The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) strictly requires a PSA-issued Birth Certificate on security paper (SEC PA) as the core document for all first-time passport applicants and for most renewal applicants whose previous passport was issued before the full implementation of the PSA requirement. This rule has been in place since approximately 2016–2018 and remains strictly enforced as of 2025.

The most common reason applicants find themselves “waiting for PSA birth certificate” is late registration of birth. After completing late registration at the Local Civil Registrar (LCR), the record is transmitted to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) for inclusion in the national Civil Registry System and issuance of the annotated security paper copy marked “LATE REGISTRATION.” This transmission and annotation process routinely takes 3–8 months, and sometimes longer, especially outside Metro Manila.

The good news is that you are not required to wait indefinitely. The DFA expressly allows passport applications even when the PSA birth certificate is not yet available, provided you use the officially prescribed alternative documentation pathway.

Official DFA Alternative When PSA Birth Certificate Is Unavailable or Still in Process

The DFA Passport Applicant’s Guide (still current as of 2025) explicitly provides for cases where the applicant has no PSA birth record yet. You will fall under the category:

“Applicants who submitted a Negative Certification from the PSA (no birth record found)”

In this situation, instead of the PSA birth certificate, you submit:

Original PSA Certificate of Negative Result / Non-Record of Birth (issued within the last 12 months preferably)
At least three (3) original public or private documents showing your correct full name, exact date of birth, place of birth, and complete names of parents

These three documents must be presented in original + clear photocopy.

Acceptable Supporting Documents (DFA-Approved List)

The DFA accepts the following documents (the more documents you bring, the smoother the process):

Most commonly accepted and strongest:

Baptismal Certificate issued by the parish (must be original or certified true copy with dry seal and receipt; if old, preferably NSO/PSA-authenticated)
Form 137 (Elementary or High School Permanent Record) or Transcript of Records with readable dry seal
Voter’s Certification with COMELEC stamp (obtainable from COMELEC office with your Voter’s ID or through their online services)
Marriage Certificate (PSA copy, if married)
Driver’s License (LTO-issued)
PRC License
SSS E-1 or E-4 Form (digitized version) or Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID)
PhilHealth Member Data Record (MDR)
Pag-IBIG Member’s Data Form
Senior Citizen’s ID (OSCA-issued)
Land title or Tax Declaration in applicant’s or parent’s name issued before applicant’s birth
Barangay Certification of Live Birth signed by the Barangay Captain + Medical Certificate of Birth issued by the attending physician or hospital (for older applicants)
NBI Clearance (current)
Police Clearance (municipal or regional)
Affidavit of Birth executed by a close relative who has personal knowledge of your birth (mother, father, older sibling) — this is very helpful but does not replace the three-document minimum

Very important: The documents must be consistent with each other in name, date of birth, place of birth, and parents’ names. Any discrepancy will cause rejection or require an Affidavit of Explanation.

If you have the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) copy of your newly late-registered birth certificate, bring it — it counts as one of the strongest supporting documents even though it is not yet PSA-annotated.

Step-by-Step Process to Apply While Waiting for PSA Birth Certificate

Complete late registration of birth at your city/municipal civil registrar (if not yet done).
- Secure the owner’s copy of the LCR birth certificate (Registry Number already assigned).
- Ask the LCR to expedite transmittal to PSA if possible.
Request your birth certificate from PSA (online via psaserbilis.com.ph or PSAHelpline.ph or walk-in at any PSA CRS outlet).
- When the record is not yet found, PSA will issue a Certificate of Negative Result / No Record Found.
- Cost: ₱155 (negative certification) + delivery fee if online.
Gather at least three (preferably five or more) supporting documents listed above.
- Have them photocopied clearly (back-to-back if applicable).
Book a passport appointment online at www.passport.gov.ph.
- Choose any available DFA site (ASEANA, Megamall, Robinsons malls, regional consular offices, etc.).
- Select “NEW” application even if you are technically a first-timer with late registration.
Attend your appointment with the following complete documents:
- Printed Application Form (with barcode)
- Printed Appointment Confirmation
- PSA Negative Certification (original)
- At least three original supporting documents + photocopies
- Valid ID (at least one government-issued with photo and signature)
- Payment (₱950 regular or ₱1,200 expedited)
At the processing window, inform the encoder that you are using the “Negative Certification + Supporting Documents” pathway.
- The encoder will verify consistency of all documents.
- If everything matches, your application will be accepted and processed normally.
Passport will be released in the usual timeframe:
- Regular processing: 15 working days (Metro Manila), 20–30 days (regional)
- Expedited: 7–10 working days (Metro Manila), 10–15 days (regional)

The passport issued under this pathway has full 10-year validity (or 5-year if minor) and is indistinguishable from passports issued with PSA birth certificate.

Special Notes and Practical Tips (2025)

This pathway is very well-established and used by tens of thousands of Filipinos every year, especially OFWs and late-registered adults. DFA personnel are familiar with it.
DFA Aseana, DFA NCR East (Megamall), DFA NCR West (SM Manila), and DFA Alabang are generally the most accommodating for negative certification cases.
If the verifier questions the documents, politely ask to escalate to the Supervisor or Consul — they almost always approve when you have three or more solid documents.
Once your PSA-annotated late-registered birth certificate finally arrives, you do not need to do anything. Your passport remains valid.
If you already have an old brown or green passport issued before 2010, you may renew instead of filing as new — renewal does not require birth certificate at all.
Minors with late-registered births follow the same rule, but the parent must execute an Affidavit of Explanation and provide additional proof of parentage.
Dual citizens born in the Philippines who have foreign passports may sometimes use Report of Birth + foreign passport, but this is a separate pathway.

Conclusion

You do not need to wait months for your PSA late-registered birth certificate to apply for a Philippine passport. The DFA has a clear, official alternative pathway using PSA Negative Certification plus at least three public/private documents proving your birth details. Thousands successfully use this method every month without issue.

Prepare your documents thoroughly, ensure consistency, book your appointment, and you can have your passport in hand long before the PSA finally releases your annotated birth certificate.

This procedure is based on the DFA’s published guidelines and remains valid and routinely applied as of December 2025.