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Legalia Tutorial Affidavit of Support Philippines

How to Generate an Affidavit of Support in the Philippines — Step-by-Step Tutorial

Fill the form, review the live preview, and export a notary-ready PDF — for immigration, school enrollment, and financial sponsorship.

May 14, 2026 · 5 min read

An Affidavit of Support is one of the most frequently executed documents in Philippine legal practice. It is required by the Bureau of Immigration for travel and visa sponsorship, by schools and universities for enrollment of foreign or out-of-town students, and by government agencies for financial assistance applications. The document must correctly identify the sponsor, the beneficiary, the scope of financial support, and — when required — contain the standard "not a public burden" undertaking.

Legalia automates the drafting. This tutorial walks you through the complete process of generating a notary-ready Affidavit of Support online — from logging in to saving a print-ready PDF — in five steps.

What you need before you start

  • A free Legalia account — sign up here
  • The sponsor's full name, address, civil status, occupation, and employer
  • The beneficiary's full name, relationship to the sponsor, and address
  • The beneficiary's passport number (optional — can be left blank)
  • The purpose of the affidavit: travel destination and dates, enrollment, or other purpose

Step 1: Log In and Open Your Dashboard

Sign in to your Legalia account at https://legalia.ph. After logging in you will land on the document library dashboard, which lists all available document types grouped by category — Affidavits, Contracts, Deeds, and more.

Legalia document library dashboard — grouped by Affidavits, Contracts, and other Philippine legal document types

Step 2: Select Affidavit of Support

Under the Affidavits category, click Affidavit of Support. The document editor opens in a two-panel layout:

  • Left panel — the guided form with all required and optional fields
  • Right panel — the live document preview, updated in real time

Every change you make in the form is immediately reflected in the preview — you always see exactly what will print.

Step 3: Fill In the Form

Complete the fields on the left panel. The form is divided into three sections:

Sponsor (Affiant) Information

FieldNotes
Full NameExactly as it appears on a government-issued ID
Civil StatusSingle / Married / Widowed / Legally Separated
AddressComplete residential address including barangay, city/municipality, and province
OccupationCurrent job title or profession
EmployerName of company or business; enter "Self-employed" if applicable

Beneficiary Information

FieldNotes
Full NameBeneficiary's complete legal name
RelationshipDescribe the relationship to the sponsor — e.g., "my child," "my sibling," "my spouse"
AddressBeneficiary's current residential address
Passport NumberOptional. Leave blank if the beneficiary has no passport yet — Legalia omits the field from the document

Support Details

FieldNotes
Travel ToggleEnable if the affidavit covers international travel; reveals destination country, travel dates, and duration fields
Expenses CoveredDescribe what the sponsor will cover — e.g., "transportation, accommodation, food, and other incidental expenses"
Support Nature / ReasonWhy the support is being extended — e.g., "for a study visit," "for tourism," "for immigration purposes"
Not a Public BurdenOptional. Enable to add the standard undertaking that the beneficiary will not become a financial burden on the government — commonly required for immigration and visa applications
AnnexOptional. Reference any supporting documents attached to the affidavit — e.g., bank certificate, employment certificate
Purpose of ExecutionState where the affidavit will be submitted — e.g., "to support an application for a tourist visa" or "to support enrollment at [school name]"

Step 4: Review the Live Preview

The right panel shows the document exactly as it will print. Review the full text carefully — especially the sponsor's undertakings, the beneficiary details, the support period, and the jurat block at the bottom.

Two optional tools appear at the top of the preview panel:

  • Long / Short toggle — switches between an expanded narrative version and a concise version of the support undertaking. Use "Long" when the institution requests a more detailed sworn statement.
  • Polish with AI — rewrites the support description and purpose paragraphs in formal legal Philippine English while preserving all facts. Useful when the sponsor provided casual or informal language.

Step 5: Print or Save as PDF

When the document looks correct, click the Print button in the action bar. Your browser's print dialog opens.

  • To print on paper: select your printer and click Print.
  • To save a PDF: change the Destination to Save as PDF. The output is a clean document with no UI chrome, headers, or footers — formatted for standard 8.5×11 or A4 paper with correct margins and line spacing for notarial use.

Bring the printout to your commissioned notary public for the sponsor's oath and signature.

That is the complete workflow — from opening the dashboard to a notary-ready Affidavit of Support.

Generate Your Affidavit of Support — Free

No credit card required. Draft, preview, and print a notary-ready Affidavit of Support for immigration, school enrollment, or financial sponsorship — Philippine format, correct jurat included.

Generate Free with Legalia

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Legalia replace the notary?
No. Legalia handles the drafting. The sponsor (affiant) still needs to sign the document before a commissioned notary public. Notarization is done the usual way — Legalia simply removes the writing step.
Is the Affidavit of Support acceptable for Bureau of Immigration (BI) use?
Yes. The format follows the standard Philippine notarial form accepted by the Bureau of Immigration for travel sponsorship and visa-related transactions. Always review the final document and consult the specific BI requirement before submission.
Can a joint affidavit of support (two sponsors) be generated?
Not currently. Legalia's Affidavit of Support form supports one sponsor per document. For joint sponsorship, generate separate affidavits for each sponsor or consult your lawyer for a custom joint form.
What if the beneficiary does not have a passport number?
The passport number field is optional. Leave it blank and Legalia will omit it from the document. This is common when the beneficiary is applying for a passport or has not yet received one.
What is the "not a public burden" clause and when should I include it?
This clause is a sworn declaration that the beneficiary will not become a financial burden on the government during the sponsored period. It is commonly required for immigration and visa applications. Include it when the destination country or the requesting agency specifically requires it.
Is Legalia free to use?
Yes. You can generate, preview, and print an Affidavit of Support on the Free plan with no credit card required. Premium plans unlock additional document types and AI-assisted drafting.
Can I edit the document after generating it?
Yes. Every field on the left panel is editable at any time. Changes are reflected in the preview instantly. You can also use the "Polish with AI" feature to refine the language before printing.

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