The short answer
You apply for the Philippine Bar online through the Supreme Court's BARISTA portal, then file your signed documents with the Office of the Bar Confidant. The 2027 application period, fee and document list have not been announced yet; they come in a later Bar Bulletin. For the 2026 Bar, applications ran from 8 January to 9 March 2026 and the fee was ₱12,800.
Key points
- The 2027 application dates, fee and document list are not out yet; watch for the next Bar Bulletin.
- You must be a Filipino citizen of legal age, of good moral character, and have finished your law degree.
- Applications are made online through BARISTA and filed with the Office of the Bar Confidant.
- For the 2026 Bar, the fee was ₱12,800 and you needed two testimonials of good moral character from lawyers.
- After three unsuccessful attempts, you must complete refresher classes before applying again.
What is announced for 2027, and what is not
Bar Bulletin No. 1-2027, dated 16 September 2026, set the exam itself: 5, 8 and 12 September 2027, at local testing centres, answered on a computer. It does not set the application. The Court has said that requirements, procedures and venues will follow in later Bar Bulletins on its Bar microsite.
To judge the timing, look at the last two cycles. The 2025 Bar's application bulletin came out on 16 December 2024, and the 2026 Bar's on 8 December 2025, with applications open from 8 January to 9 March 2026. That is a pattern, not an announcement; check the Court's microsite for the real 2027 dates.
Who may apply
The rules are in Rule 138 of the Rules of Court, amended effective 3 November 2025. Under the amended rule, an applicant must:
- be a citizen of the Philippines, of legal age;
- show satisfactory evidence of good moral character;
- have no final decision against them involving moral turpitude, and disclose any pending charge of that kind; an applicant with a pending charge may take the exam conditionally;
- have completed their law degree, including the Clinical Legal Education Program.
Filipinos with a law degree from abroad need proof of a Juris Doctor or its equivalent, proof that their school is recognised, and completion of the Clinical Legal Education Program.
How the application worked for the 2026 Bar
These are the steps from the 2026 cycle, the most recent complete one. Expect the 2027 bulletin to follow a similar shape, and use it, not this page, for the real dates and lists.
- Create your application in BARISTA, the Supreme Court's online Bar application system, choosing the year of the Bar. Applicants were grouped as new applicants, previous takers and refreshers.
- Rank three localities where you would like to take the exam. The assignment depends on available slots and is not guaranteed; your final testing centre is posted in your BARISTA account.
- Upload your documents to BARISTA.
- Pay the fee online. For 2026 it was ₱12,800, payable only through BARISTA and non-refundable except in narrow cases, such as a double payment.
- File the printed, signed documents with the Office of the Bar Confidant within ten calendar days of the email saying your form is ready.
For the 2026 Bar, a new applicant's documents included:
- the BARISTA application form, signed, thumbmarked and notarised;
- a birth certificate from the PSA or the local civil registrar;
- the law transcript of records, or a notarised certificate of completion of the law degree if the transcript is not yet out;
- a valid government ID;
- a recent photo on a white background;
- details of any pending case;
- two testimonials of good moral character, each from a member of the Philippine Bar who has known you for at least a year, has been a lawyer for at least a year, and is not related to you within the fourth civil degree.
If you are taking the Bar again
There is no longer a limit on attempts. The old five-strike rule was lifted in 2013, starting with the 2014 Bar.
What applies now is the refresher rule in the amended Rule 138. After three unsuccessful attempts, and after every third unsuccessful attempt from then on, you must re-enrol in and pass regular fourth-year review classes and attend a pre-Bar review course before applying again. Completing them lets you take the Bar within the next three Bar years. Our guide to retaking the Bar covers planning the next attempt itself.
If you need accommodations
The amended Rule 138 lets the Bar Chairperson issue guidelines for examinees with special needs. For the 2026 Bar, senior citizens and persons with disabilities declared this in their BARISTA profile and uploaded a letter describing what they needed, and needs that arose later could be requested in August. Check the 2027 bulletins for that year's process.
What to prepare now
The application window is short, and some documents take weeks. Before the 2027 bulletin comes out, you can:
- request your PSA birth certificate;
- ask your law school when your transcript or certificate of completion will be ready;
- ask two lawyers who have known you for at least a year to write your testimonials of good moral character;
- check that your government ID will still be valid;
- think about which three localities you would rank, from the testing centres used for the 2026 Bar.
Then put the dates in your calendar: our 2027 Bar calendar adds new dates as the Court announces them.
Where these facts come from
The rules are from Rule 138 of the Rules of Court as amended by A.M. No. 24-10-05-SC, effective 3 November 2025. The 2026 process is from Bar Bulletin No. 2, s. 2026, the Court's 2026 Bar FAQs and its notices on the application deadline and fee refunds, with reporting by the Daily Tribune, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and The Philippine Star. The Supreme Court's own bulletins always control.
Lagda is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Questions
When is the application for the 2027 Bar?
Not yet announced. The Court will set it in a later Bar Bulletin. For the 2026 Bar, applications ran from 8 January to 9 March 2026, after a bulletin issued on 8 December 2025.
How do you apply for the Philippine Bar?
Online through the Supreme Court's BARISTA portal: create your application, rank three preferred localities, upload your documents and pay the fee, then file the signed documents with the Office of the Bar Confidant.
How much is the Bar exam application fee?
For the 2026 Bar it was ₱12,800, paid online through BARISTA and generally non-refundable. The 2027 fee has not been announced.
Who can take the Philippine Bar?
Under the amended Rule 138, a Filipino citizen of legal age, of good moral character, with no final decision involving moral turpitude, who has completed a law degree including the Clinical Legal Education Program.
Is there a limit to how many times you can take the Bar?
No. The five-strike rule was lifted in 2013. After every three unsuccessful attempts, you must complete refresher classes before applying again.
Published 14 November 2026. Read how we write and check our guides in our editorial standards. The Supreme Court's bulletins and announcements always control. Lagda is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with the Supreme Court of the Philippines.