Get Police Clearance Certificate While Abroad

Get a Police Clearance Certificate in the Philippines While Abroad

A police clearance certificate is an official document provided by legal enforcement agencies which shows the individual’s details about his arrest, conviction, or any other legal disposition. This certificate usually gets required when applying for several opportunities abroad, even if the applicant has no record of crimes.

If you are living outside the Philippines and want to get a police clearance certificate from your home country, then this guide shall detail clearly how to get one.

Why Do You Need a Police Clearance Certificate Abroad?

A Police Clearance Certificate is a document that evidences one does not have any criminal record in the country of his residence. Here are some reasons that indicate why you might need one:

Criminal Record: Verification of one’s criminal history to confirm any convictions or any court given fines.

Business Ineligibility: Sometimes employed to determine eligibility for any placement or business opportunity.

Administrative Procedures: PCCs are usually needed in the following cases:

  •    Applications regarding visas for work, studying, permanent residency
  •    Applications for jobs involving any security clearance
  •    Marriage applications
  •     Legal procedures

How to Get a Police Clearance Certificate from Abroad?

If you are required to obtain a PCC while residing abroad, please submit the following:

Contact the Philippine Embassy or Consulate: You may initiate contact with any of the nearest Philippine embassies or consulates. They can further provide the specific forms and guidelines you need.

Application Form: Fill in the application form for Police Clearance, stating your reason for which you are requesting this certificate. Sometimes forms are available on the embassy website, or one has to go to their office to obtain them.

Secure a Special Power of Attorney (if necessary): If you cannot be present during the application process, you can grant any relative or friend a Special Power of Attorney to act on your behalf.

Fingerprinting: In some cases, you may be required to be fingerprinted under the supervision of a Philippine diplomat. Schedule this in advance.

Document Submission:

  • A copy of your passport, including those pages showing your residency.
  • A photocopy of your ID, such as a driver’s license or any other government-issued ID.
  • Recent passport-sized photographs.

Documents Required

For a successful application for a Police Clearance Certificate, assemble the following documents:

  • Valid Identification: Passport, driver’s license, or other government-issued ID.
  • Proof of Citizenship: Passport or birth certificate from your home country.
  • Proof of Residency: Utility bills, bank statements, or other documents showing your current address from recent times.
  • Application Form: If the police department or embassy/consulate requires a specific application form.
  • Photos: Generally recent passport-sized photos, if required.
  • Biometric Data: Depending on the country, there may also be fingerprinting or other biometric data collection.

Police Certificates and Immigration Applications

Applications for immigration, just like applying for permanent residence in Canada, require a police certificate. Applications meant for electronic travel authorization, work permit, and study permit to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, IRCC.

Who Must Submit a Police Clearance Certificate?

Immigrant visa applicants should mail a photocopy of the police clearance certificate to the NVC, and the applicant must bring the original or certified copy when they attend their interview. Adjustment of status applicants-those legally in the United States who are seeking a green card without leaving the country-must obtain police records instead of a clearance certificate.

Any person above the age of 16 years who has lived in a foreign country for six months or more needs a police clearance certificate, whether they have criminal records or not.

Challenges in Acquiring a Police Clearance Certificate

Even with technological advancement, there are still challenges that may be experienced in the process of application:

  • Time-Consuming Process: Some countries need to verify it physically, thus taking time.
  • Variable Requirements on Documentation: Each country requires something different in documentation, further perplexing the already quite bemusing application process.
  • Language Matters: If the languages are different, then it may be even more challenging for the applicants to find their way through the process.

FAQs

You can secure a police clearance when you are abroad by writing to the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate where you are located and inquiring from them the detailed procedures to be followed in your application.

Application for an NBI clearance is also open abroad. You can request the nearest Philippine Consulate or Philippine Embassy for an NBI Blue Form 5, fill out and send them the necessary documents.

The fees of Police Clearance Certificates vary according to the various issuing authorities, usually ranging from PHP 100 to PHP 300.

Yes, some police clearances can be initiated online through the official NBI website. But you are still required to physically go to the embassy or consulate for some procedures.

In case of application to a UK visa, it shall be required for all countries where you have lived for more than 12 months since attaining the age of 16. It should reflect the full period of your residency and be attested appropriately.

Processing times are so different from country to country; often, it may take anything from within a few days up to several weeks, since the timing usually depends on local procedures and requirements.

In case you have been convicted of a crime, that is something you will have to be sure about in regard to your application. Most countries have various regulations concerning criminal records, particularly for immigration purposes.

Final words

A Police Clearance Certificate is necessary whether one intends to work abroad, emigrate, or even study. While the process may differ from country to country, knowing what steps to take can assist in hurrying up an individual’s application process.



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