In our previous article, we shared how you can file for a birth certificate correction in the Philippines.

Although we’ve ensured that no important details have been left out, the guide only applies to people who are born in the Philippines and also currently living in the country.

For this article, however, we’re going to focus on Filipinos who are born abroad but are now staying in the Philippines and those who are born in the Philippines but are now living or working abroad.

How To File for PSA Birth Certificate Correction if You’re Born in the Philippines but Currently Living/Working Abroad

When applying for birth certificate correction, the rule of thumb is to file where your birth was reported. 

Therefore, you either file it at the local civil registrar with jurisdiction over the place of your birth (if you’re born in the Philippines) or at the Philippine Consulate where your birth was reported (if you’re born abroad).

But what about those who are born in the Philippines but are now working or permanently living abroad?

While there’s a process called “migrant petition” which allows Filipinos abroad to file a petition at the Philippine Consulate, this can be time-consuming and therefore not practical at all.

For one, you’re born in the Philippines and not abroad. Hence, the Philippine Consulate must process your petition first before coordinating with the local civil registrar in the Philippines which will process your petition the second time.

This “double processing” doesn’t just take a lot of time, it also doesn’t offer a guarantee that your petition will be approved.

For instance, there can be a misunderstanding between the Consulate and the civil registrar about the requirements. It’s known to the public that the Consulate often requires DFA-authenticated documents that are issued in the Philippines which you can’t obtain if you’re abroad.

To avoid wasting a lot of time and money, file your petition in your place of birth in the Philipines.

If you can’t personally file the petition because of your work obligations abroad or for some other reasons, execute a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) and designate a family member or relative to apply for the birth certificate correction on your behalf. 

Inform your representative that the filing process alone may take anywhere between 5 to 12 days (sometimes even longer if the petition is denied).

One of the factors that may lengthen the process is the difficulty of obtaining the documentary requirements. In your case, it can be tricky because of some documents like the police clearance that are only issued in the Philippines.

If you need assistance in obtaining these requirements while abroad, you can reach out to the Legal Department of the PSA.

Upon filing, please expect that it will still take several months before your birth certificate can be corrected. All petitions are treated the same way whether made here or abroad.

How To File for PSA Birth Certificate Correction if You’re in the Philippines but Born Abroad.

Again, the same rule applies here: file the petition where your birth was reported.

In this case, you’re born abroad so you have to file the petition for birth certificate correction at the Philippine Consulate where your birth was reported.

If you don’t have the time or the means to travel abroad and personally file the petition, find a friend or a relative abroad who can do it for you. All you need is to execute a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) designating that representative to apply for the correction on your behalf.

However, before your representative can proceed with the filing, please take note of the following reminders:

• Ask if the documentary requirements need to be authenticated by the DFA. If so, follow this guide to have them authenticated with DFA red ribbon.
• The Philippine Consulate usually forwards the petition to DFA so please ask the Consulate if you can send it directly to the DFA on your own instead of waiting for them to send it on their schedule.

While it’s possible to file a “migrant petition” in the Philippines, only consider it as a last resort especially if there’s no one abroad to process your petition.

Filing a petition for birth certificate correction already takes months to complete, more so if you do it via migrant petition.

With the migrant petition, your request is processed two times: one at the local civil registrar and another at the Philippine Consulate where your birth was reported. The “double processing” is time-consuming and may cost you more money because of the additional requirements you need to obtain.

Wrapping Up

The process of correcting PSA birth certificate is supposed to take a considerable amount of time and money.

Therefore, it’s only wise to follow the rule of filing the petition for birth certificate correction at the place where your birth was reported.

If you’re born abroad and currently live there, simply file the petition at the Philippine Consulate where your birth was reported. As for those who are born in the Philippines and currently live here, we’ve already written a comprehensive guide to help you understand the process.