Are you planning to travel abroad or immigrate for employment?

If yes, you need a Police Clearance Certificate to authenticate your clean background and travel without hassle.

It is a crucial document that serves as proof of your criminal record status. It is often required when you apply for a passport or a visa to travel abroad.

The process to apply for a police clearance certificate involves a background check, fingerprinting, and other necessary documentation. Keep reading to get an overview of what a police clearance certificate is, how to apply for it and other related details.

A Police Clearance Certificate or PCC is issued to Indian passport holders when they apply for employment, residential status, long term visa, or immigration.

This certificate is a part of the protocol that scrutinises an individual's criminal record when travelling abroad for the long term. This is applicable for both Indians and foreign nationals residing in India.

However, a PCC cannot be issued for individuals going abroad on a tourist visa.

A Police Clearance Certificate in India is generally valid for six months. However, this factor can vary according to the authority and the application form.

It is imperative to know that a PCC is only issued to individuals above the age of 18.

Since this certificate holds a significant value, understanding the application steps becomes crucial.

There can be three groups of applicants for applying PCC:

1. Indians Staying in India
2. Indians Staying Outside India
3. Foreigners Staying in India. 

Let's see the process of applying PCC for all these groups of people: 

1. Applying Police Clearance Certificate by Indians Staying in India

Indians staying in India can easily apply for Police Clearance Certificate online by following the mentioned steps-

• Step 1: Register yourself on the Passport Seva portal or log in to your existing account.
• Step 2: Click on “Apply for Police Clearance Certificate” and fill in the form to submit. 
• Step 3: Next, select the “Pay and Schedule Appointment” option under the “View Saved/Submitted Applications” tab.
• Step 4: Make the payment and print the application receipt containing your Application Reference Number.
• Step 5: Go to the Regional Passport Office or Passport Seva Kendra with originals and copies of your documents.

If you have trouble filling the Police Clearance Certificate form online, click on the option to download the form. Next, you can fill in the form and save it in XML format offline.

Now, follow the steps above to submit the application and book an appointment. Here, you can directly upload the filled XML file.

It is imperative to know that both the form submissions have to be done online. Only the post-visit to the passport office for verification with documents is offline.

2. Applying Police Clearance Certificate for Indians Staying Outside India

If you are an Indian citizen currently residing outside of India and require a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from India, you can apply for it through the Indian Embassy or Consulate in the country where you reside. 

Here are the steps to follow:

• Step 1: Go to the Passport Seva at Indian Embassies and Consulates website.  
• Step 2: Choose the country or region from where you want to apply for PCC. You will be redirected to the Passport Seva website.  
• Step 3: Next, click on ‘Register’.  
• Step 4: Fill out the application form completely and accurately. Make sure to provide your full name, date of birth, passport details, and current address. 
• Step 5: Collect all supporting documents required for the PCC application. This may include a copy of your passport, proof of residency in the country where you are currently residing, and any other documents requested by the Embassy or Consulate.
• Step 6: Once you have completed the application form and collected all supporting documents, submit them to the Indian Embassy or Consulate along with the requisite fee.
• Step 7: After submitting the application, you will be given a receipt with an application number. Keep this receipt safe as you will need it to track the status of your application.
• Step 8: The Embassy or Consulate will forward your application to the relevant authorities in India who will conduct a background check and issue the PCC if there are no criminal records found.
• Step 9: Once the PCC is ready, the Indian Embassy or Consulate will inform you of the same and you can collect it in person or request it to be mailed to your address.

Overall, the process of applying for a PCC for Indians staying outside India can take several weeks, so it's important to plan accordingly and apply well in advance of when you need the certificate.

3. Applying Police Clearance Certificate for Foreigners Staying in India

Foreigners, who are residing in India, must apply for PCC online through the e-FRRO Portal, according to his/her present or previous Indian address. 

On the e-FRRO portal, users are required to generate their login ID, using which they can easily access all its services. 

To finish the process, the application fee must be paid online after submitting the application successfully.

Alternatively, users can also get in touch with the appropriate Consulate or Embassy of India office. 

The above discussed three groups of applicants can track their PCC status by the following methods as discussed below:

1. Track PCC Status for Indians Staying in India

These steps will help you conduct a PCC status check with ease.

1. Visit the Passport Seva portal and click on “Track Application Status”.
2. Choose your application type from Passport, PCC, IC, and GEP options.
3. Enter your 13-digit file number and birth date and click on “Track Status”.
4. This status tracker screen will display updated status of your passport application.

2. Track PCC Status for Indians Staying Outside India

Indians staying outside India can follow the following steps to track PCC:

• Step 1: Visit the Indian embassy or consulate website in the country where you are residing. 
• Step 2: Look for the "Passport and Consular Services" section on the website and click on it. 
• Step 3: Find the option for "Police Clearance Certificate" and click on it. 
• Step 4: Click the “Track Status” option and enter the required details like application number, date of birth, and other relevant information.
• Step 6: Click on the "Submit" button to view the status of your PCC application. 
• Step 7: If the status shows as "in progress," you can expect an update soon. If the status shows as "issued," it means that your PCC has been issued, and you can collect it from the embassy or consulate. 

If you face any issues or have any queries regarding the PCC status, contact the embassy or consulate for assistance. 

3. Track PCC Status for Foreigners Staying in India

For foreigners staying in India, all visa and immigration related services are handled through the e-FRRO website. 

All updates regarding the application, at every stage of processing are shared through SMS/email. However, the application can also be tracked by logging in the e-FRRO website via your registered credentials. 

Indians residing in India can download the PCC form from the forms and affidavit section of passport seva website by clicking here.

Next, you can fill in the form and save it in XML format offline.

Now, follow the steps discussed in the above subheads to submit the application and book an appointment. Here, you can directly upload the filled XML file.  
 
Note: This is only for Indians residing in India.

To download your Police Clearance Certificate, visit the passport seva portal and login with your registered credentials.  

Track your application using file number and date of birth, as discussed in the above subheads.  

If your PCC is issued, you will have a “download” option. However, if not issued, it will display the status. 

The validity of a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) typically ranges from three to six months, but this can vary depending on the requesting authority or country.

It's important to check the specific requirements of the organization or country to which you're submitting the PCC, as they may have their own stipulated validity period.

You can select the nearest police station when making a PCC application. Then, follow the mentioned steps to get your PCC with ease.

• Visit your nearest police station.
• Answer the queries of a police officer. They usually conduct a background check and enquire about the purpose of the application.
• Submit the self-attested documents mentioned in the official Passport Seva portal.
• Pay the requisite fee in cash or through a cheque.

The authorities will scrutinise the documents and decide whether to give Police Clearance Certificate or not.

Since documents are crucial in gaining a PCC certificate, let’s check what papers you need to submit.

In terms of documentation, there are two distinctions. These concern applicants who are:

1. Going to ECR countries in regard of employment
2. Emigrating to non-ECR countries

1. Documents Required for Those Moving to ECR Countries for Employment Purposes

A. For skilled/semi-skilled workers

• Old passport with self-attested photocopy of its first two and last two pages, page of observation and ECR/Non-ECR page
• Self-attested copy of employment contract with a foreign employer
• Present address proof 
• Copy of valid visa (English translation)

B. For unskilled/ women workers (above 30 years old)

• Old passport with self-attested photocopy of its first two and last two pages, page of observation and ECR/Non-ECR page
• Self-attested copy of employment contract with a foreign employer
• Present address proof 
• Copy of valid visa (English translation)

C. For skilled/semi-skilled workers (via a recruiting agent)

• Present address proof
• Old passport with self-attested photocopy of its first two and last two pages, page of observation and ECR/Non-ECR page
• Copies of original employment contract, power of attorney and demand letter from a foreign employer duly attested by a Recruiting Agent (RA)
• Copy of valid registration certificate issued by protectorate of Emigrants, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Govt. of India.

D. Documents Required for Unskilled Individuals/Women Applicants (via Recruiting Agents)

• Employment contract copies, demand letter and power of attorney from foreign employer, attested by a concerned Indian Mission
• Copy of POE issued registration certificate.

2. Applicants Emigrating to Non-ECR Countries

• Documentary proof of applying for residential status, employment contract or long-term visa or for immigration.
• Old passport with self-attested photocopy of its first two and last two pages, page of observation and ECR/Non-ECR page
• Present address proof

Keep the mentioned documents handy when applying for a Police Clearance Certificate online. This would help streamline the entire process and save significant time.

After police verification, the PCC usually takes 10 days. The police authorities send the verification report to the regional passport office for uploading to the system. This might take 7-10 days. However, for faster processing, you can visit the regional passport office in person.

Police Clearance Certificate can be issued on the same day if the police verification report for the present passport is positive and contains no negative entries. However, for the following cases, as mentioned below, the PCC will be issued only after the police verification process is over: 

• The current address of the applicant does not match with the one in the passport. 
• Police verification could not be done at the time of passport issuance due to various reasons. 
• The applicant was a dependent of government employee and did not need a police verification. 
• The applicant was a minor at the time of passport issuance and hence police verification was not required but is now an adult. 
• Any other case where passport was issued without police verification, due to any reason. 

The discussions above explain correct Police Clearance Certificate India procedure. Follow the steps to make an application and check updated status without hassle.

Applying for a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) if your passport was issued by another Indian Mission or Passport Office involves a straightforward process.

You can submit the completed form to the nearest passport office or PSK if you are in India. 

However, in a case when you are not in India, you can contact the Indian mission in your nation of stay. 

You will be generally required to submit self-attested copies of the following documents:

1. Your current address proof in case it differs from the one mentioned on the passport. 

2. The first two and last two pages of the original passport including ECR/ECNR page. 

3. Page of observations if there are any made by the passport issuing authority.

4. Validity extension page, if any.