Attesting Philippine Documents (FAQs)

Yes - the Philippines is a member of the Apostille Convention.

Philippine documents can be legalized for use abroad with an Apostille Stamp when destined for other signatory countries without additional certification by the destination country.

When Philippine documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as United Arab Emirates - Taiwan - Malaysia - Thailand - Qatar they need additional authentication by the embassy of the destination country.

For further information about Apostille certification in the Philippines, see:
Philippines Apostille Services

Exceptions to Apostille Convention (Documents required for Germany)
Germany has objected to the accession of certain States to the Apostille Convention (including Philippines), so that the Convention does not apply between Germany and the Philippines. Philippine documents required for use in Germany may also require additional attestation by the German embassy or by the Philippine embassy in Berlin.

Exceptions to Apostille Convention (Documents required for Finland)
Finland has objected to the accession of the Philippines to the Apostille Convention, so that the Convention does not apply between Finland and the Philippines. Philippine documents required for use in Finland may require additional attestation by the Finnish embassy in Manila.

Official documents that can be legalized with an Apostille stamp in the Philippines include:

• Philippine birth, death, marriage certificates
• NBI Clearances (criminal record certificates)
• University and academic diplomas
• Certificates of No Marriage Record (CENOMAR)
• Documents certified in the Philippines by a notary.

To confirm whether your document is eligible for apostille authentication in the Philippines, please Contact us and we’ll check your document free of charge. For further information about our Philippine apostille services and for assistance obtaining official copies of Philippine documents, see:
Philippines Apostille Services

Apostilles on Philippine documents are normally obtained in 2-3 working days subject to the availability of appointments at the Office of Consular Affairs.

The Philippines issues e-apostilles for birth and marriage certificates.

Document legalization (or attestation) is a procedure which authenticates a public Philippine document so that it can be submitted in another country for official or legal purposes - for example, if you need to submit a Philippine birth certificate to the authority or embassy of another country, it will often need to be legalized.

Legalizing a document in the Philippines certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized public official in the Philippines and confirms the capacity of that official.

• Because the Philippines is a member of the Apostille Convention, Philippine documents can be legalized by means of an Apostille Stamp when being submitted to countries that are also members of the Hague Apostille Convention
• If a Philippine document is required for a country that is not a member of the Apostille Convention, it will need to be legalized both by Philippine authorities and by the embassy of the recipient country (embassy in the Philippines or non-resident embassy accredited to the Philippines).
  See: Document legalization - Wikipedia

Isarey Certification Services provides a range of services in the Philippines including Apostille and legalization services, notarization services, certified translation services and document retrieval services.

You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:

• ISAREY reviews on Trustpilot
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Philippines Apostilles follow the standard format laid down in the Apostille Convention. Some examples of Philippine documents certified with Apostille stamps:

• Philippines NBI Clearance Certificate with Apostille (PDF)
• Philippines Certificate of No Marriage Record CENOMAR with Apostille Stamp (PDF)

See What does an Apostille look like?

Philippine birth, death and marriage certificates can be obtained from the Philippine Statistics Authority. Applications may be submitted online, in person or through an authorized representative. Where the original record on file at the Philippine Statistics Authority is illegible or unclear, a Local Civil Registrar’s (LCR) copy is required in order to obtain an Apostille.

• Philippine Statistics Authority - Birth Certificates
• Philippine Statistics Authority - Marriage Certificates
• Philippine Statistics Authority - Death Certificates

Isarey can obtain official copies of Philippine birth, death and marriage certificates from the Philippine Statistics Authority, as well as Local Civil Registrar (LCR) certificates, for overseas clients in need of apostille authentication or embassy legalization in Manila.

Yes - an original certificate is required from the National Bureau of Investigation. The certificates must have a dry seal and be verifiable online.

Philippine criminal record certificates (NBI Clearance Certificates) can be obtained from National Bureau of Investigation.

• Applicants in the Philippines should make an appointment online to attend an NBI office for fingerprinting.
• Applicants from abroad need to contact their nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate to certify their application and submit fingerprints. The Application can then be sent to the National Bureau of Investigation by mail
• Expired NBI Clearance Certificates issued after 2014 can be renewed online without fingerprints.

NBI clearances are valid for one year from the date of issue. However, many recipient authorities may require a more recent certificate as proof of no criminal record in the Philippines. Expired certificates can be renewed on the National Bureau of Investigation website without submitting a new application.

To obtain a Philippine NBI Clearance Certificate, fingerprints must be taken by appointment at the National Bureau of Investigation office in the Philippines. Fingerprints for applications submitted from abroad must be taken at a Philippine Embassy or Consulate

Philippine university diplomas and transcripts can be authenticated with an Apostille stamp from the Office of Consular Affairs. To legalize certificates from state colleges and universities (TOR and Diploma), a certified true copy is required with Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) from the school. To legalize certificates from private/local colleges and universities, a certified true copy is required with Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Philippine powers of attorney must be attested by a notary. A Certificate of Authority for a Notarial Act (CANA) must be obtained from the Regional Trial Court (signed by the Executive Judge/Vice-Executive Judge). Then the power of attorney can be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Office of Consular Affairs.