1. Introduction to the Certificate of No Criminal Record
A police clearance certificate, as the name suggests, refers to an official certificate that a person has not committed a crime or offense while living in a certain country for a specific period of time. If you have lived in a country for more than 6 months, you have the right to apply for this certificate from the local police or other relevant authorities. This certificate plays an important role in a variety of personal or business situations such as immigration, work visas, permanent residency, marriage, study abroad, etc.
2. Materials required for applying for a certificate of no criminal record
Scanned copy of your passport: Make sure your passport is valid and provide a clear scanned copy.
Application Form: A completed application form for a Certificate of No Criminal Record.
Address documents: Provide address documents that prove you live in the country, such as utility bills, rental contracts, etc.
Fingerprint card (required in some countries): Depending on your country's requirements, you may be required to provide fingerprint information.
3. Apostille of Certificate of No Criminal Record Additional Certificate***
An apostille or consular legalization is usually required before a police clearance certificate can be used in another country. However, since November 7, 2023, China has officially acceded to the Convention on the Abolition of the Requirement for the Legalization of Foreign Official Documents (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention"), which has brought convenience to the processing of certificates of no criminal record.
Apostille: For official documents issued by States parties to the Convention, only an additional certificate (apostille) is required to be sent to Chinese mainland for use. This means that if your police clearance certificate is issued by a contracting state, you only need to apply for an apostille in that country, instead of going to a Chinese embassy or consulate abroad for consular legalization.
Procedure: First, you need to apply for an apostille from the relevant authority in the country that issued the police certificate. The exact process may vary from country to country, so please understand and follow your country's regulations in advance.
4. Institutions that issue certificates of no criminal record in major countries
United States: You can apply for a police clearance certificate from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or state police departments.
Canada: You can apply for a police clearance certificate from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or local police stations.
UK: A police clearance certificate can be applied to the UK Criminal Records Office (ACRO) or the Disclosure and Suppression Service (DBS).
5. Precautions
Know in advance: The application process, required documents, and processing time may vary from country to country, so please understand and prepare in advance.
Maintain communication: If you encounter any questions or concerns during the process, please communicate with the relevant institutions or departments in time to ensure a smooth process.
Keep an eye out for policy changes: As international policies and regulations may change, keep an eye on the latest developments to ensure that your police clearance certificate is valid and meets the relevant requirements.