The Full Guide to Police Character Certificate Apostille Process From Police Clearance to Chinese Authorities

1. Why Should You Care About This Guide?

If you want to travel outside of Pakistan, apply for a visa or work abroad, then chances are that you will require a police character certificate apostille. Many people find this to be overwhelming, particularly when dealing with international regulations set by embassies (e.g., their application process).

The purpose of this guide is to simplify things for you. This guide will outline each step in detail so that you can avoid delays and unnecessary costs while obtaining the necessary documents in order to complete your application(s) without any stress; no matter if they are visa-related or employment-related in nature, these documents must go through the same process.

2. Definition of a Police Character Certificate

The police character certificate is an official piece of documentation from your local police office confirming that no criminal acts have occurred against yourself while living in that area (or country). There are many purposes for which people typically request these documents such as immigration purposes, employment purposes, studying abroad or applying for student visas (e.g., Chinese).

In order to make the document (PCC) applicable outside of Pakistan, you will need to have it verified (authenticated) and then do the same further down the line (i.e., notarised).

3. What is a Police Character Certificate Apostille?

A police character certificate apostille is an official document, provided by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which confirms that a police character certificate is genuine and can be used at a country outside of Pakistan.

There are over 100 countries that are part of the Apostille Convention; therefore, once you have your police character certificate apostilled by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you can utilize your PCC in places like China without having to go through the legalization process at their embassies.

How to get your Police Character Certificate Apostilled

Step 1

Obtaining your Police Character Certificate (PCC) from your local police station (or Khidmat Markaz). To apply for a PCC, you will need either a CNIC or your passport; however, you can usually receive your PCC within a couple of days.

Step 2

After receiving your PCC, you may now submit this document to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain the apostille certification. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs authenticates the document, issues an apostille certificate and makes it an internationally recognized document.

What Will It Cost to Get a Police Character Certificate Apostille in Pakistan?

The cost of obtaining an apostille for your police character certificate will depend on the service that you choose, the urgency of the apostille and the processing fees charged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Generally local officers have a nominal cost associated with a PCC. However; accompanying documents requiring apostille certification from MOFA incur a fee which is based upon how many pages are included in your endorsement. Some service providers may add an additional cost related to the time spent processing your request.

It is wise to reconfirm your expected cost before submitting all documents, since costs do occasionally change.

6. Document Authentication by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China

Historically after MOFA's authentication, certificates requiring authentication by the PRC Embassy would need to be done so, however this requirement no longer exists since both nations ratified the Apostille Convention agreement, thus all required certificates will only require the MOFA Endsorsement.

The elimination of the embassies requirement for authentication has expedited the application process, making it much easier than previously to complete.

7. Requirements for Applying for a China Visa & Apostille of PCC

To obtain a china visa you must provide the employment letter of your principal with MOFA apostilled PCC. If you are over 10 year old you will also be required to submit this to MOFA for apostille. If you do not have the required apostille for this document your application may not be approved or may take longer than expected before being re-presented.

In order to provide your application with the best possible chance of being accepted by an official from PRC, please ensure all of your documents are readable and fully completed prior to submission.

8. Validity and Timing of Importance

A police clearance certificate is not a certificate that lasts indefinitely. The standard validity period for police clearance certificates is typically up to 180 days from the date issued.

Due to its limited validity, timing is also essential when it comes to obtaining your police clearance certificate and apostille prior to when you submit your visa application. Planning ahead will reduce the possibility of having to rush around at the last minute trying to get the necessary documentation completed, and help to ensure that your documents remain valid during the entire application process.

9. Mistakes Commonly Made

• Incomplete documentation or incorrect information may result in an application being rejected. Be sure to thoroughly check all of your information before submitting your application.
• The next most common error is to skip the apostille process when obtaining your police clearance certificate. Without an apostille, your police clearance certificate will not be accepted outside of the United States, particularly for countries such as China.
• And finally, do not apply for your police clearance certificate too early as it may expire prior to being used.

Benefits of using Professional Attestation Services

When you attempt to do the whole process yourself, you could find the experience to be extremely frustrating and take too much time trying to figure out what is going on with documentation. This is where a Professional Attestation Service comes into play by offering assistance with every step of the process, ensuring that everything has been completed correctly, and submitting your documents on your behalf. This process lowers your chances of making mistakes and saves you time that could have been spent on this task.

If you are an overseas Pakistani or busy professional, using a trustworthy service provider will help make your attestation process as easy as possible and you will have much less stress then if you attempted to handle it yourself.

Why use PakAttestation.pk?

PakAttestation.pk provides you with the quickest and most reliable options for document attestation including Police Cleared Certificate Apostille.

The company has a long history of experience and has met many individuals' document processing and delivery needs. The staff knows the international embassies' requirements and provides you with all of the assistance you need.

PakAttestation.pk is the partner you want when applying for any visa, job, or education abroad.

12. Final Thoughts: Make The Process Easy

The process of obtaining an apostille police character certificate in Pakistan has not been easier with the Apostille Convention because you no longer have to go through multiple verifications through the embassy like you have in the past.

Accuracy and timing are still critical. You will want to follow all necessary steps, properly prepare your documentation, and keep current with changes to procedures.

Using a professional service can ease the burden and save you valuable time and energy if you are looking for a hassle-free experience.