How to get a Philippine National ID (PhilSys / PhilID / ePhilID)

One ID for every Filipino. You use it to prove who you are in government offices, banks, and private companies. It comes in three forms and all three are equally valid: the plastic card, the paper copy called ePhilID, and the Digital National ID inside the eGovPH app.

The three ways to get it

Online

Partly

Only the digital ID part is online. Registration itself is walk-in only.

If you print your Digital National ID on a plastic card yourself, that is against the law and it will not be accepted. Only the PSA is allowed to print National ID cards.

There is no online application form. You cannot register from home. You must go in person because they take your photo, fingerprints, and eye scan.
After you register in person, you can get the Digital National ID online. Open national-id.gov.ph/ on your phone or computer, or download the eGovPH app.
Enter your details and take a live selfie so the system can check it is really you.
Your Digital National ID will show on the screen. You need internet to open it.
To check where your plastic card is, open tracking.phlpost.gov.ph/ and type the transaction number from your transaction slip. If it says Not Found, your card is still being printed.

Walk-in

Yes

Most centers open 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday. Mall centers are often open Saturday too and follow mall hours.

Go early. Only register once.

Registering twice causes problems with your ID later.

Find the nearest registration center. The list is at philsys.gov.ph/registration-center/. Centers are inside PSA offices, malls, and city or town halls. The PSA also brings National ID on Wheels and National ID on Boat to far places.
Go to the center and bring your original supporting documents. No appointment is needed.
Give your documents to the Registration Kit Operator.
They check your details and then take your fingerprints, eye scan, and front photo.
Read your details on the screen and confirm they are correct.
You get a transaction slip with your Transaction Reference Number (TRN). Keep it safe.
Ask if they can print your ePhilID paper copy right away. If not yet ready, come back later with your transaction slip and ask for it.

Representative

Not on its own

No SPA and no authorization letter will work for registration. There is no way around the photo and fingerprint step.

Nobody can register for you. You must come yourself because they take your own fingerprints, eye scan, and photo.
For the Digital National ID, another person may help you use the website, for example a family member helping a senior citizen or a person with disability. But the live selfie must still be your own face.
If you lost your transaction slip, you can email info@philsys.gov.ph with your first name, middle name, last name, suffix, date of birth, and sex to get your number back.

What to bring

Best option (bring any one of these primary documents): PSA birth certificate plus one government ID that shows your full name, front photo, and signature or thumb mark
Philippine Passport or ePassport from DFA (counts alone as a primary document)
UMID card from SSS or GSIS (counts alone)
LTO Student Permit or Non-Professional or Professional Driver's License (counts alone)
If you have none of the above, bring any of these secondary documents: PSA or NSO birth certificate with Birth Reference Number, Local Civil Registry birth certificate, PSA Report of Birth, PSA Certificate of Foundling
Other accepted secondary documents: PRC ID, IBP ID, Seaman's Book, OWWA ID, Senior Citizen ID, SSS ID, 4Ps ID, LTOPF, NBI Clearance, Police Clearance or ID, Solo Parent ID, PWD ID, Voter's ID, Postal ID, TIN ID, PhilHealth ID, srrv, National ID or Residence ID from another country, MARINA Professional ID, Civil Service Eligibility Card, AFP or PNP Dependent's ID, Retiree's ID from PNP or AFP or PCG, LTO Conductor's License, PVAO Pensioner's ID, Seafarer's Identity Document, Tribal Certificate or ID, NCIP Certificate of Confirmation, ncmf Certificate of Tribal Membership
Also accepted if they show a front photo, signature or thumb mark, full name, permanent address, and date of birth: Employee ID, School ID, City or Municipal ID, Barangay Clearance or Certificate, Barangay ID, COMELEC Voter's Certification, Prison Record, Certificate of Detention
Bring the original copies, not photocopies
If your birth certificate and your ID do not match, the birth certificate wins

The details

Who can apply

All Filipino citizens from age 1 and up. Resident foreigners living in the Philippines can also register.

You only register once in your whole life. Children age 1 to 4 give only their photo and details.

At age 5 they come back for fingerprints and eye scan, and again at age 15.

Cost

Free. The official PSA Citizen's Charter shows the fee as None for every step of registration.

Getting the ePhilID paper copy is free. Getting the Digital National ID is free.

Replacing a card whose photo peeled off is also free. Nobody should ask you to pay.

There is no rush fee.

How long it takes

You can often get the ePhilID paper copy on the same day at the registration center, if the system finds no duplicate and no mistake in your details. The PSA Citizen's Charter gives the full time as about 17 days if your delivery address is inside Metro Manila, and about 62 days if it is outside Metro Manila.

The post office delivery step alone is 7 to 60 days. In real life many people wait longer, so use the ePhilID or the Digital National ID while you wait.

How long it lasts

No expiry for Filipino citizens. You only get a new one if you change your details, like your name or address, or when your fingerprints and photo need to be taken again.

Tips

Register only once. If you register twice, your ID gets delayed or held because the system sees a duplicate.
Do not wait for the plastic card. Ask for the free ePhilID paper copy, or download the Digital National ID. Both are just as valid by law.
If a shop or office refuses your National ID or ePhilID without a good reason, that is a violation with a fine of up to PHP 500,000. Report it to info@philsys.gov.ph with the date, the name and address of the place, and their reason.
Keep your transaction slip. You need the TRN to track your card and to claim your ePhilID.
Never pay anyone. Registration is free from start to finish.