If you’re looking for your first job, you can get your NBI clearance free under Republic Act 11261, the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act. Get a certification from your barangay that you’re a first-time jobseeker, sign the Oath of Undertaking, then apply on the NBI’s separate portal for first-time jobseekers: firsttimejobseekers.nbi.gov.ph.
At the branch, bring the certification, the signed oath and two valid IDs. You can use the benefit only once, and within one year of the date on your barangay certification.
| Cost | Free, once, under RA 11261 |
| Who qualifies | Filipinos looking for work for the first time, in the Philippines or abroad |
| Where to apply | firsttimejobseekers.nbi.gov.ph, not the regular NBI portal |
| Bring | Barangay certification, signed Oath of Undertaking and two valid IDs |
| Deadline | Within one year of the barangay certification’s issue date |
| Release | Same day if there is no HIT; about 5–10 working days if there is |
We are not the NBI. This is an independent guide. The free clearance is only available through firsttimejobseekers.nbi.gov.ph. Nobody needs to be paid to “process” it for you.
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Who qualifies for a free NBI clearance?
You qualify if all of these apply to you:
- You’re a Filipino citizen.
- You’re looking for a job for the first time, in the Philippines or abroad.
- You’ve lived in the barangay issuing your certification for at least six months.
- You haven’t used the first-time jobseeker benefit before.
You don’t have to be a fresh college graduate. The law also covers senior high school (K-12) and tech-voc graduates, out-of-school youth, early school leavers and students on leave who are looking for work.
It doesn’t cover people who have already had a job, or anyone who already got fee waivers under the government’s JobStart program. If that’s you, you pay the regular ₱155–₱160.
Step 1: Get your barangay certification
Go to the barangay hall where you live and ask for a first-time jobseeker certification under RA 11261. The barangay issues it for free.
While you’re there, you sign the Oath of Undertaking. It’s a sworn statement that you’re a first-time jobseeker and will use the certification only once. Keep your signed copy, because the NBI asks for it.
Before you leave, check the certification:
- It’s printed on the barangay’s official letterhead.
- It has the barangay’s dry seal.
- It’s signed by the Punong Barangay or an authorized barangay officer.
- Your name matches your IDs and birth certificate exactly.
The certification is good for one year from its issue date, so don’t get it too early. Faking one, or lying to get one, can be punished as falsification under the Revised Penal Code.
Step 2: Register on the first-time jobseeker portal
Go to firsttimejobseekers.nbi.gov.ph and register with an email address and a mobile number you can use right away. Then fill in your applicant information exactly as it appears on your IDs and PSA birth certificate.
Use this portal, not the regular clearance.nbi.gov.ph. The regular portal takes you to the payment step, and you’d end up paying for a clearance you could have had for free.
Step 3: Book your branch appointment
Choose a branch, a date and an AM or PM slot, then save your appointment details and reference number. If the branch you want is full, check our list of NBI clearance branches for another one nearby, or look again the next day.
Step 4: Go to the branch
Bring these originals:
- Your barangay certification as a first-time jobseeker
- Your signed Oath of Undertaking
- Two valid government IDs, original and not expired
- Your reference number or appointment details
Look for the first-time jobseeker lane, or tell the guard that you’re applying as a first-time jobseeker. Staff check your documents, then take your photo, fingerprints and signature. Dress neatly, since you’ll be photographed; here’s what to wear to your NBI appointment.
Before printing, check your name and birth date on the screen. If there’s no match in the NBI database, you get the clearance the same day. If there is, that’s a HIT on your NBI clearance, and you’ll get a return date, usually 5–10 working days later. Collecting it is still free.
Valid IDs for fresh graduates
You need two government-issued IDs. The NBI names the passport, driver’s license, National ID, UMID, Postal ID and PSA birth certificate as examples.
Many fresh graduates have only a school ID, and a school ID isn’t a government ID, so don’t rely on it. The easiest fix is the National ID: PhilSys registration is free, and the National ID is on the NBI’s own list. Your PSA birth certificate can be one of your two. Our full list of IDs the NBI accepts covers the rest.
Other documents you can get free with the same certification
The same barangay certification waives the fees for other documents employers usually ask for. You get one free copy of each, within the same one-year window:
- Police clearance
- Barangay clearance
- PSA birth certificate and marriage certificate
- Medical certificate from a public hospital (lab tests aren’t included)
- Transcript of records, diploma and certificates from state and local universities and colleges
- Tax Identification Number (TIN)
- Civil service certificate of eligibility
- PhilHealth, TESDA and MARINA documents
The certification you get for this is different from a regular barangay clearance, even though both come from the barangay hall. If an employer asks for a barangay clearance too, here’s how to get a barangay clearance, and it’s free under the same law.
The law doesn’t cover passports, DFA authentication or apostille, professional licensure exam fees, the civil service exam fee or a driver’s license.
If you don’t qualify
You apply the regular way on clearance.nbi.gov.ph and pay ₱155–₱160 (₱130 plus a ₱25–₱30 e-payment charge). Our step-by-step NBI clearance guide walks you through it.
Mistakes that cost first-time jobseekers their free clearance
- Applying on the regular portal and paying without realizing it.
- Using a barangay certification older than one year.
- Getting the certification from a barangay where you haven’t lived for six months.
- Forgetting the signed Oath of Undertaking at home.
- Bringing only a school ID. You need two government IDs.
- A certification without a dry seal or signature. Check it before you leave the barangay hall.
FAQs: free NBI clearance for first-time jobseekers
No. It’s the same NBI clearance with the same one-year validity. Only the fee is waived.
Yes. RA 11261 covers first-time jobseekers looking for work in the Philippines or abroad.
No. The law also covers senior high school and tech-voc graduates, out-of-school youth, early school leavers and students on leave, as long as it’s your first time looking for a job.
One year from its issue date. Get your NBI clearance and any other free documents within that year.
No. The benefit can be used only once, for one copy of each document. Your next NBI clearance costs the regular fee.
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