A Philippine legal-context article on certification of true copies, competent certifying officials, typical acceptance rules, and practical compliance.

I. Overview: What “certifying a passport copy” means

In practice, “certifying a passport copy” refers to a competent person or office comparing a photocopy (or scanned printout) against the original passport and attesting—usually by stamp/seal and signature—that the copy is a true and faithful reproduction of the original.

Two distinct concepts often get mixed up:

Notarization (acknowledgment/jurat of a statement). A notary public notarizes a document or affidavit, not the passport itself. A notary may administer an oath and notarize the signer’s statement that an attached photocopy is a true copy, but the notary’s act is still on the affidavit (or certification) executed by the person presenting the passport.
Certification as a “certified true copy” (CTC). A government office or official may issue a certification that a copy conforms to an original in its custody, or that a presented original was compared to the copy. In Philippine administrative practice, certification is frequently done by the office that issued the document or by an official authorized to authenticate copies.

Because a passport is issued by the Philippine government through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the most “institutionally direct” certification is done through the DFA or Philippine foreign service posts for use abroad. But in domestic and private transactions, institutions may accept certifications from other competent persons depending on their internal compliance rules.

II. The governing framework in the Philippines (high level)

There is no single, universal “one-size-fits-all” rule that says only one specific official may certify passport photocopies for every purpose. Instead, Philippine practice is shaped by:

Document authentication norms (public documents vs. private documents; custody of records; official seals and signatures);
Notarial rules and ethics (what a notary may or may not do, and how notarization works);
Agency-specific requirements (DFA, banks, schools, employers, courts, and foreign embassies each set acceptance standards);
Data privacy and risk controls (entities limit who may handle and certify identity documents).

Accordingly, “who may certify” is best answered by mapping (a) the most authoritative certifiers, (b) commonly accepted alternatives, and (c) context-specific acceptability.

III. The most authoritative certifiers for Philippine passports

A. Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)

Who: Authorized DFA officials/units (including consular offices) acting within their functions. When most appropriate:

When the receiving party insists on certification “by DFA,” “issuing authority,” or “government/consular certification”;
When the certified copy is to be presented to a foreign authority and the receiving authority wants a chain of authenticity tied to the passport-issuing authority.

Practical note: The DFA’s processes commonly center on authentication (e.g., apostille for public documents) rather than “certifying photocopies of a passport.” Many foreign authorities do not accept apostilles on passports themselves. Often, what is accepted abroad is either:

a certified copy issued/verified by a Philippine Embassy/Consulate, or
a notarized statement plus consular authentication, depending on the country and the requesting institution.

B. Philippine Embassies/Consulates (Foreign Service Posts)

Who: Consular officers and authorized consular staff. When most appropriate:

When the document will be used in the host country;
When a local authority requires “consular certification” or “certified true copy by the Embassy/Consulate”;
When the passport holder is abroad and needs a certified copy for immigration, banking, licensing, or civil registry matters in that country.

Consular certification/attestation is often treated by foreign recipients as higher-assurance than a private notarization because it comes from a government post and is tied to consular identity-checking practice.

IV. Other persons who may certify passport copies in Philippine practice

A. Notaries Public (Philippines)

General role: A Philippine notary public notarizes signatures and statements; they do not “issue” passports and typically do not certify a passport copy as if it were an official DFA record. However, Philippine practice commonly uses one of these routes:

Affidavit of Authenticity / Affidavit of Loss/Explanation with Attached Passport Copy The passport holder executes an affidavit stating that the attached photocopy is a true copy of the original passport presented to the notary at notarization. The notary notarizes the affidavit, not the passport.
Notarial certification attached to a copy (practice varies by notary and receiving institution) Some notaries affix a “Certified True Copy” notation after comparing the copy to the original presented. Whether that is acceptable depends on the receiving party’s policy. Many institutions accept this in private transactions; some refuse it for high-risk identity uses.

Key limitations and risks:

Notarial acts must comply with the rules on personal appearance and competent evidence of identity.
A notary should not create the impression that they are “authenticating” a passport as an issuing authority. Their certification is, at most, that they saw an original and compared it to the copy, or that they notarized a sworn statement about it.

When typically accepted:

Local private transactions (employment onboarding, HR files, housing rentals, internal corporate records) if the institution allows it;
Certain banking or KYC contexts if the bank permits notarized copy affidavits (many banks prefer in-person presentation instead).

B. Lawyers (in their capacity as notaries vs. as “lawyers”)

In the Philippines, lawyers may be commissioned as notaries public. A lawyer without notarial commission has no special official authority merely by being a lawyer. The relevant authority is the notarial commission, not the law license.

C. Government offices/officials for comparison-to-original (transaction-based certification)

Some government offices will certify copies of documents for their own transaction files or for submission within their system, typically through:

the receiving officer or records officer stamping “Certified True Copy” after comparing to the original presented,
an authorized signatory within that office.

This is common where an agency requires submission of copies but allows “original presented” verification. The certification is often valid only for that agency’s purpose, not as a general-purpose certified true copy for any recipient.

Examples of scenarios:

Civil service or licensing submissions where originals are shown and copies are stamped “original seen”;
Court filings where a clerk or authorized officer notes compliance with “original presented”;
Local government transactions where an officer certifies a copy for the file.

Important: This is not a blanket authority over passports; it is an administrative acceptance mechanism: the agency certifies that, for its records, the copy matched what was presented.

D. Employers/HR, School Registrars, Banks (institutional certification for internal use)

Private and quasi-public institutions sometimes certify copies for their internal records if:

they have internal compliance policies,
they physically view the original passport,
an authorized officer signs/stamps the copy.

This is usually not intended as third-party certification for external use. It may be accepted by counterparties only if those counterparties recognize the institution’s certification.

V. Common acceptance standards by use-case

A. Domestic private transactions (employment, rentals, telecom, standard onboarding)

Most commonly accepted forms:

Original presented + photocopy retained (with “original seen” notation by the receiving officer);
Notarized affidavit that the copy is true, with the passport shown to the notary;
Company/agency certification if the receiving party accepts it.

B. Banking and high-assurance KYC/AML contexts

Banks often prefer:

in-person original presentation or bank officer sighting;
sometimes a notarized affidavit is accepted, but many banks limit reliance on third-party certifications for identity documents and insist on direct sighting.

C. Government benefits, licensing, and immigration-related matters

Government agencies frequently require:

original presentation and keep copies; or
copies certified in a manner specifically allowed by that agency’s checklist.

For immigration use abroad, consular certification is frequently the safest route when certification is demanded.

D. Foreign embassies, foreign universities, and foreign employers

Foreign recipients vary widely. Frequently accepted options include:

Philippine Embassy/Consulate certified copy, or
notarized affidavit + consular authentication/attestation (depending on the country),
occasionally issuing authority verification is requested (harder for passports).

Because passports are identity documents, many foreign authorities refuse third-party certified copies and instead require:

the applicant to present the original in person, or
a consular-certified copy.

VI. Formalities of a proper certification (best practice)

When a certifier is willing and competent, a defensible certification typically includes:

Clear statement of comparison: “Certified True Copy of the Original presented to me.”
Identification of the original seen: Passport holder name; passport number is sometimes included, but some institutions redact or partially mask numbers for privacy (e.g., last 4 digits).
Date and place of certification.
Signature over printed name of the certifying person, and their position/title.
Official stamp/seal if the certifier is an office (government/consular) or a notary’s seal if a notarized document is involved.
Page marking (each page initialed, “Page __ of __”, or stamp on each page) to prevent page substitution.
Attachment control: If using an affidavit, the copy should be properly attached and referenced (e.g., “Annex A – Passport biographic page copy”).

VII. Data privacy and handling of passport copies

A Philippine passport contains sensitive personal information. Entities should:

collect only what is necessary (data minimization),
restrict access to authorized staff,
store securely and dispose properly,
avoid unnecessary copying of visa pages and travel stamps unless required.

Where possible, use a copy only of the biographic data page unless a specific page is required.

VIII. Practical guidance: choosing the right certifier

A. If the receiving party is in the Philippines and the transaction is ordinary

Best sequence:

Present the original to the receiving institution and let them mark “original seen”;
If they require certification beyond “original seen,” use a notarized affidavit route;
If they specifically require DFA/consular certification, proceed to DFA/consular options.

B. If the receiving party is abroad or is a foreign authority

Best sequence:

Ask whether they accept a Philippine Embassy/Consulate certified copy;
If they require notarization + consular action, do notarization first then proceed to consular attestation if required by that country’s practice;
If they insist on in-person original presentation, plan for that, as many authorities do not accept certified copies of passports at all.

IX. Common misconceptions and cautions

“Any barangay official can certify passport copies.” Barangay certifications are generally about residency, identity assertions, and local matters; they are not a universal substitute for certification of passport copies. Acceptance is highly recipient-dependent and often rejected for passports.
“A lawyer can certify because they’re a lawyer.” Authority comes from being a notary public or being an authorized officer of an institution for a specific purpose, not from being a lawyer alone.
“Notarized copy equals government-certified copy.” Notarization verifies an act and/or sworn statement; it does not transform the passport copy into an official DFA-certified record.
“Apostille the passport copy.” Apostilles are generally for public documents and signatures of public officials; passports themselves are identity documents and are typically not apostilled as a substitute for showing the original. Requirements differ by receiving authority.

X. Summary of who may certify (Philippine context)

Most authoritative / commonly strongest acceptance:

Philippine Embassy/Consulate (consular officers) for use abroad
DFA / authorized DFA officials when the recipient explicitly requires issuing-authority involvement

Commonly accepted domestically (recipient policy-dependent):

Philippine Notary Public via notarized affidavit and/or comparison-based certification practice
Government agency receiving officer/records officer for certification limited to that agency’s transaction
Authorized institutional officers (banks/HR/schools) for internal certification, usually not for general external use

Ultimately, acceptance turns on the receiving institution’s rules, the risk level of the transaction, and whether the certification is intended for internal filing, domestic third-party reliance, or foreign official use.