NBI Clearance photo requirements
The NBI photo rules for a renewal or mailed application — the size, the white background, and a couple of NBI-specific quirks.
Make an NBI Clearance photo
For an online Quick Renewal or a mailed application, the job is a sharp 2 × 2 photo on white. Sukat does that — crop, whiten, export.
Upload your photo
Drop a JPG, PNG, HEIC, or WebP onto Sukat's drop zone. Take it front-on in even light; an iPhone HEIC works directly.
Crop to 2 × 2 and set white
Crop at a 1:1 square (about 600 × 600 px), and set a clean white background if yours isn't already plain. Remove glasses and accessories before you shoot. You may smile, but keep your teeth from showing.
Export to upload or print
For the online renewal, choose JPEG and compress to a portal-friendly size, then upload. For a mailed application, export at 300 DPI and print two copies on photo paper.
When you need an NBI Clearance photo
The 2 × 2 photo comes up for renewals, mailed applications, and the many things NBI Clearance is required for.
First-time NBI Clearance
Your photo and fingerprints are captured at the branch — but the online form may ask for a profile photo, so a clean 2 × 2 helps.
Online Quick Renewal
Clearance issued 2014 or later, with no data changes — upload a 2 × 2 white-background photo and skip the branch (₱155, delivered to your address).
Mailed / from abroad
OFWs and foreigners send two printed 2 × 2 photos, white background, within 3 months, with NBI Form No. 5 or the old clearance.
Employment & first-time job seekers
NBI Clearance is a standard job requirement; first-time job seekers are fee-exempt under RA 11261.
Bank, loan, business, visa
Banks, business permits, and visa applications often require an NBI Clearance — the same 2 × 2 photo applies.
Also sorting a passport photo? That's 35 × 45 mm, not 2 × 2 — see Passport Photo Size Philippines. Need the US 2 × 2 for a visa? US Visa Photo Size uses the same square with different rules.
Why Sukat for an NBI Clearance photo
Five things this tool gets right that most "ID photo online" sites get wrong.
The exact 2 × 2 square
Crop to a clean 1:1 at the right size (about 600 × 600 px), so the NBI portal or a printed application accepts it — the wrong size or crop is a common reason photos get bounced.
Clean white background
Set the plain white NBI expects if your wall isn't white — without touching your face.
Sharp, not blurry
NBI rejects blurred or low-quality photos. Sukat keeps the image crisp and compresses only as much as needed.
iPhone HEIC handled
Drop an iPhone HEIC in and Sukat exports a clean JPEG — no separate converter needed.
Private, in-browser
The photo never leaves your device — no account, nothing uploaded to a third-party server. Fitting for a government ID.
Common reasons for rejection
NBI rejects blurred or non-compliant photos, and a wrong photo can hold up a renewal or a mailed application. These are the usual faults.
Incorrect dimensions
Not a 2 × 2 square, or a face cropped too tight or too loose. Some applicants submit a 35 × 45 passport-size photo by mistake — NBI uses 2 × 2.
Improper background
A coloured, patterned, or busy background. NBI requires plain white, evenly lit, with no texture behind the head.
Shadows
Shadows on the face or the wall behind you. Light your face from the front and stand away from the wall.
Low image quality
Blurred, pixelated, or low-resolution photos, which NBI explicitly rejects. Start from a sharp original and don't over-compress.
Incorrect facial expression
Wearing glasses, accessories, or a nametag, or a smile that shows teeth. Face forward, eyes open, no eyewear — a closed-mouth smile is fine.