Authorization letter in the Philippines: how to write one to claim documents, money, or IDs

What an authorization letter is, and what it is not

An authorization letter is a short, signed letter that lets someone you trust do a specific task for you, such as requesting and claiming your PSA birth certificate, filing a form, or picking up an ID. In Civil Code terms, you are the principal and your representative is the agent: agency is when a person does something on behalf of another with that person's consent or authority (Art. 1868).

The Civil Code does not demand a set format. Agency may even be oral, unless the law requires a specific form (Art. 1869). Offices still ask for it in writing because they need to see who gave the authority and for what.

An authorization letter is not a special power of attorney (SPA). Authority written in general terms covers only acts of administration, even if it says the agent has full powers (Art. 1877). Selling or mortgaging a house or land, borrowing money, and the other acts listed in Article 1878 need a special power of attorney.

What to write in an authorization letter

No law sets one format for every office, and each office decides what it accepts. The items below are what offices commonly ask for, and they cover PSA's requirements for civil registry documents.

Keep it to one task. A line like "to process all my documents" invites refusal; PSA, for example, does not accept a general statement of purpose.

A clear letter includes:

• The date you sign it
• Your full name as it appears on your valid ID, with your address and contact number
• Your representative's full name as it appears on his or her ID, and your relationship
• The exact task and item, for example "to request and claim one (1) copy of my birth certificate from the PSA," with any reference or claim stub number
• The office or branch where it will be used
• How long the authority lasts, or that it is for one transaction only
• Your signature, matching the one on your ID, and your representative's specimen signature if the office asks for it

IDs and copies to send with it

Offices check identity on both sides. Give your representative the signed original letter and a photocopy of your valid ID; your representative brings his or her own valid ID and a photocopy. PSA describes a valid ID as one with a clear photo, full name in print, and signature, issued by an official authority. Keep a copy of the letter.

PSA birth certificates and other civil registry documents

Birth records are confidential. Under the Child and Youth Welfare Code, information from a birth record is issued only to the person, anyone the person authorizes, the spouse, parents, direct descendants, or guardian if the person is a minor, a court or public official when absolutely necessary, and the nearest of kin if the person has died (P.D. No. 603, Art. 7). A cousin or friend therefore needs your written authority.

PSA's website notes that you can also order online through PSAHelpline.ph or PSA Serbilis for delivery, and that walk-in requests need an appointment at appointment.psa.gov.ph. Requirements change, so check before you go.

For authorized representatives, PSA's Memorandum Circular No. 2019-15A and its 2024 Citizen's Charter say:

• The letter, or an SPA, must specifically state that its purpose is to get the civil registry document from PSA and must name the type of document. A general statement of purpose is not accepted.
• Your representative must be able to give the details the application form asks for, or the request is refused. For a birth certificate, these include the complete name, the father's name, the mother's maiden name, and the date and place of birth.
• The letter can be typewritten or handwritten on a clean sheet of paper and must be signed by you. Your full name and signature must match your valid ID (PSA verifies a PhilID or ePhilID separately).
• The circular requires an SPA to be notarized, but not an authorization letter.
• A letter sent by email or messaging app is accepted if the full name and signature match the valid IDs of you and your representative.
• At a PSA outlet, your representative brings the original letter, both valid IDs with photocopies, and an appointment slip in his or her own name. The circular allows the original or a photocopy of your ID. PSA's charter lists this service for clients 18 and older.

SSS and PhilHealth

SSS: its death and retirement benefit pages say that when an authorized representative files a claim, SSS needs two valid IDs of the claimant and the representative, and a Letter of Authority signed by the claimant or an SPA specifically stating the authority to file and/or sign for the claimant. The letter or SPA should have been made within six months if signed in the Philippines, or one year if signed abroad. SSS credits retirement benefits to the member's UMID card enrolled as an ATM or to a disbursement account the member registered.

PhilHealth: its 2026 Citizen's Charter asks for an original authorization letter from the member and photocopies of photo-and-signature IDs of the member and the representative when a representative gets a copy of the member's PhilHealth ID or Member Data Record at a PhilHealth Express, or registers a senior citizen member. To release a benefit check to a representative, it lists the representative's valid ID with signature, an original authorization letter signed by the member, and a copy of the member's valid ID.

Requirements change, so check with SSS or PhilHealth before you go.

Claiming money or salary

Whoever pays sets the rules: PhilHealth releases benefit checks to a representative with a letter and IDs, while SSS pays retirement benefits into the member's own account. For salary, ask your employer's HR or payroll office; for a bank or remittance claim, ask the branch or company what it needs before you send anyone.

Lending or borrowing money, and payments that are not ordinary acts of administration, need a special power of attorney, not a simple letter (Art. 1878).

Writing it in Filipino (Tagalog)

You can generally write the letter in Filipino for a government office. Filipino and English are both official languages (Constitution, Art. XIV, Sec. 7), and Executive Order No. 335 (1988) directs government offices to use Filipino more in official communications and to assign staff to handle letters written in Filipino. None of the PSA, SSS, or PhilHealth requirements above say the letter must be in English. For a bank or private company, ask if unsure.

Keep the same details in either language. Example only, for a PSA birth certificate:

• English: I, Maria Dela Cruz, authorize my cousin, Jose Reyes, to request and claim one (1) copy of my birth certificate from the PSA on my behalf.
• Filipino: Ako, si Maria Dela Cruz, ay nagbibigay ng pahintulot sa aking pinsan na si Jose Reyes na humiling at kumuha ng isang (1) kopya ng aking birth certificate mula sa PSA sa aking ngalan.

When an authorization letter is not enough

Use an SPA, the office's own form, or go in person when:

• The office has its own form or requires a notarized letter or SPA.
• The office requires the owner to appear in person. A letter does not change that.
• The act is listed in Article 1878, such as buying or selling a house or lot, mortgaging real property, leasing real property for more than one year, lending or borrowing money, making gifts, compromising a claim, binding you as guarantor, or accepting or repudiating an inheritance.
• Land is sold through a representative. The representative's authority must be in writing, or the sale is void (Art. 1874).
• The matter involves land, an inheritance, or a court case, or the person giving authority may not fully understand the document. Talk to a lawyer first.

How long it lasts and how to cancel it

Put an end date in the letter. SSS, for example, wants a letter of authority made within six months (one year if signed abroad). Under the Civil Code, the authority ends when its purpose is accomplished, when its period expires, on revocation, or on the death of either of you, among other causes (Art. 1919).

You may cancel it at any time and ask for the letter back (Art. 1920). If you cancel before the task is done, tell the office as well.

Common questions