NBI clearance in the Philippines can also be issued to foreigners.
It’s a primary requirement for a lot of immigration-related transactions, including the following:

a. Application for a resident visa in the Philippines.
b. Renewal of 13a immigrant visa issued to foreigners married to a Filipino.
c. Application for immigration/citizenship in another country after living in the Philippines for at least six months.

NBI clearance for foreigners has the same purpose: to show that the applicant is in good standing and has never committed any crime in the Philippines.
If you want to know how to get NBI clearance for foreigners in the Philippines, follow this step-by-step guide.

Note: The following instructions are for foreigners who currently live/stay in the Philippines. If you’re already outside the Philippines or back to your home country, read this guide instead: How to Get or Renew NBI Clearance If You Are Abroad. 

Step 1: Register Online

The process is almost the same whether you apply as a Filipino citizen or a foreigner. Go to the NBI Clearance Online Services website and complete the registration form for first-time applicants. If you have registered already, sign in with your e-mail address and password.

Step 2: Secure Online Appointment

Fill out the “Applicant Information” form. Provide all the personal details requested, such as your birthplace and address. When you’re done, click “Save Information.”

Next, click the “Apply for Clearance” button either on the top of the screen if you’re using a mobile phone or upper right corner of the page for desktop or laptop users.

It will then ask for the valid ID/s you’ll present on the day of your appointment.

For foreigners, acceptable IDs include the following: Passport; or
ACR I-Card or “Alien Certificate of Registration.”

After clicking “I Agree” in the pop-up window, you will be taken to a page where you can select the time and place (NBI branch) to apply.

It must be noted that foreigners in the National Capital Region (NCR) can ONLY apply at the NBI Main Clearance Processing Center located at U.N. (United Nations) Avenue in Ermita, Manila. 

For those outside NCR, you can apply at the NBI branch in your respective provinces but expect a longer waiting time (10-15 days) because you need to mail your application to the Manila office.

The NBI website doesn’t provide this vital information, so you should keep it in mind when securing an appointment.

In the old system, foreigners were required to indicate the purpose of their application. However, since the NBI clearance is now a multi-purpose ID, this step has been removed from the procedure.

Go straight to the side of the page and select your preferred payment method. You can pay the NBI clearance fee online or through over-the-counter transactions in select banks.

As of this writing, a multi-purpose NBI clearance costs Php 130 plus an additional Php 25 for using the e-payment service. 

Don’t forget to keep the receipt as proof of payment.

After making the payment, check your email for the confirmation or return to your NBI clearance online account and click “Confirm Payment” on the “Transactions” page.

Print the application form and bring this together with the official receipt on the day of your appointment.
 
Step 3: Show Up at Your Appointment

Go to the NBI Clearance Main Office in Manila on your appointment date and time. The NBI Clearance Building is located on U.N. Avenue, Manila, across from the Manila Doctors Hospital.

Wear the proper attire (shorts and slippers aren’t allowed), and don’t forget to bring the following:

a. Original and photocopy of your passport (bio page up to the visa implementation page) OR Original and photocopy of your ACR I-Card or “Alien Certificate of Registration” (front and back).
b. Print-out of your application form.
c. Official Receipt.

There’s no need to bring passport-sized pictures since your image will be captured during encoding.

Upon arrival, go to the Alien Registration Office on the second floor, where you will fill out Alien Registration Form No. 5.

Submit the form and then move to the next station for the biometrics (picture taking, digitized signature, and electronic fingerprints).

Next, go to the last station, where you will present your documentary requirements and provide your manual fingerprints and signature.

The NBI personnel will stamp or write the claim date on the back of your receipt.
Unlike Filipino citizens, who can claim their NBI clearance on the same day, foreigners must wait approximately 3 to 5 days for their clearances to be issued. 
 
Step 4: Claim your NBI Clearance

Return to the NBI Clearance Building on the date indicated on the payment slip.
Suppose you cannot claim your NBI clearance personally. In that case, a representative can do it on your behalf, provided that he/she brings an authorization letter with your signatures and a copy of your passport.

If your NBI clearance application has a “hit” status, it means you or your namesake (i.e., a person who shares the same name as you) is linked to criminal records or information.
 
How does the NBI clearance “hit” work?

Whenever someone applies for an NBI clearance, an NBI personnel combs through their criminal database to check for any criminal record–also known as “derogatory records”–associated with the applicant’s name.

A “hit” happens when the search returns a suspicious result. At this point, one can get a “hit,” regardless if the criminal case belongs to you or a namesake. The verification process will take place later on.

Note that the NBI clearance doesn’t cover civil cases like annulments, ejectments, and money claims and, therefore, not included in the database.
The NBI Criminal Database is a collection of criminal records taken from the following:

a. Courts (MTC, MTCC, MCTC, and RTC).
b. Prosecution Service (City and Provincial Prosecution Offices).
c. Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan.
d. Police and AFP records.
e. Others.

Needless to say, it’s nearly impossible for any fugitive with pending criminal cases to escape the watchful eyes of the NBI.

The “hit” status has been instrumental in helping the NBI catch criminals who have long been hiding.

Of course, not all applications with “hit” status end up in jail.
To verify whether the criminal case is under you or your namesake’s, NBI delays the issuance of the clearance.
 
How many days does it take to get NBI clearance if you have a hit?

Applicants with a “hit” status are given a five- to a ten-day waiting period, during which NBI researchers meticulously check if the “derogatory records” belong to you or a namesake. 

If the “hit” returns nothing incriminating, the applicant can return to the NBI office after the waiting period and claim the clearance without any additional fee.

However, note that the NBI has the final say when determining which applicants can be issued their clearances after the waiting period and which should be referred to the Quality Control division for the interview (see next section).
 
What happens if a criminal case causes the “hit”?

If the “derogatory records” have been proven to belong to you or a namesake, the NBI will require you to attend an “NBI Clearance Quality Control Interview.”

The interview aims to allow the NBI Agents to examine your identity closely. You don’t have to worry unless you’re a fugitive, especially if you have been absolved of your past criminal case/s or committed no crimes.

Before you attend the interview, take note of the following requirements:

a. At least two valid IDs or documents that prove your identity.
b. NBI Clearance Official Receipt and print-out of your online registration/application form.
c. If the derogatory records belong to you, the Original and photocopy of the Court Decision/Certification from the Court showing that the criminal case has already been dismissed.
d. If the derogatory records belong to a namesake, Affidavit of Denial (to be provided by the NBI Agent) where you can attest that you only share the same name as the one involved in a criminal case/s, but you’re not the same person. By executing this affidavit, you declare under oath that you have nothing to do with any criminal case/s filed against your namesake, clearing your name and preventing another “hit” from occurring.

The interview is held at the Quality Control Section of the NBI main office at UN Avenue. It’s open from 7 AM to 5 PM and accepts applicants on a first come, first served basis.

However, if you initially applied at the NBI offices listed below, you don’t have to go to the main office and proceed to the designated interview room in these offices:

a. NBI Quezon City Satellite Office (8 AM to 5 PM).
b. NBI Muntinlupa Satellite Office (8 AM to 5 PM).
c. NBI Las Piñas Satellite Office (8 AM to 5 PM).

After proving that the case was dismissed, your NBI clearance will be issued immediately.

On the other hand, applicants with pending cases in Courts will also be issued a clearance, but the cases will be reflected in their clearances upon release.

There are two ways to apply for NBI clearance abroad without flying back to your home country:

a. With an authorized representative – Especially if you’re pressed for time, a relative or a friend in the Philippines can be the best person you can count on to do everything on your behalf. All you need to do is send that person a signed authorization letter and the other requirements.

b. Without an authorized representative – Only choose this route if you don’t have anyone in the Philippines you can trust to make the application/renewal. This option involves going to the Philippine Embassy in your host country, securing all the requirements, and sending the documents to the main NBI clearance center at UN Avenue in Manila.

Click here to read the complete guide.

NBI clearance online verification can be performed using the tool provided on the NBI Clearance website.

There’s no need to download an app to do it.

Go to the NBI Clearance Online Services website and scroll down toward the NBI Clearance eServices section. From the NBI Clearance eServices provided, choose and click NBI Clearance Online Verification.

Upon clicking NBI Clearance Online Verification, a pop-up box should appear asking for your NBI ID number. This is a set of alpha-numeric characters you can find on your current NBI clearance.

Alternatively, you can scan the QR code on your NBI clearance (next to your thumbprint) through your mobile phone (with a camera). To do this, click the “Scan QR Code” button and take a snapshot of the QR code on your NBI clearance using your mobile phone camera.

If the system can retrieve your NBI ID number from its database, it will return a positive result, as shown below, indicating that your NBI clearance is valid and authentic.

Otherwise, you’ll get feedback like “The system cannot find the given NBI ID number,” which means that the NBI clearance you’re holding is fake and wasn’t issued by the National Bureau of Investigation.

According to NBI Clearance Help Desk, those who want additional copies of NBI clearance should go back to the NBI clearance website, sign in, and apply as they would for the first time.

NBI clearance centers only accommodate applicants who have secured an appointment online. Hence, it will be futile to go there personally without an online appointment even if the NBI clearances issued to you haven’t expired yet.

In other words, to get additional copies of NBI clearance, follow the same procedure intended for NEW APPLICANTS.

Regarding NBI clearance application and renewal in the Philippines, it depends on which branch and time you choose for the appointment.

But regardless of the NBI clearance branch, choosing a morning schedule for your appointment is highly recommended. The earlier, the better.

If you’re lucky enough to pick the earliest schedule and attend your appointment at least 30 minutes in advance, you may not encounter a long queue. As a result, you can get your NBI clearance as early as 15 to 30 minutes upon arrival. 

A morning appointment is also preferred to get your NBI clearance on the same day. On the other hand, choosing an afternoon schedule runs the risk of having the release of your NBI clearance scheduled the following day, especially if there’s a high volume of applicants.

As for NBI Clearance Quick Renewal, you can expect to receive your NBI clearance at your doorsteps approximately 3-5 working days from the time of payment.
Those who are abroad, meanwhile, should expect the whole process to take 20 to 30 days.

This is because the NBI clearance application and renewal require the applicant to mail the requirements to the Philippines, where an authorized representative will process the application on his/her behalf.

Afterward, the NBI clearance will be mailed back to the applicant, who must return it to the Consulate to have it stamped.

The time frame varies depending on the applicant’s host country and whether or not he/she opts to use express mail for quicker delivery.

According to NBI Clearance Help Desk, applicants who want to correct wrong or misspelled information on their newly issued NBI clearance must re-apply for a new one.

After signing in to the NBI clearance website, you will be taken to the “Applicant Information” page, where you can edit the information you want to update or modify.

Upon making the necessary changes, you must apply for the new NBI clearance like you would for the first time.

All applicants, whether with a pending case or not, can be issued an NBI clearance.

For those with a pending case, however, getting a “hit” status depends on where the case currently sits. If the case is still under review by the fiscal’s office and hasn’t reached the Courts yet, you can rest assured that you’ll get NBI clearance without any hassle. This is because NBI clearance only considers criminal cases that have already reached the Court’s database.

If your NBI clearance doesn’t show the existence of your pending case, the said case is most likely still in the hands of the fiscal, who may or may not find a ground for dismissal before deciding to continue with the case.

Meanwhile, suppose the pending case has already reached the Courts. In that case, it will reflect on your NBI clearance, giving you a “hit” status and requiring you to attend a Quality Control interview to explain your side. 

Again, only criminal cases that have already moved through the Court system will be reflected on the NBI clearance.

A blotter report is just that–a report. It’s a paper document made at either a local police station or barangay hall to prove that a crime or an incident took place in the area. For example, you can file a blotter report against a violent neighbor threatening to kill you.

However, a blotter report isn’t a formal complaint. Instead, it’s a document you can use as evidence to take the case to court. It can serve as direct evidence pointing to the person/s who committed the crime or as circumstantial evidence supporting other pieces of evidence collected by the police.

According to Section 1, Rule 110 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure of the Philippines, a criminal case can be filed with the public prosecutor who will conduct a preliminary investigation or directly with the Municipal Trial Court in cases where a preliminary investigation isn’t required.

In other words, unless it’s used as evidence for a criminal case that has already reached the Court, a blotter report won’t reflect on your NBI clearance. 

According to the NBI representative we talked to, applicants with no middle name can put MNU (capital letters with no spaces) in the field. 
This way, the application portal will let you proceed with the process and schedule an appointment with the NBI.

Just don’t forget to bring your birth certificate (showing that you lack a middle name) as a supporting document on the day of your appointment.

When going to your appointment at the NBI Clearance Center, there’s no need to observe strict dress codes like formal attire, etc.

However, always remember that all government offices/buildings in the Philippines require applicants to wear decent and proper attire. NBI never released an official list of ideal attire, but it states that they may deny entry to applicants wearing sleeveless clothes, slippers, and short pants.

Make sure you look presentable before picture-taking and fingerprinting. Most importantly, don’t forget to bring the NBI Clearance requirements to avoid delay in your application.

Starting June 17, 2019, DFA has officially stopped issuing “red ribbons,” which have been replaced by “Apostille” certificates following the Philippines’ accession to the Apostille Convention. Read our official guide to learn how to “Apostillize” your NBI clearance.

An unclaimed NBI clearance remains valid for one year from the date of issuance. Hence, you can claim it anytime within that time frame without any problem. 

To claim your unclaimed NBI clearance, return to the NBI Clearance branch where you originally applied and present the reference number (which you can obtain from the email confirmation sent to you or by logging in to your NBI Clearance account and selecting “Transactions” on the menu).

Once the reference number has been verified, your NBI clearance will be printed on the spot.

A missed NBI clearance appointment doesn’t always end up with the cancellation of your slot. It depends on whether you’ve already paid the NBI clearance fee.

Securing an online appointment without paying the fee means you haven’t reserved the slot yet. Therefore, your appointment will be automatically canceled after failing to pay on time, and you will be required to choose another available date.

On the other hand, if you can secure an online appointment and pay the NBI clearance fee on time, your slot will not be canceled immediately in case you miss your appointment.

According to the NBI Clearance Help Desk, you have 15 days from your original appointment date to appear at your chosen NBI Clearance branch and process your application. Just don’t forget to bring the requirements, including the Official Receipt.

Failure to go to the NBI Clearance Center within this 15-day grace period will nullify your payment and application.

An authorization letter is a document that permits the representative to process the application for and claim your NBI clearance on your behalf. Go to this article to learn how to write an authorization letter for claiming NBI clearance (including a free sample template you can download).

Unfortunately, you can’t include any special character during online registration. Hence, you can’t use your hyphenated surname or first name.

To continue the registration, you must type in your name/s WITHOUT the dash or hyphen. Then, on the day of your appointment, inform the NBI personnel who verify applicant information about the special character in your name.

This way, the hyphen or dash will be inserted before your NBI clearance gets printed.

The “OTP field is required” is an error message usually encountered by NBI clearance applicants upon choosing their preferred mode of payment. Since they cannot pay the NBI clearance fee, the transaction can’t push through.

However, no need to panic. This is a technical error that can be fixed in a few clicks.

“OTP” means “one-time password,” required during registration. Since you already registered, creating a new one is unnecessary.

According to the NBI Clearance Helpdesk, the applicant must do the following in case this error message pops up:

Step 1: Close the pop-up box with the error message “OTP field is required.”
Step 2: Click the drop-down menu with your name (if you’re using a laptop/desktop) or the profile icon (if you’re on mobile) on the upper right corner of your page. Select “Logout.”
Step 3: Refresh the page and sign in with your email address and password.

The error should be fixed as soon as you log back in. If you still get the same error message after the troubleshooting steps above, please immediately call the NBI Clearance Helpdesk.

It depends. If you haven’t paid the NBI clearance fee yet, then you can move the appointment date to either earlier or later than what you initially selected.
Unfortunately, you can no longer change the date of your NBI clearance appointment if you have already paid the fee.

If you’re in a hurry and want to move your appointment to an earlier date, you can only make another appointment and pay the fee again. On the other hand, if you can’t make it on your original appointment date, NBI offers a 15-day grace period to proceed to the NBI clearance branch of your choice to obtain your NBI clearance. Beyond this, your payment and application will be automatically forfeited.

It depends on the branch you initially selected during the online appointment.

According to the NBI Clearance Helpdesk, some branches won’t process your application without the approval of the branch you initially selected.
Hence, before you proceed to a different branch, call the branch you selected the first time. Inform the latter that you can’t make it on your appointment and request that your records be transferred to the new NBI clearance branch of your choice.

By coordinating with both branches, you can rest assured that your records will be moved to the NBI clearance branch of your choice and that your clearance will be issued without any hassle.

The NBI clearance and National Police Clearance used to differ in scope. While the former uses a national database to identify criminal cases filed in courts anywhere in the country, the latter could only identify cases filed in the specific town or city where it’s issued.

However, with the launch of the National Police Clearance System (NPCS) in 2018, the line between the two clearances has been blurred. The NPCS has enabled the Philippine National Police (PNP) to merge all records from different towns and cities into one database.

This centralized database, similar to the one used by the NBI, has streamlined the process of checking/verifying criminal records in any police station in the Philippines. The NPCS database will also be integrated into the National ID System.

Nonetheless, the PNP has clarified that the National Police Clearance System will NOT replace the NBI Clearance System. But with both of them having nationwide coverage, what makes them different?

The difference lies in how the two agencies process a “HIT” on an applicant’s records. As you may already know, a “HIT” is when an applicant’s records return a suspicious result. In most cases, a “HIT” is caused by a namesake.

Whereas a “HIT” in NBI clearance usually takes up to 10 days to be verified and resolved, the same can be cleared immediately when applying for a police clearance. This is because local databases are now stored in one cloud so the police can quickly confirm whether the “HIT” comes from a namesake who was involved in a crime and has an active arrest warrant.

The NBI and PNP also differ in the types of information they gather and keep in their databases.

NBI is mandated by law to store more official records, which include the following:
a. Civilian identification records (e.g., identifying marks and characteristics)
b. Derogatory and criminal records
c. Facial photo
d. Fingerprint scan
e. Dental records (obtained with the help of the Philippine Dental Association)

PNP, meanwhile, keeps the following information about citizens included in its database:
a. Blotter records
b. Derogatory and criminal records
c. Facial photo
d. Fingerprint scan

To get a free NBI clearance for first-time jobseekers, you must secure an online appointment and present two valid IDs and a Barangay Certificate and Oath of Undertaking (original and photocopies). Please refer to this article for a complete guide to getting an NBI clearance for free.