Power of Attorney & Authorization Letters

Let someone act for you, properly. Special and general powers of attorney, and authorization letters for everyday errands — with full sample text on the page and a free generator.

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Free · PDF & Word · No payment · Philippine legal format

Step 1 — What do you need?

Somebody has to sign, claim or transact and you cannot be there. Philippine offices handle that with two very different documents, and choosing the wrong one is the single most common reason people are sent home from a counter. An authorization letter is enough to claim a certificate, a card or a parcel. A notarised special power of attorney is required the moment ownership is involved — selling, mortgaging, transferring a title, accepting an inheritance.

This hub covers all three instruments — special power of attorney, general power of attorney, and authorization letter — with the full text visible on the page, the acts that article 1878 of the Civil Code reserves to a special power, and the OFW routes for signing abroad. Draft yours below, free.

From draft to accepted at the counter

Step 1
Pick the right instrument
Ownership involved? SPA. Errand? Letter
Step 2
Name the exact acts
An SPA is strictly construed — list every act
Step 3
Notarise or consularise
In PH before a notary; abroad at the Embassy or via apostille
Step 4
Send the original
Courier the wet-ink original — a scan of it is only a photocopy. An SPA validly notarised as an electronic document under A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC is a separate route; ask the receiving office first

Documents & templates

Full sample text, then generate your own.

Special Power of AttorneySpecial power of attorney sample for the Philippines with the full SPA text on the page, the acts that legally require one under article 1878, and a free generator producing a print-ready PDF or Word file.Read →General Power of AttorneyGeneral power of attorney sample for the Philippines, with the full text on the page and a clear explanation of what a GPA cannot do. Free generator producing PDF and Word.Read →Authorization LetterAuthorization letter samples for the Philippines — to claim documents, IDs, cheques, parcels and bank cards — with the full letter text on the page, a Tagalog version, and a free generator.Read →Authorization Letter for PSAAuthorization letter for claiming PSA birth certificates, CENOMAR, marriage and death certificates. Full sample text on the page, who is allowed to claim, and a free generator.Read →

The law

What the rule actually says, in plain English.

SPA vs Authorization LetterWhen Philippine law requires a notarised special power of attorney and when a signed authorization letter is enough — article 1878 of the Civil Code, article 1874, revocation, and the agent's duties, in plain English.Read →

How to

The steps, the offices, the fees.

Notarise or Consularise an SPAStep-by-step: getting a special power of attorney notarised in the Philippines, or executed abroad at a Philippine Embassy or through an apostille. What replaced the red ribbon, and what each office will ask for.Read →

Frequently asked questions

+Does an authorization letter need to be notarised?

Usually not. A signed letter with photocopies of both valid IDs is accepted for routine claiming. Notarisation adds weight, and some institutions require it — ask the receiving office first.

+How long is a special power of attorney valid?

For the period stated in it. If none is stated, until you revoke it, until the act is accomplished, or until the agency ends — including automatically on the principal's death.

+Can a special power of attorney be revoked?

Yes, at any time, unless it was made an essential part of a bilateral contract or constituted in the common interest of the principal and a third person. Execute a notarised revocation, serve it on the agent, and notify everyone who might rely on it.

+What is the difference between a general and a special power of attorney?

A general power covers acts of administration. A special power is needed for acts of ownership and for the other acts listed in article 1878 of the Civil Code — selling, mortgaging, donating, accepting an inheritance, compromising a claim, leasing for more than a year.

+How does an OFW execute an SPA?

Either at the Philippine Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over their residence, or before a local notary followed by an apostille from that country's competent authority. Both are accepted in the Philippines; the original must be couriered home.

+Is red ribbon still needed?

No, for countries in the Apostille Convention. Since 14 May 2019 an apostille replaces the Philippine Embassy authentication for those countries. Non-member countries still use consular authentication.

+Can an authorization letter be used to sell property?

No. A sale is an act of strict dominion requiring a special power under article 1878, and article 1874 makes a land sale through an agent void if the authority is not in writing.

+Do both spouses have to sign an SPA for conjugal property?

Both spouses must consent to the disposition. The form that consent takes — a single joint SPA, two separate SPAs, or a marital consent clause signed on the deed — depends on where each spouse can appear and on what the receiving office accepts. Separate SPAs are usual only because spouses in different countries cannot appear together.

🖊️Power of Attorney & Authorization Letters