Since the launching of POEA’s e-Registration campaign, many OFWs and seafarers have found themselves online creating their e-Reg Profile.
This was stressed more clearly when a couple of years ago, manning agencies both land-based and shore-based, were required to provide an e-registration Number.
I made a step by step clear-cut tutorials with images on creating your e-Registration account. Additionally, I wrote the reasons and future government plans why the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) established an online registration facility for seafarers and OFWs alike.
I assume you already tried creating an e-registration account on the government’s eservices website and experienced errors, problems, and difficulties like saving your progress in Section 2. This post will help you fix all those nightmares.
I know that POEA is now called DMW. Nonetheless, their system is the same and you might find something here to solve your DMW account problems.
Disclaimer:
Captain’s Mode and the owner thereof is not in any way affiliated with POEA. All errors and problems regarding your POEA e-Registration is not made directly or indirectly by Captain’s Mode but probably by POEA’s e-Registration website and/ or the user.
This tutorial doesn’t guarantee a 100% surefire fix. If errors persist on your account, please contact POEA/ DMW directly.
POEA e-Registration Problems
Most of the errors here occur during the start of your registration. Logging-in problems, forgetting passwords, and verifying accounts are easy to fix.
1. Unable to Save or Update Section 2
Completing Section 2 is one of the most frustrating tasks in your e-registration journey especially if you whacked all your brains out checking items which you missed out.
Solution:
Check the image below and see if you similarly filled out the necessary information. If it’s the same and you still receive an error, log out and do it again on another day. This might be due to the heavy volume of traffic on their website at that time.

2. Not Receiving Confirmation Email
To verify and activate your account, a confirmation email is normally sent to your registered and active email address after signing up.
If you did not receive any in your inbox, check your spam folders. It should be there. If not, proceed to the last step.
3. Forgot Password
If you forgot your password, just click the Forgot Password on DMW’s account recovery website. You can retrieve and reset your password by entering your email address. Follow the succeeding instructions and you are good to go.
4. Retrieving Username and/ or Password
If you totally forgot your username and email accounts, skip to the end of this post. A special help is available below for more detailed solutions that you can try.
If you want to retrieve your password, just follow Number 3.
5. Password Expired.
A technical error stating that your password is expired could also occur. Just renew your password or click Account Recovery to renew it. Then follow the succeeding instructions like in Number 3.
6. Wrong Sign-up Email Address
When you signed up and discovered that you forgot the password of the email address you used, this could be a big problem.
POEA’s e-Registration system validates your name and email address to avoid duplicates. This means that you can not use the same email address twice or create another account using the same name with a different email address.
To solve this problem, skip to the last step.
7. Editing Your Name
Editing your Full Name is not possible using the online e-Registration system. If you discover that your name has the wrong spelling, lacks suffix, or whatever reasons, you won’t be able to change it. You can’t also create a new account using your correct name with the same email address.
Creating multiple accounts is also not advisable according to POEA because it is a ground for disqualification.
To solve this problem, skip to the last step.
8. Nothing happens when clicking “Change Photo”
After Clicking “Change Photo” for your Profile or Passport, head directly to Section 2 and click “Choose File”. A new window will then open up for you so you can upload the desired image that you want.
9. Website Hangs Up or Loads Very Poorly
Due to the sheer volume of traffic, POEA’s e-registration website experiences difficulty in loading its page. Sometimes, an error could occur when logging into your account. Don’t fret. Try it for another hour or day.
The best to create your e-registration profile is during off-peak hours like late evening to early morning.
10. The account is Locked
This could happen if you entered the correct username but the wrong password for more than 5 attempts. The solution is easy for this one.
Just click on the Forgot Your Password link and follow the succeeding steps. You can also send a request to the administration of eRegistration to reset your password.
Last Resort Fix
Since it’s quite clear that the problems with your eRegistration Profile cannot be solved by yourself, it’s time to get external help and apply these tricks to fix those errors.
1. Contact POEA/ DMW directly
Use these contact details:
Official Website: https://www.dmw.gov.ph/
Hotline: 8-722-11-44 | 8-722-11-55
Email: [email protected] | [email protected]
2. Visit any POEA/ DMW Office or Branch
If you are in Manila, you can visit the main office at this address.
Location: Blas F. Ople Building, Ortigas Avenue corner EDSA, Mandaluyong City

3. Ask for help from your Crewing or Manning Agency
Sending emails or calling POEA/ DMW Hotlines and the Manpower Registry Division may not work out well due to the volume of inquiries they handle.
In this case, you need someone who has direct contact or who knows somebody inside POEA. Your Crewing Agency comes in handy.
VERY IMPORTANT!
All licensed manning and land-based agencies are mandated by POEA to establish their own helpdesk or kiosks within their office premises to facilitate the registration of their hired seafarers, land based workers and applicants.

Applicants who forgot their e-Registration number or did not receive an email confirmation can now go to your respective recruitment agency for assistance.
Remember that your manning agency needs your e-Registration Number because they too are mandated by POEA. Asking them for some help is a win-win scenario for all.
4. The e-Services Ticketing System
If you are far from your company, you can still ask for help directly from DMW. Visit DMW’s website and open a ticket from there. This is for:
- Applicants with e-Registration Number
- POEA Licensed Agencies
How to Use It
1. On your browser, type https://onlineservices.dmw.gov.ph//OnlineServices/POEAOnline.aspx.
2. Scroll in the middle and look for DMW Helpdesk.
3. Click “Create Ticket” and Continue.
4. Select which service you need from them.
- Online Services-ERegistration
- Online Services-Balik Mangagawa
- Deployment Record
- Select the concern on the drop-down menu.
5. Click Next.
6. Follow the remaining prompts. They may need your email address, registration number, or personal info (Name, Birthday, Age, etc.)
7. Copy and save your ticket number. You will use that for follow-ups and answering them whenever they ask for more details.
8. Keep an eye on your inbox for their messages.
UPDATE:
POEA will be replaced by the Department of Migrant Workers or DWM. All of their functions will be transferred in the new agency including the online registration platform.
The same problems and solutions discussed above are also applicable in DMW. I created a new article specifically on how to solve your DMW registration account problems. Kindly click on that link.
Kindly comment if the methods worked well or not.
May the winds be in your favor.
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