How to Get an NBI Clearance Abroad: The Complete Guide

You can get an NBI clearance without flying home. If your last clearance was issued in 2014 or later and your details haven’t changed, renew it online and have it delivered to someone in the Philippines — no fingerprints needed.

Otherwise, have your fingerprints taken on NBI Form No. 5 through a Philippine embassy or consulate, then send the form to the NBI in Manila by mail (₱200) or through a representative. The NBI processes applications from abroad within about 5 working days of receiving them.

Renew without fingerprints	Clearance issued in 2014 or later and no changes — renew online
New application	NBI Form No. 5 with rolled fingerprints, notarized by a Philippine embassy or consulate
Embassy or consulate fee	Varies by country
NBI fee by mail	₱200 (₱130 clearance + ₱70 mailing)
Where it’s processed	NBI Mailed Clearance Section, Manila — all applications from abroad
NBI processing	Up to 5 working days after the NBI receives your documents
Apostille?	Only if the office abroad asks for it — check your country

We are not the NBI or a Philippine embassy. This is an independent guide. Each embassy and consulate sets its own schedule and fees, so check your post’s NBI page before you go.

Jump to:

Step 1: Check if you can renew online (no fingerprints)

Philippine posts abroad say you can renew without a new fingerprint card if your clearance was issued in 2014 or later and there is no change in your name, date of birth or place of birth. NBI’s own guide words it as a clearance “issued after 2014”.

1. Go to clearance.nbi.gov.ph and choose NBI Clearance Online Renewal.
2. Enter the NBI ID number from your old clearance.
3. Enter a delivery address in the Philippines — a relative’s or a friend’s — and pay online.
4. The courier delivers the clearance there. Your contact then sends it to you, or first gets it apostilled if the office abroad needs that.

Delivery fees are ₱200 in Metro Manila and ₱350 outside it, and delivery usually takes 3–10 working days depending on the region. Verified eGovPH app users can also renew in the app, with delivery or free pick-up in the Philippines. Step-by-step: NBI online renewal.

If the portal won’t accept your NBI ID number, or your details have changed, use the fingerprint route below.

Step 2: Get your fingerprints on NBI Form No. 5

This is the route for first-time applicants, for clearances issued before 2014, and for anyone whose details have changed.

1. Get NBI Form No. 5 (the fingerprint card) from the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate. Many posts need an appointment.
2. Fill in both sides and attach a 2×2 photo with a white background, taken within the last three months.
3. Have your fingerprints rolled onto the card — at the embassy or consulate, or by the local police, depending on the country. The officer signs the card and adds their stamp.
4. Have the card notarized by the embassy or consulate and pay its fee.

Details, including how married women write their names: NBI Form No. 5 explained.

Step 3: Send the form to the NBI — by mail or through a representative

Either way, the application is processed at the NBI in Manila. PCG Hong Kong puts it plainly: “all clearance applications coming from abroad are processed only at NBI’s main office in Manila”.

Compare	Option A: Mail it yourself	Option B: Representative
What you do	Mail the documents and payment to the NBI	Courier the documents to a relative or friend, who submits them
Speed	Slower — international mail both ways	Usually faster; they can collect it and courier it to you
What you need	₱200 payment the NBI can cash	Written authority for your representative
Best for	No one in the Philippines can help	You have someone you trust in the Philippines

Option A: Mail it yourself

• Send: the notarized NBI Form No. 5, a copy of your passport’s biodata page, a 2×2 photo and the ₱200 fee. Some posts also ask for a self-addressed return envelope.
• Address: Mailed Clearance Section, 3rd Floor, NBI Clearance Building, UN Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Philippines.
• Payment: ₱200 — ₱130 for the clearance and ₱70 for mailing it back. Consulates have told applicants to send a money order or a bank draft payable to the Director, National Bureau of Investigation. PCG Vancouver notes that PNB Canada no longer accepts these payments and tells applicants to ask the NBI which methods it accepts. Email mailed.clearance@nbi.gov.ph to confirm before you mail anything.
• Processing: up to 5 working days after the NBI receives your documents, then the clearance is mailed back to you.

Don’t use the old Taft Avenue address. Some embassy pages still show it, but the NBI left that building in 2019 and it was demolished in 2023. Use the UN Avenue address above.

Option B: Use a representative in the Philippines

• Authority: most posts accept a signed authorization letter (New York, Vancouver, Calgary, Riyadh), while the posts in the UAE use a Special Power of Attorney. If your representative will also get an apostille or embassy legalization for you, an SPA that names those steps is safer. Template: NBI authorization letter.
• Where: the NBI Clearance Center, NBI Clearance Building, United Nations Avenue, Ermita, Manila.
• Before going: your representative may need to register your application online first (Embassy Tokyo says so), so they should call or email the NBI Mailed Clearance section: 0915 689 3113, 0920 122 3327 or mailed.clearance@nbi.gov.ph.
• If your name has a HIT, expect about 5–10 extra working days.

Step 4: Check whether the country needs an apostille

An NBI clearance does not always need an apostille. It depends on what the office receiving it asks for, and on whether its country is in the Apostille Convention.

Your situation	What to do
The office doesn’t ask for authentication	Send the clearance as it is
The office asks for an apostille, and the country is in the Apostille Convention — for example the USA, UK, Canada (since January 2024), Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain or Italy	DFA apostille
The country is not in the Apostille Convention — for example the UAE, Qatar or Kuwait	DFA apostille plus legalization by that country’s embassy in Manila (and often a final step in the country itself)

Country list: HCCH status table. The DFA charges ₱100 for regular processing (5 working days) or ₱200 for expedited (2 working days), and a representative may apply for you. DFA also says legalization by the embassy is still needed for non-member countries and for Finland, Germany and Greece. See our DFA apostille guide, and for the UAE, the Dubai and UAE guide.

What Philippine embassies and consulates ask for: examples

Fees and procedures differ by post. These are from each post’s own NBI page:

Country and post	Fingerprints	Post fee	Notes
USA — PCG New York	At the consulate, by appointment	US$25 + US$5 online fee	Renewal: send your old clearance (1998 or later) with a new fingerprint card
Canada — PCG Vancouver	Consulate or RCMP	CAD 38.75 (+ CAD 15.50 same-day)	No fingerprints needed for clearances from 2014 with no changes
Canada — PCG Calgary	RCMP-accredited agencies or police	—	Representative uses an authorization letter
Japan — Embassy Tokyo	At the embassy, by appointment	¥5,250	Card released the same day
Hong Kong — PCG	At the consulate, Sundays 9 AM–4 PM	HKD 200	Released after 2 working days
UK — Embassy London	At the embassy	GBP 23 (+ GBP 10 express)	You send the card to the NBI yourself
Saudi Arabia — Embassy Riyadh	Embassy, consulate or nearest police station	SAR 100	Letter of authorization for relatives; optional VFS drop-off (SAR 100 + SAR 75)
UAE — Dubai and Abu Dhabi	Consulate or police; CID in Abu Dhabi	AED 100 per document	SPA for your representative; the UAE needs extra attestation

For other countries, search for your embassy or consulate’s NBI clearance page, or call its consular section.

How long does it take?

• Online renewal: about 3–10 working days for delivery in the Philippines, plus the time to forward it to you.
• Fingerprint route with a representative: the post’s processing (same day to 4 working days), courier to the Philippines, NBI processing (up to 5 working days) and the courier back.
• Fingerprint route by mail: the same steps, but international mail in both directions usually makes it the slowest option.
• Apostille: add 2–5 working days, plus embassy legalization if your country needs it.

Mistakes that delay clearances from abroad

• Mailing to Taft Avenue. Use the UN Avenue address.
• Sending a payment the NBI can’t cash. Confirm the accepted payment by email first.
• Flat or unsigned fingerprints. They must be rolled, signed and stamped by the officer.
• An old photo. 2×2, white background, taken within three months.
• Skipping online renewal. If your clearance is from 2014 or later and nothing changed, you may not need fingerprints at all.
• Getting the wrong authentication. Some countries need no apostille; non-members like the UAE need apostille plus embassy legalization.

Official contacts

Office	Contact
NBI Mailed Clearance section	0915 689 3113 · 0920 122 3327 · mailed.clearance@nbi.gov.ph
NBI Clearance Center	NBI Clearance Building, United Nations Avenue, Ermita, Manila · Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–5:00 PM
NBI page for applicants abroad	Mailed Clearance (Applying from Abroad)
DFA apostille	appointment.apostille.gov.ph

FAQs: NBI clearance from abroad