Quick answer

Apply through the official NBI Clearance portal, complete your profile exactly as shown on your supporting documents, choose a clearance center and appointment, pay the displayed amount, and personally appear for identity and biometric verification.

If information is wrong, correct it before the clearance is printed. If the portal no longer permits editing, if you already paid, or if an issued clearance contains an error, contact the chosen clearance center or NBI Clearance support. Do not use quick online renewal when changing core personal data; NBI’s current guidance limits that service to applicants whose personal information has not changed. A correction may therefore be processed as a regular or new application.

A “HIT” is a record or name match requiring further verification. It does not by itself mean that the applicant has been convicted—or even that the matched record belongs to the applicant.

What an NBI clearance does—and does not—show

An NBI clearance reports the result of an NBI record check using the applicant’s identity information and biometrics at the time of processing. Employers, licensing bodies, schools, immigration authorities, and other institutions may require a recently issued clearance.

It is not a court decision and does not finally determine guilt or innocence. If an applicant’s name matches a person associated with a criminal record, the NBI may place the application on “HIT” status while it verifies identity or the status of the record. The constitutional presumption of innocence remains applicable in criminal prosecutions under Article III, Section 14 of the 1987 Constitution.

How to obtain a new NBI clearance

1. Use only the official portal

Go to the NBI Clearance portal. Avoid websites, social-media accounts, or individuals offering “assistance” in exchange for account credentials or extra payment.

Register with an email address and mobile number you control. Save the login details securely because the portal may send a one-time password or transaction notices through those channels.

2. Enter your legal information carefully

Copy the information from your reliable identity and civil-registry documents. Check particularly:

Complete first, middle, and last names
Suffix, such as Jr., Sr., II, or III
Hyphens, spaces, compound surnames, and the letter Ñ
Date and place of birth
Sex and civil status
Current address
Parents’ names
Any maiden, married, or previously used name requested by the form

Do not shorten a compound first name or use a nickname unless the form specifically asks for one. If your documents are inconsistent, resolve or disclose the inconsistency before printing rather than choosing whichever version is convenient.

3. Review before creating the transaction

The NBI’s current application guide instructs applicants to save and review their information before applying. Take a screenshot of the completed profile and check it against your documents.

Once satisfied:

Select “Apply for Clearance.”
Identify the government-issued document you will present.
Choose an NBI clearance center and available appointment window.
Select a payment channel.
Save the reference number or QR code.

The NBI office locator advises applicants to apply and pay online before going to a clearance office.

4. Pay the amount shown by the portal

As of the source-check date below, the NBI’s guide lists a ₱130 basic clearance fee, plus an electronic-payment service charge usually around ₱25 to ₱30. The exact total displayed for the chosen payment channel controls; service or delivery charges can vary.

Keep:

The reference number or QR code
Proof of payment
The portal transaction page
The appointment details
Any confirmation email or text message

Qualified first-time jobseekers may obtain the clearance without the basic government fee, as explained below.

5. Appear for identity and biometric capture

Bring the reference number, proof of payment, and the documents required by the portal. NBI’s current guide and Citizen’s Charter call for two original, valid government-issued IDs or acceptable government certificates. Examples listed by NBI include a passport, driver’s license, National ID, UMID, Postal ID, and PSA birth certificate. Check the portal or the clearance center if you are unsure whether a particular document will be accepted.

At the center, NBI personnel will capture or verify your:

Photograph
Fingerprints
Electronic signature
Personal information

Read every field shown on the verification screen. Ask for a correction before allowing the clearance to be printed.

Release and “HIT” processing

If there is no record match, NBI’s current guide says the clearance is normally printed during the visit. This is not a guaranteed deadline; system outages, document questions, crowding, or other verification issues can cause delay.

For a “HIT,” the NBI guide currently gives a usual verification period of five to ten working days and directs the applicant to return on the date provided. Follow the actual return slip or instruction from the clearance center.

A hit may result from:

Another person having the same or a similar name
A record requiring identity verification
An actual case associated with the applicant
A record whose disposition has not yet been reflected in the database

If the record is yours but the case was dismissed, archived, acquitted, terminated, or otherwise resolved, ask the NBI which certified court or prosecutorial documents it requires. Bring any certified disposition, order, decision, entry of judgment, certificate of finality, or other official case record you already possess, as applicable. The necessary document depends on the type and status of the proceeding.

What if you miss the appointment?

The current NBI guide states that a transaction marked “PAID” typically carries a 15-day grace period after the scheduled window. Confirm the applicable last date on the transaction page because the portal record and any branch instruction control. Do not assume that an unpaid reservation, an expired reference number, or an old transaction remains usable.

How to correct NBI clearance information

If the application has not been paid or submitted

Log in and check whether the portal still permits editing. Correct the entry, save it, and compare the updated profile with your supporting documents before creating or paying for the transaction.

If a core field is locked, contact NBI Clearance support instead of creating multiple accounts with conflicting identities.

If you have paid but have not completed biometrics

Preserve the existing reference number and receipt. At the clearance center, tell the personnel about the error before biometric capture and printing. Present the document establishing the correct information.

The correction may require the transaction to be updated or replaced. Do not make a second payment unless the portal or an authorized NBI officer instructs you to do so. NBI’s published materials do not promise that every mistaken payment can be transferred or refunded.

If biometrics have been taken but the clearance has not been printed

Immediately ask the encoder or supervisor to stop printing and review the data. Examine the verification screen and supporting documents together. If the system cannot amend the transaction, request written or clearly recorded instructions on whether you must file a regular new application.

If an issued clearance contains an error

Do not alter the certificate by handwriting, erasure, correction fluid, image editing, or reprinting. Keep the original erroneous clearance.

Contact or return to the issuing center with:

The erroneous clearance
Reference number and payment receipt
Two valid identity documents
The civil-registry or legal document supporting the correction
A written list of the incorrect and correct entries

Ask whether NBI will replace the certificate or require a new application and payment. The answer may depend on whether the error came from the applicant’s submitted data, NBI encoding, or a later legal change.

NBI’s quick online renewal is intended for applicants with an earlier clearance issued from 2014 onward and no changes to personal information. If the name, date or place of birth, or other core personal data must change, use the regular process or the correction procedure directed by NBI.

Common supporting documents

The precise checklist is fact-dependent, but these documents are commonly relevant:

Name, date, or place of birth: PSA birth certificate and matching government IDs
Marriage or use of a married surname: PSA marriage certificate, current IDs, and old clearance
Annulment, declaration of nullity, recognition of a foreign divorce, or another civil-status change: Annotated PSA records and the applicable final court or civil-registry documents
Court-authorized change of name: Final court order and proof of finality or annotated civil-registry record, as applicable
Address change: Current government or official address evidence if requested
Mistaken identity or resolved case: Valid IDs, the NBI return instruction, and certified records from the court, prosecutor, or other issuing office

Bring originals and clear photocopies. NBI decides what is sufficient for its verification; a document useful in one case may not establish another applicant’s requested change.

When the source document itself is wrong

An NBI correction cannot substitute for correcting a birth, marriage, or other civil-registry record. If the NBI entry merely follows an erroneous PSA record, the underlying record may need to be corrected first.

Under Republic Act No. 9048, certain clerical or typographical errors and qualifying changes of first name or nickname may be handled administratively by the proper city or municipal civil registrar or Philippine consul. Republic Act No. 10172 extends the administrative procedure to patently clerical errors in the day or month of birth and sex.

Substantial changes, entries outside those laws, or disputed civil status may require a judicial proceeding under Rule 108 of the Rules of Court or another appropriate action. Because the correct remedy depends on the entry, supporting evidence, and legal effect of the requested change, obtain advice from the local civil registrar or a Philippine lawyer before filing.

Your right to correct inaccurate personal data

Section 16 of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 gives a data subject the right to dispute inaccurate personal information and seek its correction, unless the request is vexatious or otherwise unreasonable.

That right does not authorize an agency to bypass a legally required court, civil-registry, or other official process. The National Privacy Commission’s guidance on the right to rectify expressly recognizes this limitation. Submit credible documents and use the proper legal procedure when the requested correction changes legal identity or civil status.

Free clearance for qualified first-time jobseekers

Republic Act No. 11261, the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, waives the government fee for an NBI clearance required for employment for a qualified first-time jobseeker. The benefit may be used only once.

Under the law and its implementing rules, the applicant must generally be:

A Filipino citizen
Actively seeking local or overseas employment for the first time
A resident of the certifying barangay for at least six months
Able to present the original barangay certification
Willing to execute the prescribed Oath of Undertaking
Not disqualified as a beneficiary of JobStart or another law providing a similar exemption

The certification and benefit are valid for one year from the barangay certification’s issuance, but the statutory benefit itself may be availed of only once. Fabricating or falsifying the certification may result in liability under the Revised Penal Code.

Use the NBI First-Time Jobseekers portal and bring the original barangay certification, Oath of Undertaking, and two acceptable IDs. The NBI Citizen’s Charter for first-time jobseekers lists the transaction as free of charge.

Applying while abroad

For a new overseas application, the NBI’s official mailed-clearance instructions require the applicant to:

Obtain NBI Form No. 5 from a Philippine embassy or consulate, or through an authorized representative from the NBI Mailed Clearance Section.
Complete the form without erasures.
Have rolled fingerprints taken and officially signed and sealed by the Philippine post or other authorized office identified in NBI’s instructions.
Attach a 2×2 photograph with white background taken within the preceding three months.
Attach a copy of the biodata page of the valid passport.
Send the documents by mail or through a properly authorized representative.

The NBI page currently states a ₱200 mailed amount, consisting of the ₱130 clearance fee and ₱70 mailing cost, and a maximum NBI processing time of five working days from receipt of complete documents. Transit, consular, and return-delivery time is additional.

All applications coming from abroad are processed through the NBI Clearance Building on United Nations Avenue, Ermita, Manila. If personal data has changed, expect the application to be treated as a new application rather than a simple renewal.

Evidence to preserve

Keep a complete file until the clearance has been accepted for its intended purpose:

Screenshots of the submitted profile
Appointment and transaction pages
Reference number or QR code
Payment receipt
Copies of IDs and supporting civil documents
Old and erroneous clearances
NBI return or release instructions
Emails, ticket numbers, and written correction requests
Certified court or prosecutorial records, where relevant
Notes of the date, branch, window, and instruction given

Do not post an unredacted clearance, birth certificate, passport, QR code, or reference number on social media.

Common mistakes to avoid

Registering through an unofficial website
Omitting a second given name, suffix, hyphen, or part of a compound surname
Using a nickname instead of the documented name
Paying before reviewing the entire profile
Using quick renewal despite a change in personal data
Assuming a “HIT” is proof of guilt
Ignoring the return date given by NBI
Presenting expired, photocopied-only, or inconsistent IDs
Editing the printed clearance yourself
Paying a fixer or sharing an OTP or account password
Assuming an NBI correction will also correct a PSA or court record

When legal help is urgent

Seek prompt advice from a Philippine lawyer if:

NBI verification reveals an arrest warrant or an active criminal case
The record belongs to you but shows an incorrect or outdated case status
Someone appears to have used your identity
Your civil-registry documents contain a substantial or disputed entry
A court order is needed to establish the requested name or status
An employment, visa, licensing, or deployment deadline will expire before verification
NBI continues processing materially inaccurate personal data despite a documented rectification request

Do not ignore a possible warrant or attempt to resolve an actual criminal record by simply creating another clearance account.

For clearance-specific questions, use the official NBI contact page. It currently lists (02) 8524-1277, 0939 150 2880, and nbiclearance@nbi.gov.ph for clearance inquiries.

Frequently asked questions

Can an NBI clearance be corrected entirely online?

Minor profile entries may be editable before submission if the portal allows it. A locked core field, a legal change in personal data, or an error on an already issued certificate ordinarily requires coordination with NBI and may require a regular new application and personal appearance.

What should I do if I paid under the wrong name?

Keep the receipt and reference number, contact the selected center, and report the error before biometrics or printing. Do not automatically make another payment. Whether the existing payment can be used depends on NBI’s system and instructions.

Does a “HIT” mean I have a criminal case?

Not necessarily. It can be a match with another person’s name or a record requiring verification. Follow the return instruction. If the record is actually yours, bring certified documents showing its current status.

Can a representative obtain my clearance?

Ordinary local processing involves the applicant’s photograph, fingerprints, signature, and identity verification. Overseas applicants may use the NBI’s mailed or authorized-representative procedure, but the applicant’s fingerprints must first be properly captured and authenticated abroad.

Can I use online renewal to change my married name or birth information?

No quick renewal should be used where personal data must change. NBI’s official guidance limits simplified renewal to applicants without changes. Use the regular or new-application procedure and present the supporting civil documents.

Is a first-time jobseeker clearance automatically free?

Only a qualified applicant who follows RA 11261, uses the designated process, and presents the required barangay certification and Oath of Undertaking receives the one-time waiver.

How long is an NBI clearance acceptable?

Check the validity information printed on the certificate and the freshness requirement imposed by the requesting employer or agency. A receiving institution may require a more recently issued clearance even if the document has not yet reached its printed expiration.

What if two government documents show different names or birth details?

Do not conceal the discrepancy or repeatedly change portal entries. Ask NBI which document it will require and determine whether the underlying civil-registry record needs administrative or judicial correction.

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not legal advice for a specific person or case. Procedures and portal charges can change, and document sufficiency depends on the facts. Official sources and current NBI guidance were checked on 4 August 2026.