Multi-Purpose NBI Clearance : One Clearance for Every Purpose

Every NBI clearance issued today is multi-purpose. Since October 2, 2017, the NBI has issued one standard clearance stating that it’s issued for whatever legal purpose, so the same document works for a local job, a job abroad, a visa or immigration, and other legal requirements.

There’s no separate application, no purpose to pick and no extra fee: you apply for a regular NBI clearance and pay ₱155–₱160. It’s valid for one year, but the office receiving it may want a recent copy, and some offices abroad need it apostilled.

What it is	The standard NBI clearance, valid for any legal purpose
Since	October 2, 2017
How to get it	Apply for a regular NBI clearance online; there’s no special option to choose
Fee	₱155–₱160 (₱130 plus a ₱25–₱30 e-payment charge)
Validity	One year from the issue date
Use abroad	The same clearance; some countries also want a DFA apostille
First-time jobseekers	The same clearance, free once under RA 11261

We are not the NBI. This is an independent guide. There is no special “multi-purpose” or “travel abroad” clearance to buy, so ignore anyone offering one for an extra fee.

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What “multi-purpose” means

Before October 2017: one purpose per clearance: Applicants used to state why they needed the clearance, such as local employment or travel abroad, and the clearance was issued for that purpose. Many people also remember different colours for local and travel-abroad clearances. Using a clearance for something else could mean applying, and paying, all over again.

Since October 2017: issued for whatever legal purpose: In 2017 the Department of Justice ordered the NBI to stop issuing single-purpose clearances, so that people wouldn’t pay for a new clearance every time the purpose changed. From October 2, 2017, the clearance has said it’s issued for whatever legal purpose.

Agencies abroad use the same description. The US State Department describes the current format as a blue, annotated multi-purpose clearance, and Canada’s immigration department asks for the NBI Multi-purpose Clearance Certificate.

No purpose to choose when you apply: The online application doesn’t ask why you need the clearance. You register, fill in your details, choose the ID you’ll bring, book a branch and pay, and the clearance you collect is multi-purpose.

What’s printed on the clearance

Every clearance follows the same format, whatever you’ll use it for. It shows:

• Your photo, name and other personal details
• Your NBI ID number, which offices use to verify the clearance online and which you need to renew it online
• A remark, such as No Record on File
• The issue date, which starts its one-year validity
• A QR code
• The statement that it’s issued for whatever legal purpose

Check your name, birth date and the remark before you leave the branch. A mistake is easier to fix on the spot than after you’ve submitted the clearance.

What you can use it for

One clearance covers all of these for as long as it’s valid:

• Jobs in the Philippines. Employers often include it in their pre-employment requirements.
• Jobs abroad. Foreign employers, recruitment agencies and work visa applications often ask for it.
• Visas and immigration. The US asks Philippine-born immigrant visa applicants aged 16 and over for one, and Canada accepts it as the Philippine police certificate.
• Foreign nationals in the Philippines. The Bureau of Immigration asks for it in some visa applications.
• Other legal requirements, such as those of schools, banks or business partners.

The receiving office still sets its own conditions, such as how recent the clearance must be, so check its checklist before you apply.

How to get a multi-purpose NBI clearance

It’s the regular NBI clearance, so you apply the usual way:

1. Register or log in at clearance.nbi.gov.ph and complete your applicant information.
2. Click Apply for Clearance, choose the ID you’ll bring, then book a branch, a date and an AM or PM slot.
3. Pay ₱155–₱160 through GCash, Maya, online banking, 7-Eleven or Bayad Center.
4. Go to the branch with your reference number and two valid IDs for your photo, fingerprints and signature.

If your name has no match in the NBI’s records, you usually collect it the same day; a match, called a HIT, adds about 5–10 working days.

Already have a clearance? If it was issued after 2014 and none of your details have changed, you can renew it online and have the new one delivered instead of going to a branch.

Using your NBI clearance abroad

The same clearance works for overseas purposes. What differs is what the office receiving it asks for:

• Authentication. Offices in Apostille Convention countries may ask for a DFA apostille, while non-member countries such as the UAE also require legalization by their embassy. Canada’s immigration department takes the clearance without one.
• A recent issue date. Some employers and embassies want a clearance issued in the last few months, even though it’s valid for a year.
• Remarks. If your clearance carries a remark other than No Record on File, immigration offices often ask for an explanation from the NBI and court documents.

If you’re already overseas, you can renew online when you’re eligible, or apply through a Philippine embassy or consulate with NBI Form No. 5.

How long a multi-purpose NBI clearance is valid

It’s valid for one year from the date it’s issued, whatever you use it for. You can submit copies to several offices in that time, but keep the original safe, because some offices ask to see it.

Stricter rules from the receiving office come first. If an embassy only accepts clearances issued in the last few months, a clearance that’s still within its year can be refused.

Multi-purpose NBI clearance vs police clearance

The NBI clearance and the PNP’s National Police Clearance are different documents. The NBI checks its nationwide records, including criminal cases, and its clearance is valid for one year; the police clearance searches police records and is valid for six months. Embassies usually ask for the NBI clearance.

If an employer asks for a clearance without saying which, compare the NBI and police clearances and ask the employer which one it wants. Some ask for both.

Myths about the multi-purpose clearance

• “You need a separate clearance for abroad.” You don’t. One clearance covers local and overseas purposes.
• “The colour shows what it’s for.” It doesn’t. There’s one format for every purpose.
• “Multi-purpose costs extra.” It doesn’t. Every clearance costs the same ₱155–₱160.
• “You must select multi-purpose on the portal.” There’s no such option, because every clearance already is one.
• “Someone can get you one without a branch visit.” New applicants must appear in person for their photo and fingerprints, so a clearance sold to you without that step is likely fake.

FAQs: multi-purpose NBI clearance