What Is a Police Clearance in the Philippines? Process, Locations and Validity

What it is - and how it differs from a local police certificate

Direct answer: in the Philippines this is the NBI Clearance, issued by the National Bureau of Investigation rather than a local police station, checking a different database for a different purpose.

The distinction between the two and their respective uses is covered in NBI vs. local police certificates. What NBI itself does is covered in what NBI is.

Not sure which one the recipient wants? → Yixing confirms which one you need first

The broad process stages

Direct answer: roughly an online booking and payment stage, an in-person branch visit for biometrics and verification, and issuance (typically same-day or shortly after if not flagged for review) - actual timing follows current processing conditions.

How the online booking works is in booking online. At the branch, capturing your digital photo, fingerprints and signature, and your own on-screen verification of the details, cannot be delegated to anyone else.

If your purpose, name spelling or passport details are inconsistent at booking, this is usually where you get asked to correct or rebook - check these yourself before you travel rather than discovering it at the counter.

Where to apply: the head office and branches

Direct answer: NBI has a head office in Manila plus branch and satellite offices in multiple cities; slot availability at any given branch follows what the portal currently shows.

The official website, head-office address and how to spot look-alike sites are in the official site and office; how to choose a branch based on current slot availability is in where to apply.

How validity works: it's a re-application, not a renewal

Direct answer: the clearance carries a validity window; once past it, recipients generally no longer accept it, and what follows is a fresh application, not a "renewal".

How validity is calculated and what to do once it lapses is in validity and renewal. This is commonly misunderstood as working like a visa renewal - it does not follow the same logic.

Submitting this to immigration, a bank or an employer? Confirm the validity is sufficient first → Yixing checks this against your purpose

Yixing is a privately registered consultancy in the Philippines (SEC Registration No. CS202009551; BI Accreditation No. CA-202624381-1), unaffiliated with NBI. Process, branch arrangements and timelines follow whatever NBI and its official portal currently publish.