Quick answer

To obtain an NBI clearance, apply through the official NBI Clearance Portal, complete your profile exactly as shown on your identity documents, choose a clearance center and appointment, pay the amount displayed, and appear personally with your reference number and two original, valid government-issued IDs or accepted official certificates. The NBI will capture your photograph, fingerprints, and signature before checking its database and printing the clearance.

To correct a mistake, act before the clearance is printed whenever possible. Correct any editable profile field online and ask the clearance-center operator to fix or verify all remaining errors before biometrics and printing. If the clearance has already been issued, do not alter it yourself. Contact the issuing center or NBI Clearance inquiries, submit proof of the correct information, and ask whether NBI will rectify the existing record or require reprocessing and a replacement clearance.

A correction to NBI data is different from a correction to a birth, marriage, or other civil-registry record. NBI generally cannot change an underlying civil-registry entry without the annotated certificate, administrative decision, court order, or other official document required by law.

How to obtain a new NBI clearance

1. Use only the official portal

Go to clearance.nbi.gov.ph. Register with an active email address and mobile number, then complete the applicant-information form.

Enter your full name, birth details, address, civil status, and other information exactly as supported by your documents. Include suffixes such as “Jr.” or “III” where applicable. Do not substitute a nickname for a legal first name or place a married surname in the wrong field.

Review the entire profile before saving or paying. According to the NBI’s application guide, applicants are also given an opportunity to verify their information at the clearance center before printing.

2. Choose a clearance center and appointment

Select an available NBI branch, date, and AM or PM schedule. The NBI Clearance Office Locator advises applicants to apply and pay online before visiting a clearance office.

Branch schedules and capacity can change. Follow the appointment and transaction instructions shown in your account rather than relying on an old screenshot or unofficial social-media post.

3. Pay the displayed amount

The NBI’s current application guide states that the basic clearance fee is ₱130, with an additional service charge imposed by the selected payment channel. The portal’s total at checkout controls because service charges and available payment methods may change.

Save the reference number and proof of successful payment. Do not treat a generated reference number as proof that payment was completed; check that the transaction is marked paid.

4. Bring the required documents

For an ordinary application, bring:

Your reference number or QR code;
Proof of payment;
Two original, valid government-issued IDs or official certificates accepted by NBI; and
Supporting civil-registry or court documents if your name or other personal details have legally changed.

The NBI lists passports, driver’s licenses, the National ID, UMID, Postal ID, and PSA birth certificates among its examples. IDs should be unexpired, readable, and consistent with the identity you are claiming. Because accepted documents can change, check the portal or contact the selected branch if you have only one ID or an unusual document.

5. Complete personal appearance and biometrics

At the branch, NBI personnel will verify your documents and transaction, capture your photograph, fingerprints, and electronic signature, and check your identity against the NBI database. Ordinary domestic applications require personal appearance because biometrics must be captured or verified.

Before the operator finalizes the transaction, carefully inspect every field displayed. Say immediately if the spelling, suffix, birth date, sex, civil status, or address is wrong.

6. Claim the clearance or follow the “hit” instructions

If the database check produces no match requiring further review, the clearance may be printed during the same visit.

A “hit” means that the system found a name or record requiring manual verification. It is not, by itself, a finding that you committed a crime. The NBI Citizen’s Charter for first-time jobseekers directs applicants with a hit to return on the scheduled date and provides for quality-control interviews when required. Follow the specific return date given by NBI; processing time depends on the record that must be checked.

Bring your receipt and claim slip when returning. If NBI requests additional proof, provide official documents rather than affidavits or screenshots alone.

Renewing instead of filing a new application

The NBI’s published guide allows eligible holders of clearances issued from 2014 onward to use online renewal when their personal information has not changed. Delivery and payment charges may be separate from the clearance fee.

Since July 2026, verified eGovPH users who are eligible may also retrieve, renew, and access a digital NBI clearance through the eGovPH Super App, according to the NBI’s official launch announcement.

Use a new or assisted application instead of a no-change renewal if you need to correct a name, birth detail, civil status, or other material information. Let the portal determine eligibility; possession of an old clearance does not guarantee that every renewal channel will be available.

Free clearance for qualified first-time jobseekers

Republic Act No. 11261, the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, waives the NBI-clearance fee for a qualified first-time jobseeker. The benefit is available only once.

Under the Act and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, the applicant must generally be:

A Filipino citizen;
Actively seeking employment locally or abroad for the first time; and
A resident for at least six months of the barangay issuing the certification.

Covered individuals can include graduates, out-of-school youth, early school leavers, students on leave, and people seeking work while enrolled, provided they meet the legal definition.

Obtain the prescribed barangay certification and execute the Oath of Undertaking before the Punong Barangay or authorized officer. The certification must be issued free of charge, carries a one-year availment period, and must be presented in its original form. The benefit covers only one copy of each covered document or transaction; additional copies may be charged.

Use the NBI First-Time Jobseekers Portal and bring the original barangay certification, Oath of Undertaking, and two accepted IDs or certificates. Fabricating or falsifying the certification may result in liability under the Revised Penal Code.

If an agency wrongfully refuses the statutory benefit, the IRR allows a written complaint to the head of the agency concerned, who is directed to act within three working days. Unresolved disputes may be referred to the inter-agency monitoring committee.

How to correct NBI-clearance information

If the clearance has not yet been printed

Log in and correct every field the portal still allows you to edit.
Preserve a screenshot showing the corrected information.
At the clearance center, tell the operator about the error before biometrics or printing.
Present documents showing the correct entry.
Review the data on the operator’s screen and confirm each field only after it is accurate.

Do not pay for multiple transactions or create several accounts merely to work around a locked field. Duplicate records can complicate identity verification. Ask NBI to advise whether the existing transaction can be corrected or must be replaced.

If the clearance has already been issued

Contact the issuing clearance center or use the official NBI contact page. NBI lists the following channels for clearance inquiries:

Email: nbiclearance@nbi.gov.ph
Landline: (02) 8524-1277
Mobile: 0939 150 2880

State that you are requesting rectification of inaccurate personal data. Include:

Your full name and contact details;
The NBI reference or transaction number;
The date and place of issuance;
The incorrect entry and the exact requested correction;
A copy of the issued clearance;
Clear copies of the supporting IDs or official records; and
A request for written instructions on verification, reprocessing, fees, and replacement.

Send only the documents reasonably needed and use an official nbi.gov.ph address. Keep the original documents for personal presentation.

As of the source check for this article, NBI’s published public guidance does not provide one nationwide online correction form, fixed correction fee, or guaranteed processing period for every already-issued clearance. The required process can depend on whether the problem is a simple encoding mistake, a legal change of name, inconsistent source documents, or a disputed database record.

Your right to rectify inaccurate personal data

Section 16 of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and Section 34 of its Implementing Rules and Regulations recognize a data subject’s right to dispute inaccurate personal data and have it corrected. The National Privacy Commission describes this as correction within a reasonable period.

This right does not authorize an applicant to erase an accurate criminal or court record. It also does not replace a judicial, civil-registry, or other official correction process. Data-subject rights may be limited to the extent necessary when information is processed for criminal, administrative, or tax investigations.

If NBI does not take appropriate action, document the request and follow up in writing. Before filing a privacy complaint, the NPC generally requires proof that the respondent was informed in writing and did not take timely or appropriate action, or failed to respond within 15 calendar days. Review the NPC’s current complaint mechanics before filing.

When the underlying civil record is wrong

An NBI request cannot by itself correct a PSA or local civil-registry entry.

Republic Act No. 9048 permits specified administrative corrections of clerical or typographical errors and certain changes of first name. Republic Act No. 10172 extends the administrative procedure to an obviously clerical error in the day or month of birth or a person’s sex. The PSA’s administrative-correction guidance explains the available petition process.

Corrections outside those statutes may require a court proceeding under Rule 108 of the Rules of Court or another applicable legal process. Substantial changes involving surname, filiation, citizenship, age, marital status, or identity are fact-sensitive and should not be treated as ordinary typographical corrections.

After the source record is lawfully corrected, obtain the annotated PSA certificate, civil-registrar decision, final court order, or other official proof and present it to NBI. Do not assume that changing one government record automatically updates all other databases.

If the problem is a mistaken hit or derogatory-record match

Attend the NBI quality-control interview and cooperate with fingerprint and identity verification. Bring:

Two or more reliable government-issued IDs;
Your birth certificate and any annotated civil-registry document;
Earlier NBI clearances, if available;
Court-certified copies of any dismissal, acquittal, final judgment, entry of judgment, warrant recall, or other disposition relevant to the matched record; and
Any NBI notice or claim slip identifying the record under review.

The documents required will depend on what the database match shows. A personal affidavit saying “that is not me” may be helpful context but ordinarily cannot replace official identity verification or a certified court record.

If the record actually concerns you, correction is appropriate only when the recorded information is inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, or no longer reflects the official disposition. NBI cannot dismiss a pending case, recall a warrant, or overturn a court order.

Applicants who are outside the Philippines

The NBI has a separate mailed-clearance procedure for applicants abroad.

A new applicant generally obtains NBI Form No. 5 from a Philippine embassy or consulate, completes it without erasures, and has rolled fingerprints taken by the embassy, consulate, or nearest police station. The official who takes the fingerprints must identify themselves, sign, state their designation, and place the office seal on the form. The application also requires a recent 2×2 photograph and a copy of the passport biodata page.

The completed application may be mailed to the NBI Mailed Clearance Section or processed through an authorized representative under NBI’s instructions. NBI states that applications from abroad are processed at the NBI Clearance Building on United Nations Avenue in Manila.

For renewals from abroad, the NBI procedure applies to clearances issued from 2014 onward; earlier clearances are treated as new applications. Follow NBI’s specific instructions for recording a change of address or civil status on the old clearance submitted with the renewal. This does not mean an applicant may hand-correct a current certificate for use.

Evidence to preserve

Keep an organized copy of:

Your application profile before payment;
Appointment confirmation, reference number, and payment status;
Official receipt and payment-channel confirmation;
IDs and source documents presented;
The issued clearance, including its QR code and issuance details;
Claim slips, hit notices, and return dates;
Correction requests and proof of delivery or email transmission;
Names of offices visited and dates of conversations;
Any NBI acknowledgment or written instruction; and
Evidence of an employment, visa, or licensing deadline.

Avoid posting an unredacted clearance, QR code, birth certificate, or ID on social media. These documents contain information that can be misused for identity fraud.

Common mistakes to avoid

Applying through a look-alike website, social-media link, or fixer;
Entering a nickname, omitting a suffix, or reversing middle and maternal surnames;
Paying before reviewing the entire profile;
Bringing photocopies when original IDs are required;
Assuming a reference number means the payment succeeded;
Confirming incorrect data at the branch because the queue is moving quickly;
Creating duplicate accounts to bypass a locked field;
Altering an issued clearance by handwriting, erasure, or image editing;
Assuming that a hit proves a criminal case or guilt;
Expecting NBI to amend an incorrect PSA record;
Using ordinary renewal despite a material change in personal details; or
Missing a return date and failing to contact the branch promptly.

When help is urgent

Seek immediate assistance if:

NBI verification reveals an active warrant or a pending case that may concern you;
You appear to be the victim of identity theft or deliberate impersonation;
A database record attributes another person’s case to your identity;
A correction is delaying an imminent deployment, visa, licensing, or employment deadline;
Your civil-registry documents contain a substantial identity or status error; or
NBI refuses a documented rectification request without explaining the available review process.

An NBI-data correction is not a substitute for legal representation in a criminal case. If there may be an active warrant, pending charge, or unresolved court record, consult a Philippine lawyer or the Public Attorney’s Office, if qualified, before making assumptions based solely on a clearance hit.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get an NBI clearance without an online appointment?

Online application and payment are the current standard. Some offices may have registration assistance, but availability is not guaranteed. Apply through the official portal before traveling to a branch.

How much does an NBI clearance cost?

The NBI’s current application guide states a basic fee of ₱130, plus the selected payment channel’s service charge. Qualified first-time jobseekers may obtain one clearance free under RA 11261.

Does a hit mean that I have a criminal record?

No. It means the database found a possible match that requires verification. Wait for the NBI review and provide any documents requested.

Can NBI correct my birth certificate?

No. A civil-registry correction must first be handled through the local civil registrar, Philippine consulate, PSA process, or court, depending on the error. Present the resulting official document to NBI afterward.

Can I change to my married name?

A legal name or civil-status change must be supported by appropriate civil-registry documents. Because no-change online renewal may not be suitable, contact NBI or use a branch application where the new documents can be verified.

Can someone else apply for me?

Domestic applicants generally must appear personally for biometrics. Applicants abroad may use NBI’s mailed-clearance or authorized-representative procedure after completing the required fingerprinting and documentation.

How long does correction take?

There is no single published period covering every type of NBI-clearance correction. A profile typo caught before printing may be resolved at the branch, while an issued certificate, legal name change, disputed hit, or court-record problem may require further verification.

How long can I use the clearance?

Use the validity or expiration information printed on the clearance and confirm the receiving institution’s requirements. An employer, embassy, or licensing body may require a more recently issued clearance.

Official references

This article provides general legal information, not advice for a particular application, criminal case, civil-registry problem, or privacy complaint. Procedures may vary with the applicant’s documents and the record found by NBI. Official sources and procedures were checked on August 4, 2026.