Quick answer
An authorization letter can let another person handle a specific transaction for you in the Philippines, but a scan or photo is accepted only if the office’s rules allow it. Do not assume that emailing a signed letter, printing its scan, or showing it on a phone is enough.
For example, the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) citizen’s charter allows an authorization letter sent by email or messaging app if its stated identity and signature requirements are met. The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) generally requires an original, but a 2026 circular provides a separate scanned-letter procedure for eligible PRC-registered professionals overseas. Check the rules for the exact service and office before your representative goes there. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="0"}
What an authorization letter should say
Write the letter for the transaction you actually need. Include:
- Your full name and a way for the office to identify or contact you.
- The representative’s full name, matching the ID they will present.
- The office, document, or transaction involved, and the precise acts allowed—for example, filing an application or claiming a specified document.
- The date and your signature. State a validity period if the receiving office requires one or if you want to limit the authority.
Give the representative the identification and supporting documents required for that service. Requirements differ: an office may ask to inspect original IDs, keep photocopies, use its own form, or require a notarized special power of attorney (SPA). A broad statement such as “handle all my affairs” may fail where the office requires a specific purpose. The PSA’s citizen’s charter, for instance, calls for the civil registry document sought to be identified and says a general statement of purpose will not be accepted. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="1"}
Is a scanned authorization valid?
A scan can help show what the signer authorized, but its legal recognition and its acceptance at a service counter are different questions. The Electronic Commerce Act recognizes electronic documents and signatures subject to its requirements. It does not make every scanned, handwritten letter acceptable for every government transaction regardless of the agency’s published procedure. A receiving office may need to verify identity, the signature, and whether the letter was altered. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="2"}
The difference matters in practice:
| Transaction | What the official guidance says |
|---|---|
| PSA civil registry document request through a representative | The PSA’s 2025 citizen’s charter describes conditions for accepting an authorization letter sent by email or an instant messaging app, including matching names and signatures on the letter and IDs. It also lists original-and-photocopy requirements. Confirm the applicable outlet’s instructions and bring the required IDs and copies. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="3"} |
| PRC transaction under its general representative procedure | PRC’s February 2025 notice requires the authorization letter or SPA in original form and says an electronic copy or photocopy alone is insufficient. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="4"} |
| PRC requested documents for an eligible registered professional overseas | PRC Memorandum Circular No. 1, series of 2026, sets out a specific procedure for submitting a scanned authorization and supporting documents. It requires, among other things, a signed letter, PRC forms, proof of overseas residence, transmission from the professional’s LERIS-registered email to the chosen regional office, and the representative’s ID and undertaking. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="5"} |
These examples are service-specific. They do not establish a single rule for banks, schools, local government offices, or every PSA or PRC request.
When a letter is not enough
A simple letter should not be treated as permission to perform an act requiring special authority. Under the Civil Code, an agent needs special powers for specified acts, including selling or otherwise conveying rights over immovable property, making a gift other than a customary one, and entering a compromise. Authority to sell land through an agent must be in writing; without written authority, the sale is void under Article 1874. The needed document and formalities depend on the proposed act and the institution handling it. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="6"}
Nor can a representative use a letter to replace a required personal appearance or identity check. If a service’s instructions require the applicant to appear, ask that office whether any exception applies before paying a representative or sending personal documents.
Before sending someone on your behalf
- Find the exact service requirements on the receiving office’s official website or citizen’s charter. Check whether it accepts a representative, an ordinary letter, a scanned letter, or an SPA; also check ID, appointment, and submission requirements.
- Prepare a narrow, signed authorization. Match names to the IDs and describe the document and action precisely. If the office provides a form or requires notarization, follow that instruction.
- Use the required channel. Where scans are allowed, send a clear, complete image or PDF through the specified email address or system. Do not assume that forwarding a chat image to the representative satisfies a rule requiring direct submission by the signer.
- Keep the original and a record of transmission. Preserve the signed paper, the file actually sent, the sending email or message, any acknowledgment, appointment details, and the receipt or claim stub. Give the representative the IDs and copies the office requires.
- Tell the representative the limits. They should present their own ID, act only within the letter’s scope, and check the document received before leaving the counter.
If the office rejects a scan, ask which published requirement is unmet and whether the original, a corrected letter, or an SPA will resolve it. A rejected copy does not necessarily mean the underlying authorization never existed; the office may simply lack the proof its procedure requires.
Mistakes that cause delays
Common problems are an unsigned or cropped scan; a name or signature that does not match the supporting ID; authority that fails to name the specific document; missing ID copies; using a scanned letter where an original is required; and relying on an old instruction after the office has issued a newer one. A letter also should not be edited after signing. Prepare a new signed version if its scope or representative changes.
If the signer is abroad, check that office’s overseas-document procedure. The PSA guidance addresses a scanned or photocopied passport as identification for certain authorizations received from abroad; the PRC’s 2026 scanned-letter route has its own proof-of-residence, form, and email requirements. One office’s exception does not carry over to another. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="7"}
When to get help promptly
Seek advice from a Philippine lawyer before relying on a letter for a property transfer, settlement, waiver of rights, substantial financial transaction, or disputed authority. Contact the receiving office promptly if a deadline or appointment is near, the signer cannot provide the required original, or someone may be using an altered or unauthorized letter. Ask what documents and verification steps that specific transaction requires.
FAQ
Does an authorization letter have to be notarized?
Not automatically. An ordinary signed letter may be enough for a service that permits it. Some acts require special authority, and an office may expressly require a notarized SPA. Read the rule for the transaction rather than notarizing by assumption—or assuming notarization is unnecessary. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="8"}
Can I print a scanned, signed letter and call it an original?
No. A printout of a scan is still a copy. It may be accepted under a procedure that permits copies or scans, but it does not satisfy an express requirement to submit the original signed paper. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="9"}
Can a family member transact without a letter?
Sometimes, for a defined service and relationship. PSA guidance, for example, provides routes for certain immediate family members to request civil registry documents with proof of identity and relationship. Being related does not create unrestricted authority over another person’s records or transactions. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="10"}
Does a scanned PRC authorization now work for everyone?
No. The PRC’s 2026 circular concerns overseas PRC-registered professionals and requires its specified documents and submission process. Other representatives should check the applicable PRC procedure, including its original-document notice. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="11"}
Official sources
- Civil Code of the Philippines, including Articles 1874 and 1878 :chatgpt-content-reference{index="12"}
- Electronic Commerce Act, Republic Act No. 8792 :chatgpt-content-reference{index="13"}
- PSA citizen’s charter, 2025 edition :chatgpt-content-reference{index="14"}
- PRC notice on original authorizations and PRC Memorandum Circular No. 1, series of 2026 :chatgpt-content-reference{index="15"}
This is general legal information, not advice on a particular document or transaction. Sources and procedures checked on 29 September 2026; confirm the receiving office’s current requirements before submitting.