How to Register for the National ID (PhilSys)

Quick answer

National ID registration is done in person at a registration center: PSA offices, malls and local government units (LGUs). Bring your supporting documents; staff validate your details, capture your fingerprints, iris and photo, and give you a transaction slip with your Transaction Reference Number (TRN). Registration is free and open to Filipinos aged 1 and above.

What do you need before you start?

Bring the original of one primary document set:

PSA birth certificate AND one government-issued ID with your full name, photo and signature or thumbmark; or
Philippine passport or ePassport; or
UMID (GSIS or SSS); or
LTO student permit or driver's license.

No primary document? Bring secondary documents instead, such as a PSA or LCRO birth certificate, PRC ID, Seaman's Book, OWWA ID, senior citizen ID, SSS ID, 4Ps ID, NBI clearance, police clearance, solo parent ID, PWD ID, voter's ID, postal ID, TIN ID or PhilHealth ID. The full list is in the PhilSys FAQs.

How do you do it, step by step?

1. Find a registration center on the PhilSys list of registration centers
Each center shows its own days and hours.
2. Go to the center with your supporting documents and present them to the Registration Kit Operator
3. Have your personal details validated and your fingerprints, iris and front-facing photo captured
4. Review your details on screen and confirm them
5. Take your transaction slip
Keep it safe: the TRN tracks your card and lets you request your ePhilID.
6. Ask if your ePhilID can be printed right away
It is issued on the spot when there is no duplicate or mismatch in your data.

Registering a child

Children from 1 to 4 years old give only their personal details and a front-facing photo, and their record is linked to a parent or guardian. Fingerprints and iris are captured at age 5 and captured again at 15.

OFWs

PSA and DMW run registration centers in selected DMW offices for departing and returning OFWs. One is at the DMW building on EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong.

What if it does not work?

You already registered before
do not register again. Track your first registration, or ask PSA to retrieve your TRN. See PhilSys errors and fixes.
Missing documents
check the secondary document list in the PhilSys FAQs before you go back.
Lost your transaction slip
send your full name, suffix, birth date and sex to info@philsys.gov.ph or call 1388 to retrieve your TRN.

Frequently asked questions

How much does National ID registration cost?

Nothing. The PhilSys Act makes the first application and issuance free for Filipino citizens.

Can I register for the National ID fully online?

No. The biometrics are captured at a registration center.

Can children register?

Yes, from age 1, with a parent or guardian. Full biometrics start at age 5.

What if my details change later?

Do not register again. Update them at a registration center that offers updating services, and bring your National ID and supporting documents.

Official portal

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