PSA Birth Certificates do not expire. They have lifetime validity as stipulated in Republic Act No. 119091.
This means that any government agency, a private institution, or school should accept birth certificates regardless of their issuance date.
The birth certificate is a permanent record of one’s identity. Therefore, the entries on this document will remain unchanged unless it goes through an administrative or judicial proceeding for birth certificate correction.
The misconception that the NSO/PSA birth certificate expires after six months of issuance is probably rooted in the fact that it changes color every now and then.
PSA birth certificates are printed on a security paper (SECPA). Once the PSA is able to print its target volume of birth certificates, it starts printing another set of birth certificates with a completely different color.
The color switch is a measure implemented by the PSA to prevent the proliferation of counterfeit documents.
Every time it changes color, the PSA coordinates with other government departments so they’ll be aware of what a PSA birth certificate looks like should they require their applicants to provide the latest copy.
In other words, while the PSA birth certificate doesn’t have an expiration period, it’s up to the other government agencies like DFA, Embassies/Consulate, SSS/GSIS, etc. whether to require the birth certificate in new or old SECPA.
As we all know, most of the aforementioned government offices, as well as the majority of the employers, require applicants to submit a new PSA-authenticated birth certificate. They prefer newly issued certificates because old ones are more likely to contain damaged sections or tampered entries.
However, getting a fresh copy of one’s birth certificate is not that easy. Just like any other government document, you have to pay and wait in line for it.
For this reason, Senate Bill 24502 seeks to provide permanent validity to birth certificates. If passed into law, LGUs, schools, GOCCs, and even private companies will now be required to accept birth certificates, whether it’s a new copy or not. This means that you can now submit your birth certificate even if it’s obtained from the NSO, local civil registrar, or Philippine Foreign Service Post.
On August 01, 2022, this bill finally lapsed into law which is now known as Republic Act No. 11909.
The newly-enacted law applies permanent validity not only to birth certificates but also to marriage and death certificates.
However, this bill also states a few cases where government and private institutions may be allowed to require applicants to submit a new copy instead:
- If the information written and security features are unrecognizable
- If the document is extremely worn out
- If the document contains clerical errors
To sum it up, you can’t “renew” a PSA birth certificate because it doesn’t expire. The law ensures that your birth certificate is valid regardless of its issuance date. However, if there are some issues with your current certificate, you should request a new copy of your birth certificate, especially if required by your employer or the government office you’re transacting with.
Go back to the main article: How to Get Birth Certificate in the Philippines: An Ultimate Guide
References
- Senate of the Philippines. (2022). Permanent Validity of the Certificates of Live Birth, Death, and Marriage Act. Retrieved from http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2022/0802_revilla1.asp
- Recto, R. (2021). Birth certificates are forever. Retrieved 12 February 2022, from https://news.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/12/16/21/birth-certificates-are-forever
