The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs extended its e-Apostille service to PSA electronic birth, marriage and death certificates and to CHED eCAV academic records, effective 16 March 2026. Paper apostilles are no longer issued for these categories; the apostille is delivered electronically and is meant for electronic transmission only. In June 2026 the DFA added MARINA seafarer documents under the same digital-only rule.
Who it affects
Filipinos working, studying or settling abroad, and foreign employers, schools and immigration offices receiving Philippine civil-registry or academic records.
What changes in practice
- No in-person DFA appearance is needed for these document types.
- Printing the e-Apostille and submitting a hard copy invalidates it.
- Recipients verify via QR code or the DFA e-registry.
- Paper processing remains only for physical documents and recipients that refuse electronic apostilles.
Source: HCCH (e-APP Notification No. 4 of 2026).
