5 Essential Requirements for Police Clearance in the Philippines | Documents Needed

A Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is a legal document obtained from the Philippine National Police (PNP) or in some cases the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). There are some important requirements for police clearance that you need while applying for the process.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through the required documents and steps leading to Police Clearance in 2025.

What is Police Clearance?

As the name suggests, police clearance means that the PNP gives you a certificate of having no criminal record.

Usually, people worry about the processing time, queue and documentation. Keeping this in mind, the Philippine police have introduced an online system called the NPCS (National Police Clearance System).

police clearance sample - requirements for police clearance

This is PNP clearance for a passport. It certifies that the holder is clear of any malpractice, misconduct and criminal record in the Philippines only.

Police Clearance Applicants

Police clearance is not required only for international documentation. Some other reasons to get police clearance are:

  • Applying for Jobs: Majority of the employers do a background check on potential applicants. No one is looking to hire a criminal or a crook for their company. Therefore, they demand a police clearance certificate to check the integrity and criminal record of an employee.
  • Legal Documentation and Personal Matters: Police clearance can also be required for certain legal or personal matters.
  • License for Business: To do business in the Philippines you need a police clearance certificate.  
  • Immigration and Visa Approval: When you apply for a visa or immigration outside of the Philippines, a police certificate is required. This is to give assurance to the other country that you are of good character and have a clean record at home.
  • Students: The students who want are apply for a scholarship.

Requirements for Police Clearance 2025

If you are applying for a Police Clearance certificate, you need to know the requirements for police clearance in the Philippines in 2025 and beyond. Here are the documents you need:

1. Valid Identification

The first thing you need is a valid id for police clearance. This has to be a government issues document like:

  • Philippine Passport
  • National ID card
  • Driver’s license
  • Social Security System ID
  • Voter’s ID
  • Postal ID

In case you are updating or renewing your police clearance you require a police clearance ID also. Moreover, for foreign nationals, you need an Alien Certificate of Registration.

You can also provide any of the below as shown in the picture:

Required Documents - Police Clearance

2. Birth Certificate

A birth certificate is required to confirm your age and identity. Mostly parents get it made on birth of the children. However, if you don’t have one, you can easily get it from PSA (Philippines Statistics Authority) for Filipino nationals. For foreigners, you need to have your birth certificate with you.

3. Residency Proof

Attach a document that shows proof of where you reside. You can provide:

  • A utility bill
  • A contact of lease showing that the place is leased under your name
  • A Barangay certificate is issued by the local government.

A barangay certificate of appearance sample is shown below:

Barangay Certificate Philippines

4. Police Clearance Application Form

You need to fill out and attach the police clearance application form.

Police Clearance Applicant Form

5. Payment Receipt

Generally, ₱150 is charged as a base fee for the police clearance certificate. Nevertheless, the payment method might increase it a bit. The good news is that some first-time job seekers might be exempted from paying the fee altogether.

Additional Requirements for Foreign Nationals

Foreign nationals may require additional documents to obtain police clearance in the Philippines apart from the ones mentioned above. The requirements for Police clearance for foreign nationals are:

  • Their official passport
  • Residency permit or visa
  • Employment certificate

Steps to Verify Document Requirements

For the ease of the applicants, the Philippines National Police has made the document verification process much easier.

  • You need to check with your local authorities as there might be different requirements in local police stations.
  • Check the validity of your documents. Many times, people end up with expired documents and have to face hassle. Check the expiry date of the documents and renew them to avoid problems.
  • Prepare multiple copies to have extra handy if needed.

5 Steps in Securing Police Clearance

The key steps in securing police clearance are mentioned below:

5 Steps in securing police clearance
  • The first step is to visit the official website of the PNP police to apply for police clearance, register yourself and fill out the information.
  • To get police clearance walk-in 2025, you need to select a nearby police station and fix a time and date for the police clearance appointment.
  • Pay the fee and bring the proof with you.
  • Once you have all the documents and fee slips with you, visit the police station on the date of your appointment.
  • Usually, you get the clearance on the same day.

What to Bring for Police Clearance?

Once you are done with filing the form and payment, it is time to attend your appointment. You will have to bring two copies (or more) of your identification document. Also, visit the police station you chose to take and give your fingerprints and photograph.

Typically, it takes 10 to 15 business days to get your police clearance done. You can check for express processing if it is available for a certain fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no option for walk-in NBI clearance. You need to schedule an appointment with the relevant NBI branch to get your application processed.

Yes, the police clearance can be used as a valid ID for multiple documents in the Philippines. You can use it for banking, education, government transactions and much more.

In most cases, providing fingerprints is one of the important requirements for police clearance application process.

No, the requirements for police clearance does not include getting Barangay clearance. For the National Police Clearance Certificate you just require a valid government-issued ID.

A qualifier is an additional identifier in the documents that you require if you have similar names to others. This allows you to be distinguished from the rest.

To obtain a police clearance in Quezon City, you can either apply online via the National Police Clearance System (NPCS) website or visit your local police station to apply in person.

Here are the required documents for Police Clearance in Philippines:

  • Payment Receipt
  • Valid ID
  • Proof of Address
  • Birth Certificate
  • Clearance Application Form

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