Between the job offer and the first day, a new hire is asked for a stack of documents. No single law lists them all for ordinary employers, so the list is mostly company policy, but a few laws decide who pays, what is free and what you may not ask. Here is a standard checklist and the rules around it.
- Most requirements are company policy; ask only for what the job needs.
- First-time jobseekers get NBI, police and barangay clearances and other government documents free, once (RA 11261).
- For a kasambahay, the employer or agency pays for the documents (RA 10361).
- Don't ask for age or birth date in the application (RA 10911). Ask for it after the offer.
The checklist
| Document | Why it is asked for | Typical rule |
|---|---|---|
| NBI clearance | Criminal record check | Issued within the last 3 to 6 months |
| Police or barangay clearance | Local record check, proof of residence | Recent; barangay clearance from the place of residence |
| Medical certificate | Fitness for the work; some jobs add a drug test | From a clinic or a public hospital, with the lab results the job needs |
| PSA birth certificate | Identity and age for SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG and payroll | Collected after the offer |
| Diploma or transcript | Education the position requires | Only where the job requires it |
| SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG numbers | Contributions from the first payroll | The employee's existing numbers; register them if they have none |
| TIN | Withholding tax and Form 2316 | BIR Form 1902 through the employer if they have none |
| BIR Form 2316 from a previous employer | Annualized tax when someone changes jobs mid-year | Only for a hire who worked elsewhere earlier in the same year |
| 2×2 photo, valid IDs | Company ID and the 201 file | Two government IDs is common |
| Bank or e-wallet details | Paying salaries | An account in the employee's own name |
Every document collected goes into the employee's 201 file. Several expire (NBI and medical certificates are often accepted only if recent), so record the issue date.
Free for first-time jobseekers
The First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act (RA 11261) stops government offices from charging first-time jobseekers for these documents:
- NBI clearance, police clearance and barangay clearance
- a medical certificate from a public hospital (laboratory tests are still charged)
- birth certificate and marriage certificate
- a transcript of records from a state college or university
- TIN and the UMID card
- other government-issued documents an employer requires from applicants
The jobseeker gets a barangay certification stating that they are a first-time jobseeker and shows it to each office. The waiver can be used only once. If you hire fresh graduates, mention it in the offer: it saves them money and gets the documents in sooner.
Kasambahay: the employer pays
Section 12 of the Batas Kasambahay lets the employer require a medical certificate from a local government health officer, barangay and police clearances, an NBI clearance, and a birth certificate or another proof of age. It also says the cost is borne by the prospective employer or agency. These costs cannot be charged to the kasambahay or deducted from the wage. See the kasambahay employer guide for the rest of the law.
Security guards
A security guard needs a valid license to exercise security profession (LESP) and the required training before being posted. Under RA 11917, posting a guard without a valid license exposes the agency to fines. Agencies also commonly require a drug test and a neuro-psychiatric test. Record each license with its expiry date so renewals are not missed.
After the first day
Once the hire starts, the employer reports them to SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG and starts deducting contributions on the first payroll. In Payslip.ph, the hiring pipeline tracks each pre-employment requirement per applicant, and hiring the applicant copies their documents into the 201 file and starts the onboarding checklist, so nothing is typed twice.