Immigration New Zealand (INZ) requires a police certificate from every country where you have lived for 5 years or more since the age of 17. For Filipinos applying for a New Zealand visa or residence, the accepted Philippine police certificate is the NBI Clearance. This guide covers how the INZ rule works, which visas require it — Working Holiday, AEWV, partner, skilled migrant — and how to obtain it from outside the Philippines.
Unlike Australia (12 months cumulative in 10 years) or the UK (12 months in 10 years), Immigration New Zealand uses a different threshold: you must provide a police certificate from each country (other than New Zealand itself) where you have lived for a total of 5 years or more since turning 17.
For most Filipinos applying for NZ partner, residence or skilled migrant visas, the Philippines will easily exceed this threshold, making the NBI Clearance a required document. The clearance is issued in English by the National Bureau of Investigation — no translation is required.
The Philippines is eligible for the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa, allowing Filipinos aged 18–30 to live and work in NZ for up to 12 months. Police certificate requirements for WHV vary by year and visa instructions — check your specific application guide. If required, the NBI Clearance is the accepted document.
The AEWV allows Filipinos to work for an accredited NZ employer. As a work-to-residence pathway, a police certificate from the Philippines (NBI Clearance) is required when you meet the 5-year residence threshold. Your employer's accreditation status affects the timeline.
INZ requires police certificates for partner and dependent visas from all qualifying countries. For Filipino partners of NZ residents or citizens, the NBI Clearance is required to cover the Philippine residence history. Long processing times mean you may need to renew if the clearance expires during assessment.
Skilled Migrant and other residence visa categories require a full police certificate package. The NBI Clearance covers the Philippines. Consider adding a DFA apostille for formal submissions, as INZ may request authenticated copies.
New Zealand is a member of the Apostille Convention. For many INZ online portal submissions, an uploaded scan of the NBI Clearance is accepted without an apostille. However, paper-based or formal residence applications may require certified or apostilled documents.
If an apostille is requested, it is obtained from the DFA in Manila after the clearance is issued — see our apostille guide. Because the NBI Clearance is already in English, no translation is needed.
The NBI Clearance is valid for one year from its issue date. INZ processing timelines vary by visa type.
| Visa type | When to obtain the NBI Clearance |
|---|---|
| Working Holiday Visa | Before or at application; must be valid at submission |
| AEWV | When lodging or when INZ requests documents |
| Partner / Dependent | At lodgement; renew if it expires during the long assessment period |
| Skilled Migrant / Residence | At application; keep valid through assessment; renew if needed |
Need your NBI Clearance for a New Zealand visa or residence application?
Ask about your NZ application →A HIT occurs when the NBI database finds a name match with an existing case — almost always a coincidence with a different person. It triggers a secondary review adding one to several weeks. Obtain the clearance with buffer time before your INZ submission deadline. A procurement service handles the HIT affidavit and resolution on your behalf.
You do not need to fly back to the Philippines:
If you have never registered with the NBI, biometric fingerprinting may be required. A service can advise on options for first-time applicants living abroad.
New Zealand introduced the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) in 2022, replacing the previous Skilled Migrant Category work-to-residence pathway as the primary route for offshore skilled workers. Key features for Filipinos:
The NBI Clearance is required as the Philippine police certificate for the AEWV application and any subsequent residence application.
New Zealand has several residence pathways relevant to Filipinos, each of which requires a police certificate:
For the Residence from Work pathway, your NBI Clearance must be valid at the time of the residence application — not the date you arrived in New Zealand. If it expired during your AEWV period, renew it before applying for residence.
Yes — INZ requires a police certificate from each country where you have lived for 5 years or more since age 17. For Filipinos with qualifying Philippine residence, the NBI Clearance is the accepted document. It is required for partner, residence and skilled migrant applications, and may be required for some work visa types.
Australia uses a 12-month cumulative threshold in the last 10 years from age 16. INZ uses a 5-year total since turning 17, with no 10-year lookback limit. Most Filipinos applying for NZ residence will exceed the 5-year threshold for the Philippines.
NZ is an Apostille Convention member. For most online INZ submissions, a scan is accepted without an apostille. Some formal residence applications may request one. If needed, the DFA apostille is arranged after the clearance is issued.
Yes. With a previous NBI record, it can be renewed online and shipped to your NZ address. A procurement service handles pickup, apostille and delivery. No return trip needed for most applicants.
Renew the NBI Clearance online before it expires and submit the updated copy to INZ if requested. For long-processing partner and residence applications, renewing proactively before expiry is recommended.
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), introduced in 2022, is now New Zealand's main work visa for offshore skilled workers. The Skilled Migrant Category still exists but is less commonly used as an initial route. The AEWV provides a clear work-to-residence pathway: after 2 years in a role paying 1.5× the median wage, you can apply for Residence from Work. NBI Clearance is required for both the AEWV application and the residence application.
Yes. If you have a previous NBI record, you can renew online at nbi.gov.ph from New Zealand. A representative or service in the Philippines handles pickup and ships the apostilled original to your New Zealand address. No return trip to the Philippines is required. Allow 3–5 weeks from the renewal application to delivery. If your Residence from Work application is approaching, start the NBI renewal early.
Yes. New Zealand is an Apostille Convention member, and INZ (Immigration New Zealand) typically requires the NBI Clearance to be apostilled for visa and residence applications. Arrange the DFA apostille at the DFA Office of Consular Affairs after the clearance is issued. The apostilled original is then submitted with your INZ application or uploaded to the INZ online portal.
Nursing and aged care (Health New Zealand has active Philippines recruitment campaigns), construction and civil infrastructure (both North and South Island), dairy farming (South Island especially), and hospitality. Nurses must pass the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ) registration process, which includes submitting a current NBI Clearance as the police certificate for Philippine residence.
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