How NBI Clearance Works When You Hire Filipino Remote Workers

You’re about to give someone in Manila access to your Stripe account.

Or your company’s financial records and you’ve never met them in person.

This is the reality of hiring remote workers from the Philippines. 

You need to trust people you’ve only talked to over Zoom.

That’s where NBI Clearance comes in.

The National Bureau of Investigation issues NBI Clearance.

It’s a document that tells you whether someone has a criminal case or “derogatory record” on file in the Philippines.

The NBI database pulls from courts, prosecutors, police stations, and law enforcement agencies nationwide.

Think of it like an FBI background check in the US. Or the basic criminal records check you’d run in the UK or Australia.

Where an NBI Clearances Fits In Your Actual Hiring Process

You should use NBI Clearance as your criminal records check component.

But you cannot rely on it alone.

Combine it with:

• Employment verification (call their previous employers)
• Reference checks (talk to people they’ve worked with)
• Skills testing (give them a trial task)

For roles with high access, make NBI Clearance a condition of your final offer.

Or require it after a probation period, before you grant full system access.

For low-risk work like a one-off content writing project, you might skip it entirely.

But understand that most Filipino workers expect to be asked for it. It’s standard in pre-employment requirements across the Philippines.

On HireTalent.ph, we require NBI Clearance as part of our 5-step verification process before freelancers can even create a profile. 

This means when you’re browsing candidates on our platform, that verification work is already done.

The NBI Clearance Application Process

Your candidate registers on the NBI online portal. 

They book an appointment at an NBI branch. 

They pay around ₱155-170. 

Then they show up in person for biometrics.

NBI takes their photo and fingerprints.

The system runs their details against the national criminal database.

If there’s no match, they get the clearance the same day. It’s printed with a QR code you can verify online.

If there’s a “HIT”, everything stops.

A hit means their name matches someone with a criminal record in the system.

How to Read and Verify an NBI Clearance 

When your hire sends you their NBI Clearance, look for these things:

If they have no criminal record, it says “No derogatory record as of [issue date].”

Clean and simple.

If there’s an annotation, it means there’s a case on file. Could be pending. Could be dismissed. Could be from ten years ago.

Most modern clearances have a QR code and reference number.

Here’s what you should ask for:

• A scanned copy of the document
• A photo of the physical document (so you can see the hologram and print features)
• The QR code or reference number

Then go verify it yourself on the NBI website.

Don’t just take their word for it. Don’t trust a PDF they could have edited.

Verify it directly.

NBI Clearance is valid for one year. If you want an updated one after that, your worker needs to reapply.

How to Ask for NBI Clearance From Your Candidate

Put it in your job posting or contract upfront.

Say: “NBI Clearance issued within the last 12 months is required before you can access company systems.”

Then tell your candidate to:

• Apply for “Multi-Purpose NBI Clearance” on the official NBI portal
• Send you a scanned copy and a photo of the physical document
• Share the QR code so you can verify it

Make sure they use their current email and phone number when registering. Old contact details cause problems in the NBI system.

Most Filipino professionals won’t blink at this request. They’re used to it.

What To Do When There’s A Hit Or A Red Flag

A hit by itself doesn’t disqualify someone. Why? Because Filipino names aren’t unique.

There are thousands of Juan Dela Cruz’s. Hundreds of Maria Santos’s.

This takes 5 to 10 days. Sometimes two weeks.

Your candidate isn’t stalling. They’re not hiding something.

The system just needs time to sort out which Juan Dela Cruz committed that crime in 2015.

But if the final clearance shows an actual criminal case, you need to assess:

• What was the crime?
• How long ago did it happen?
• Is it relevant to the role you’re hiring for?

A fraud conviction for someone you’re hiring to manage your finances? That’s a hard no.

An old minor offense for a customer support role? Maybe you give them a chance to explain.

Why This Matters More For Remote Hiring

In a traditional office, you’d meet candidates face to face.

You’d watch how they interact with your team. You’d see them in your building every day.

When you hire remotely, you lose all of that.

You’re trusting someone based on Zoom calls and work samples.

That’s why documentation matters more.

NBI Clearance gives you a standardized, verifiable data point. It’s recognized across the Philippines in employment, business, and legal contexts.

It’s not perfect. But it’s better than nothing.

And when you combine it with other verification steps, you start to build real confidence in who you’re hiring.