Authorization letter sample

A one-page letter that lets a named person act for you once: claim your PhilHealth or SSS document, pick up a parcel or a cheque, get a transcript from the registrar, process a vehicle registration at the LTO or collect a passport. It names you, the person you authorize, exactly what they may do and until when, the IDs each of you will show, and carries both signatures. The Philippine sample uses the wording clerks there look for; the Malaysian authorisation letter uses British spelling and a MyKad number line.

Templates

  • Authorization letter (document): An authorization letter format for the Philippines to let a representative claim a document, ID or parcel on your behalf, with both valid IDs and a specimen signature. Sample letter for claiming a PSA birth certificate included.
  • Authorisation letter (Malaysia) (document): An authorisation letter format for Malaysia to let a representative collect a document from JPJ or a bank on your behalf, with the NRIC numbers of both people and a specimen signature. Sample letter included.

How to use these templates

  1. Check what the office needs: most ask for the letter, a photocopy of your valid ID signed by you, and the representative's own ID. Some want a specific ID type, such as a government ID with signature.
  2. Open the template and tell the AI who is claiming what, for example "my sister Ana will claim my SSS UMID card at the Makati branch on 5 November".
  3. Write the item and the office exactly as they appear on the receipt or claim stub, and give the letter an end date so it cannot be reused.
  4. Print it, sign it in ink, attach the ID photocopies, and send a photo of the signed letter to your representative in case the office wants to confirm.

Getting an authorization letter accepted

  • Keep it to one specific transaction. A letter that says "all my transactions" is often refused, and a dated, single-purpose letter protects you.
  • Match names to IDs exactly, including middle names and suffixes. A mismatch between the letter and the ID is the usual reason a claim is turned away.
  • Government offices in the Philippines usually want a photocopy of your ID with your signature across it ("signed over"). SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG and PSA each have their own rule, so check the branch's list first.
  • For money, cheques or a vehicle, an authorization letter may not be enough: a bank or the LTO will ask for a special power of attorney, which is notarized. Use the SPA template instead.
  • In Malaysia, JPJ, banks and universities accept a signed authorisation letter with copies of both MyKads for routine collections; courier companies accept it with the tracking number written in.

Frequently asked questions

Does an authorization letter need to be notarized?

Usually not. Most offices accept a signed letter with ID copies. Notarization is needed when the transaction involves money, property or a vehicle, and then the right document is a special power of attorney.

Can I email or send a scanned copy?

Many couriers and schools accept a photo or scan. Government counters usually want the original with a wet signature, so send the original with your representative.

How long is it valid?

For as long as the letter says. Write the date of the transaction or an end date, such as "valid until 30 November 2026", and the letter is dead after that.

Can my representative sign on my behalf?

Only for the collection itself, for example signing a courier's logbook. They cannot sign contracts, affidavits or bank forms for you unless an SPA grants that power.

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