How to get your National ID (PhilSys – Philippine National ID)

Tagalog Version (Click Here)

In the modern world, you NEED an ID. You’ll need it to prove your age and identity, register for memberships, verify accounts, and more. For more important business like opening bank accounts or investment accounts, then you need “stronger” valid IDs like a passport or a driver’s license which can be expensive and difficult to get.

Thanks to Republic Act 11055, however, Filipinos can now get a “National ID” which should be one of the most powerful proofs of identity in the country. It’s FREE and as of 2022 the application process is relatively quick and easy, despite the extremely long waiting time before delivery. The months will pass anyway, so why not register for one now? It should only take half an hour depending on how many people are at your registration station anyway.

What are the requirements? Two valid IDs, OR your original PSA birth certificate. 

(As of this writing, they now only require one Valid ID. Also, click this link if you want to learn how to get your PSA Birth Certificate Online and have it delivered to your house.)

Note: The National ID is one of the easiest identity documents to get, and I really recommend it for people who do not have any IDs at all, such as people from far-off provinces or homeschooled children without school IDs. Just bring your original PSA Birth Certificate which you can get online or from a PSA branch. Take note though that aside from the National ID, the next “easiest” IDs to get are the Postal ID (1 week to 1 month to acquire) and the Passport. They’re not free though, and it will take a while to get an appointment slot for the passport.

How to get your National ID (PhilSys – Philippine National ID)

Where to get your National ID:

*Note: You can search the internet for the nearest or most convenient location depending on where you live or work.

• List of PhilSys Registration Centers in the NCR.
• Register for Your National ID At SM Malls
• National ID registration centers at Megaworld Lifestyle Malls

Steps to get your National ID: 

1. Search for a National ID registration center. 
   • Note: Shopping malls sometimes have them.
2. Bring your requirements (E.g. Valid ID, or PSA birth certificate) to your chosen registration center. They used to require two IDs, but as of late 2022 they only require one.
3. Present your ID or PSA birth certificate to the registration station and fill up the PhilSys Registration Form 1A (see scan below).
4. Proceed to encoding and biometrics.
   • They’ll take your photo, scan your right hand’s four fingers, left hand’s four fingers, both thumbs, and your irises.
5. Double check your info on the screen. Make sure all details, especially your delivery address and contact number(s), are correct.
6. Get your PhilSys Transaction Slip containing your transaction number.
   • You can use the transaction number to check the status of your National ID on this website: https://tracking.phlpost.gov.ph/
   • (Note: That website checks for your ID’s delivery status. If it says “Not Found” that means your ID probably hasn’t been printed yet so PhilPost doesn’t have it.)
7. Show your PhilSys Transaction Slip to the delivery person when your National ID arrives at your address in order to claim it.

The whole encoding and biometrics process took less than 15 minutes since there was no line when I went to register for my national ID. It’s really fast.

In any case, once you do your own registration and you obtain your transaction slip, all you need to do is wait for delivery and you should receive it eventually.