This article has been written by Nirmaljit Singh Billing pursuing the Certificate Course in Advanced Criminal Litigation & Trial Advocacy from LawSikho. This article has been edited by Zigishu Singh (Associate, Lawsikho) and Prashant Baviskar (Associate, Lawsikho).

Introduction

Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is a legal document issued to the Indian passport applicants and passport holders by a Government Agency or the Police Department to certify that the applicant has no criminal record. The police clearance certificate is mainly required for Indian citizens who are looking to migrate to a foreign country for the scope of employment, long-term stay or residential stay. A person travelling abroad on a tourist visa does not require to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate from Indian authorities. Currently, there are 17 countries which have been designated as Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries due to their relatively lenient rules regarding entry and employment of foreign nationals. To protect the citizens from wrongful employment, the Emigration Check Not Required or ECNR status is mandatorily required for non-tourist visa travelling to the below mentioned States:

1. United Arab Emirates;
2. Saudi Arabia;
3. Yemen;
4. Sudan;
5. Qatar;
6. Oman;
7. Afghanistan;
8. Syria;
9. Kuwait;
10. Bahrain;
11. Thailand;
12. Lebanon;
13. Malaysia;
14. Indonesia;
15. Iraq;
16. Libya;
17. Jordan.

What is a Police Clearance Certificate? A ‘Police Clearance Certificate’ is a document issued by the District Superintendent of Police to an applicant, which certifies the following: 1. That the applicant is a citizen of India. 2. That the applicant is indeed the person whose photograph has been affixed on the PCC application form. 3. That the applicant has not been involved in any criminal case and that there is no criminal case pending against him /her in the court of law as per district police records. 4. That the applicant has not come to any adverse notice, which would render him/her ineligible for the grant of visa/immigration. Who needs a PCC? A PCC is needed by all Indian citizens who apply for a visa for visiting/ emigrating to a foreign country. The PCC has to be produced before the concerned embassy/consulate alongwith the valid Indian passport and other necessary documents. The PCC may also be needed by Indian citizens living/working abroad who wish to apply for foreign citizenship or for permanent resident status in a foreign country.

How to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate?

1. How to Apply For PCC Offline

To apply offline for a Police Clearance Certificate, the applicant is required to fill an application form that is available at CPRC Center of the district. Application form can also be downloaded from the district police website. The duly filled-in application form may be submitted personally or through a representative.

2. How to Apply For PCC Online

In the online PCC application submission the steps to be followed are outlined below:

• Register on the  Passport Seva Portal and login to your account.
• Click on the Apply for Police Clearance Certificate link.
• Fill up the form that comes up and submit it.
• Click on the option titled Pay and Schedule Appointment.
• You will need to make the payment online as it is mandatory. 
• Print the application.
• Be present on the day of appointment with all the required documents.

Police Clearance Certificate Application Form

The form contains the following items which have to be filled out:

1. Passport number.
2. Passport date of issue and date of expiry.
3. Country for which the Police Clearance Certificate is required.
4. Applicants name (includes middle name).
5. Applicant’s surname.
6. Applicants date of birth.
7. Gender.
8. Town or city of residence.
9. Marital status.
10. Indian citizenship type (select from options provided).
11. Employment type.
12. Educational qualification.
13. Family details (either mother/father/legal guardians details to be mentioned):
    1. Fathers name (includes middle name and surname, no initials).
    2. Mothers name (includes middle name and surname, no initials).
    3. Guardians name (includes middle name and surname, no initials).
14. Residential address details:
    1. Duration of stay at address.
    2. Street name and house number.
    3. Village, town or city name.
    4. State or Union territory.
    5. District.
    6. Police station under whose jurisdiction the applicant falls under.
    7. PIN code.
    8. Applicants mobile number.
    9. Telephone number (optional).
    10. Email address (optional).
    11. If the permanent address is the same as the residential address. If not, the section on permanent address is to be filled out.
15.  Two References from the town/ city mentioning the references full name, address, telephone/mobile number.
16. Whether any criminal proceedings were conducted against the applicant. If yes, details to be provided.
17. Self-declaration to be ticked.
18. Place of filling the form as well as date to be entered.
19. The form is then to be saved and uploaded on the website.

Mandatory documents required

• Passport in original plus self-attested copy of first 2 and last 2 pages of the passport which includes the ECR/ECNR page as well as page of observation (if any).
• Address proof if change of address from what is given in the passport.
• Copy of visa and translation of the same into English if the original language is something else.

Documents required (Work-Related Travel)

1. For skilled/semi-skilled individuals

In case of skilled/semi-skilled individuals who have signed a contract directly with a foreign employer and not through Recruiting Agents (RA) recognized by the Protector of Emigrants (POE), the following needs to be submitted for PCC:

• Mandatory Documents along with a Self-attested copy of employment contract.

2. For unskilled individuals/Woman Applicants

In case of unskilled individuals as well as women (30 years or over) applicants who have signed a contract directly with a foreign employer and not through an RA, the following needs to be submitted:

• Mandatory Documents along with Employment contract attested by the relevant Indian Mission or Permission Letter from relevant Indian Mission/Post.

3. For skilled/semi-skilled individuals (through Recruiting Agents)

In case of skilled/semi-skilled applicants who have signed a contract with a foreign employer through an RA, the following needs to be submitted:

• Mandatory Documents along with Employment contract copies, demand letter and power of attorney from foreign employer, attested by the concerned RA
• Registration certificate copy issued by the POE

4. For unskilled individuals/women applicants (through Recruiting Agents)

In case of unskilled individuals or women applicants who have signed a contract with a foreign employer through an RA, the following should be submitted:

• Mandatory Documents along with Employment contract copies, demand letter and power of attorney from foreign employers, attested by the concerned Indian Mission.
• Registration certificate copy issued by the POE

5. For dependent family members of a person emigrating or residing in both ECR & ECNR countries

Mandatory Documents along with Declaration of sponsorship by relevant person sponsoring the emigration of said applicant.

Documents required (Emigration-Related Travel)

Mandatory Documents along with Documentary proof denoting application for long-term visa, residential status or employment (employment contract copy).

Duration taken for Police Clearance Certificate to be issued

In case the Police Verification Report with respect to the current passport is correct without any adverse entry, then the Police Clearance Certificate will be given on the same day at the Passport Seva Kendra. However, in case of situations mentioned below, the Police Clearance Certificate will only be given after police verification process has been completed. After the Police Verification Report is given, the applicant will receive a notification from the Passport Office. Applicants will have to then come to the Passport Office along with their passport in order to avail the Police Clearance Certificate.

• Applicant was a minor when passport was issued and hence did not require a Police Verification Report, and is now an adult.
• Individual was a dependent of a government employee and hence did not need a Police Verification Report.
• Police Verification Process could not be done during the time of passport issuance due to various reasons.
• Current address of the applicant is not the same as the one mentioned in the passport.
• Other cases wherein a passport was provided without police verification being done.

Police Clearance Certificate Status

The status of the Police Clearance Certificate differs from state to state. In some cases, the applicant is notified via SMS regarding the status of the clearance, after which he/she will have to visit the police station along with his/her passport and collect the certificate.

Once the applicant has received the Police Clearance Certificate, it is to be uploaded on the Passport Seva website.

The application status can also be tracked through the Passport Seva website. Applicants can go to the Track Application Status tab on the website’s homepage, whereupon they will have to enter the type of application (select Passport/PCC/IC), their date of birth and File Number. The application status will then be displayed on the screen.

Where do foreign nationals in India get a Police Clearance Certificate from?

Foreign nationals can get a Police Clearance Certificate from the office of the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) or from the District Police which is at their place of residence in India. On submitting the original, the copies may be attested by the Indian Mission.

Where do Indian nationals staying abroad get a Police Clearance Certificate from?

Indian nationals who stay abroad can get a Police Clearance Certificate by first downloading the application from the official website of the Indian Mission, submitting the filled-up form along with the required documents, which will be forwarded to the Passport Issuing Authority (PIA) in India. On receipt of the status report from the PIA, the Indian Mission will issue the PIA.

Other important information regarding PCC

1. Please don’t conceal any facts during filling the form.
2.  Applicant/user should fill up correct details in each column. If the applicant feeds the wrong information he himself/herself would be responsible and PCC is liable to be rejected. 
3.  Applicant/user should have valid I.D. Proof of present addresses.
4. Please cooperate with the Enquiry Officer (E.O.) and provide him original & genuine documents, at the time of field enquiry. 
5. A Police Clearance Certificate is considered valid for a period of 6 months.
6. Only one Police Clearance Certificate can be issued per application form.
7. There is no age limit to avail a Police Clearance Certificate.
8. A Police Clearance Certificate can be issued to minors only if it is required by a foreign government.

Conclusion

A police clearance certificate (PCC) is a legal document issued to Indian Passport holders in case they have applied for Residential status, Employment or Long term visa or for immigration. But it can’t be issued for persons travelling abroad on a Tourist Visa. It is basically a certification by the Police department to certify that the applicant has no criminal records. Gone are the days when you have to run from office to office to get your Police clearance certificate for various purposes like a job, Passport, Visa etc. Now, the police department has gifted the residents and visitors with an online Police clearance certificate. You can easily file an application regarding the same and submit it along with the requisite documents.

References

1. https://www.mea.gov.in/police-clearance-certificate.htm
2. https://www.mea.gov.in/emigration-clearance-system.htm
3. https://www.mea.gov.in/emigration-abroad-for-emp.htm#:~:text=Emigration%20 clearance%20is%20required%20only,%2C%20 Thailand%2C%20UAE%20and%20Yemen.
4. https://www.mha.gov.in/PDF_Other/AnnexVI_01022018.pdf
5. https://indianfrro.gov.in/eservices/home.jsp.

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