The Saga That Is My Life, You Should Try It!

Getting NSO Birth Certificate From SM

Need a PSA or an NSO Birth Certificate? You can get it from any SM branch near you.

With the new bureaucratic rule of six-month-period document validity in most government offices, it’s a wonder we still see trees standing in the country. Gone were the days when we hold on to our single copy of yellowing and falling apart birth certificate we only take out gingerly from its hiding place during the start of school year. Oh well, I guess that’s progress.

So, yeah. If you don’t want or don’t have the time to go to NSO main office in Quezon City, getting a PSA or an NSO birth certificate from SM is your next best option. I used to order online and pat myself in the back for saving time and money that way. That was before I learned that you can get NSO birth certificate from SM Malls.

So, you just

  1. go to their Business Center (this is usually located inside the Department Store, but I’ve seen SM Business Centers outside, side by side boutiques in the mall).
  2. Fill out 2 copies of the request form (one for you and one for SM). Ask a guard (if there is one) for the forms. If you’re requesting other documents, say CENOMAR or Death and Marriage Certificates, you need to fill out another form. That is, 2 forms PER request.
  3. Wait to be served.
  4. Transact and pay at the counter.
  5. Claim after 7 days. They will tell you where (what part of the mall) to claim it and when exactly. The standard processing is, I think 5-7 days. Don’t forget to bring your ID. (Be sure that the person who’s claiming it for you have your ID and your authorization letter if you can’t get it yourself). Somebody said you can also have it delivered for an extra fee, but I wasn’t able to confirm this.

 

 

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Another way of getting an NSO Birth Cetificate via another accredited party. Simply go to their website or call their hotline.

 

 

PAYMENT

This is what I love the most: It only costs 160.00 (per copy). It’s only 140.00 if you get it from NSO office directly. SM charges 20.00 for processing.

If you get it online, by the way, one copy costs 315.00 (including delivery and 15.00 documentary tax). That’s 140.00 (per copy) + 175 (service and delivery fee) = 315.00. And the sad part is, if you’re requesting multiple documents with the same delivery address, they are going to treat one copy as one transaction EACH and will still charge you 175.00 service and delivery fee for EACH copy you request, so it’s still 315.00 PER COPY, even if there’s only one delivery address. They just put each in separate envelopes. Funny.

Don’t lose your receipt, since it has the date of when you requested the document. You’ll need that to prove it’s still within the six-month validity period.

 

Don’t feel like getting your PSA or NSO document from SM and still wondering where to get NSO birth certificate copies? Try Census Serbilis Centers. Check here if there’s one near you.