Singapore is home to a large Filipino community — professionals on Employment Passes, domestic workers, permanent residents, and families on LTVPs. The NBI Clearance is the Philippine police certificate required by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for various immigration and employment applications. A significant development: Singapore joined the Apostille Convention on 16 September 2021, meaning a DFA apostille is now accepted without further consular legalisation.
The Philippine NBI Clearance is the accepted police certificate for Filipinos in Singapore immigration and employment contexts. Key use cases include:
MOM processes EP and S Pass background checks directly. Applicants are not always required to submit a separate NBI Clearance, but employers in regulated sectors (finance, healthcare, security) may request one as part of pre-employment compliance. Have it ready before your start date.
The ICA PR application requires police certificates from all countries where you have lived for 12 months or more. The NBI Clearance is required for any qualifying Philippine residence. Since Singapore joined the Apostille Convention in 2021, the DFA apostille is the standard authentication for ICA submissions.
MOM's FDW approval process involves its own security screening. A separate NBI Clearance is not a mandatory MOM requirement, but individual employers may request it, and it is increasingly common as a trust signal for home-based employment.
For LTVP and DP applications — typically for spouses and children of EP/PR holders — ICA may request a police certificate covering your Philippine residence. Prepare the NBI Clearance with DFA apostille for ICA submission.
A key change for Filipino applicants in Singapore: Singapore formally joined the Apostille Convention (Hague Convention XII) on 16 September 2021. Before this date, documents from the Philippines needed consular legalisation — a more complicated and time-consuming process.
Since September 2021, a DFA apostille on the NBI Clearance is recognised in Singapore without any additional consular authentication. This significantly simplifies the process for ICA PR and other document submissions. See our apostille guide for step-by-step instructions.
| Document destination | Authentication required |
|---|---|
| ICA Permanent Residence (PR) | DFA apostille (since Sep 2021) |
| MOM — EP / S Pass | Usually none (MOM checks internally) |
| FDW employer background check | None required; apostille optional for assurance |
| LTVP / DP — ICA | DFA apostille if requested by ICA |
Need your NBI Clearance — with DFA apostille — for a Singapore immigration application?
Ask about your Singapore application →The NBI Clearance is valid for one year from its issue date. ICA PR processing typically takes several months to over a year, so obtain the clearance as close to your submission date as possible. If processing extends past the clearance's validity, a renewed clearance can be submitted.
A HIT occurs when the NBI system finds a name match with an existing case record — almost always a coincidence with a different person. The secondary review can add one to several weeks to the issuance timeline. If your ICA PR or visa appointment has a tight deadline, obtain the clearance with buffer time. A procurement service manages the HIT affidavit and resolution process 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 procurement service can advise on options for first-time applicants abroad.
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) administers three main work pass categories, each with different eligibility and NBI Clearance requirements:
FDWs are subject to specific Singapore and Philippine requirements before deployment:
The standard FDW work permit in Singapore is for 2 years, renewable. Most FDW renewals do not require a new NBI Clearance unless POEA/DMW specifically requires one, but it is advisable to check when processing a contract renewal from Singapore.
MOM handles EP and S Pass background checks internally and does not always require a separate police certificate. However, employers in regulated sectors may request an NBI Clearance for compliance purposes. Have one ready before your job start date.
Yes. Singapore joined the Apostille Convention on 16 September 2021. A DFA apostille is now recognised in Singapore without additional consular legalisation — a significant simplification for ICA PR and other document submissions.
Yes. ICA requires police certificates from all countries where you have lived for 12 months or more. For Filipino applicants with qualifying Philippine residence, the NBI Clearance (with DFA apostille) is the required document.
MOM's FDW approval process handles its own security checks. A separate NBI Clearance is not a mandatory MOM requirement, but individual employers sometimes request it. It is not required to start FDW employment in Singapore.
Yes. With a previous NBI record, the clearance can be renewed online and shipped to your Singapore address. A procurement service handles pickup, DFA apostille and tracked delivery. No return trip needed.
Employment Pass (EP) is for professionals earning SGD 5,000+/month. S Pass is for mid-skilled workers earning SGD 3,150+/month, subject to quota. Work Permit is for semi-skilled workers and Foreign Domestic Workers (FDW) — no minimum salary but different sector rules apply. Most Filipinos in Singapore are on Work Permits (FDW or construction/services), and NBI Clearance is required for the POEA/DMW pre-departure process for all categories.
Yes. If you have a previous NBI record, you can renew online from Singapore. A representative or service in the Philippines handles in-person pickup, arranges the DFA apostille, and ships the apostilled original to your Singapore address via tracked courier. No return trip to the Philippines is needed. Allow 3–5 weeks total for the full process.
Yes — since Singapore joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2021, DFA apostille is the correct authentication for NBI Clearance submitted in Singapore. Before 2021, a different process applied. If an agency or older guide references embassy legalisation or DFA authentication for Singapore, that information is outdated.
As of recent estimates, there are over 200,000 Filipino Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) in Singapore, making the Philippines one of the two largest source countries for FDWs (alongside Indonesia). The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) maintains an office in Singapore to assist OFWs with welfare and documentation concerns, including NBI and POEA-related matters.
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