As you probably already know, certain documents bear importance for legal and financial reasons. One of them is the death certificate—a legal document that proves a loved one’s passing.
Also Read: How to Claim Pag-IBIG Benefits
Getting a death certificate is a requirement especially for documents where you may need to file a claim such as insurance from a private company, or applying for death benefits in government organizations like SSS, Philhealth, Pag-IBIG, etc.
In this post, we will explain how you can request for a Philippine Statistics Authority Death Certificate. The application process, requirements, and FAQs.
Also Read: How to Request for PSA Birth Certificate
What is a Death Certificate?
A death certificate or certificate of death (COD) is an official document that details all the information relating to an individual’s death. It sets forth a dead person’s particulars, including the name, date of birth, and death date.
Reasons for requesting a Death Certificate
As a legal document, a death certificate provides proof that a relative—whether a spouse or other family member—has died and is usually required when making arrangements for burial, inheritance, and insurance claims, among others.
Other reasons for actively requesting a death certificate includes corrections resulting from:
1. Error in the deceased’s name in the Certificate of Death (COD)
A death certificate can be requested if you wish to correct an error in the spelling of your dead family’s first name.
According to Republic Act (RA) 9048, clerical or typographical errors resulting in incorrect first name or nickname in any civil registry document can be corrected. That said, a petition for correction of entry can be filed to correct erroneous first names in death certificates.
Relatives of the deceased—either by the spouse, the children, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, or guardian—can make this request. Also allowed to request for COD are any other person authorized by law. A lawyer or an authorized representative may also file the petition if they can present a special power of attorney (SPA) issued by the requesting relative.
A copy of the deceased’s death certificate will be required in addition to the standard requirements for the petition for correction of entries.
The petitioner may file the request for correction of entries in the death certificate at the Local Civil Registry Office (LCRO) where the COD was registered or at any LCRO, in case of a migrant-petition.
2. Error in the recorded date and place of death
This error type refers to any clerical or typographical error in either the date or the place of death in the COD.
In such cases, the petitioner should go to the LCRO where the death was registered and file for a petition to correct an entry in the COD under the provisions detailed in the RA 9048.
3. Blurred or unreadable entries
Suppose the requested copy of the COD in security paper issued by the Philippine Statistics Office (PSA) has blurred or have unreadable entry. In that case, the requesting party may proceed to the LCRO, where the death was registered. They will need to file a request for endorsement to PSA for the issuance of a clear and readable copy of the COD, if available. In case the LCRO file copy is also blurred or unreadable, the petitioner may request the LCRO for an endorsement to acquire a copy of the Municipal Form 2-A.
4. No entries in some items
Suppose the COD is missing any item except at the Medical Certification portion. In that case, the petitioner may ask for a supplemental report from the LCRO where the death certificate was registered.
To request for a supplemental report filing at the LCRO, the requesting party will need an Affidavit of Supplemental Report on missing entries, a supplemental report using the COD Form, and a copy of the COD from PSA.
5. Negative Certification results at the PSA
Suppose a request for the issuance of a copy of the COD at PSA returns a Negative Certification. In that case, the requesting party will need to file a request at the LCRO where the COD was registered to provide an endorsement for the issuance of a copy of the COD from the PSA.
6. No signature or different signatures of issuing officer from LCRO
If the request for a copy of the COD at the PSA returns feedback for missing signature or different specimen signature of the issuing officer from the concerned LCRO, then here are the steps to follow:
- Suppose the feedback says there are different specimen signatures. In that case, you may request for endorsement of the updated specimen signature of the issuing officer from the LCRO where the COD was registered.
- If the COD copy has no signature, you will need to request the concerned LCRO to re-endorse a certified copy of the COD with the signatures affixed.
Requirements for getting a Death Certificate
Like in any request for a civil registry document, requesting a death certificate requires petitioners to submit some documents and pertinent information that will help facilitate the COD’s COD’s verification and issuance.
The requesting party should prepare and provide the following:
- Duly accomplished Death Certificate Application Form.
- Valid ID(s)
- Authorization letter and Special Power of Attorney (SPA) if the requesting party is sending an authorized representative.
- Php 155 for each copy of a Death Certificate
- Information needed for issuance of Death Certificate
- Complete name of the deceased person
- Date of death
- Place of death
- Place of death
- Full name of the requesting party
- Complete address of the requesting party
- Number of copies needed
- Purpose of the death certificate
Who can petition or request for a Death Certificate
Not everyone can request the issuance of a death certificate. Under the law, this request can only be put forth by the following:
- Next of kin
- Spouse (legal husband or wife)
- Parent
- Direct descendant
- Court of Proper Public Official
- Duly Authorized Representative (with Authorization letter and SPA)
Ways to Request for a Death Certificate
Requesting for a death certificate doesn’t have to be painful. For this reason, we rounded up some of the various means to secure one, in and out of the Philippines.
The options include requesting a COD via PSA Serbilis Centers, SM Business Centers, online, or Batch Requests Entry System (BREQS).
1. Walk-in via PSA Serbilis Center
Death certificates can be requested on security paper from the PSA via any Serbilis Centers. Going to the main branch generally means you can get the certificate faster on the same day; going through any branch releases the document within 2-3 days.
If this processing period and method is right up your alley, then you may follow these steps:
- Fill out the Death Certificate Application Form, which can be downloaded online or acquired from Serbilis Centers.
- Visit any Serbilis center and submit your request and requirements. Do not forget to bring a valid ID with you.
- Pay P155 for every requested copy of the civil registry document and keep the claim stub.
- On the scheduled release date, go to the Serbilis Center to submit the request and wait for the death certificate to be released.
2. Walk-in via SM Business Center
If there isn’t any PSA Serbilis Center in your area, another option would be to personally submit the request at the SM Business Center. This option may seem convenient, especially to those living near SM malls, but the processing period leading to the COD release takes about seven (7) weeks. Because of this timeframe, make sure you choose this option of requesting for COD only when you have enough time to wait, then follow these steps:
- Completely fill-up a Death Certificate Application Form available for download online or at your preferred SM Business center.
- Visit the nearest Business Center, submit your documents, and pay the PHP 180 fee—it’s 155 for the actual cost and Php 25 for the service fee. Keep the official receipt and the claim stub.
- On the date stated on your claim stub, visit the SM Business Center where the request was made and claim your copy of the death certificate you requested.
3. Online Request for COD
Death certificates printed on security paper can also be obtained online and delivered in and out of the country by following these steps:
- Visit the e-Census website.
- Read the Terms and Conditions, and click “Accept.”
- Key in the delivery address and other details.
- Choose “Death Certificate.”
- Fill out the form with the required information, then click “Save.” Make sure you confirm that all the information entered is free from errors.
- Once done, upload the additional documentary requirements and click “Submit.” Thi” should redirect you to the payment page.
- On the payment page, select your preferred payment option—which includes payment via online, bank, or Bayad Center. Note that each copy costs Php 330 if it is to be delivered within the country and $20.30 for requests from abroad.
- For online payments, click “Proceed.” Otherwise, have the form printed and proceed to the bank or Bayad Center to process the payment and wait for the death certificate to be delivered to your nominated delivery address.
4. Application via Batch Requests Entry System (BREQS)
The application may also be made via the Batch Request Entry System at the PSA XI-Census Serbilis Center. The process may take up to 2 to 3 days from the date of filing before the document can be released.
PSA Serbilis Processing and Delivery Schedule
The processing and delivery period may vary depending on the method and channel through which the request was made.
For requests made via PSA Serbilis Centers
PSA Serbilis processing and delivery of requested death certificates vary depending on location and availability of flights of airlines.
For Metro Manila delivery, it may take up to 6 to 8 working days. In contrast, requests from cities and provinces outside Metro Manila may need 7 to 9 working days after payment before they can be delivered.
Note that it may take about 5 to 7 days longer for areas outside of the courier’s standard serviceable area and even longer for some places in the Mindanao and Bicol region.
Requests from other countries are also dependent upon the services of the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) and FedEx (for special couriers billed directly by FedEx to the requesting party) and the restrictions in each destination country.
For requests made via SM Business Center
If you are not pressed for time and can wait around for up to 7 weeks and wish for convenience, request a COD at an SM Business Center.
For online requests
Once the payment is completed, wait for 3-5 working days to 3 weeks after payment for requests to be delivered within Metro Manila. For requests from other cities and provinces outside of Metro Manila, you will need 4-9 working days to up to 4 weeks before the death certificate is issued and delivered. Requests from other countries usually take 6-8 weeks after payment is made.
If the request goes through the conventional postal service system or via e-mail, the certification will be sent to the petitioner via the traditional postal service system.
FAQs on PSA Death Certificate
For other concerns that you might have regarding requests for issuance of a certificate of death (COD), we rounded up a list of commonly asked questions as well.
1. I have already paid for the document, but is there any way to cancel my request?
None. PSA has a no-cancellation policy in place, so once it is paid for, there is no way to cancel an already existing request.
2. Can I request a refund of the payment made towards the request?
No, you cannot. PSA enforces a no refund policy.
3. When is it considered an unsuccessful delivery?
Delivery is tagged as unsuccessful if:
- The requesting party who ordered the COD could not be found.
- The petitioner who ordered does not live in the address noted.
- The document is refused at the nominated delivery address.
- The address is incorrect or incomplete and could not be found.
4. Can I request another delivery attempt if the delivery was unsuccessful?
No. PSA considers unsuccessful delivery as completed order, so if you still need a copy of the COD, you will need to make another request and restart the process all over again.
5. What other documents I can be requested at the PSA?
Civil Registry documents, including Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, and Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR), are all available and requested from the PSA.
This guide is created to make the request for the issuance of a Death Certificate as painless as possible. If you are faced with other concerns not detailed in this guide, we recommend reaching out to PSA directly via their hotline numbers.