Yes, someone else can claim your NBI clearance for you with a signed authorization letter, but only to collect it. Your photo and fingerprints must be taken in person, so nobody can apply or renew at a branch on your behalf. The letter is most useful when your clearance is waiting after a HIT, or when you live abroad and a relative files and claims it for you.
Call the branch before you send anyone. Not every branch handles representatives the same way, and some want to see your original ID. Then your representative brings the signed letter, your ID or a copy, their own valid ID and your receipt.
| What needs doing | Can a representative do it? | What they need |
|---|---|---|
| Claiming a clearance held after a HIT | Usually, if the branch releases to representatives. Call first | Your signed letter, your ID or a copy, their own ID, your receipt with the release date |
| Applying or renewing at a branch | No. You must be there for your photo and fingerprints | Not applicable |
| Filing and claiming for someone abroad | Yes, as the embassy or consulate instructs | An authorization letter or a special power of attorney, plus copies of your passport |
| DFA apostille of your clearance | Yes | Your written authority and copies of both people’s IDs |
We are not the NBI. This is an independent guide. Give your letter and ID only to someone you trust, and never to a fixer who offers to “claim” your clearance for a fee.
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When a representative can help
Collecting your clearance after a HIT: If your name got a HIT, the branch kept your clearance and gave you a receipt with a release date. If you can’t go back yourself, a relative or friend can collect it with your authorization letter, as long as the branch releases clearances to representatives.
When you live abroad: A relative or friend in the Philippines can file your fingerprint card and claim the clearance at the NBI for you. The US State Department’s guidance on NBI clearances says the same: a relative or friend can obtain one for you with a letter of authorization.
What a representative can’t do: They can’t apply or renew for you at a branch, because your photo and fingerprints have to be taken in person. If the NBI needs to ask you questions about a HIT, that’s also something only you can do.
Call the branch first
Policies on representatives aren’t the same at every branch, so a short call can save a wasted trip. Ask:
- Do you release clearances to authorized representatives?
- Does my representative need my original ID, or will a photocopy do?
- Is there anything else they should bring?
Think twice before sending your original passport or driver’s license with someone. If the branch insists on an original, consider waiting until you can go yourself.
What to write in the letter
Who to address it to
Address it to the Director of the National Bureau of Investigation, with an attention line for the clearance center or the branch where you applied. A simple “To whom it may concern” also works if you’re unsure.
The details to include
- The date you sign the letter
- Your full name as it appears on your application, your birth date and your address
- Your representative’s full name and how they’re related to you
- A clear sentence authorizing them to claim and receive your NBI clearance, or to file and claim it if you’re abroad
- Your reference number and the release date on your receipt
- The reason you can’t come yourself
- The type and number of your ID, and of your representative’s ID
- Your signature over your printed name, and a contact number
Sign it the way you sign your ID
Staff may compare the signature on the letter with the one on the ID you send. Use the same signature, and sign in ink.
Sample authorization letter
[Date]
The Director
National Bureau of Investigation
Attention: NBI Clearance Center, [branch]Dear Sir or Madam:
I, [your full name], born on [date of birth] and residing at [complete address], authorize [representative’s full name], my [relationship], to claim and receive my NBI clearance on my behalf. My reference number is [number], and my receipt gives [release date] as the release date.
I can’t claim it in person because [reason]. Attached is a copy of my [type of ID], number [ID number]. My representative will present [his/her] own [type of ID], number [ID number].
Thank you.
[Signature]
[Your full name]
[Contact number]
Download the template
Prefer to fill it in on your computer? Download the letter as a Word file, replace everything in brackets, print it and sign it:
What your representative brings
- Your signed authorization letter, the original, not a photo of it
- Your ID, as a photocopy or the original, depending on what the branch told you
- Their own valid government ID, original and unexpired, matching the one named in your letter
- Your receipt with the release date, and your reference number
At the releasing window
Your representative presents the documents at the releasing window. Before leaving, they should check your name, birth date and other details on the clearance, because fixing an error is easier on the spot than on a second trip.
If you’re abroad
Follow the instructions of the Philippine embassy or consulate that serves you, because posts handle NBI clearances from abroad a little differently. Some, like the embassy in Australia, provide an authorization letter for the NBI, while posts in the UAE notarize a special power of attorney that also covers the DFA and embassy steps. Either way, your representative files the fingerprint card and claims the clearance at the NBI Clearance Center on United Nations Avenue, Manila.
FAQs: NBI authorization letters
Yes, with your signed authorization letter, if the branch releases clearances to representatives. Call the branch first to check what they need.
A signed letter is normally enough for claiming in the Philippines. If you’re abroad, follow your embassy or consulate, which may ask for a notarized special power of attorney instead.
Not at a branch. Your photo and fingerprints have to be taken in person. If you qualify, online or eGovPH renewal avoids the branch entirely.
It depends on the branch. Some accept a photocopy, others want the original, so ask before you send anyone.
Usually because of a missing or expired ID, an unsigned letter, details that don’t match your application, or a branch that doesn’t release to representatives.
Yes. They need your written authority and copies of both people’s IDs. Some posts abroad recommend a special power of attorney that covers the NBI, the DFA and embassy steps together.
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