Explain Police Clearance Certificate in a simple language
A police clearance certificate is a document that is issued by the police station or a passport Seva. The certificate lets the foreign country know about the criminal history of the applicant at this point in date and time. The certificate is proof to other countries that the person is safe and not involved in any criminal offense.
Who does the attestation/apostille on the police clearance certificate?
The Ministry of External Affairs does the final attestation of documents. An apostille stamp is placed on the certificate that states the document is genuine and that all the details are carefully verified. This attestation of a police certificate makes the entire visa process faster and simpler as it results in lesser time in the verification of documents. For the Hague Nations, attestation of documents is compulsory and a person has to get it done.
There are some other names that Police Clearance Certificate is called as
- Good Conduct Certificate
- Certificate of Clearance
- Police Check
- Identity History Summary Check
- Criminal History Record Check
- Judicial record extracts
How to get a Police Clearance Certificate in India?
A person can easily get a Police Clearance Certificate in India from the below-mentioned authorities.
- Police Station (Local)
- Diplomatic Mission of the country where the person is living
- Regional Passport Office (RPO)
Why should an individual have a Police Clearance Certificate Apostille?
A person should have a police clearance certificate apostille for all the below-mentioned situations. Let’s have a look:
- In case an individual wants to apply for a study visa.
- When an applicant wants to get a permanent resident visa.
- If the person has applied for a work visa.
- For all the people who want a dependent visa.
What documents are essential to get a PCC attestation?
There are some documents that are essential to get a PCC attestation. All the documents should be present to get the attestation of documents. These are listed below.
- Major Documents
- Original Police Clearance Certificate
- Supporting Documents
- A photocopy of the Aadhar Card
- License photocopy
- Passport photocopy only front and last page.
What is the validity of a Police Clearance Certificate Apostille?
Generally, a police clearance certificate apostille has a validity of 6 months. But there are certain countries that accept an apostille certificate that is more than 6 months old. It is better to contact an apostille service provider. They will analyze the document and let you know about the validity of the certificate.
Is there any visa for which an individual does not actually need a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)?
There are some visas that an individual can get without a police clearance certificate (PCC) apostille. These are as follows:
- Travel Visa
- Tourist Visa
This is because the tourist comes back after a certain period so in that case PCC is not required.
How can a person get a Police Clearance Certificate Apostille done?
A person can get a police clearance certificate apostille by following a step-by-step guide. So, scrutinize all the points till the end:
- Notary Attestation: In the beginning, all the documents are shown to the notary for the attestation process. The documents are carefully examined by the notary. After the verification is completed then the notary puts a stamp and signature on the documents.
- State/SDM Attestation: Here, the documents are sent for attestation to either state or SDM. Both the authorities will work in a similar way. At first, the documents will be cautiously checked by them. After completing the investigation of documents, a stamp and signature are placed by the authorities on the certificate.
- Ministry of External Affairs: Moving ahead, both the major along with supporting documents are sent to the MEA. The authority will see the documents carefully and check every small detail. After the complete verification, an apostille stamp is placed on the document to finish the attestation process for all the Hague Nations.
- Embassy Attestation: In the last, the documents and embassy fees are submitted to the specified embassy for attestation. The documents are checked and then attested by the embassy. This step is most of the time compulsory for the nations that are not a member of the Hague Convention or for the nations that have made embassy attestation mandatory.
What to select state attestation or SDM attestation?
In the second stage of attestation, there are two ways to do the attestation of documents. A person can choose any of them. However, there is a difference in the time duration of both attestation processes.
The state attestation is a little time-consuming and takes around three to four weeks to complete the attestation process. This is due to the huge rush of applications at the state level.
On the other hand, the SDM attestation does not take much time. The entire attestation procedure is done in just three to five days. This is a better option to do the attestation of the police clearance certificate in terms of time duration.
In case the country has asked for a state attestation. Then, with no other choice a person has to get the state attestation done irrespective of the time frame.
How much does a person have to pay to get a PCC attestation?
A person has to pay various charges to get the PCC attestation done. Although, the charges are not the same for every state or country. The fees depend on the type of document, the number of documents, fees that are charged by the service provider, and additional services have been taken if any like pick and drop. So, to know the exact charges contact an apostille service provider.
In how many days a person can finish the Police Clearance Certificate Apostille process?
An applicant can get a police clearance apostille process accomplished in around 10 to 15 days. Although, the time might extend if there are more applications, if there is a rush at the authorities, or if any uncertainty occurs. So, a person should register here to know more about the time frame of a police clearance certificate apostille.
