NBI Clearance Requirements and Fees: ₱130 Plus ₱30
National Bureau of Investigation · clearances
Quick answer
An NBI clearance costs ₱130.00 plus a ₱30.00 electronic payment convenience fee, ₱160.00 in total. Delivery adds ₱200.00 within NCR or ₱350.00 outside. First-time job seekers pay nothing under RA 11261. You bring two valid government IDs.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from NBI's official published sources: NBI | 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 | How to Apply for NBI Clearance (https://nbi.gov.ph/how-to-apply-nbi-clearance/, retrieved 2026-08-31); NBI | Mailed Clearance (Applying from Abroad) (https://nbi.gov.ph/mailed-clearance-abroad/, retrieved 2026-08-31); NBI | Citizen's Charter, NBI Clearance Application (https://nbi.gov.ph/citizens-charter/nbi-clearance-application/, 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.
An NBI clearance costs ₱130.00, and almost nobody pays only that. The electronic payment convenience fee adds ₱30.00, so the number that leaves your account is ₱160.00.
What it costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Clearance fee | ₱130.00 |
| Electronic payment convenience fee | ₱30.00 |
| Total, standard application | ₱160.00 |
| Door-to-door delivery, within NCR | ₱200.00 |
| Door-to-door delivery, outside NCR | ₱350.00 |
| First-time job seeker, under RA 11261 | Free of charge |
| Mailed application from abroad | ₱200.00, being ₱130.00 clearance and ₱70.00 mailing |
Delivery is the expensive part. At ₱350.00 outside NCR, having the certificate couriered costs more than twice the clearance itself, and it is only offered on the online renewal route, which the NBI clearance renewal guide covers.
One inconsistency to flag. NBI’s older Citizen’s Charter page for the NBI Clearance Application lists fees as “P115.00; P165.00; P415.00” with no labels. The 2025 Citizen’s Charter Handbook, the mailed-clearance page and the how-to-apply page all agree on ₱130.00 for the clearance fee. This guide uses ₱130.00 and names the discrepancy rather than silently picking a side.
What you actually pay, by scenario
| Scenario | Clearance | E-payment fee | Delivery | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard application, collected at the branch | ₱130.00 | ₱30.00 | none | ₱160.00 |
| Online renewal, picked up at NBI UN Avenue | ₱130.00 | ₱30.00 | none | ₱160.00 |
| Online renewal, delivered within NCR | ₱130.00 | ₱30.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱360.00 |
| Online renewal, delivered outside NCR | ₱130.00 | ₱30.00 | ₱350.00 | ₱510.00 |
| First-time job seeker, RA 11261 | free | free | none | ₱0.00 |
| Mailed from abroad | ₱130.00 | - | ₱70.00 mailing | ₱200.00 |
What to bring
The base requirement is short: two valid government-issued identification cards, original and not expired.
NBI’s charter lists acceptable IDs, and the set is wide:
- Passport
- Driver’s licence
- UMID, from SSS or GSIS
- PhilSys or National ID
- Postal ID
- PRC card
- Voter’s ID or certification of registration
- Seaman’s book or card
- School ID together with a current registration card
- Senior citizen’s ID
- Solo parent ID
- PWD ID
- Security licence ID, for security guards
- PSA or NSO birth certificate, authenticated
Foreign applicants submit the original and a photocopy of a valid passport, and NBI states that 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 manual fingerprinting.
First-time job seekers add a Barangay Certification on the barangay’s official letterhead, dry sealed and signed by the Punong Barangay or an authorised barangay officer, plus a signed Oath of Undertaking.
How long it takes
| Route | Published total | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| First-time applicants, and those whose previous clearance was issued before October 2016, on-site | 15 minutes 13 seconds | ₱160.00 |
| Online renewal, clearance issued after 16 October 2016 | 1 day, 12 minutes 38 seconds | ₱160.00 plus delivery |
| First-time job seeker with online application, no HIT | 2 minutes 15 seconds | Free |
| First-time job seeker, walk-in, no HIT | 3 minutes 15 seconds | Free |
Those totals exclude the queue. The individual steps NBI publishes are short: online registration 10 minutes, payment 2 minutes, biometrics capture 2 minutes 35 seconds, and printing and release 38 seconds.
The HIT rule
A HIT means your name matches, or closely resembles, someone with a record in the NBI criminal database. It is common and it is not an accusation.
| What happens | NBI’s published handling |
|---|---|
| No HIT | You proceed straight to printing and receive the clearance in minutes |
| With HIT | You return on a scheduled date, 8 working days later, and go to the Releasing Section |
| With HIT, referred to Quality Control | You are interviewed at the Quality Control Section; the charter times the interview at 10 minutes 20 seconds |
| Extra payment for a HIT | None |
For first-time job seekers the same structure applies, and the charter’s totals are 8 working days, 13 minutes 13 seconds for a HIT, and 8 working days, 23 minutes 33 seconds where a Quality Control interview is needed.
NBI’s own how-to-apply page describes the wait as “usually 5 to 10 working days”, which brackets the charter’s 8 working days rather than contradicting it.
The free route for first-time job seekers
| What NBI publishes | |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | RA 11261 |
| Fee | None, free of charge, at every step |
| Portal | firsttimejobseekers.nbi.gov.ph |
| Who may avail | The general public seeking employment locally or abroad, OFWs and tourists |
| Requirements | Barangay Certification, plus any two valid government-issued IDs or acceptable certificates such as a birth certificate or voter’s registration certificate |
| Total, online application, no HIT | 2 minutes 15 seconds |
| Total, walk-in, no HIT | 3 minutes 15 seconds |
Walk-in first-time job seekers can use NBI’s free Wi-Fi at an Online Registration Counter to register through the FTJS facility and secure a reference number, which bypasses the counter registration step.
Applying from abroad
| Step | What NBI requires |
|---|---|
| 1 | Secure NBI Clearance Application Form No. 5 from a Philippine Embassy or Consular Office, bearing the seal of the Consulate. The form is furnished free by NBI on DFA request and is not for sale |
| 2 | Fill it out without erasures. Married female applicants indicate the father’s surname or surname being used, the husband’s surname, the given or first name, and the mother’s maiden surname as the middle name |
| 3 | Have rolled impression fingerprints taken at the Embassy, Consular Office or nearest police station. The person taking them signs, states their designation and seals the lower back of the form |
| 4 | Attach a 2x2 photo on a white background taken within 3 months of application, and a photocopy of the passport biodata page |
| 5 | Mail it to the Mailed Clearance Section, 3rd Floor, NBI Clearance Building, UN Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, enclosing ₱200.00 or its US dollar equivalent |
Processing takes a maximum of 5 working days from receipt of documents. All clearance applications from abroad are processed only at the NBI Clearance Building on United Nations Avenue.
An alternative route uses a designated representative, who registers online at clearance.nbi.gov.ph, selects NBI Main Clearance Center as the site, pays through a channel such as Bayad Center, and brings the reference number to the Mailed Clearance Section.
On receipt, NBI asks you to check the certificate for the embossed NBI dry-seal and to affix your right thumbmark in the space provided.
Where and when
| Published detail | |
|---|---|
| Main office | NBI Clearance Building, U.N. Avenue, Manila |
| Direct line | 524-77-47 |
| Trunkline | 523-82-31, local 5509 |
| Schedule of availability | Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Payment channels | GCash, Maya, 7-Eleven, Bayad Center, online banking |
NBI branches enforce a dress code for the official photo. Sandos, tank tops, shorts and slippers are out; NBI’s own guidance recommends smart casual or a collared shirt.
What this page does not cover
NBI does not publish, on any of the pages read for this guide, the validity period of a clearance, a replacement or reprint fee, the criteria that send a HIT applicant to Quality Control rather than straight to release, or a labelled breakdown of the “P115.00; P165.00; P415.00” figures on its older Citizen’s Charter page. None of those are stated here.
Related
NBI clearance online covers the application flow from registration to release, and NBI clearance renewal covers the October 2016 rule and the door-to-door delivery option.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is an NBI clearance?
- ₱130.00 for the clearance itself plus a ₱30.00 electronic payment convenience fee, so ₱160.00 in total. The NBI Citizen's Charter Handbook records ₱160.00 as the total fee for the standard services.
- How much does delivery cost?
- ₱200.00 for delivery within NCR and ₱350.00 outside NCR, on top of the ₱160.00. That is only available on the online renewal route.
- What do I bring?
- Two valid government-issued IDs, original and not expired. NBI's charter lists a long set of acceptable IDs including a passport, driver's licence, UMID, PhilSys or National ID, postal ID, PRC card, voter's ID or certification of registration, seaman's book, school ID with a current registration card, senior citizen ID, solo parent ID, PWD ID and an authenticated PSA or NSO birth certificate.
- Is it free for first-time job seekers?
- Yes. Under RA 11261 the clearance is free of charge for first-time job seekers, who apply through a dedicated portal and bring a Barangay Certification on official letterhead, dry sealed and signed by the Punong Barangay or an authorised barangay officer, plus two valid IDs.
- What is a HIT?
- A HIT means your name matches or resembles someone with a record in the NBI database. NBI's charter has the applicant return on a scheduled date 8 working days later. Some HIT applicants are sent to the Quality Control Section for an interview, which the charter times at 10 minutes 20 seconds. There is no extra payment.
- How long does the whole thing take at the branch?
- For first-time applicants and those whose previous clearance was issued before October 2016, the charter publishes a total of 15 minutes 13 seconds on-site, after the online registration and payment steps.
- How do I apply from abroad?
- Secure NBI Clearance Application Form No. 5 from a Philippine Embassy or Consular Office, get rolled-impression fingerprints taken there or at a police station, attach a 2x2 photo taken within 3 months and a photocopy of your passport biodata page, and mail it with ₱200.00 covering ₱130.00 clearance and ₱70.00 mailing. Processing takes a maximum of 5 working days from receipt.
- How long is an NBI clearance valid?
- NBI does not publish a validity period on any of the pages read for this guide, so this page does not state one. Confirm with NBI or the organisation asking for it.
More NBI guides
Sources
- NBI | Citizen's Charter Handbook 2025 (1st Edition), retrieved
- NBI | How to Apply for NBI Clearance, retrieved
- NBI | Mailed Clearance (Applying from Abroad), retrieved
- NBI | Citizen's Charter, NBI Clearance Application, retrieved