Government Services Archives - Page 3 of 17

Whether you're applying for the civil service exam or completing requirements for your new job, odds are you'll be asked to apply for police clearance. This definitive guide provides everything you need to know to get a police clearance in the Philippines the quickest and the most efficient way. What is a police clearance? Police clearance is one of the essential documents requested by a government agency or an employer to ensure that the applicant has no criminal record. Example of a police clearance certificate. Just like the NBI, the Philippine National Police (PNP) now has a national database or a "centralized" system1. Known as the National Police Clearance System (NPCS), this merges all records from different towns and cities into one unified database so checking/verifying criminal records is now easier than ever. This recent development eliminates the need to choose between police clearance from place of work or residence since the applicant's records can easily be retrieved in any police station. Aside from employment, you may also need to get a police clearance whenever you're applying for the annual civil service exam, registering your firearms, applying for a credit card, or applying for various government-issued documents like your birth certificate. On the other hand, police clearance is not honored for Philippine passport application/renewal and COMELEC voter's registration. For the policemen, however, the clearance has a higher purpose. Wanted criminals who have been hiding for years sometimes resurface to get a job. Thinking that the police have forgotten about their crimes, they apply for police clearance not realizing that they're turning themselves in by doing so. What is the difference between police clearance and NBI clearance? The Philippine National Police (PNP), who is responsible for issuing police clearances, launched the National Police Clearance System (NPCS) in 2018. Similar to the one used by the NBI, the NPCS is a centralized database containing all records/cases from different towns and cities all over the country. Although it aims to one day replace the NBI clearance system altogether2, the PNP reveals the two clearances will remain separate from each other for now. Now that the two clearances have nationwide coverage, their main differences lie in how they deal with a "HIT" on an applicant's records and the type of information they keep in their respective databases. For more information, read this: What is the difference between NBI clearance and police clearance? Take note that the "cases" we're talking about here only refer to criminal cases. Both the NBI clearance and police clearance don't cover civil cases or private disputes between individuals and organizations. How long is the validity of police clearance? The new National Police Clearance is now issued as a single certificate only. It has a validity of 6 months and has a QR code that you can use to verify its authenticity. Police Clearance Requirements. The following are the general requirements when applying for the police clearance: a. Valid IDs. You need to present at least two valid IDs to the police station on the day of your appointment. The IDs are for verification purposes so they must be original (not photocopied), not expired, and have your photo, complete name, and signature. The following valid IDs are honored by PNP: AFP IDBFP IDGSIS UMIDLTO Driver’s LicensePRC ID/LicenseSchool ID with the registration formIBP IDPCG IDBJMP IDMarina IDPag-IBIG IDOFW IDAlien Certificate of RegistrationBirth certificatePassportSSS ID/UMIDTIN IDPWD IDVoter’s IDPhilHealth IDPNP IDPostal IDSenior citizen ID In case you only have one of the valid IDs above, you can bring it along with a certified true copy of your birth certificate from PSA (with original official receipt attached). If you've indicated in your online registration form (more on this later) that you're a PWD, please bring your PWD ID on the day of your appointment for verification purposes. If you're a fresh graduate who wants to avail of free police clearance, please also bring and present your First Time Job Seeker Barangay Certificate. b. Personal appearance. While the police may have digitized records of the applicants, personal information and appearance change over time. Hence, you need to show up to update these records with your recent photo and biometrics AFTER securing an appointment online via the National Police Clearance System (more on this later). They also require this partly to lure wanted criminals who are stupid enough to apply. c. Police clearance fee. If you're applying for the new National Police Clearance via the NPCS website (see the succeeding steps), you'll be paying a total of Php 160 (Php 150 police clearance fee + Php 10 transaction fee) through Landbank or Bancnet. This fee is waived for fresh graduates who are looking for their first job, provided that they present a Barangay Certificate proving that they're qualified to avail of this benefit under the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act. Are Barangay Clearance and Cedula needed for police clearance? For the majority of applicants, the barangay clearance and cedula are no longer needed. Under the new guidelines, the only valid IDs honored by the PNP for police clearance applications are the ones listed here. However, if you're a first-time job seeker who wants to avail of the police clearance for free (courtesy of the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act), you need to obtain a Barangay Certification stating that you're a first-time job seeker and has been a resident of your Barangay for at least six months. You may avail of the free police clearance only once. This benefit will be valid for up to one year from the date of issuance of the Barangay Certification. Can I get police clearance through a walk-in application? It depends. Not all police stations are included in the online appointment system hence you can't schedule an appointment with them. If you try to do the online appointment system (as discussed in detail in the next section) and you can't find your nearest municipal/city/provincial police station on the list, chances are it still accepts walk-in applications. However, we can't confirm which police stations are accepting walk-in applicants or if walk-in applications are still available in the first place as the PNP hotline and email address are unresponsive. We suggest finding the contact number of the police station of your choice to verify. Where to get police clearance in the Philippines. If you'll be using the NPCS website to set an appointment for your police clearance application, your choices will be limited to the police stations/police camps available in the system. You'll most likely choose the one nearest to you. However, as part of the PNP's strategy to decongest police camps across the country and to make police services more accessible to people, it was recently announced that PNP National Police Clearance booths will soon be available in SM malls nationwide3. This means police clearances will now be easier to obtain as the application, processing, and release can now be completed at a more convenient venue. How to Apply for a Police Clearance Online in the Philippines: 11 Steps. Time needed: 20 minutes. The National Police Clearance System (NPCS) was launched in 2018 to help PNP streamline the process of checking criminal records. Through this innovation, applicants can now apply online for a National Police Clearance anytime and anywhere.What used to take an average of 30 minutes in police stations can now be completed in less than 10 minutes, thanks to the bulk of the application procedure that can now be completed online.Personal appearance is still required as the PNP needs to update its database with the applicants' photos and fingerprints. Are you ready to give the NPCS a try? Follow the steps/procedures as follows: Access the NPCS website to register. First-time applicants are required to register with the National Police Clearance System website.On the NPCS home page, click "Register"A pop-up box will show up on your screen. Select your preferred language (i.e., English, Filipino, or Cebuano. Tick the corresponding boxes to agree with the Service Agreement, Privacy Policy, and other reminders.Finally, click "I Agree" to continue. Fill out the "New Applicant Registration" form. To create an account, you must first need to fill out the "New Applicant Registration" form with your email address and password, complete name, gender, and birth date.Tick the box for "Terms and Conditions" and then click "Register".A warning box will then appear to remind you to check the information you've provided before proceeding. If you're sure about it, click "Save". Otherwise, click "Cancel". Log in to your account. Sign in using the same email address and password you've just provided during registration. Click on "Edit Profile". Inside your NPCS account, click on "Edit Profile". Fill out the "Applicant Information" form. Supply information to all the required sections in your Applicant Profile that haven't been filled out yet like Nationality, Birth Place, Civil Status, Address, Mobile/Telephone Number, Height, Weight, Complexion, Educational Attainment, and Family Background.For PWD applicants, mark the checkbox that says "Please check if you are a PWD" and provide your PWD ID number.If you're a fresh graduate looking for your first job, mark the checkbox that says "Please check if you are a First Time Job Seeker (RA 11261 - First Time Job Seeker Assistance Act)". Doing so will waive the police clearance fee as the law now enables first-time jobseekers to avail of government-issued documents for free provided that they can present a Barangay Certificate as proof of their qualification4.Take note, however, that qualified applicants can only avail of free police clearance ONCE.Review all the information you've provided and check for any missing data or spelling mistakes. Whatever information you provide at this point will be shown on the printed police clearance so any erroneous entry is due to the fault of the applicant and not the PNP's.Once you're done, click "Save Profile" Click the "Clearance Application" button. You need to select this in order to set an appointment with the nearest police station online. Set an appointment. Select your preferred Police Station from the drop-down list provided.Choose your preferred date and either AM or PM schedule from the list of available dates. Click "Next". Select payment option. Select "LandBank of the Phils." under Payment Options. It will then show the police clearance fee of Php 150 that you need to pay to secure your appointment (for first-time jobseekers, the fee will be freed in the police station on the day of your appointment).Click "Next". Review the notes/reminders and pay the police clearance fee. The next page contains a summary of your transaction including your chosen police station, schedule of appointment, payment option, and instructions on what to do next.After reviewing the information, click "Save Appointment".Save or note the reference number that will be displayed on the page.Pay the police clearance fee by clicking the "Click here to Pay" button on the bottom right corner of the page. Take note that over-the-counter payment at the police station is not allowed.You'll be directed to the LandBank of the Philippines ePayment portal. Select either LandBank or Bancnet (for those with non-LandBank accounts) as your preferred payment option. Enter your account number and PIN to complete the transaction.If you don't have any bank account, you can also pay the police clearance fee over the counter at the nearest 7-Eleven convenience store. Click here to learn how. Make sure to complete the payment at least two banking days before your appointment date or else your transaction will be canceled.For first-time job seekers, no need to proceed with the payment. Just go directly to the police station on the day of your appointment and present your First Time Job Seeker Barangay Certificate. Proceed to your chosen police station for photo capture and biometrics. Show the Official Receipt, your 2 valid IDs, and a copy of your payment Reference Number to the Clearance Police Non-Commissioned Officer (PNCO).You will be guided to the designated area where your photo, fingerprints, and digital signature will be taken.Afterward, your application will go through a verification process. Since all police stations are now connected to a centralized PNP database, the process should not take long. If it does, it only means you have a "HIT" (most probably due to a namesake) on your police clearance. Unlike NBI clearance "HIT", however, a "HIT" on a police clearance can be resolved within a few minutes as long as you're not involved in any crime and doesn't have an active arrest warrant. Wait for your police clearance to be released. Unlike other government-issued documents, police clearances are released on the same day of application. Depending on the police station, the entire process of getting a police clearance may take 15 minutes or more.Once the verification process is complete, you can simply wait for your name to be called for the release of your police clearance.The process is quite simple and fast so there's no reason for anyone to go through lengths just to falsify it.Anyone who is caught using a falsified document will be facing a "penalty of prison correctional in its medium and maximum periods and a fine of not more than Php 5,000"5. Tips and Warnings. 1. A missed appointment doesn't automatically cancel your police clearance application. In case you failed to show up on your appointment date, you will be given another 15 days to go to your chosen Police Station to claim your police clearance. Beyond this 15-day grace period, your payment will be forfeited and you'll be required to re-apply. 2. You can no longer edit or change erroneous personal data on your police clearance once it's already printed. To correct or update any information on your printed police clearance, you need to re-apply again online, make the necessary changes, secure another appointment, pay the fee, and go back to the same police station for biometrics capturing. 3. You can verify the authenticity of your police clearance online. To verify whether your police clearance is legit or not, go to the NPCS website and choose "Verify Clearance" from the main menu. Enter your surname and police clearance number. Tick the box for the captcha to prove you're human and then click "Verify." 4. Police clearance applications are only accommodated during weekdays. As the online appointment system will show you, there are no slots available for either Saturday or Sunday. Applicants can choose from either AM or PM schedule on a weekday, Monday to Friday. Therefore, it's better to set up an appointment in advance so you can choose a schedule that falls on a weekday, preferably during your rest day. Frequently Asked Questions. 1. I'm applying for work/immigration abroad. How can I authenticate my police clearance with DFA red ribbon? 2. What is the difference between NBI clearance and police clearance? 3. I'm a Filipino/foreigner who lived in the Philippines but is now based in another country. How can I apply for a police clearance or certificate while abroad? 4. How can I pay the police clearance via 7-Eleven? References.