How to Get the National ID (PhilSys): Registration, Digital ID and Card Delivery

Registered but no card yet?

You do not have to wait for the plastic card. The digital National ID on the eGovPH app and the free paper National ID from a PSA office are both valid now.

In April 2026, PSA told a Senate hearing that about 36 million registrants were still waiting for their cards, with 12 million targeted for 2026. In September 2026, PSA said it would resume printing before year-end, starting with people who registered in 2021. Source: PEP, April 16, 2026 (news report).

Fee: Freeregistration and first ID
Who: Age 1 and upFilipinos and resident aliens
Validity: For lifefor Filipino citizens
Formats: Card, paper, digitalall equally valid

The National ID is issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) under the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys). Registering gives you a permanent PhilSys Number and an ID that government offices, banks and private businesses must accept as proof of identity and age. It heads the list of IDs most offices accept, including DFA for passports.

Which situation applies to you?

I have not registered yet

Walk in to a PhilSys registration center with one accepted document. It is free.

I registered but have no card

Use the digital or paper version now, and track your card with your transaction slip.

I want the ID on my phone

Set up the eGovPH app and verify your face to open your digital National ID.

I am registering a child

Children 1 to 4 register with a registered parent and a birth record. No fingerprints yet.

My card is lost, peeling or wrong

Damaged cards are replaced free. Lost cards and corrections are done in person.

An office refused my National ID

Ask them to verify it. Refusing it without good reason carries a ₱500,000 fine.

One ID, three formats

All three carry the same PhilSys details and QR code. PSA, BSP and Executive Order No. 162 treat them as valid, subject to verification.

Format	What it is	How you get it	Cost
PhilID card	The plastic card	Delivered by PHLPost to the address you registered. Printing is backlogged (see the note above).	Free
Paper National ID (ePhilID)	An A5 paper printout with the same details and security features	Printed for you at a PSA-run registration center. Bring your transaction slip.	Free
Digital National ID	The ID on your phone, with a scannable QR code	The eGovPH app or national-id.gov.ph, after face verification	Free

How to register

Filipino citizens and resident aliens can register. Registration is in person because PSA captures your fingerprints, iris scan and photo. Living abroad? Ask the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate whether it runs PhilSys registration.

Find a registration center
PSA offices, LGU-based centers, and registration sites run by agencies, schools and LGUs. Ask your city or municipal hall or the nearest PSA provincial office where registration runs this week.
Fill in the PhilSys Registration Form
Use capital letters. Your full name, sex, birth date and place, blood type, addresses, and whether you are Filipino or a resident alien are required. Mobile number and email are optional but help with updates.
Present one accepted document
A screener checks your form against it. See the document list below.
Have your biometrics captured
Ten fingerprints, both irises and a front-facing photo. Exceptions apply for medical or physical reasons.
Check your details and keep your transaction slip
Confirm everything on screen before you leave. The slip has your Transaction Reference Number (TRN), which you need to track your card, print the paper ID and claim the card.

Documents you can use

Bring one of these primary documents:

PSA or local civil registry birth certificate (or Report of Birth), plus one government ID with your full name, photo and signature or thumbmark
Philippine passport or ePassport
UMID card
Student permit or driver’s license (non-professional or professional)

No primary document? PSA accepts alternatives, including the PRC ID, IBP ID, SSS or PhilHealth ID, Senior Citizen, PWD or Solo Parent ID, Postal ID, TIN ID, voter’s ID or COMELEC voter certification, seaman’s book, OWWA e-Card, NBI or police clearance, city or barangay ID, and a school or employee ID showing your photo, signature, full name, address and birth date.

A barangay certificate also works if the barangay captain states that your residency was verified and that you have lived there for at least six months. Need one of these first? See the guides to the Postal ID, TIN ID and PhilHealth ID, or our sister site’s guides to barangay clearance and police clearance.

If you registered but have no card yet

Many people who registered from 2021 on are still waiting because card printing stopped after BSP ended its contract with the card supplier. You do not need to register again; doing so creates a duplicate record.

Find your transaction slip
Your TRN is printed on it. Lost it? Go to the PSA office where you registered with a valid ID; staff can check whether you are already in the PhilSys records.
Get a version you can use today
Open the digital National ID on your phone, or ask a PSA registration center to print your free paper National ID.
Track the card
Once a card is printed and handed to the post office, you can follow it on the PHLPost tracking page using your TRN.
Be home, or name a representative
PHLPost delivers to your registered address and asks the recipient to sign. A representative needs your authorization letter, your valid ID and their own valid ID.

How to get the digital National ID

Every registered person can open it; you do not need the card first.

Install eGovPH
Download it from the App Store, Google Play or Huawei AppGallery. The National ID website links to the official listings.
Register in the app and verify your face
Enter your details as you gave them at registration, then complete the face check.
Open your National ID
It shows your photo, your ID numbers, basic details and a QR code that offices scan to verify you.

Show it on your phone. Do not print it yourself or pay a shop to print or laminate it (see Stay safe).

Example: Opening a bank account without the card

Let’s say you registered in 2021 and the card never came. Open the digital National ID in eGovPH and show it at the bank. Under BSP Memorandum No. 2024-026, the bank must accept it and verify it with National ID Check, which scans the QR code. If the branch still insists on a card, ask for its posted list of valid IDs and report the refusal to BSP.

Registering a child aged 1 to 4

A parent or guardian who is already PhilSys-registered goes with the child. The child’s record is linked to that adult.
Bring one birth record: PSA or local civil registry birth certificate, Report of Birth, certificate of foundling, or the child’s passport.
Only a photo is taken. Fingerprints and an iris scan are captured when the child returns at age 5.

No birth certificate yet? It is the base document for almost every ID; see the first-job ID roadmap for the order to get documents in.

Replace your card or update your details

Go in person to a PSA office or designated PhilSys registration center. Bring your PhilID or paper National ID and the document that supports the change.

Your situation	What to bring	Fee
Card is peeling or damaged	The damaged card	Free
Card is lost	A notarized Affidavit of Loss	Ask the PSA office; we found no published fee
Wrong or changed details	Your PhilID or paper ID and the supporting document (for example a PSA marriage certificate for a new surname, or proof of your new address)	Ask the PSA office

PSA updates name, marital status, sex, birth date or place, address, blood type, and clerical or typing errors. While cards are backlogged, a replacement card may take time, so use the digital or paper version meanwhile.

If an office refuses your National ID

Ask them to verify it. The PSA National ID Check confirms any format by scanning its QR code.
Know the rule. Under the PhilSys Act and Executive Order No. 162, an authenticated National ID is enough proof of identity on its own. Refusing it without just and sufficient cause carries a ₱500,000 fine; a government employee can also be disqualified from public office.
Report it. Tell your nearest PSA office. For banks, ask for the branch’s posted list of valid IDs and report the refusal to BSP.

More on which IDs offices accept is in the list of valid IDs.

Stay safe

Never sell a scan of your ID or your face. In October 2026, PSA Palawan warned against people paying ₱200 to scan National IDs and take face photos to open e-wallet accounts, which can be used for identity theft.
Do not print or laminate the digital ID. Only PSA may print the National ID; unauthorized printing carries 3 to 6 years in prison and a fine of ₱1 million to ₱3 million.
Do not pay fixers. Registration, the first card and the paper copy are free, and no one can speed up card printing for a fee.
Keep your numbers private. Do not post your PhilSys number, TRN or a photo of your ID in public comments or groups.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the National ID cost?

Nothing. Under the PhilSys Act (RA 11055), registration and the first ID are free for Filipino citizens. The paper National ID printed at PSA offices and the digital National ID on eGovPH are free too. Replacing a peeled or damaged card is free. Anyone charging you to register or to speed up your card is not from PSA.

I registered years ago and still have no card. What should I do?

Use the digital National ID on the eGovPH app or get a free paper National ID at a PSA office; both are valid while you wait. In April 2026, PSA told the Senate that about 36 million cards were still waiting to be printed, and it later said it would resume printing before the end of 2026, starting with people who registered in 2021. You do not need to register again.

Is the digital National ID on my phone a valid ID?

Yes. PSA says the digital National ID has the same validity as the physical card and no expiration date, and BSP Memorandum No. 2024-026 requires banks and other BSP-supervised institutions to accept all formats, including the digital one, subject to verification. Some offices add their own steps; DFA, for example, asks for a printed copy of the digital ID and has you generate it again during processing.

Can I print my digital National ID or have it laminated in plastic?

No. Only PSA may print the National ID on paper. PSA has warned that copies printed on PVC, plastic or paper elsewhere will not be accepted, and unauthorized printing can mean 3 to 6 years in prison and a fine of ₱1 million to ₱3 million under RA 11055. Show the digital ID on your phone, or get the free paper version from PSA.

Does the National ID expire?

Not for Filipino citizens. PSA has said the National ID is valid for life without renewal, and the digital National ID has no expiration date. Resident aliens must renew theirs. Children registered at 1 to 4 return at age 5 for fingerprints and an iris scan.

An office refused my National ID. What can I do?

Ask them to verify it with the PSA National ID Check at everify.gov.ph/check, which scans the QR code. Under RA 11055, refusing the National ID without just and sufficient cause carries a ₱500,000 fine, and a government employee who refuses it can be disqualified from public office. Report the office to PSA, or to BSP if it is a bank.

Official sources and further reading

These are the PSA, BSP and news sources checked for this guide. PSA has not published a national schedule for card printing, so the delivery figures come from news coverage of PSA’s statements.

Independent guide: PhilippineIDs.com is not affiliated with the Philippine Statistics Authority or any Philippine government agency. Information reviewed on October 30, 2026.