NBI Clearance from Abroad: Three Published Routes
National Bureau of Investigation · clearances
Quick answer
An NBI clearance from abroad costs ₱160.00: ₱130.00 for the application plus a ₱30.00 e-payment fee. Get Fingerprint Card Form No. 5 sealed at the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate, register at clearance.nbi.gov.ph, pay, then courier the file to NBI's IFTS in Manila. Published total: 8 working days.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from NBI's official published sources: National Bureau of Investigation | Citizen's Charter Handbook 2025 (1st Edition) (https://nbi.gov.ph/uploads/2025/04/2025-CITIZENS-CHARTER-HANDBOOK-1st-EDITION.pdf, retrieved 2026-08-31); NBI | Mailed Clearance (Applying from Abroad) (https://nbi.gov.ph/mailed-clearance-abroad/, retrieved 2026-08-31). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with NBI before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-08-31.
You do not need to fly home. NBI publishes three routes for applicants working or residing abroad, all at ₱160.00, and all landing at the same section in Manila.
What it costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Clearance application fee | ₱130.00 |
| Electronic payment convenience fee | ₱30.00 |
| Total | ₱160.00 |
NBI’s separate mailed clearance page publishes a different figure for the mail route: ₱200.00 or its US dollar equivalent, covering ₱130.00 clearance and ₱70.00 mailing. Both are NBI’s own; this guide prints both rather than choosing. The NBI clearance renewal guide covers the mailed route’s own rules, including that only certificates issued from 2014 may be renewed by mail.
The three routes
| Route | Published total | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Courier, with a paid application and prepaid pouch or envelope | 8 working days, 52 minutes and 38 seconds | ₱160.00 |
| Courier, with enclosed payment | Published as a separate service | ₱160.00 |
| Through an authorized representative | 8 working days, 50 minutes and 38 seconds | ₱160.00 |
Each has a WITH HIT variant, routed to Quality Control Evaluation where the applicant has derogatory records.
On the prepaid-pouch route there is no on-site capturing of biometrics: the certificate is printed, issued on-site and sent back in the pouch you supplied.
What you send
| # | Requirement | Where to secure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accomplished Fingerprint Card, Form No. 5, with your current address abroad | The nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate Office in your country of residence |
| 2 | Previous NBI Clearance Certificate, if available | You |
| 3 | Photocopy of your passport | You |
| 4 | Recent 2x2 picture with a white background | You |
| 5 | Paid Reference Number | clearance.nbi.gov.ph, paid through an authorised e-payment channel |
| 6 | Authorization Letter | You |
| 7 | Valid ID of the authorized representative | Representative route only |
Two details on item 1 that cost people a second consulate visit: the form must bear the seal of the Philippine Consulate Office, and NBI furnishes it on request by the Department of Foreign Affairs, free and not for sale.
The steps, with NBI’s own timings
| Step | What you do | Published time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Secure and accomplish Fingerprint Card Form No. 5 at the Philippine Consulate where you reside | 30 minutes |
| 2 | Register at clearance.nbi.gov.ph and get a Reference Number, using a Philippine mobile number for the OTP | 10 minutes |
| 3 | Pay ₱130.00 plus ₱30.00 through an authorised e-payment channel such as GCash, 7-Eleven or Bayad Center | 2 minutes |
| 4.1 | Courier the file to NBI IFTS, NBI Clearance Center, United Nations Avenue, Ermita, Manila; IFTS receives, records and encodes the details | 10 minutes |
| 4.2 | IFTS staff verify the status of the reference number at the printing window | 8 working days |
| 4.3 | If for printing, the operator prints and releases the certificate, transmitted by courier in your prepaid pouch | 38 seconds |
| Total | 8 working days, 52 minutes and 38 seconds |
If requirements are incomplete, IFTS staff contact you by email or phone call.
Against applying in the Philippines
| Route | Published total | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| From abroad, courier with prepaid pouch | 8 working days 52 minutes 38 seconds | ₱160.00 |
| From abroad, authorized representative | 8 working days 50 minutes 38 seconds | ₱160.00 |
| At a clearance center, NO HIT | 15 minutes 13 seconds | ₱160.00 |
| At a clearance center, WITH HIT | 25 minutes 33 seconds | ₱160.00 |
| Online renewal in the Philippines, picked up at U.N. Avenue | 1 day, 12 minutes and 38 seconds | ₱160.00 |
| Delivered within NCR | 5 working days on top | ₱360.00 |
| Delivered outside NCR | 7 to 10 working days on top | ₱510.00 |
| First-time jobseeker under RA 11261 | Same counter times | Free of charge |
The NBI clearance requirements guide covers the domestic checklist, and the NBI clearance online guide the full application.
Foreign nationals
The charter’s rule is narrower: new foreign applicants can only apply at the NBI Main Office on U.N. Avenue, Manila, or at any NBI Regional or District Office, and must do their application manually. A foreigner’s checklist item is the original and a photocopy of a valid passport, secured from their embassy.
Where this sits in an OFW’s paperwork
| Agency | Document | Published figure |
|---|---|---|
| NBI | Clearance from abroad | ₱160.00, about 8 working days |
| DFA | Passport | ₱950.00 regular, ₱1,200.00 expedite |
| DFA | Apostille on the clearance | ₱100.00 regular, released after 5 working days |
| DMW | OEC | Valid 60 days, single exit |
| DMW | Balik-Manggagawa OEC | Total standard fee None |
| OWWA | Membership | USD $25.00, valid until the contract ends or 2 years |
| SSS | Contributions | ₱760.00 to ₱5,280.00 a month |
| Pag-IBIG | Contributions | ₱200 a month |
Note the apostille rule if the clearance is going to a foreign employer: DFA requires the original NBI clearance with dry seal, verifiable online, and a personal copy is not accepted.
What this page does not cover
NBI does not publish, in the charter pages read for this guide, the courier companies it works with, the cost of a prepaid pouch, the addresses of Philippine consulates issuing Form No. 5, the validity period of a clearance, or how the ₱160.00 charter figure relates to the ₱200.00 on the mailed-clearance page. None of those are stated here.
Related
The NBI clearance requirements guide covers fees and IDs. The NBI clearance renewal guide covers renewing from abroad by mail, and the branches and delivery guide the office network.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an NBI clearance cost from abroad?
- ₱160.00 in total on the courier and representative routes in the Citizen's Charter: ₱130.00 for the clearance application fee and ₱30.00 for the electronic payment convenience fee. NBI's mailed-clearance page separately publishes ₱200.00, or its US dollar equivalent, covering ₱130.00 clearance and ₱70.00 mailing.
- What are the routes?
- Three. Sent through a courier with a paid application and a prepaid pouch or envelope; sent through a courier with enclosed payment; or through an authorized representative. Each has a WITH HIT variant routed to Quality Control Evaluation.
- How long does it take?
- The charter publishes 8 working days, 52 minutes and 38 seconds for the courier route with a prepaid pouch, and 8 working days, 50 minutes and 38 seconds for the representative route. The 8 working days is the verification step at the printing window.
- Where do I get the fingerprint card?
- Fingerprint Card Form No. 5, from the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate Office in the country where you reside. It must bear the seal of the Philippine Consulate Office, and NBI furnishes the form on request by the DFA free and not for sale.
- What else do I send?
- The previous NBI clearance certificate if available, a photocopy of your passport, a recent 2x2 picture with a white background, a paid Reference Number from clearance.nbi.gov.ph, an authorization letter, and for the representative route a valid ID of that representative.
- Do I need a Philippine mobile number?
- Yes, for the One Time Password. The charter's step is to register online at clearance.nbi.gov.ph and get a Reference Number using a Philippine mobile number for the OTP.
- Where do I send it?
- To the NBI International and Foreign National Section (IFTS) for processing, at the NBI Clearance Center, United Nations Avenue, Ermita, Manila, Philippines.
- What if something is missing?
- The charter states that if requirements are incomplete, IFTS staff inform the applicant by email or phone call of what is lacking.