Dear PAO,

My mother applied for the late registration of my birth. I went to the National Statistics Office (NSO) and I was able to get a copy of my authenticated birth certificate. I want to apply for my passport. Will I be asked to present any other document aside from my birth certificate? I hope you can respond to this letter. Thank you.

Severino

Dear Severino,

The law governing the issuance of Philippine passports is Republic Act No. 8239 or commonly known as the Philippine Passport Act of 1996. As provided therein, no passport shall be issued to an applicant unless the Secretary of Foreign Affairs or his duly authorized representative is satisfied that the applicant is a Filipino citizen and has complied with the requirements for such application (Section 5, id).

Based on the letter that you sent us, we find no indication as to whether or not you are a Filipino citizen. You merely mentioned in your letter that your mother applied for the late registration of your birth. But such application does not, by itself, suggest that you are in fact a Filipino citizen. Even the fact that you were issued authenticated birth certificate does not imply that you are a Filipino citizen. It is worth mentioning that even foreigners who are born in the Philippines may have their births registered in the Local Civil Register of the place where they were born and thereafter be issued an NSO-authenticated birth certificate. Therefore, it is essential for you to establish first whether you are indeed a citizen of the Philippines.

Assuming that you are a Filipino citizen and you wish to apply for a Philippine passport, you may visit the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs at www.dfa.gov.ph and set the date for your appointment. You can download, fill up and print the application form which can be viewed in the said website. You may also set an appointment by calling the hotline of the Department of Foreign Affairs at (02) 737-1000. You should bring the following documentary requirements on your scheduled appointment: (1) Birth Certificate in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the National Statistics Office or Certified True Copy of the birth certificate issued by the Local Civil Registrar duly authenticated by the NSO; (2) Original identification such as Senior Citizen’s ID, Voter’s ID, digitized government-issued IDs like SSS, PRC, BIR, Driver’s License, original school ID (for students only) and original supporting documents indicating your full name, date and place of birth and citizenship; and (3) Duly-accomplished application form. Considering that your birth certificate was registered late, you must submit one original supporting document indicating your full name, date and place of birth, and citizenship prior to the date of late registration, if your birth was registered on or before year 2000. If your birth was registered on or after 2001, you must submit two original supporting documents indicating your full name, date and place of birth, and citizenship prior to the date of such late registration.

On the other hand, if you are a foreigner and you wish to apply for a foreign passport, it will be more prudent for you to visit the embassy or consular office of such country.

We hope that we were able to answer your query. Please be reminded that this advice is based solely on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. Our opinion may vary when other facts are changed or elaborated.

Editor’s note: Dear PAO is a daily column of the Public Attorney’s Office. Questions for Chief Acosta may be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .