An NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) Clearance is a Philippine government clearance document released upon request. This clearance serves as proof whether or not an individual is involved with any past or ongoing criminal cases. Also, an NBI clearance can serve as an alternative identity card in the Philippines.
An NBI clearance is usually a requirement for employment, either locally or abroad. This certificate may also be required when applying for immigration, visa applications and even adoption in certain countries.
You may apply for a request for a certificate online or at a consular office, where you may schedule an appointment and pay the appropriate fees for processing. Once your request is validated and processed:
- if residing in the Philippines – you may directly claim your certificate at the NBI branch nearest to you or;
- if residing abroad – you need to directly send the documents and payment by postal mail to the authorized officer-in-charge or have an authorized representative submit it for you at the NBI office in the Philippines. If it is by representative, an Authorization Letter will be one of the additional requirements in order for the consulate to accept the application. Note that applying for a certificate may take as quick as a day to weeks, depending on the situation of your application. Applicants abroad will take a maximum of (5) days to process the certificate upon the receival of documents.
Philippine NBI Clearance Processing Requirements
Applicants either living in the Philippines or residing abroad are required to sign-in and fill out the basic information section online at www.nbi-clearance.com in order to obtain a reference number – which will serve as your NBI Code for the retrieval of information and verification of your status.
When requesting for a certificate directly in the Philippines, one must possess the basic requirements for its process:
- Two (2) valid government IDs (this may be your passport, driver’s license, UMID, TIN ID, Postal ID, PSA Birth Certificate, and etc.)
- Personal appearance
When requesting for a certificate at a consular office abroad, one must possess the basic requirements for its process:
- Valid Passport and/or Visa
- Photocopy of your valid Passport and/or Visa
- Recently taken 2×2 colored photo of yourself in white background
What is the NBI Clearance Process
For applicants who are in the Philippines, obtain your NBI clearance by visiting the NBI office or apply online through the NBI website. Ensure your clearance is recent (issued within the last six months) as outdated clearances may not be accepted for apostille.
For new applicants, individuals residing abroad may have their fingerprint impression, commonly known as sundry, taken at the nearest consular office of the Philippines. The Philippine Embassy only merely assists applicants with their fingerprint impression (fingerprint card form) for the process of their application certificate.
Applicants residing abroad may also acquire their fingerprint specimen outside the Embassy – this means at Police Stations. They may request assistance from a Police Officer to take their fingerprint using black ink ONLY. After the process of taking the prints, the applicant must designate the following information on the NBI Forms:
- In the box, Applicant Name with Seal/Stamp of the Police Station and the Name and Designated Position of the Police Officer who assisted labeled as Sundry Information along with the Police officer’s signature labeled as impressions taken by.
For applicants wishing to renew their NBI certificate, there is a section at the NBI website called “Quick Renewal ” during sign-up/sign-in where an option asking “Do you have an NBI Clearance issued from 2014 – present” will appear. Upon ticking this option, you may login and edit your details and proceed to the regular application process of filling up, scheduling and paying the fee. If the former applicant is residing abroad, he/she must present the old NBI certificate as an additional requirement – take note that certificates issued 2011 onwards must be authenticated first by the Information and Communication Technology Division (ICTD).
If in any instance your name is the same name as someone charged with a criminal case, you are automatically tagged under a HIT. Don’t panic, rest assured that it only means they will check your identification details further and will ask you to return on the appointed new date to clarify.
Take note that in some cases, especially when dealing with applications in certain countries, you may be required to provide fingerprint verification along with your NBI Clearance. The NBI offers fingerprint sundry or nbi sundry for this purpose.
Apostille NBI Clearance Certificate
If you are applying for a work abroad or if there is some application you are completing for submission abroad, you will likely need to have your NBI apostilled or legalized.
The NBI certificate is duly legalized by securing an Apostille before the Department of Foreign Affairs or DFA. Having the NBI certificate apostilled means that the NBI certificate has been validated and eligible for use in foreign countries included in the Hague Convention – a treaty in which the Philippines is a signatory of.
In obtaining an apostille certificate for the NBI clearance, there must be a visible embossed dry-seal present in order to identify the document as duly validated by the NBI Office of the Philippines. The validity of this legal document is from the date of its issuance up to six (6) months to a year (1) – after the lapse of this period, you must apply for a renewal.
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