How to Get an NBI Clearance in Dubai & UAE

Filipinos in the UAE get an NBI clearance in three stages: get your fingerprints on NBI Form No. 5, have the form and a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) notarized at the Philippine Consulate in Dubai or the Embassy in Abu Dhabi, then send both to a representative who collects the clearance from the NBI in Manila.

To use the clearance in the UAE, a DFA apostille alone is not enough. The UAE is not part of the Apostille Convention, so the clearance also needs attestation by the UAE Embassy in Manila and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Where to apply	Consulate in Dubai (Dubai and the Northern Emirates) or Embassy in Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi emirate)
Fingerprints	Dubai: at the consulate or a police station. Abu Dhabi: CID – Ministry of Interior office
Philippine post fees	AED 100 per document, so AED 200 for NBI Form No. 5 + SPA (plus courier fees in Dubai)
For UAE use	DFA apostille → UAE Embassy in Manila → MOFA attestation in the UAE (AED 150)
Total time	Plan for 4–6 weeks
Shortcut	Last clearance issued after 2014 and no changes? Renew online — no fingerprints needed

We are not the NBI, the consulate or the embassy. This is an independent guide. Always follow the latest instructions of the Philippine post that serves your emirate.

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First, check if you can renew online instead

If your last NBI clearance was issued after 2014 and none of your details have changed, you may not need new fingerprints at all. You can renew online at clearance.nbi.gov.ph and have the clearance delivered to an address in the Philippines. Philippine consulates abroad give the same advice for clearances from 2014 onwards.

You’ll need the NBI ID number from your old clearance. A family member at the delivery address receives it, then handles the apostille and UAE Embassy attestation (Steps 5 and 6). Verified eGovPH users can also renew in the app, with delivery in the Philippines or free pick-up. Details: NBI online renewal.

Your family member will need your written authority for the DFA and UAE Embassy steps. Check each office’s rules; an SPA notarized at the consulate or embassy covers both, and you still skip the fingerprinting.

Use the full process below if this is your first NBI clearance, if your last one was issued in 2014 or earlier, or if your name or other details have changed.

Which Philippine post handles your application?

Philippine post	Emirates covered	Fingerprints	Fees and processing
Philippine Consulate General, Dubai	Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah	At the consulate (by appointment) or a police station	AED 100 per document plus courier fees; ready in 4 working days
Philippine Embassy, Abu Dhabi	Abu Dhabi emirate	CID – Ministry of Interior office	AED 100 for the NBI form, AED 100 for the SPA; release date on your receipt

How to get your NBI clearance from the UAE, step by step

Step 1 — Get NBI Form No. 5 and fill it in

Get the fingerprint card (NBI Form No. 5) from the consulate or embassy. Fill in both sides truthfully and legibly, and attach a 2×2 photo with a white background taken within the last three months. More on the form: NBI Form No. 5 explained.

Married women write their name in this order, per PCG Dubai: maiden surname (your father’s surname), first name, maternal surname (your mother’s maiden surname), then your husband’s surname.

Step 2 — Have your fingerprints taken

The fingerprints must be rolled impressions, and the officer who takes them signs the card.

• Dubai and the Northern Emirates: at the consulate by appointment, or at a police station — Dubai Police Headquarters has handled this for applicants without a consulate slot.
• Abu Dhabi: at the CID – Ministry of Interior office
• Police may charge their own fee. Ask when you go.

Step 3 — Notarize the form and sign the SPA

Go back to the consulate or embassy to have NBI Form No. 5 notarized and to execute a Special Power of Attorney for your representative in the Philippines. Pay in dirhams.

Bring:

• The completed NBI Form No. 5 with your fingerprints and the police officer’s signature, plus a photocopy
• The completed SPA, plus a photocopy
• Copies of your passport’s identification page (Abu Dhabi asks for four)
• Copies of two Philippine government IDs of your representative (Abu Dhabi)

Word the SPA so it covers every step: submitting the form to the NBI and claiming the clearance, applying for the DFA apostille, and applying for UAE Embassy attestation. The Abu Dhabi embassy lists exactly these powers. Without them, your representative may be turned away halfway.

The notarized Form No. 5 is only the application, not the clearance. The Dubai consulate releases it after 4 working days; in Abu Dhabi, return on the date printed on your receipt.

Then courier the notarized NBI Form No. 5, the notarized SPA and copies of your passport to your representative. Use a tracked courier and keep photos of everything you send.

Step 4 — Your representative collects the clearance from the NBI

Your representative submits the documents at the NBI in Manila — the NBI Clearance Center is on United Nations Avenue, Ermita. They pay the clearance fee and return on the release date.

Before going, they should contact the NBI Mailed Clearance section — 0915 689 3113, 0920 122 3327 or mailed.clearance@nbi.gov.ph — to confirm the current fee and whether they need to book first. If your name has a HIT, release takes about 5–10 working days longer.

Step 5 — DFA apostille

Your representative books at appointment.apostille.gov.ph. DFA charges ₱100 for regular processing (released after 5 working days) or ₱200 for expedited (2 working days), and a representative may process and claim the apostille . Since April 2025, DFA also runs a dedicated NBI clearance apostille service where you upload a copy through a portal. See our DFA apostille guide.

Step 6 — UAE Embassy attestation in Manila

Because the UAE is not an Apostille Convention country, the apostilled clearance must also be attested by the UAE Embassy in the Philippines. DFA itself says documents for non-member countries need legalization by that country’s embassy. Your representative should check the embassy’s current requirements and fees before going, then courier the clearance to you.

Step 7 — MOFA attestation in the UAE

When the clearance reaches you, check that your name and birth date are correct, then apply for attestation through the MOFA website or the UAE MOFA app. The fee for personal documents is AED 150.

MOFA lists this order for any document issued outside the UAE: the issuing country’s foreign ministry first, then the UAE Embassy in that country, then MOFA in the UAE.

How much does it cost?

Item	Cost
Notarization at the consulate or embassy	AED 100 per document — AED 200 for NBI Form No. 5 + SPA
Courier fees at PCG Dubai	Charged separately by the consulate
Police fingerprinting	Set by the police; ask when you go
NBI clearance fee	Paid in the Philippines by your representative — confirm with NBI’s Mailed Clearance section
DFA apostille	₱100 regular (5 working days) or ₱200 expedited (2 working days)
UAE Embassy attestation in Manila	Check with the embassy
MOFA attestation in the UAE	AED 150
Couriers UAE ⇄ Philippines	Depends on the courier

How long does it take?

Plan for 4–6 weeks from fingerprinting to holding the attested clearance. Gulf News put the process at about 3–4 weeks when everything ran smoothly.

The fixed waits are the consulate’s 4 working days in Dubai, the DFA apostille (2–5 working days) and MOFA (usually 1–3 working days). Couriers in both directions, NBI processing and the UAE Embassy take the rest. A HIT adds about 5–10 working days.

Mistakes that cost weeks

• Stopping at the DFA apostille. The UAE also needs UAE Embassy and MOFA attestation.
• An SPA that only covers the NBI. Your representative can’t do the DFA and UAE Embassy steps without authority.
• Flat or unsigned fingerprints. The impressions must be rolled, and the officer must sign the card.
• The wrong name order for married women. Follow the consulate’s order in Step 1.
• An old photo. It must be 2×2, white background, taken within three months.
• Skipping the shortcut. If your last clearance was issued after 2014, online renewal can save you the fingerprinting.

Official contacts

Office	Where to check
Philippine Consulate General, Dubai	NBI clearance requirements
Philippine Embassy, Abu Dhabi	NBI Form No. 5 requirements
NBI Mailed Clearance section	0915 689 3113 · 0920 122 3327 · mailed.clearance@nbi.gov.ph
DFA apostille appointments	appointment.apostille.gov.ph
UAE MOFA attestation	mofa.gov.ae

FAQs: NBI clearance in the UAE