Valid IDs Philippines: Who Accepts What
Cross-agency · identification
Quick answer
There is no single national list. PNP accepts 26 IDs for a police clearance and requires one. COMELEC accepts 14 and explicitly refuses a cedula and a PNP clearance. PHLPost wants one primary ID or two secondary ones. The National ID is on every list.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from Cross-agency's official published sources: PNP NPCS | Terms and Conditions (https://pnpclearance.ph/register, retrieved 2026-09-01); Commission on Elections | Registration Requirements (https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=VoterRegistration/WhatisVoterRegistration/RegistrationRequirements, retrieved 2026-09-01); Philippine Postal Corporation | Citizen's Charter, Series of 2026 (https://phlpost.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/APPROVED-PHLPost-Citizens-Charter-Series-of-2026.pdf, retrieved 2026-09-01); PhilSys | Frequently Asked Questions (https://philsys.gov.ph/faq-frequently-asked-questions/, retrieved 2026-08-31). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with Cross-agency before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-09-01.
There is no single national list of valid IDs. Every agency publishes its own, and they disagree in ways that cost people trips.
How many IDs each agency wants
| Agency | Documents accepted | How many you present |
|---|---|---|
| PNP, police clearance | 26 | 1 |
| COMELEC, voter registration | 14 | 1 |
| PHLPost, Postal ID | 6 primary, 16 secondary | 1 primary or 2 secondary |
| NBI clearance | Government IDs | 2 |
The one document on every list
The PhilSys National ID appears on all of them. PhilSys states that non-acceptance of the National ID without just and sufficient cause is subject to fines amounting to ₱500,000.00 under RA 11055, and that registration is open from age 1.
National ID registration covers getting one, and the ePhilID guide the paper and digital formats, PhilSys recorded 90,737,910 registered and verified as of 31 December 2025 against 54,918,895 physical cards delivered as of 15 September 2025, which is why the paper format exists.
Where the lists disagree
| Document | PNP police clearance | COMELEC registration | PHLPost Postal ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhilSys National ID | Accepted | Accepted | Primary, printed out if digital |
| Postal ID | Accepted | Accepted | - |
| Passport | Accepted | Accepted | Primary |
| LTO driver’s licence | Accepted | Accepted | Primary |
| SSS or GSIS UMID | Accepted | Accepted | Primary |
| PRC licence | Accepted | Accepted | Not listed |
| NBI clearance | Not on the list | Accepted | Secondary, with digitized photo |
| PNP police clearance | - | Not honored | Not listed |
| Cedula | Not on the list | Not honored | Not listed |
| Barangay certification with photo | Accepted as a fallback | Accepted | Not listed |
| PSA birth certificate | Accepted in its own right | Not listed | Primary, receipt within 6 months |
| Pag-IBIG ID | Accepted | Not listed | Secondary |
| Company ID | Not on the list | Not listed | Secondary |
| School ID | With registration form | Signed by the school authority | Secondary |
The sharpest trap is the police clearance. It costs ₱150.00, it is issued by a national agency, and COMELEC will not take it, while accepting an NBI clearance at ₱160.00.
What the accepted IDs cost
| Document | Published fee | Published wait |
|---|---|---|
| Barangay certification with photo | No fee published | - |
| PhilSys National ID | No registration fee published | Open from age 1 |
| ePhilID, paper | No printing fee published | - |
| PSA birth certificate, viewable online | ₱130.00 | Valid 60 days |
| Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus | ₱125 | - |
| National Police Clearance | ₱150.00 plus a convenience fee | Valid 6 months |
| NBI clearance, collected | ₱160.00 all-in | - |
| NBI clearance, delivered | ₱200.00 NCR, ₱350.00 outside | 5 or 7 to 10 working days |
| PRC licence renewal, 3 years | ₱450.00, or ₱420.00 | - |
| Postal ID, regular | ₱550.00 | 24 days, 1 hour and 37 minutes |
| Postal ID, rush | ₱650.00 | 37 minutes same day |
| Seafarer’s Record Book | ₱1,000.00 | - |
| LTOPF ID card printing | ₱200.00 | Licence from ₱1,000.00 over 5 years |
If you hold nothing
Three agencies publish a route that does not require an existing ID:
| Agency | Fallback |
|---|---|
| PNP | If no valid ID is available, present a Barangay Residency Certification |
| COMELEC | Identification under oath by a registered voter of the precinct, or a relative within the fourth civil degree, no one may identify more than 3 applicants |
| PHLPost | 2 secondary IDs, one bearing your photo and signature |
The cheapest published path from nothing to a government ID is a barangay certification, then a PSA birth certificate at ₱130.00, then a Postal ID at ₱550.00, ₱680.00 in total.
What this page does not cover
No agency publishes a consolidated national list, and none of them publishes why its list differs from another’s. Validity periods for most IDs are not published by their issuers, and this page states none. Acceptance by banks, employers and private establishments is outside what any of these agencies publish.
Related
The police clearance ID list covers the 26. Voter registration covers the 14. The Postal ID guide covers primary and secondary.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there one official list of valid IDs?
- No. Each agency publishes its own. PNP names 26 documents for a National Police Clearance, COMELEC names 14 for voter registration, and PHLPost splits its list into primary and secondary IDs for a Postal ID.
- Which ID is accepted everywhere on this site?
- The PhilSys National ID. It appears on the PNP list, the COMELEC list and the PHLPost primary list. PhilSys states that non-acceptance without just and sufficient cause is subject to fines amounting to ₱500,000.00 under RA 11055.
- How many IDs do I need to bring?
- It depends. PNP requires one. COMELEC requires one of its 14 documents. PHLPost requires one primary ID, or two secondary IDs one of which bears your photo and signature. NBI requires two valid government IDs.
- Is a police clearance a valid ID?
- Not for voter registration. COMELEC states that Community Tax Certificates and PNP clearance shall not be honored as valid identification documents for purposes of registration. It does accept an NBI clearance.
- What if I have no ID at all?
- Three agencies publish a fallback. PNP accepts a Barangay Residency Certification if no valid ID is available. COMELEC allows identification under oath by a registered voter of the precinct or a relative within the fourth civil degree, capped at 3 applicants each. PHLPost accepts two secondary IDs.
- What is the cheapest ID to get first?
- Among documents with a published fee, a PSA birth certificate at ₱130.00 for a viewable online copy. It is accepted in its own right on the PNP list and as a PHLPost primary ID, and it is the document most other applications start from.
- Does a digital National ID count?
- PHLPost states that if you use the digitized version it must be printed out. PhilSys states the ePhilID in paper format and the Digital National ID carry the same recognition as the card.
- Which IDs cost the most?
- Of the accepted documents with published fees on this site, a Postal ID is ₱550.00 regular or ₱650.00 rush, a PRC licence renewal is ₱450.00 for three years, and a seafarer's record book is ₱1,000.00.
More cross-agency guides
Sources
- PNP NPCS | Terms and Conditions, retrieved
- Commission on Elections | Registration Requirements, retrieved
- Philippine Postal Corporation | Citizen's Charter, Series of 2026, retrieved
- PhilSys | Frequently Asked Questions, retrieved