Pre-employment requirements help employers prepare new hires for work. They cover the documents, registrations, and records needed before payroll begins.
In the Philippines, these requirements serve two main purposes. First, they support statutory obligations, including tax withholding and mandatory contributions. Second, they help you verify a worker’s identity, qualifications, and employment details.
Pre-Employment Requirements According to Philippine Law
Philippine law does not prescribe one universal checklist. Instead, different laws create separate duties for employers during onboarding.
You must register and report eligible employees for statutory coverage. You must also withhold the correct taxes and remit required contributions. This process requires accurate employee information from the outset. The main statutory areas include:
- BIR tax administration: Employers need tax details to calculate withholding tax and prepare payroll records.
- Social Security System: Employers report employees and
- PhilHealth: Employers use membership details to administer health insurance premiums.
- Pag-IBIG Fund: Employers use membership details for required housing-fund contributions.
- Data privacy: Employers should collect only relevant personal data and protect it throughout recruitment and employment.
- Foreign work authorization: Foreign hires may require an Alien Employment Permit and an appropriate work visa before working locally.
These obligations do not make every onboarding document compulsory. For example, employers often request bank details, academic records, or reference contacts. However, such items usually support internal processes rather than a universal legal requirement.
Common Pre-Employment Requirements in the Philippines
The table below separates core payroll information from documents that depend on the role. This helps you build an onboarding checklist without treating all requests as mandatory.
| Requirement | Purpose and local context |
|---|---|
| Valid government-issued ID | Confirms the employee’s legal identity and helps employers maintain accurate personnel records. Employers may request accepted Philippine IDs, such as a passport, PhilSys ID, driver’s licence, or UMID card. |
| Tax Identification Number (TIN) | Identifies the employee for Bureau of Internal Revenue purposes. Employers use it to administer payroll withholding and tax reporting. New employees may need registration support where they do not yet have a TIN. |
| SSS number | Identifies the employee for Social Security System coverage. Employers use it when reporting the employee and calculating contributions for social-security benefits. |
| PhilHealth number | Identifies the employee for Philippine health-insurance coverage. It allows the employer to report and remit the applicable PhilHealth premium. |
| Pag-IBIG membership number | Identifies the employee for Home Development Mutual Fund coverage. Employers use it to calculate and remit mandatory Pag-IBIG contributions. |
| Signed employment contract | Records the agreed role, compensation, start date, work arrangement, and employment status. It gives both parties a written record of the employment terms. |
| Employee information form | Captures details needed for HR and payroll records. This may include the employee’s address, civil status, dependants, emergency contact, and contact information. |
| Bank account details | Enables salary payments through the employer’s payroll process. It is usually an operational requirement, not a statutory registration. |
| Medical certificate or examination | To confirm fitness for work. Employers commonly request this for safety-sensitive, food-handling, healthcare, or physically demanding roles. |
| Educational records, licences, or professional certificates | Verifies qualifications for roles requiring particular skills or regulated credentials. Examples include licensed accountants, engineers, nurses, and security personnel. |
| NBI clearance or background check | Supports candidate screening where the role involves money, sensitive data, vulnerable people, or security responsibilities. It is not a universal requirement for all private-sector hires. |
| Work authorization documents | Applies to foreign workers. Employers may need to verify an Alien Employment Permit and the appropriate work visa before the person starts local work. |
Why Pre-Employment Requirements Matter
Pre-employment requirements create the foundation for compliant hiring. However, you still need to translate those details into accurate employment contracts, payroll records, tax withholding, and statutory contributions.
RecruitGo can manage this process on your behalf from onboarding to payroll administration. Our Employer of Record service helps you onboard employees within days without establishing a Philippine entity. If you already have a local entity, our payroll services in the Philippines support salary payments, deductions, and statutory reporting.
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