NBI Clearance Renewal 2026: Online Steps, Requirements, Fee and HIT

NBI clearance at a glance

The NBI clearance is issued by the National Bureau of Investigation after your details are checked against the NBI Criminal Database. It is one of the documents employers ask for most, together with the police clearance and a barangay clearance. For the full pre-employment list, see our employment documents table.

Which NBI clearance renewal route can you use?

Start here. The route decides your fee, whether you queue at a branch, and how fast you get the paper. Answer three questions: when was your last clearance issued, did it have a hit, and has anything in your details changed?

NBI Quick Renewal online: step by step

The portal banner reads: "Is your NBI clearance expired or expiring? Renew it and get it delivered door-to-door! (October 16, 2016 Onwards)." The Charter says Quick Renewal is for "applicants with a previously issued NBI clearance certificate after October 16, 2016 onwards 'NO HIT'". Printing is "either done on-site at NBI UN Avenue, Manila ONLY, or through a door-to-door delivery service."

NBI eClearance on the eGovPH app

On 6 July 2026 the NBI and the DICT launched NBI eClearance in the eGovPH Super App. The NBI press release says "verified eGovPH users can now access NBI Clearance services through a secure, interoperable platform" and that "eligible users may renew their NBI clearance in as little as five minutes through the app". The app lets you retrieve and renew a clearance and get a digital copy.

Three things are not yet published: the fee for an eGovPH renewal, the exact eligibility rules (for example whether a past hit or an older clearance disqualifies you), and whether every employer accepts the digital copy. Check with the issuing office, meaning the NBI or the app itself, before you rely on it, and ask the office requesting your clearance whether a digital copy is acceptable. The press release says only "eligible" and "verified" users.

NBI clearance online: how a new or regular application works

If Quick Renewal is not open to you, the regular online application works for new applicants and renewals alike. The Charter's first step is: "Register Online at the NBI clearance website at https://clearance.nbi.gov.ph, and get a Reference Number." The NBI's how-to page adds the details below.

About the grace period: the NBI's how-to page says, as a tip, "Recent system updates allow a 15-day grace period once your transaction is marked 'PAID'." Treat it as a safety net, not a plan. Go on your booked date if you can. The NBI also keeps opening clearance centers; for example, its Kabankalan Clearance Center began operating on 8 September 2026, so check the branch list for one near you.

On dress, the NBI's how-to page advises applicants to dress properly and lists sando, shorts and slippers among things to avoid in its quick tips. Your photo is taken on the spot, so dress as you would for an ID picture.

NBI clearance requirements: IDs and documents

The Charter is precise: "Original Philsys ID (National ID), or any Original Two (2) Valid IDs as listed below." So the National ID alone is enough. Without it, bring two originals from the list. If you do not have a National ID yet, our PhilSys National ID guide explains how to get one.

Filipino applicants

Foreign nationals

The 21 valid IDs the NBI accepts

NBI clearance fee 2026

The 2025 Citizen's Charter sets "PHP 130.00 for the clearance application fee" and "PHP 30.00 for the electronic payment convenience fee", for a total of ₱160. The portal's own fee list shows one item, "Multi-Purpose Clearance 130.00", and notes that "Paying in NBI Main will only cost 130.00 Only". We found no separate price for a travel-abroad clearance: you choose your purpose during the application. If an older NBI web page shows different amounts, go by the 2025 Charter, which is the current edition.

You can pay through the channels the portal lists: bank over-the-counter, online banking, cash payment centers, ECPay, 7-Eleven, Visa or Mastercard, GCash, Maya, ShopeePay and DragonPay. Whatever the channel, keep the paid reference number. You need it at the branch, and for Quick Renewal pick-up it can stand in for an ID.

NBI clearance HIT: what it means and how long it takes

A HIT means your name matched a record in the NBI Criminal Database during verification. The Charter's procedure "advises the client 'WITH HIT' to return on a scheduled date", and step 4 of that service, "Applicant with hit, returns on the scheduled date", carries a processing time of 8 working days. A no-hit application, by contrast, totals about 15 minutes and is printed on the same visit.

The NBI's how-to page gives a looser estimate of "usually 5 to 10 working days", but the Charter, the NBI's formal service commitment, says 8. Plan for 8 working days when an employer asks for your clearance by a deadline. A hit also rules you out of Quick Renewal next time, because Quick Renewal needs a previous clearance with "NO HIT".

If you are called for a Quality Control interview, the Charter says "the Quality Control interviewer interviews the applicant per the attached derogatory record/s." The Charter does not list documents for this interview. If the record concerns a case of yours that has ended, bring any court papers you have, and ask the NBI branch what else to bring.

NBI clearance validity: how long is it good for?

Many employers treat an NBI clearance issued within the past year as current. But neither the 2025 Citizen's Charter, the NBI's web pages nor the portal text we checked states a validity period. Check the dates printed on your clearance and ask the office requesting it how recent it must be. Requirements differ from one office to another, so ask before you renew.

Common NBI clearance problems and fixes

NBI clearance from abroad: Form No. 5, courier or representative

Filipinos abroad do not need to fly home. The Charter says "there is no need for the on-site capturing of the applicants' biometrics": your fingerprints go on NBI Form No. 5, and the clearance is printed in Manila and sent back by prepaid pouch. Form No. 5 comes from the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate. The Charter warns: "Ensure that the form bears the seal of the Philippine Consulate Office. This form is furnished by the NBI upon request by the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is free and not for sale."

Mail your documents to: International and Foreign Transaction Section, 3rd Floor, NBI Clearance Building, United Nations Avenue, Ermita, Manila, Philippines 1000. The mailed-clearance page adds two rules. Only clearances issued in 2014 or later can be renewed by mail or through a representative; older ones are treated as new applications. And married women must use their maiden name: father's surname as surname, husband's surname in its own field, and mother's maiden surname as middle name.

The Charter asks for an authorization letter when a relative files for you. Our authorization letter template fits that use. If the same person will also handle bank, property or other papers while you are away, a special power of attorney gives broader authority. Need a clearance apostilled for use abroad? Check with the DFA: we could not confirm the current apostille steps because the DFA consular site blocked our check in November 2026.

Is the NBI clearance free for first-time jobseekers?

Yes, once. RA 11261 lists "(b) National Bureau of Investigation clearance" among the documents issued free to first-time jobseekers, and Section 3 limits the benefit to one use. The NBI Charter's first-time jobseeker service asks for a barangay certificate "stating that the applicant is a qualified availee of the First Time Jobseeker Assistance Act and a resident of the barangay ... for at least six (6) months", an oath of undertaking, the National ID or two valid IDs, and an online reference number from the "First Time Job Seeker" portal at clearance.nbi.gov.ph.

NBI clearance vs police clearance

The two clearances search different databases, and an employer that asks for one will not usually take the other in its place. The police clearance is cheaper to start with and needs only one ID; the NBI clearance costs ₱160 and needs the National ID or two IDs. Full police details, including its six-month validity and online renewal, are in our police clearance requirements guide.

NBI clearance checklist: what to bring

Collecting several documents for a job or a move? Our government documents hub shows the fee, validity and office for each ID and clearance on one page, so you can plan one trip instead of three.