amounting to Php 500,000.00.

Please provide the following details of the non-acceptance of your National ID or your ePhilID to our official email at info@philsys.gov.ph:

1. Date of the transaction;

2. Name, branch, and address of the establishment;

3. Nature of transaction; and

4. Reason/s provided by the establishment for its refusal to accept the National ID in the transaction.

PSA takes reports of non-acceptance seriously and continuously reminds government agencies and private institutions to recognize the National ID and its digital versions as valid proof of identification.

In compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012, all information provided will remain confidential and solely be used for the processing of requests.

The data stored in the QR code should match the information printed on the face of the ID to validate the identity of the registered person and the authenticity of the card. PhilSys Check decrypts the digital signature embedded in the QR code and determines if it is active or has been revoked. You can verify your National ID using this link https://everify.gov.ph/check