Red Ribbon? Apostille? Ano ba yan? Hindi yan yung cake or nasa bible. They are both terms of the Department of Foreign Affairs that validate your documents or its origin. There are some documents that we need to pass abroad. Hindi kasi malalaman ng ibang countries if fake ba yung document, so they trust the government of the Philippines to verify our records. So if may “red ribbon” or “apostille” then the other countries would know it is legit.
Before when you want to pass a document abroad “red ribbons” are affixed there to prove it is authentic, so may red na ribbon sa left side ng document at may gold sticker. It is a much longer process than today since kailangan pang i-present ang documents na may “Red Ribbon” sa foreign embassy.
As of May 14, 2019, the Philippines is part of the Apostille Convention, and there are no more “red ribbons”; an Apostille has a gold round sticker and a QR code. We will discuss it later.
Table of Contents
Apostille vs. Authentication “Red Ribbon”
As said above, the Apostille is a much easier process than Authentication. It has 3 steps from Certification – Apostille – End rather than 4 steps in getting a “red ribbon” since you need to go to the Embassy or Consulate of the country that needs your document for its legalization or authentication.
Countries and Territories where Apostille of the Philippines is accepted
Please note that in case your document is submitted to a country that is not in this list, you need to go to the country’s Foreign Embassy or Consulate in the Philippines for the legalization.
Here are the countries where Apostille of the Philippines is accepted as per Apostille Convention Website:
Though the following are members of the Apostille Convention, Philippine Apostille is not yet accepted by the following countries, and you need to go to their Embassy or Consulate for legalization:
- Austria
- Finland
- Germany
- Greece
All other countries not mentioned here, you need to go to their foreign embassies or consulate for legalization.
What are documents that can get a Philippine Apostille?
The documents are as stated by the Authentication Form:
1. NBI Clearance/Sundry – An original document issued by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with dry seal Note: Personal copy is not valid.
2. Birth/Marriage/Death Certificate, Certificate of No Marriage Record (CENOMAR, Advisory on Marriage and/or Negative Records)
- An original document issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)/ National Statistics Office (NSO)
- For newly registered records, the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) copy should be certified by PSA.
Note: Provide an LCR copy of Birth (Form 1A)/Death (Form 2A)/Marriage (Form 3A) Certificate if the entries from PSA/NSO are UNCLEAR
3. School Documents
For Elementary and High School Level (Form-137 and Diploma)
- Certified True Copies from the school
- Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) from DepEd Regional Office
For Technical and Vocational Courses (TOR and Diploma/National Certificate)
- Certified True Copies from the school
- Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) from Technical and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
For State Colleges and Universities (TOR and Diploma)
- Certified True Copy and Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) from the school
For Private/Local Colleges and Universities (TOR and Diploma)
- Certified True Copies from the school;
- Certification, Authentication, and Verification (CAV) from Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
4. Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) document/s – Certified True Copies from PRC
5. Medical Certificate/s
- For employment: DOH stamp per document
- For other purposes: Certification issued by DOH with attached Medical Certificate
6. Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP) issued document/s – Certified by CAAP
7. Driver’s License – Certification from Land Transportation Office (LTO Main Branch only)
8. Certificate of Employment/Invitation Letter/Trainings/ Seminars/ Baptismal Certificates and any other documents issued by a private entity
- Notarized Affidavit stating necessary factual circumstances and indicating certificate/s as attachment/s
- Certificate of Authority for a Notarial Act (CANA) signed by the Executive Judge/Vice-Executive Judge/any office authorized signatories (issued by the Regional Trial Court)
9. Special Power of Attorney/Memorandum of Agreement/ Memorandum of Understanding/Any other form of Contract/ Affidavit of Consent or Advice/Joint Affidavit/Other Affidavits
- Certificate of Authority for a Notarial Act (CANA) signed by the Executive Judge/Vice-Executive Judge/any office authorized signatories (issued by the Regional Trial Court)
10. Court Document/s (Decision, Resolution/Order) – Certified True Copies from the Court
11. Immigration Record/s – Certified by Bureau of Immigration (BI)
12. DSWD Clearance – Original document issued by Department of Social Welfare and Development
13. Police Clearance/Sundry – Original document issued by Philippine National Police (PNP)
14. Business Registration and Other Documents issued by a Government Agency (e.g. SEC, DTI, BIR, SSS, Municipal Business Permit & Licensing Office, etc.)
- A certified true copy from the issuing office
15. Barangay Clearance/Certificate – Mayor’s certification/clearance which has jurisdiction over the Barangay
16. Export Document/s – Certified by Philippine Chamber of Commerce (PCCI), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Agriculture (DA) or by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD), depending on the nature of the document
Requirements for Apostille or Document Authentication:
Here are the requirements you need when you go to the DFA Office beside the Document you want to Authenticate or Apostillized
- Original and Photocopy of your ID
-Government Issued ID with your name and signature
-Senior Citizen, Solo Parent, PWD, Voter’s, Alumni and Student IDs, Passport, Seaman’s Book and Voter’s Certification is okay - If Authorized Representative, Include this:
-Authorization Letter from the owner
-If the applicant is minor, Original SPA from Parents
-Photo Copy of Applicant’s ID
-Original and Photocopy of representative’s ID
How much is the Document Authentication or Apostille Fee?
- Php 200.00 per document for Expedite (you’ll get it after one working day)
- Php 100.00 per document for Regular (you’ll get it after four working days)
Where to get an Apostille or get a Document Authentication?
As per DFA Website, you go to the following DFA Offices:
DFA Main Consular Office
Macapagal Boulevard, Parañaque City
DFA CO-Northeast
Ali Mall Government Center Level 2
Ali Mall Cubao, Quezon City
DFA CO-East
7th Floor, Building C, SM Megamall,
EDSA cor. J Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City
DFA CO-West
5th Floor, SM City Manila,
Conception St., Manila
DFA CO-South
4th Floor, Metro Alabang Town Center,
Alabang, Zapote Road, Muntinlupa City
DFA CO Pampanga
Robinson’s Place,
San Fernando, Pampanga
DFA CO Davao
3F SM Davao, Davao City
DFA CO Cebu
4th Level, Pacific Mall,
Mandaue City, Cebu
The DFA’s Consular Offices are open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday.
Steps for Document Authentication
1. Go to either office stated above and get a number from the Window. Remember, this is a government office, so try to dress properly; no slippers, sleeveless or shorts.
2. Fill-out Authentication form.
3. Get your documents ready (the one you want to get authenticated and your ID)
4. Present your ID (Original and Photocopy) with the documents you want to get verified to the processor for the assessment.
5. Go to the cashier to pay your fee (Php 100 per document for Regular and Php 200 per document for Expedite.)
6. Bring your original ID and the official receipt on set release date and time to claim the document.
Please note again that if you are going to submit it to a country not a member of the Apostille Convention or where Philippine Documents with an Apostille are not yet accepted, you need to go to their Embassy or Consulate for Legalization.
So example, Canada needs yung authentication mo for your Birth Certificate, then after getting an Apostille in the DFA, you need to go to the Canadian embassy for your Birth Certificates’ Legalization.
The Features of an Apostille Document:
You can check the authenticity of the document through this website. Alternatively, you can check its features:
- QR Code (upper left portion)
- Eight Digit Keycode in the lower part of the certificate
- Electronic Sign of the Authentication Officer
- A Round gold sticker
FAQs for Apostille
1. I am abroad, I want my documents authenticated or Apostilled, what do I do?
You can get an authorized representative to process the Apostillization for you in case you can’t apply personally.
2. Will an Apostille ruin my document?
No, it would not. An Apostille special certificate that is attached to your document and it isn’t a sticker so no worries.
3. I can’t find a country on the list, what do I do?
You need to present the document with Apostille to the country’s Embassy or Consulate in the Philippines for legalization. If there’s no Embassy in the Philippines, you may contact the nearest one for instructions on what to do.
4. Can I authenticate documents from another country?
No, only Philippine public documents are going to be Apostilled or Authenticated.
5. I already have an Authenticated Document with a “red ribbon,” it is still valid?
If you are passing to a country, not a member of the Apostille Convention, then that is okay. However, if it is for a country that is a member of the Apostille Convention then you may need an Apostille.
I hope that this will help you with your applications or requirements abroad. Indeed, an Apostille is better than the Red Ribbon since you can only go to a single place rather than the DFA Office plus the Foreign Embassy. If you need more help in your documents, feel free to browse our website as we have tourist application guides for Philippine Passport Holders and guides for government agencies like NBI, BIR, SSS, etc. Happy Browsing!
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