NBI Clearance From Abroad: Form No. 5, Fee and Mailing
Quick answer
Filipinos abroad get an NBI clearance by mail. Get NBI Form No. 5 (the fingerprint card) from a Philippine embassy or consulate, have your rolled fingerprints taken, and send the form to the NBI in Manila. Enclose PHP 200. The NBI website splits it into the PHP 130 fee plus PHP 70 mailing; the NBI Citizen's Charter 2025 says PHP 40 of it is for regular mailing. You can also pay PHP 130 online and send a prepaid return envelope. The NBI website says it takes up to 5 working days after your papers arrive; the NBI Citizen's Charter 2025 lists 8 working days.
What are the requirements?
- NBI Form No. 5, filled in with your current address abroad and no erasures. It must carry the seal of the Philippine embassy or consulate. The form is free and not for sale.
- Rolled fingerprints on the form. The person who takes them writes their name, signs, states their position and puts their office seal on the lower back of the form.
- A 2x2 photo with a white background, taken in the last 3 months.
- A photocopy of your passport data page.Original + photocopy
- Your previous NBI clearance, if you have one.
- Payment: PHP 200 enclosed, or a paid reference number from clearance.nbi.gov.ph.
- An authorization letter, if a representative will file or claim for you.
Married women: write your father's surname or the surname you use, your husband's surname, your first name, and your mother's maiden surname as your middle name.
How much does it cost?
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mailed application with enclosed payment | PHP 200 | NBI website: PHP 130 fee plus PHP 70 mailing. NBI Citizen's Charter 2025: PHP 40 of it for regular mailing. In pesos or the US dollar equivalent |
| Online payment instead | PHP 130 | Plus an e-payment fee of PHP 25 to PHP 30 (PHP 30 in the NBI Citizen's Charter 2025); you send a prepaid return envelope |
| NBI Form No. 5 | PHP 0 | Free from the embassy or consulate |
Your own courier costs to send the form to Manila are not included. Ask your embassy, consulate or police station if they charge for taking fingerprints.
How do you apply, step by step?
By mail
Send every mailed application to the address on the NBI website: National Bureau of Investigation, Mailed Clearance Section, 3rd Floor, NBI Clearance Building, UN Avenue, Ermita, Manila, Philippines 1000. The NBI Citizen's Charter 2025 names its International and Foreign National Section, NBI Clearance Center, United Nations Avenue, as the office that processes them.
Pay online and send a prepaid return envelope
1. Get NBI Form No. 5 from the Philippine embassy or consulate where you live, and fill it in
2. Have your rolled fingerprints taken at the embassy, consulate or nearest police station
3. Register at clearance.nbi.gov.ph and get a reference number
You need a Philippine mobile number for the one-time PIN (OTP).
4. Pay PHP 130 plus the e-payment fee of PHP 25 to PHP 30 through a payment channel such as GCash, 7-Eleven or Bayad Center
5. Send the form, photo, passport copy, reference number and a prepaid return envelope by courier to the address above
6. The NBI prints your clearance and sends it back in your prepaid envelope
Payment enclosed
1. Get NBI Form No. 5 and have your rolled fingerprints taken, as in steps 1 and 2 above
2. Mail the form, photo, passport copy and PHP 200 to the address above
3. The NBI mails the clearance back to your address abroad
Walk-in
Through a representative in the Philippines
1. Prepare the form with your fingerprints, then send the papers to your representative with an authorization letter
2. Your representative registers at clearance.nbi.gov.ph, chooses the NBI Main Clearance Center, and pays with the reference number
3. Your representative brings the papers, the authorization letter and their valid ID to the NBI Mailed Clearance Section on UN Avenue, Manila
4. The NBI gives a release date
Your representative returns on that date to claim the clearance.
How long does it take?
- The NBI website says up to 5 working days after your documents arrive.
- The NBI Citizen's Charter 2025 lists 8 working days.
- Mailing time to and from Manila is extra.
- With a HIT, the file goes to the Quality Control Section first. See what an NBI HIT means.
Where do you apply?
All applications from abroad are processed only at the NBI Clearance Building, United Nations Avenue, Ermita, Manila. Form No. 5 and fingerprinting are at your nearest Philippine embassy or consulate; fingerprints can also be taken at a police station.
- Apply on the official website: https://nbi.gov.ph/mailed-clearance-abroad/
- Find NBI offices
What are the common problems and how do you fix them?
Form without the consulate seal
The NBI asks for the seal of the Philippine embassy or consulate on Form No. 5. Get a sealed form.
Fingerprints not signed or sealed
The person who took them must add their name, signature, position and office seal on the back.
Missing papers
The NBI tells you by email or phone what is missing.
Your old clearance is from before 2014
The NBI website says it cannot be renewed by mail. Your application is treated as new.
Your address or civil status changed
For a renewal by mail, write the new details on your old NBI clearance.
No Philippine mobile number
Online registration needs one for the OTP. Use the mailed option with PHP 200 enclosed, or ask a representative in the Philippines.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an NBI clearance from abroad?
PHP 200 if you mail your application with the payment. The NBI website splits it into the PHP 130 fee and PHP 70 mailing; the NBI Citizen's Charter 2025 says PHP 40 of it is for regular mailing. If you pay online, it is PHP 130 plus an e-payment fee of PHP 25 to PHP 30, and you send your own prepaid return envelope.
Where do I get NBI Form No. 5 abroad?
From the Philippine embassy or consulate where you live. It is free. A representative in Manila can also get it from the NBI Mailed Clearance Section with your authorization letter and a copy of your passport data page.
Can a police station abroad take my fingerprints?
Yes. The NBI accepts rolled fingerprints taken at a Philippine embassy, a consulate or the nearest police station, as long as the officer signs and seals the form.
Can I renew my NBI clearance from abroad?
Yes, by mail or through a representative, if your old clearance was issued from 2014 onward, according to the NBI website. Older clearances are processed as new applications.
How long does an NBI clearance from abroad take?
The NBI says up to 5 working days after it receives your papers; its Citizen's Charter says 8 working days. Add the mailing time both ways.
What should I check when the clearance arrives?
Check that it has the embossed NBI dry seal. Then put your right thumbmark in the space provided.
Can my family in the Philippines apply for me?
Yes. A representative with your authorization letter and their valid ID can file your papers at the NBI Mailed Clearance Section and claim the clearance on the release date.
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