Getting an NBI Clearance at SM City Cebu (OSSCO Cebu) - OTC Payment

I remember way back, we could only get the NBI clearance at their main office. They still have not renovated then so when I accompanied my cousin, we had to go there at around 5:00am. They did not open until a couple hours later but we had to be early for the priority number. 

It is a very good thing now that NBI had opened more offices where we could get clearances. There are still peak hours where they would be filled.

In today's post, I'll take you through my experience of getting an NBI Clearance in the Government Services in SM City Cebu:

Making the appointment

I apologise as I don't have screenshots for this section. I was not sure of whether or not it is allowed to screenshot from the NBI website so I just decided not to. I tried my best to keep the steps clear, but the process is pretty straightforward.

Step One. I went to https://clearance.nbi.gov.ph/ and registered for a new account.

Step Two. Once I have updated and added in your personal information, I clicked APPLY FOR CLEARANCE on the right handside.

Step Three. I added the information of my identification document that will be presented to NBI and clicked I AGREE.

Step Four. I selected an NBI Branch  and in my case, it was SM City Cebu branch which is listed on the website as OSSCO - Cebu). I selected my time slot and the payment option (Cash for over the counter payment).

Step Five. A reference number was generated.

Over the counter (OTC) Payment

Step One. I headed to the cashier area and told them I will pay for NBI. I presented the reference number on my phone.

Step Two. I will be given a form. It was a tiny slip of paper which I filled out with my personal information. There was a long queue so I just filled it out while I was on queue to the cashier.

Step Three. After paying, I was given a receipt.

NBI Clearance Section

Step One. I went back to the front (main door) of the Government Service center where I saw machines that will generate priority numbers. At that time, the machines were not working but there was a staff member giving out priority numbers. I told the staff I am getting my NBI clearance and I was given a reference number for it.

Step Two. I headed to the NBI area and waited for my number to be called. By then, there were already so many people so I just decided to stand by on the side. I did make sure I was not blocking the way and I could still hear the numbers being called out.

Step Three. When I was called, the staff member on the counter confirmed my personal information and this is also the step where you can make changes if there are any. My fingerprints and photos were taken.  

  

Note:If there's someone else with the exact same name as you are who had crimininal records, they call this having a "hit", you will have to come back after three business days (or however many days they will tell you to).

Step Four. My NBI Clearance was printed.

In conclusion...

The waiting time was roughly 25-30 minutes, but the clearance process took only 10 minutes. It was an okay experience for me. It was not the most comfortable of experiences. However, the important thing for me was it was not frustrating  at all.

Good luck!