Your Digital National ID is the phone version of your PhilSys ID. It carries the same identity record as the plastic PhilID card and the paper ePhilID, and you can open it either in the eGovPH app or on the national-id.gov.ph website. This guide covers how to get it, how a bank, employer or landlord can check that it is real, and what to do when the selfie check fails or your card never arrived.
If you want an overview of everything else the eGovPH Super App does, such as eTravel and NBI clearance renewal, read our eGovPH app guide first. This page covers only the Digital National ID.
Last checked October 2026 against the PhilSys FAQ, the official Digital National ID website, the National ID Check page and BSP Memorandum M-2025-012.
Who this guide is for
This guide is for you if any of these apply:
- You registered for PhilSys and are still waiting for your PhilID card, or never got the paper ePhilID.
- You have your card but you keep leaving it at home and want a copy you can show from your phone.
- You are helping a parent or grandparent who registered but cannot find the transaction slip.
- You run a small business, a boarding house or an HR desk and need to check whether a National ID someone shows you is real.
It is not for people who have never registered. The Digital National ID is only for persons already registered in PhilSys. If you have not registered, start with our PhilSys registration guide, then come back here.
Card, paper or phone: the three National ID formats
PhilSys now issues the same identity in three forms. According to the PhilSys FAQ, all formats are valid proof of identity and age, they do not expire, and they are subject to authentication. The table below shows how they differ in practice.
| Format | How you get it | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhilID card (plastic) | Delivered by PHLPost after registration | Offices that want to hold and inspect a physical card | Delivery can take a long time; track it with your transaction reference number (TRN) |
| ePhilID (paper) | Printed at a PhilSys registration center when you bring your transaction slip | People still waiting for the card who need something printed now | Fold or laminate it carefully so the QR code stays readable |
| Digital National ID | eGovPH app or national-id.gov.ph, after a selfie check | Day-to-day use when you do not carry the card; quick QR checks | Needs a working phone and battery; printing it on PVC or plastic is prohibited |
The digital version does not replace your card. Think of it as a second way to present the same record. If you already have the card, keep it in a safe place and use the digital version for routine transactions where the office accepts a QR check.
What you need before you start
Gather these before you open the app or the website. Most failed attempts come from a detail typed differently from the registration record.
- Your full name exactly as registered. Include your full middle name and any suffix such as Jr. or III. If you registered with your maiden name and later married, use the name that PhilSys has on file.
- Your date of birth.
- Your PhilID card number, if you have the card. The website treats it as optional, but it helps the system find your record.
- A phone with a front camera and good light for the facial check.
- A stable data or Wi-Fi connection. The selfie step uploads images, and a weak connection is a common cause of timeouts.
You do not need to pay anything. Both the eGovPH app and national-id.gov.ph are free government services, so anyone asking for a fee to “generate” your digital ID is not an official channel.
How to get your Digital National ID on the website
The website route works on any phone or computer with a camera, which makes it useful when your phone cannot install the eGovPH app.
- Open national-id.gov.ph. Check the address bar first. The official site ends in .gov.ph.
- Choose to access your National ID using your personal details. Enter your first, middle and last name and your date of birth. Add your National ID card number if you have it.
- Complete the facial verification. The site asks you to take a live selfie so it can compare your face with the photo captured during PhilSys registration.
- Once you pass, the site shows your Digital National ID with its QR code. Save it the way the site allows and note how to reopen it.
The site also offers a route using the QR code from an existing National ID or ePhilID. If you already have the paper ePhilID or the card, that option can be faster because it skips some of the typing.
How to get it in the eGovPH app
The eGovPH portal describes the process in three parts: download, verify, access.
- Download. Install the official eGovPH app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Check that the publisher is the Department of Information and Communications Technology before you install.
- Verify. Create your account and complete identity verification, which includes a facial check against your PhilSys record.
- Access. After verification, open the National ID section of the app to view your digital ID and its QR code.
The app keeps your ID in the same place as your other eGovPH services, so if you plan to use the app for NBI clearance renewal or eTravel anyway, this is the tidier route. Our eGovPH app guide covers account setup and privacy settings in more detail.
Website or app: which route to choose
| Your situation | Better route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Older Android phone with little storage | Website | No install needed; works in the browser |
| You will also renew an NBI clearance or fill in eTravel | eGovPH app | One verified account for several services |
| Helping a senior on your own device | Website, then log out | Avoids leaving their account signed in on your phone |
| You already hold the paper ePhilID or card | Website, QR option | Uses the existing QR code to find your record |
| Laptop only, no smartphone | Website | A laptop webcam can complete the selfie step if the lighting is good |
How to verify a National ID someone shows you
This is the part most small offices skip, and it is where the digital format actually helps. A photo of a card is easy to edit. A QR code checked against the government system is much harder to fake.
The Philippine Statistics Authority and DICT launched two authentication services, described in the PSA announcement on National ID eVerify and National ID Check:
- National ID Check lets anyone scan the QR code on a PhilID card, an ePhilID or a Digital National ID and see whether it matches a real PhilSys record.
- National ID eVerify is for organizations, such as banks and other relying parties, that need to authenticate IDs as part of their own systems.
Step by step for a small business or landlord
- Open everify.gov.ph/check on your phone.
- Ask the person to show the QR code on their card, paper ePhilID or Digital National ID.
- Scan the QR code and compare the details shown with the person in front of you, especially the photo, name and date of birth.
- If the scan fails, ask them to brighten their screen or flatten the paper and try again. If it still fails, ask for a second ID rather than accepting the document as is.
Never ask someone to send you a screenshot of their digital ID through chat as “proof”. A screenshot can be edited, and it leaves a copy of their personal data on your phone. Scan the live QR code instead.
Do banks have to accept the digital version?
For banks and other institutions supervised by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, yes. BSP Memorandum M-2025-012 reminds supervised institutions to accept the National ID in all its formats, card, paper and digital, as sufficient proof of identity for financial transactions, and to authenticate it using National ID Check or eVerify. If a teller says only the plastic card works, you can politely ask them to check with their compliance officer and cite the memorandum.
Outside banking, acceptance depends on the office. The PSA itself says the digital ID is accepted for civil registry document requests and late birth registration, as reported in its update on digital ID access. The PhilSys FAQ also notes that the PSA coordinated with the DFA on acceptance. For a passport appointment or a private employer, read the office’s own list of accepted IDs before your visit, and bring the physical card or ePhilID as backup if you have one. Our valid government IDs guide lists other IDs you can pair with it.
Troubleshooting the Digital National ID
| Problem | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| “Record not found” | Name or birth date typed differently from registration | Retype with full middle name and suffix; try the QR route if you have an ePhilID or card |
| Selfie check keeps failing | Poor light, glasses, cap, or a cracked camera lens | Face a window or lamp, remove glasses and headwear, clean the lens, hold the phone at eye level |
| Page times out during the selfie | Weak signal while uploading images | Switch to Wi-Fi or move to a spot with better data, then restart the process |
| Registration is still being processed | Your record is not yet complete in PhilSys | Wait and try again later; track your card using the TRN at the PHLPost tracker |
| Lost transaction slip | No TRN to track the card or request an ePhilID | Contact PSA through its official channels with your full name, date of birth and sex, as the PhilSys FAQ advises |
| Name on record is wrong | Encoding error at registration | Request a PhilSys record update at a PSA office or registration center; the digital ID shows whatever is on record |
If your face changed a lot since registration, for example a child who registered young, the selfie step may fail repeatedly. In that case, visit a PSA office or registration center and ask about updating your record rather than retrying many times in a row.
Tracking your PhilID card while you use the digital ID
Getting the digital version does not cancel your card delivery. You can still track the plastic PhilID at the PHLPost tracking site using the transaction reference number printed on your registration slip, as the PhilSys FAQ explains.
If you need a printed copy while waiting, the FAQ says you can get the paper ePhilID by going to a PhilSys registration center and bringing your transaction slip. Many people use all three: the digital ID on the phone for daily use, the ePhilID in the wallet as a backup, and the plastic card once it arrives.
Lost, damaged or peeling cards
The PhilSys FAQ says that your PhilSys number is permanent, so you do not register again if your card is lost. For a lost or stolen card, the FAQ asks cardholders to wait for the PSA’s official announcement on the replacement process. In the meantime, the Digital National ID is a practical stand-in because it does not depend on the physical card.
For damaged cards, including cards where the photo has peeled off, PSA offices have announced free replacement when you surrender the damaged card and fill in the request form. One example is the PSA Region 8 notice on free replacement of peeled or damaged PhilIDs. Ask your nearest PSA provincial office whether the same service is open there, because availability can differ by office.
Printing and copying: what is not allowed
Many people want a “card” version of the digital ID. The PhilSys FAQ is clear that printing the Digital National ID on PVC or other plastic is strictly prohibited and penalized under Republic Act No. 11055, the Philippine Identification System Act. Stalls that offer to print your digital ID as a plastic card are offering something illegal, and the result will not pass a proper QR check anyway.
Instead, use one of the official formats: the digital ID on your phone, the paper ePhilID from a registration center, or the PhilID card from PHLPost.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using a look-alike website or app. Search results and social media ads sometimes show unofficial pages. Type the addresses yourself: national-id.gov.ph, everify.gov.ph and e.gov.ph.
- Doing the selfie for someone else. The face check must be the registered person. For a senior parent, set up the phone, then let them take the selfie themselves.
- Posting your ID online. Do not post a screenshot of your digital ID in a group chat or on social media, even with parts covered. The QR code and personal details can be misused.
- Leaving your account signed in on a shared phone. If you used a relative’s device, sign out when you are done.
- Accepting a screenshot as proof. Businesses should scan the live QR code with National ID Check.
Worked example: helping a parent get the digital ID
The following is a hypothetical example built from the steps above, not a test we ran with a real person. Lola Remy registered for PhilSys at a mall registration center but never received her card, and she cannot find her transaction slip. Her daughter wants her to have a usable ID for her bank’s pension withdrawals.
- They open national-id.gov.ph on the daughter’s phone, by a bright window.
- They type Lola Remy’s full name with her complete middle name, exactly as on her old voter’s ID, and her birth date. They leave the card number blank because she has no card.
- Lola Remy removes her glasses and takes the selfie herself. The first try fails because the phone was held too low. The second try, at eye level, passes.
- The digital ID appears. They note how to reopen it, then sign out on the daughter’s phone.
- At the bank, the teller scans the QR code. Because the bank is BSP-supervised, it accepts the digital format.
- Separately, they contact PSA through its official channels with her name, birth date and sex to recover her TRN so they can track the plastic card.
If the record had not been found at step 3, the next move would be a visit to a PSA office with any old ID, not repeated guesses at the spelling.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Digital National ID expire?
The PhilSys FAQ says the National ID in all its formats has no expiration. Keep your record updated if your name or civil status changes.
Is the digital ID free?
Yes. There is no fee to access it through eGovPH or national-id.gov.ph.
Can I use it for travel?
For domestic transactions, it depends on the airline, ferry line or office. For international travel you still need your passport. Bring the physical card or ePhilID as backup for any trip.
Can a minor get one?
The PhilSys FAQ says all registered persons are eligible for the Digital National ID. In practice, a parent should guide a child through the selfie step, and very young children may have trouble passing the facial check.
Is my data safe in the app?
Your data stays safest when you use only the official channels, keep your phone locked and avoid sharing screenshots. Check the privacy notice in the app or on the website before you sign in.
This guide explains public PhilSys processes and is not legal advice. Rules on accepted IDs can change, so confirm with the receiving office before a transaction that matters.
