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Short answer: apply online at ecav.ched.gov.ph, not at a CHED counter. CHED has moved Certification, Authentication and Verification onto a national portal called eCAV. You create an account, upload PDF scans of your transcript and diploma, pay online, and download the certificate. For most applicants there is no appointment to book and no queue to join.
Two things trip people up before they even start. First, if you graduated from a state university or college, your SUC issues its own CAV — CHED is not your first stop. Second, your documents must be certified true copies signed by your current HEI registrar, which means a trip to your school regardless. This page explains both, plus what to upload, what it costs, and what CAV is actually for.
All portal details below were read directly from ecav.ched.gov.ph on 23 August 2026.
What CAV means, and why you need it
CAV stands for Certification, Authentication and Verification. It is CHED confirming that your academic records are genuine and that the school that issued them was authorised to run that programme.
You almost always need it for one of these reasons:
- Working abroad. Foreign employers and licensing boards will not accept a diploma at face value.
- Studying abroad. Overseas universities ask for authenticated records as part of admission.
- Apostille. This is the big one. The Department of Foreign Affairs will not apostille your diploma directly. It apostilles the CAV. So CAV is the step before the step.
- Immigration and visa applications that require proof of qualifications.
If someone has told you to “get your diploma red-ribboned”, they are describing the old name for this same chain: CAV first, then DFA.
Which address is the right one?
Search for “CHED CAV” and you will get at least seven different hostnames, three of them owned by CHED itself. Only one is where you apply.
| Address | What it actually is | Apply here? |
|---|---|---|
ecav.ched.gov.ph |
The national eCAV application portal. This is the live system for applicants. | Yes |
admin.ecav.ched.gov.ph |
The eCAV admin portal. This is for CHED staff processing applications, not for you. | No |
onetouch.ched.gov.ph |
CHED One Touch, the unified sign-in that ties together CHED digital services including SOAIS, HEIDA and eCAV. | Sign-in layer only |
Regional sites such as caraga.ched.gov.ph |
CHED regional office pages. Useful for local contact details and the older counter-based procedure. | No |
| Private attestation agencies | Commercial middlemen. They charge a fee to do what you can do yourself. | No |
| Regional office Facebook pages | Genuine CHED announcements, but not an application channel. | No |
If a site asks for payment by bank transfer to a personal account, or promises to “rush” your CAV for several thousand pesos, it is not CHED.
First check: is CHED even your issuing authority?
This single question decides your whole route, and it is the most common reason an application is rejected.
- Private HEI graduate. CHED is your issuing authority. Apply through eCAV.
- State university or college (SUC) graduate. Your SUC is chartered to issue its own CAV. Get it from your university registrar first. The eCAV portal lists “SUC-issued CAV — for public school graduates” as a supporting document, which tells you the direction of travel: the SUC issues, and CHED sees that document.
- Local university or college (LUC) graduate. Your LUC endorses your application to CHED.
- Your school has closed. You file directly with the CHED regional office that covered that school, with a notarised request letter.
If you are unsure which category your school falls into, ask your registrar before you pay anything. They deal with this every week.
Can I go directly to CHED for CAV?
Under the old counter-based process, generally no. Your school submitted the request and CHED issued the CAV on security paper. Walking into a regional office with your own diploma was not the normal route, and it is why so many people were turned away.
eCAV changes the shape of this. You now file your own application online, in your own name, without your school submitting it for you. But your school still has to certify your documents first. So “direct” is true for the application and false for the paperwork.
The exception remains a closed HEI. If your school no longer exists, you file directly with the relevant CHED regional office, and a notarised request letter is required.
How to apply, step by step
The portal sets out five stages:
- Create an account. Register with a valid email address and complete your profile. Use an email you will still control in a year.
- Submit your application. Upload the required documents and complete the form. Accuracy matters here more than speed.
- Make payment. The portal supports online options including GCash and Landbank.
- CHED processing. Your documents are reviewed and verified by the regional office.
- Download your eCAV. The certificate arrives in your account, and you are notified by email.
Before step two, go to your school. Every required document must be a certified true copy signed by your current HEI registrar. A photocopy you certified yourself will not pass.
What to upload
Requirements differ by applicant type. These are the lists as published on the portal.
| Applicant type | Required | If applicable |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate) |
Official Transcript of Records (CTC, signed by current HEI registrar) Diploma or Certificate of Graduation (CTC, signed by current HEI registrar) |
Special Order SUC-issued CAV (public school graduates) Barangay Certificate (first-time jobseekers claiming fee exemption) |
| Medical allied graduate | Official Transcript of Records (CTC) Diploma or Certificate of Graduation (CTC) Summary of Related Learning Experience Record (CTC) |
Special Order SUC-issued CAV Barangay Certificate |
| Undergraduate (unit earners) |
Official Transcript of Records (CTC) Certificate of Units Earned (CTC) |
Certificate of Enrolment, if currently enrolled and not yet graduated |
Nursing, medical technology, physical therapy and similar programmes fall under “medical allied”, and the Summary of Related Learning Experience Record is required, not optional. Applicants from these programmes are frequently delayed because they upload only a transcript and diploma.
Upload rules that cause rejections
The portal is explicit about file quality:
- Use clear scanned copies. Avoid phone photos.
- Arrange transcript pages in the correct order.
- Upload in PDF format only.
A tilted phone photo of a transcript is the most common avoidable rejection. Use a flatbed scanner at your school or a print shop.
Fees, and the exemption most people miss
CHED Caraga publishes the schedule set by CAO No. 04 s.2014: ₱80.00 for the CAV itself and ₱30.00 per copy for a certified true copy. Regional offices apply the same order, and the portal will show the amount due before you pay. Confirm the figure in the portal at the payment step rather than relying on any third-party page, including this one.
The exemption is worth knowing about. Under Republic Act 11261, the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, first-time jobseekers may apply for a fee exemption. The portal lists this as a key feature and asks for a Barangay Certificate as the supporting document. If this is your first job hunt after graduating, get that certificate from your barangay before you apply — it is free, and it removes the fee.
Note that the DFA apostille is a separate charge, paid to the DFA, not to CHED.
After CHED: the apostille step
If your CAV is for use abroad, CHED is not the last stop. You take the CAV to the Department of Foreign Affairs for apostille. CHED Caraga lists DFA apostille offices in Manila, Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro.
The order is fixed and cannot be skipped: school certifies → CHED issues CAV → DFA apostilles. Countries in the Apostille Convention accept the apostille directly. Countries outside it may additionally require legalisation at their embassy, so check with the embassy of your destination country before booking anything.
Processing time, tracking and support
CHED does not publish a single national processing time on the eCAV portal, and it varies by regional office and by how busy the season is. Rather than guess, use the portal’s own Track Application feature, which shows status at any time, and watch for email and in-app notifications.
If something stalls, contact the regional office that covers your school rather than the central office. The portal states that regional offices are the primary support channel for eCAV concerns, and gives office hours as Monday to Thursday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM (UTC+08:00).
Every region has a listed address and number. A few examples: NCR at [email protected] / [email protected], (02) 8403-2247; Region VII (Central Visayas) at [email protected], (032) 414-9194; Region XIII (Caraga) at [email protected], (085) 817-0930. The full list is on the portal’s Contact Us page. The CHED central office is at the HEDC Building, C.P. Garcia Avenue, UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, (02) 8441-1220.
Frequently asked questions
What is CAV from CHED?
Certification, Authentication and Verification. It is CHED’s formal confirmation that your academic records are genuine and that your programme was authorised. It is normally required before the DFA will apostille your documents for use abroad.
How do I get eCAV from CHED?
Register at ecav.ched.gov.ph, upload certified true copies of your transcript and diploma as PDFs, pay online, wait for CHED to verify, then download the certificate from your account.
Can I go directly to CHED for CAV online?
Yes, in the sense that you file your own application through eCAV without your school submitting it. No, in the sense that your documents must still be certified by your current HEI registrar first. Closed-HEI applicants file directly with the regional office using a notarised request letter.
How much does CAV cost at CHED?
CAO No. 04 s.2014 sets ₱80.00 for the CAV and ₱30.00 per certified true copy. First-time jobseekers may claim exemption under RA 11261 by submitting a Barangay Certificate. Confirm the amount shown in the portal before paying.
How many days does CAV processing take?
CHED does not publish one national figure, and it differs between regional offices. Use the Track Application feature in the portal for your actual status instead of relying on a quoted number.
Do I still need to book a CHED appointment or walk in?
For a standard eCAV application, no. The portal is designed so you can apply without visiting a CHED office. Your in-person trip is to your school registrar, to get documents certified. If your case is unusual, contact your regional office first rather than travelling on spec.
I graduated from a state university. Do I use eCAV?
Start with your SUC. State universities and colleges issue their own CAV. The eCAV portal treats an SUC-issued CAV as a supporting document for public school graduates.
Can I claim my eCAV from a different regional office?
This is a question CHED lists in its own portal FAQ, which suggests it is not automatic. Ask the regional office handling your application before assuming you can collect elsewhere.
Is CHED the same as DOST?
No. CHED regulates higher education institutions and issues CAV. DOST runs science and technology scholarships and research funding. They are separate agencies with separate portals.
