How do I get a senior citizen (OSCA) ID, and what benefits come with it?
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Any resident Filipino at least 60 years old is a senior citizen under RA 9994 (Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010). You get the ID from the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in your city or municipal hall — bring proof of age and residency (a birth certificate, passport, or any government ID showing your birthdate). RA 9994 Section 6 says OSCA issues the national senior citizen ID free of charge, valid anywhere in the country. The ID unlocks the benefits under the law, most notably the 20% discount plus VAT exemption on covered goods and services.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
At what age can I get a senior citizen ID?
RA 9994 Section 2 defines a senior citizen as any resident citizen of the Philippines at least sixty (60) years old. Once you turn 60 you may apply at your local OSCA.
How much does the OSCA ID cost?
Nothing. RA 9994 Section 6 directs OSCA to issue the national senior citizen ID free of charge. If someone asks for a fee to 'process' or 'rush' it, that is a fixer arrangement, not an official charge.
What are the main benefits of the ID?
The headline benefit is the 20% discount and VAT exemption on covered goods and services (medicines, medical and dental services, restaurants, transport, and more). Indigent seniors may also qualify for the monthly social pension. See the linked answers for the discount and the pension.
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Government IDs, pensions, and non-medical welfare for seniors, PWDs, solo parents, and poor families — how to get the senior citizen (OSCA) ID and its benefits (RA 9994), the monthly social pension for indigent seniors (RA 11916), the centenarian and milestone-age cash gifts (RA 10868 as amended by RA 11982), the PWD ID and who qualifies and the employer hiring incentive (RA 7277 as amended by RA 9442 and RA 10754), the Solo Parent ID and who counts as a solo parent and the 10% discount on baby needs (RA 8972 as amended by RA 11861), who qualifies for 4Ps and the cash-grant structure and conditions (RA 11310), the non-medical DSWD AICS help (burial, educational, transportation, food) and how to apply, replacing a lost ID, and your right to have these IDs issued free of charge without a fixer (RA 11032). The senior/PWD 20% purchase discount and DSWD medical assistance are in the Healthcare & Hospitals cluster.