A standard renewal means renewing your NBI clearance through a branch appointment instead of online. You need one when something in your record has to change, like a new surname after marriage or a correction, or when your last clearance is too old for online renewal.
You update your details in your NBI account at clearance.nbi.gov.ph, book a branch, pay ₱155–₱160 and bring the original PSA document that proves the change. If your name has no match in the NBI database, you get the new clearance the same day.
| Who needs it | New surname or civil status, a correction, a last clearance issued in 2014 or earlier, or an NBI ID number that online renewal won’t accept |
| Cost | ₱155–₱160 (₱130 + ₱25–₱30 e-payment charge) |
| Branch visits | One |
| Bring | Reference number, two valid IDs and the original PSA document for your change |
| Release | Same day if there is no HIT; about 5–10 working days if there is |
| Valid for | One year from the new clearance’s issue date |
We are not the NBI. This is an independent guide. Apply and pay only through clearance.nbi.gov.ph.
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Do you need a standard renewal, or can you renew online?
Online renewal and the eGovPH app reuse the details already in your NBI record. That’s why they only work when nothing about you has changed. Find your situation:
| Your situation | Best route |
|---|---|
| Nothing has changed, and your last clearance was issued after 2014 | Online renewal or the eGovPH app, without a branch appointment |
| New surname after marriage, or going back to your maiden name | Standard renewal at a branch |
| A mistake in your name, birth date or other details | Standard renewal at a branch |
| Your civil status has changed | Standard renewal at a branch |
| Your last clearance was issued in 2014 or earlier | Standard renewal at a branch |
| Online renewal won’t accept your NBI ID number | Standard renewal at a branch |
If your record is unchanged, you can skip the branch appointment. Our guide to renewing your NBI clearance online shows each screen.
When the branch is the better choice anyway
Even if you qualify for online renewal, a branch can work out better. Online renewal adds a delivery fee of ₱200 in Metro Manila or ₱350 elsewhere, and the courier takes about 3–10 working days. At a branch you pay only ₱155–₱160, and if there’s no HIT you leave with the clearance the same day. If you need it for a job that starts next week, book a branch.
What to bring to your appointment
- Your reference number and proof of payment.
- Two original, unexpired government IDs. IDs in your old name are normally fine, because the PSA document links your old and new names. Check which IDs the NBI accepts before you go.
- The original PSA document that proves the change, plus a photocopy in case the branch asks for one.
- Your old NBI clearance, if you still have it. A branch renewal doesn’t need its NBI ID number, but it’s handy to have.
Which document proves your change?
| What changed | Bring the original |
|---|---|
| New surname after marriage | PSA marriage certificate |
| Back to your maiden name after an annulment or a declaration of nullity | PSA marriage certificate with the annotation of the court decision |
| Civil status changed to widowed | PSA marriage certificate and your spouse’s PSA death certificate |
| Wrong spelling, birth date or birthplace on your last clearance | PSA birth certificate |
| A birth record already corrected at the civil registrar | PSA birth certificate with the annotation |
Married women can keep their maiden name, since using the husband’s surname is optional in the Philippines. If you’re switching to your married surname, our guide to changing your last name on your NBI clearance after marriage goes through it in detail.
Need a fresh copy of your birth certificate? Here’s how to get a PSA birth certificate online. If the error is in the PSA record itself, fix that first, because the NBI prints what your PSA document says. Our guide on how to fix a mistake on your NBI clearance explains each case.
How to do a standard renewal, step by step
Step 1 — Log in to your NBI account
Go to clearance.nbi.gov.ph and log in with the email address you used last time. Forgot your password? Use the password reset on the login page first.
If you can’t get back into the old account, you can register again with another email address. Do it before you pay, and use only one account from then on, so you never pay twice.
Step 2 — Update your applicant information
Open your applicant information and click Edit Information. Change only what needs changing, such as your surname, your civil status or the field with the error, and compare every letter with your PSA document. Then click Save Information.
If the portal won’t let you save a change to your name, register a new account under your current name before you pay, and fill in the form there. Everything is checked against your PSA document at the branch.
Step 3 — Apply for clearance and pick a branch
Click Apply for Clearance. A pop-up asks which ID you’ll bring, so choose one you actually have. Then pick a branch, a date and an AM or PM slot. If the branch you want is full, try another one from our list of NBI clearance branches, or check again the next day.
Step 4 — Pay the fee
The fee is ₱130 plus an e-payment charge of ₱25–₱30, so ₱155–₱160 in total. It’s the same as a new application. Pay through any channel the portal lists, such as GCash, Maya, 7-Eleven or online banking.
Save your reference number, because branch staff use it to find your application. Once the payment goes through, your transaction changes from Pending to Paid. If you then can’t make your slot, you have a 15-day grace period to visit the branch you chose.
Step 5 — Go to the branch
Staff check your IDs and PSA document against the details you entered. Then they take a new photo, your fingerprints and your signature.
Before printing, an officer asks you to check your details on a screen. Read your full name, birth date and civil status slowly. This is your last chance to catch an error.
If your name doesn’t match anyone in the NBI database, your new clearance is printed the same day. If it does, that’s a HIT on your NBI clearance, and you’ll get a return date, usually 5–10 working days later. A HIT usually just means someone else has a similar name.
Common standard renewal mistakes
- Leaving the original PSA document at home. A photo on your phone may not be accepted.
- Bringing a different ID from the one you picked in the pop-up.
- Updating your surname but not your civil status, or the other way around.
- Paying on a second account after already paying on the first. You’d pay twice for one clearance.
- Rushing the screen check. Once the clearance is printed, fixing an error is much harder.
- Bringing an expired ID. Check the dates the night before.
FAQs: NBI standard renewal
No. The NBI ID number is only needed for online renewal. For a branch renewal, log in to your account, update your details and book an appointment.
No. Both reuse the details already in your NBI record, so any change to your name, civil status or other details has to go through a branch.
It costs the same: ₱130 plus the e-payment charge, or ₱155–₱160 in total.
Yes. The new clearance is valid for one year from its own issue date, so renewing early doesn’t waste anything.
Use the password reset on the login page first. If you no longer have access to that email, register again with a new one before you pay, and use only that account from then on.
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