How To Apply NBI Clearance Online in 2019

Last Updated on March 1, 2020

This article is written and updated on January 1, 2019 and is intended for NBI Clearance Applicants who’s looking for an updated guide on How To Apply For NBI Clearance in 2019.

NBI clearance… Aaaaaah, where do we start.

First of, the topic on how to apply for NBI Clearance has been our bread and butter here. Many visitors of our websites are asking “How to apply NBI Clearance” or “NBI Clearance Online“.

To be honest there’s no major changes from the previous process. Just minor modifications from our previous articles plus an Frequently Asked Questions where we have gathered from the comments section of our website.

The thing is, NBI Clearance Online registration is much more easier now because (First) you can fill up the application form online. That means you can do it in the comforts of your home using your desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphones.

Second, Payment of NBI Clearance fees can be done thru 7-Eleven, Bayad Centers and other payment options. NBI have given us six (6) payment options to choose from. All we need to do is to choose what’s best for us.

Third, payment can also be done online. That means using your Paypal account. But that’s different article and discussion. We won’t mention it in this article.

Unfortunately, the NBI Clearance Online Applicant still needs to go to his or her chosen NBI Clearance Branch to process the application.

Though based on our recent experience, NBI Clearance in Main Office are now much faster.

Before we start discussing the step by step guide on how to get an NBI Clearance, we’ll give you first a quick overview on the steps to follow.

A more detailed discussion can be seen right down below.

How to Apply NBI Clearance

Below are the steps on how to apply for an NBI Clearance. You can click the link so you will be directed to the specific step you want to read.

1. NBI Clearance Online Account Registration
2. NBI Clearance Online Appointment
3. NBI Clearance Fee Payment
4. NBI Clearance Image Capturing and Biometrics
5. NBI Clearance Issuance

First thing to do is to go to the official website of NBI Clearance (https://clearance.nbi.gov.ph). Type in to your browser the web address which I highlighted in the previous sentence.

For this tutorial, we will focus on discussing the process on how to apply for NBI Clearance from scratch. That means, the user or the applicant of NBI Clearance don’t have an NBI Clearance Online Account yet.

If you’re here looking for the guide on NBI Clearance RENEWAL, I suggest you read our article which focuses on NBI Clearance Renewal.

New application and Renewal of NBI Clearance have two different process. New application of NBI Clearance requires account registration through the website while renewal of NBI Clearance skips the registration and only asks for your Old NBI Clearance Number. There’s also an option for Quick Renewal which will tackle on a different post.

You can read more about our article which discusses the step by step of NBI Clearance Quick Renewal here.

1. NBI Clearance Online Account Registration

Going back to the tutorial on how to apply NBI Clearance Online, when you arrive at the website, on the right side of your screen, you’ll see a small box saying “REGISTER”.

Note that if you’re using your mobile phone to apply for NBI Clearance Online, the “REGISTER” box can be seen at the middle of your screen and NOT on the right side. You just have to scroll to see it.

Find the text “DO YOU HAVE AN OLD NBI CLEARANCE?” and tick the checkbox next to “NO”. We selected this answer because as we mentioned earlier, we are only discussing the NBI Clearance NEW Application and NOT the renewal.

Once you have provided the answer to the first question, the registration box will change and a more detailed registration form will be displayed.

Fill up the NBI Clearance Online Account Registration Form with your personal details.

Enter your Gender, Civil Status, Birth Date, your complete name (First, Middle and Last name), your email address and nominate a secure password.

After filling up the required personal information, click the check box next to the “I ACCEPT TERMS OF SERVICE” and press the “SIGN UP” button.

QUESTION: I just recently got married and I want to use my Husband’s last name, what should I do?

If you’ve just got married and trying to obtain an NBI Clearance using your husband’s last name, there’s a more detailed tutorial on doing this. We’ll provide the link to the article on the next few days.

The website will confirm if your registration is successful. Now, using your email address and your nominated password, sign in to your account.

When you have successfully logged in to your NBI Clearance Online Account, you’ll be directed at NBI Clearance Online Application Form. This requires you to complete the form by filling up the other personal information.

Complete the NBI Clearance Application Form by entering the following personal information:

• Name
• Address
• Birth Date and Birth Place
• Citizenship
• Educational Attainment
• Occupation
• Your Parents Name and Birth place
• Weight
• Height

Make sure to enter those information correctly to avoid errors in your printed NBI Clearance. Though if you have entered an incorrect info, you can still make modification and correct it.

Once done, press the button “SAVE INFORMATION” button located at the bottom of the page.

QUESTION: I noticed that I made a mistake in one of my personal information. How can I correct this?

As I’ve mentioned earlier, the incorrect information you have entered can be corrected. All you need to do is click the “EDIT INFORMATION” button.

The EDIT button will take you back to your NBI Clearance Application Form where you can correct the information you’re trying to modify.

Press the SAVE INFORMATION button once changes has been made.

Note that the changes that you’ve made will reflect on your printed NBI Clearance IF AND ONLY IF you made the changes before you paid your NBI Clearance Online Fee.

If you paid your NBI Clearance Fee then modified your NBI Clearance Application form, the changes will not be reflected on the printed NBI Clearance.

The solution to this is to ask the NBI Clearance Personnel to manually overwrite what’s written on your NBI Clearance Form and correct it.

Click the “APPLY FOR CLEARANCE” button to proceed with the application.

After clicking the button, a small pop up box will appear asking for your confirmation and the Valid ID that you will present.

In the example above, I have written Passport as my valid ID that I will present but make sure to bring two (2) Valid IDs as this is required when applying for an NBI Clearance.

The list of NBI Clearance Requirements are listed below:

• Valid Philippine Passport
• Voter’s ID
• Driver’s License
• PRC License
• SSS ID
• GSIS UMID
• Postal ID
• School ID
• TIN ID
• Philhealth ID
• Alien Cert of Registration
• Senior Citizen
• Previous Copy of NBI Clearance
• Philippine National ID also known as PhilSys ID

Press the “I Agree” button to proceed.

2. NBI Clearance Online Appointment

On this part, you are now required to schedule an NBI Online Appointment. This is the time you have to select the Branch where you want to process your NBI Clearance and select the time when you want to process it.

Select the NBI Branch where you want to process your NBI Clearance. This is the place where you will submit your application and will be printed.

We have listed down below all the available NBI Clearance Branch nationwide.

List of NBI Clearance Branches

In terms of time, there are only two options which are AM (Morning) and PM (Afternoon).

The image below is the exact screenshot of the page where you will schedule your appointment in NBI Clearance.

The next thing to do is the selection of your preferred Date and Time. NBI Clearance Office Hours are as follows: Monday to Friday, 9AM to 5PM. Please note that NBI Clearance Branches also depends on National and Local Holidays.

3. NBI Clearance Fee Payment

After selecting the NBI Clearance Branch, Date and Time of your application, at the right side of your computer screen, choose the payment option that is convenient for you.

The screenshot below shows the same exact thing you’ll see in your screen.

From the six (6) option, choose the best payment method that is best for you. In my case, I prefer payment of my NBI Clearance in 7-Eleven or Bayad Center because these payment centers can be easily located near my house.

Click any icon of the NBI Clearance Payment Option. For the sake of this tutorial, I will pay my NBI Clearance in Bayad Center.

A small pop up window will show up. Just press the “PROCEED” button.

After clicking the button, a summary of payment will be shown. Again, press the “PROCEED TO PAYMENT”.

The next pop up window will display your NBI Clearance Payment Reference Number.

It is important to take note of this Reference Number. Write it down or take a screenshot or photo of this because this will be used when paying your NBI Clearance in Bayad Center.

It will also show you the (expected) amount to be paid. The total amount and breakdown of the amount to be paid is also shown which is composed of the NBI Clearance Fee and the System Fee.

Note that any charges from Bayad center is not yet included here. This means that Bayad Center have the authority to include a certain amount to be paid when you availed their services.

Press the “ACCEPT” button once you’re done taking note of the NBI Payment reference number.

You will be directed back to the home page of the NBI Clearance website.

To make sure that your NBI Clearance Online Application is successful, at the left side of your screen, look for the “TRANSACTIONS” from the menu.

Click the Transactions link

It will open a new page where you can see your recent NBI Clearance Application. Under the Details column, you can see that there’s the status of your application.

In our case, since we haven’t paid our NBI Clearance Fee, the status is still “PENDING”.

But once we are done with the payment, the status of our NBI Clearance Online Application will change from “PENDING” to “PAID”.

You may refer to the screenshot below for your reference.

Compare the two screenshot above. The status from “PENDING” was changed to “PAID”, right? Have you noticed the changes under “ACTIONS” column? the button changed from “CANCEL” to “DETAILS”.

Well, the “DETAILS” button’s purpose is to show you the details of your NBI Clearance Online application.

If you click the “Details” button, it will open a small pop up window which is the same with the screenshot below.

As you can see, the small window has two (2) buttons. The “Print Application Form” button and “Close”.

Obviously, the close button closes the window while the “Print Application Button” opens a new browser tab or window displaying your NBI Clearance Application Form.

Please note that printing of your NBI Clearance Application form is NOT REQUIRED. You don’t have to do this.

You can just save this in your smart phone as a PDF or you can even just take a screenshot of the upper portion of the NBI Clearance Application Form where the NBI Clearance Reference Number is visible.

You’re almost done with your NBI Clearance Application. The next thing to do is wait for your appointment date and time to process your NBI Clearance.

Important! Bring TWO (2) Valid IDs as a requirements for your application. If you fail to bring at least two valid IDs, your NBI Clearance Application will not be accepted. Also, don’t forget your receipt from your NBI Clearance Fee payment.

Important! You also need to bring your NBI Clearance Reference Number. Print out of your NBI Clearance Application Form is not required as mentioned earlier. The NBI Clearance Reference Number will suffice.

4. NBI Clearance Image Capturing and Biometrics

When you arrive at the NBI Clearance Branch you have chosen, go directly to Image Capturing Section and Biometrics and show your NBI Clearance Application Form OR NBI Clearance Reference Number.

NBI Clearance Personnel will type in your Reference Number in his/her computer to find your NBI Clearance Online Application. Once its application is found and displayed, your photo will be taken as well as your Biometrics (fingerprints).

5. NBI Clearance Issuance

After the Photo Capture and Biometrics, the NBI Clearance Personnel will ask you to review all the information from his/her computer screen.

Make sure to check everything for incorrect personal information and misspellings.

After reviewing your NBI Clearance, you will be asked to proceed to the Printing Section where NBI Clearance are printed and handed over to its respective owners.

If you don’t have NBI Clearance HIT, you will receive your NBI Clearance in just a few minutes.

But if the NBI Clearance Personnel from Photo Capture and Biometrics asked you to return on a specific date, that means you have a HIT. He/She may also mention this to you.

What is an NBI Clearance HIT?

An “NBI CLEARANCE HIT” occurs when a search from NBI’s Database returns a specific result that flags the NBI Clearance Personnel.

Its possible that when the NBI Clearance Personnel searched your name from their database and it shows them that your name have a criminal case or name sake.

This result requires additional steps of verification from NBI Clearance Personnel before they issue you your NBI Clearance.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t want to do an NBI Clearance Online Application, Can I just walk in?

No you can’t. NBI Clearance don’t entertain walk in applicants anymore.

Is the NBI Clearance Application Form required to be printed?

No, as mentioned earlier, NBI Clearance Application forms are not required to be printed. All you have to bring is the NBI Clearance Reference Number.

I don’t have a Middle Name, what should I put in my Application form?

You can just input “MNU” or “Middle Name Unknown” or “Not Applicable”.

Can I just ask someone to apply for my NBI Clearance? I just ask him to bring all my documents so he/she can process it?

No, you can’t do that. Another requirement in applying an NBI Clearance is personal appearance. They also need your fingerprints and a photo that should be taken by the NBI Clearance Personnel.

I missed my scheduled date of NBI Clearance Application, is my payment already forfeited?

No, you can still apply within the same month. Just make sure to go to the NBI Clearance Branch that you have chosen and process your NBI Clearance AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Can I ask someone to claim my NBI Clearance?

Yes you can! You can ask any person you authorized to claim your NBI Clearance. Just make sure to provide an Authorization Letter.

For more details about this, you may read our article focused on this: Ask Someone To Claim Your NBI Clearance

I was asked to come back on a specific date because I have a HIT status, can I just claim it (days) earlier?

No, if the NBI Clearance Personnel asked you to return on a specific date to claim your NBI Clearance, you can’t beg them to give it to you on an earlier date.

I only have one (1) valid ID, is it okay?

No, they won’t entertain your NBI Clearance Online Application.

What if i cannot make it on the date of the release?

It’s okay! But just make sure to claim it within the same week.

Is Birth Certificate issued by PSA/NSO accepted as Valid ID?

Unfortunately, NO. Birth Certificates are not honored as Valid ID in applying for NBI Clearance.

I don’t have a Valid ID, can I still apply for NBI Clearance?

No, two (2) valid IDs are required in applying for NBI Clearance. If you don’t have one, might as well get a Police Clearance, Postal ID or Voter’s ID.

Is my old NBI Clearance can be one of my Valid ID?

Yes, old and expired NBI Clearance are valid.

I have a Student ID, can I still use it as a requirement?

Yes and No. If you’re still a student then Yes, you can still use it. Just bring your School Registration form as a supporting document.

If you’re not a student anymore then No due to obvious reasons.

I already set my appointment in NBI Clearance Online website and I missed to pay it within the first 24 hours. Is my reference number still valid? Can I still pay it?

Not anymore, NBI Clearance Payment Reference Numbers have a validity of 24 hours only. You can’t pay it anymore in any of the payment options. It will be rejected by the cashier of the payment center due to error in Payment Reference Number.

I applied an NBI a year(s) ago and I got hit, should I expect that every time I will renew or get a new NBI Clearance, I will encounter the same situation again?

Unfortunately YES, as long as you have a name sake, you will not be cleared.

Can I reschedule my appointment that I set in the website?

No, but NBI Clearance Branches are not that strict. If you’re not able to appear on your scheduled date, you can still process it the next working days or at least within the week of your appointment date.

I want to apply for NBI Clearance with a purpose for Travel Abroad, how can I apply for one.

The good news here is you don’t have to apply for a separate NBI Clearance for Travel Abroad. All NBI Clearance issued are Multipurpose meaning it serves all purpose such as Local Employment, Travel Abroad and other specific purposes.

Your NBI Clearance will be accepted no matter what.

What if I lost my NBI Clearance Reference Number, what should I do?

All you need to do is log in to your account in NBI Clearance website and go to Transactions page. You can see it there.

Is there an age limit for NBI Clearance application.

Yes, NBI Clearance are only issued to all applicants eighteen (18) years old and above.

The status of my NBI Clearance is still “PENDING” even after I made my payment? What should I do?

Nothing, just make sure that you paid the correct payment reference number and make sure to keep the receipt. The next thing to do is wait for your appointment date and process your NBI Clearance. Don’t forget to bring your requirements such as two (2) valid IDs.

Is photocopy of my Valid IDs are allowed.

No, valid IDs must be original and be presented to the NBI Clearance Personnel. Photocopies are not acceptable because it can be easily falsified.

I selected 7-Eleven as my payment option. Can I pay it through Bayad Center?

No, you can’t do that. If you selected 7-Eleven, you must pay it in 7-Eleven. I believe the payment reference number will not be recognized in Bayad Center if you tried to pay it there.

I was asked to go to a Quality Control Interview? What should I do?

All you need to do is to be there on the scheduled date and time. It’s just an interview in front of an NBI Clearance personnel proving your identity. It’s possible that the person that you have the same name have a pending case or on wanted list.

If you don’t have a criminal case, then you don’t have to worry.

Is NBI Clearance Branches open on Saturdays?

No, NBI Clearance Branches are only open Mondays to Fridays. National and Local holidays are observe so better check the date before you set an appointment.

Is Barangay ID acceptable as a requirement in NBI Clearance Online Application?

Unfortunately, No. NBI Clearance don’t honor Barangay ID for unknown reasons.

My last name has an “Ñ” in it but the website doesn’t accept this. What should I do?

Unfortunately, Ñ is treated as a special character and the website restricts the use of special characters.

What you need to do is inform the NBI Clearance Personnel who will take your Photo and Biometrics to modify this for you.

I got HIT, how many days before I can claim my NBI Clearance?

Ideally, you can claim your NBI Clearance after Ten (10) working days but due to volume of applicants, sometimes, it’s longer or shorter.

I forgot my password in my NBI Clearance Online Account, what should I do?

You may use the Forgot Password feature of the website. It will send you a link to reset your password.

I forgot my password and email address that I registered in NBI Clearance website. What should I do?

There’s no way you can retrieve it anymore. Since Email Address is required so the website can send you a password reset link.

The solution here is register a new account. Use a different email address during account registration.

I’m in abroad and I want to apply for NBI Clearance? What are the steps on how to apply for NBI Clearance while in abroad.

The first thing to do is to read our article that discusses application of NBI Clearance while in Abroad.

But to give you an overview, yes its possible. All you have to do is go to the nearest Philippine Consular Office.

Why is it so hard to apply for NBI Clearance?

You’re wrong. It’s really easy. You’re just lazy to read the step by step guide on how to apply for an NBI Clearance.

Ignorance to the process makes it hard to the applicants. All they have to do is to follow simple directions. All they have to do is read.

Is there a “RUSH” processing of NBI Clearance?

No, there’s no “RUSH” processing of NBI Clearance. If you don’t have a HIT, you can get your NBI Clearance immediately. But if you have a HIT, you will be asked to come back and claim it. You can’t pay for a special service such as “rush” processing so you can get it immediately.

Can I ask for a refund for the payment of NBI Clearance Fee?

It’s possible. But I didn’t hear any success story that someone was granted a refund by NBI Clearance. The process is very complicated.

But you can still try. The process is you have to go to the NBI Clearance Main Office and go to their Cashier. You can ask the help of the Customer Service there and ask how can you claim your refund.

I have an existing credit card debt which I didn’t pay. Will it reflect on my NBI Clearance?

No, only criminal cases are reflected in the NBI Clearance. Non payment of debt is not considered as criminal case.

Thanks for reading this article. If you still have question after searching the FAQ section, feel free to leave a comment down below!

Have a great day!