The Police certificate certifies a person with clean criminal record. It is a very important document when you apply for passport renewal or employment visa or residence visa or green card to a foreign country.
The Indian Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is issued to Indian Passport holders who have applied for immigration to a foreign country.
- Residential permit
- Employment visa
- Long term visa or
- Permanent immigration abroad (eg. Green card).
PCC cannot be issued for indians going abroad on Tourist Visa.
Points to Remember
- The IPCC has no validity but government authorities abroad will accept this document if issued within 6 months.
- PCC is not issued to minors who are less than 18 years of age.
- The PCC processing may take a lot of time (6 weeks to 8 weeks) deoending on local police station. Please apply early in advance.
- In order for your PCC to be accepted abroad, you might also need to get apostille seal in India. India has joined the Hague Convention in 2008 on legalising documents. Police Clearance Certificate Apostille is a crucial part of the legalization process to be legally accepted in many foreign countries.
How to apply within India
Step 1 – Register through the Passport Seva Online Portal. (Click on “Register Now” link on the Home Page).
Step 2 – Login to the Passport Seva Online Portal with the Login ID created in Step 1.
Step 3 – Click “Apply for Police Clearance Certificate” link.
Step 4 – Fill in the required details in the form and submit.
The time taken is up to 30 working days (In cases where police verification is required). A fee of Rs.500 is levied.
Indians & Foreigners Abroad
For indians living abroad (eg. US. Canada), please contact the nearest indian consulate there to apply. PCC document is issued by the High Commission of India / Consulate General(s) of India, certifying that the applicant has never partaken in any criminal activity that led to the involvement of the Indian police.
Please apply through the following outsourced agencies
- USA – VFS Global
- UK – VFS Global
- Canada – BLS International
- Germany – Consulate of India
Foreigners (with foreign passports) can approach FRRO in India or nearest indian consulate abroad providing complete details of their stay in india
