If you are applying for an Australian visa from the Philippines — a Working Holiday (subclass 417/462), a Partner visa (820/801), a Skilled visa (189/190/491), or an employer-sponsored visa — the Department of Home Affairs will require a police certificate for each country where you have lived long enough. For the Philippines, that police certificate is the NBI Clearance. This guide covers when it is required, how the 12-month residence rule works, apostille requirements, and how to obtain the clearance from outside the Philippines.
The Australian Department of Home Affairs requires a police certificate from every country in which an applicant has spent 12 months or more (cumulatively) in the last 10 years since the age of 16. It is part of the character requirement for most substantive visas.
For applicants with qualifying residence in the Philippines, the accepted police certificate is the NBI Clearance, issued in English by the National Bureau of Investigation. Because it is in English, no translation is required for Australian submissions.
If you have qualifying Philippine residence, a police certificate may be requested for a Working Holiday or Work and Holiday visa. The NBI Clearance is uploaded via ImmiAccount, often without an apostille for online lodgement.
Partner visas require police certificates for each qualifying country. Processing can take many months, so if your NBI Clearance expires during assessment you can renew it. Respond promptly to any request for information (RFI) from your case officer.
Points-tested skilled visas require police certificates at the application or pre-grant stage. Provide the NBI Clearance for your Philippine residence. Time it so it is valid through to the grant decision.
Employer-sponsored visas also require police certificates. The NBI Clearance covers the Philippine residence requirement; follow your nominating employer's and Home Affairs' document instructions.
Australia is one of the largest and most active recruiters of Filipino health professionals. Nurses, midwives, aged care workers and allied health practitioners frequently encounter the NBI Clearance requirement at several stages of the migration and registration process:
Health professionals should also be aware that ANMAC and AHPRA have separate document requirements from the Department of Home Affairs. Satisfying one body's requirements does not automatically satisfy another's. Plan for at least two separate submissions and budget enough lead time for each.
Australia is a member of the Apostille Convention, so a DFA apostille may be required for some submissions. In practice, many ImmiAccount online lodgements accept an uploaded scan of the NBI Clearance without an apostille. The requirement depends on the visa and how you lodge.
If your instructions call for an apostille, it is arranged at the DFA after the clearance is issued — see our apostille guide. When unsure, preparing the clearance with a DFA apostille avoids delays if it is later requested.
This is one of the most common points of confusion for Filipino visa applicants in Australia:
Most Filipino visa applicants who are applying for an Australian visa for the first time — and have not previously lived in Australia for 12+ months — will need only the NBI Clearance. However, applicants who have previously lived in Australia on a student visa, working holiday, or other long-stay visa may be required to submit both documents: the NBI Clearance for the Philippine period and the AFP check for the Australian period.
If you have lived in countries other than the Philippines and Australia (e.g. Japan, UAE, the UK), Home Affairs may require additional police certificates from each of those countries as well. The NBI Clearance covers the Philippines only.
The NBI Clearance is valid for one year from its issue date. Australian visa processing varies widely — from weeks for some Working Holiday visas to many months for partner and skilled visas.
| Visa type | When to obtain the NBI Clearance |
|---|---|
| Working Holiday (417/462) | When lodging; valid at the time of submission |
| Partner (820/801, 309/100) | At lodgement or when requested; renew if it expires during assessment |
| Skilled (189/190/491) | At application; keep valid through to grant |
| Employer-sponsored (482/186) | At the nomination/application stage |
If a clearance expires while your visa is still being assessed, you can renew the NBI Clearance online from abroad and submit the new one.
Need your NBI Clearance — with or without apostille — for an Australian visa?
Ask about your Australian visa →A HIT happens when the NBI database finds a name match with an existing case — almost always a coincidence with another person. It triggers a secondary identity review that can add one to several weeks. Obtain the clearance with buffer time before any deadline. A procurement service handles the HIT affidavit and verification on your behalf to speed resolution.
You do not need to fly back to the Philippines. If you have a previous NBI record:
If you have never applied for an NBI Clearance, biometric registration may be required — a service can advise on the options.
The partner visa (820/801 onshore or 309/100 offshore) is one of the most document-intensive Australian visa subclasses, and its long processing times make NBI Clearance management particularly important.
The key rule: do not let an RFI deadline pass without a valid NBI Clearance. Late responses to RFIs can result in a decision on the available information, which may not be in your favour.
Yes — Home Affairs requires a police certificate from each country you lived in for 12 months or more (cumulatively) in the last 10 years since age 16. For the Philippines, that is the NBI Clearance, commonly required for partner, skilled, and employer-sponsored visas.
Australia is an Apostille Convention member, so an apostille may be required for some submissions. Many ImmiAccount online lodgements accept an uploaded scan without one. Check your visa's instructions; if needed, the apostille is arranged at the DFA after issuance.
Home Affairs counts countries where you lived 12 months or more in total during the last 10 years from age 16. A Filipino who spent that long in the Philippines as an adult normally needs the NBI Clearance.
Renew the NBI Clearance online and submit the new one. If you received an RFI with a deadline, obtain or renew it promptly to keep your application on track.
Yes. With a previous NBI record, it can be renewed online and shipped internationally, with a digital copy for ImmiAccount upload. A representative or service handles pickup and delivery. No return trip needed for most applicants.
Australian citizenship applications do not normally require a new police clearance from the Philippines, as applicants have typically already been through police character checks at the visa stage. However, the Department of Home Affairs may request updated clearances in certain circumstances. If you have spent significant time in the Philippines since your last visa application, it is worth consulting a migration agent.
A HIT is a name-match against the NBI database — usually a coincidence with another person of the same or similar name. It delays issuance of the clearance while NBI verifies your identity, typically by 1–4 weeks. A HIT does not automatically mean a negative result; in most cases the clearance is eventually issued clean. However, if your NBI Clearance ultimately shows a criminal conviction or pending case, that information will be disclosed in the document and will be assessed by Home Affairs under the character test. A procurement service can help manage the HIT verification process on your behalf to minimise delay.
For ImmiAccount online lodgement, most visa types accept a scanned copy of the NBI Clearance as an uploaded attachment — a physical original sent by post is not required at the initial lodgement stage. However, Home Affairs may request the original at a later stage, particularly if an apostille is required or if documents need to be presented in-person. Retain the physical original (or arrange for it to be kept safely) even after uploading a scan.
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