How to get your SSS number online, and your E-1 form

Apply for your SS number on the SSS website, get your E-1 form from the confirmation email, and make your number permanent. Free, from SSS's own pages.

6 min read. Updated . By Catalyst Outsourcing.

Your SS number is the one number you use with the Social Security System for life. SSS has made online registration the way to get one since 15 July 2020: on its website, or at the E-Center of an SSS branch. Here's how to apply online, what the E-1 form is, and how to make your number permanent, from SSS's own pages, read on 7 October 2026.

It's free. SSS's 2026 Citizen's Charter lists no fee for applying online.

How can I get my SSS number online?

You need an email address you can open, and a scan or photo of your birth certificate or an ID if you want your number made permanent on the first try.

  1. On sss.gov.ph, go to Become an SSS Member and click "Apply for an SS Number online". Read the procedures, then click Start.
  2. Fill in the Registrant Record Verification, tick "I'm not a robot" and "I certify that above information are true and correct", then click Submit.
  3. Open the link SSS emails you. SSS says it's valid "for five (5) calendar days only", so check your spam folder if it's not in your inbox.
  4. Fill in your basic and contact details, home address and purpose of registration. Then your social status and place of birth, then your beneficiaries, such as your father, spouse or children.
  5. Pick a user ID for your My.SSS account, and enter your height and weight.
  6. Check every entry, then click "Generate SS Number". SSS warns that once the number is generated, you have to go to an SSS branch to correct wrong information.
  7. Upload one supporting document as a readable color JPEG or PDF of up to 3MB, then click Submit. You can skip this step, but your number then stays Temporary.
  8. Check your email for the confirmation. It comes with three attachments: your SS Number Slip, your Transaction Number Slip and your E-1/E-6 form.
  9. Open the second email to set your My.SSS password. That link lasts 30 days.

What you need: the documents SSS accepts

SSS's standard document is your birth certificate. Without one, SSS's list accepts any one of these:

With none of those, you can send any two documents that show your correct name, with at least one showing your birth date. SSS's list includes a school ID, NBI clearance, police clearance, postal ID, voter's ID, TIN card and transcript of records.

No birth certificate yet? Our PSA birth certificate guide shows how to order one online.

Temporary or permanent: what your SS number status means

SSS tags every new number Temporary or Permanent. In SSS's words, a Temporary number "can be used for contribution purposes only". To claim from SSS or take an SSS loan, your number has to be Permanent.

If you uploaded a document, SSS's charter says its staff compare it with your E-1 within 2 working days. Approved numbers are tagged Permanent, and the rest stay Temporary.

To change a Temporary number to Permanent later, SSS asks for your PSA birth certificate or another primary document, such as a UMID card, PhilID, driver's license, passport, NBI clearance, postal ID or voter's ID.

What the SSS E-1 form is, and how to get a copy

The E-1 is your Personal Record: the form that holds the details you entered when you applied. Its full name on SSS's page is the "Personal Record/Unified Multipurpose ID Card Application (E-1/E-6)".

SSS's page says you can print or download it as soon as your number is generated, and it's also attached to your confirmation email. Save that email. It also holds your Transaction Number, which SSS says you use to register for My.SSS if the 30-day link expires.

Lost the email? The SSS pages we read don't say how to print a fresh E-1 later. Ask SSS on its hotline, 1455, or at a branch.

When your SSS coverage starts

Having an SS number doesn't make you a covered member yet. SSS says an employed worker "becomes a covered SSS member when the ER submits an employment report and has paid at least one (1) contribution". ER means employer. For employees, coverage starts on the first day of the job, and the employer reports you to SSS.

Don't start paying as a voluntary member with a brand-new number. SSS says paying your first contributions that way "will render them void and subject to refund". Self-employed members and OFWs can pay under their own type straight away.

Freelancing instead? Here's what SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG cost you each month as a freelancer.

Once you're paying, the SSS contribution table shows your monthly contribution for each salary credit.

Lost your SSS number? Don't get a new one

SSS calls the SS number "the lifetime number". If you forget it, ask for a verification of your old number at the nearest SSS office. SSS warns that a second number delays your claims and loans later. If you already have two, ask SSS to cancel the extra one so your records sit under one number.

Next: the rest of your requirements

Your SS number is one document on the list. Our checklist of pre-employment requirements covers the rest. The next numbers to get are your Pag-IBIG MID number and your PhilHealth number. When your papers are ready, find a remote day shift job. It's free to apply.

Questions

Is SSS number registration free?

Yes. SSS's 2026 Citizen's Charter lists no fee for applying for an SS number online, with or without documents.

How long does it take to get an SSS number online?

SSS's page says the system shows your generated SS number on screen right away. If you upload a document, SSS's charter says staff check it within 2 working days and tag the number Permanent if it passes.

How can I get a copy of my SSS E-1 form?

It's attached to the confirmation email SSS sends after you generate your number, and you can download it on screen at the same moment. For a copy after that, call SSS on 1455 or visit a branch.

What's the difference between a temporary and a permanent SSS number?

A Temporary number "can be used for contribution purposes only", in SSS's words. SSS says you need a Permanent number before you can claim from SSS or take a loan. Upload or present your birth certificate or a primary ID to make it Permanent.

Can I have two SSS numbers?

No. SSS says you should never get another number, because two numbers delay claims and loans. If you have two, ask SSS to cancel the extra one.

Sources

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