What is the UAE Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) ?
The UAE Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is an official document issued by the Dubai Police Department. It certifies that an individual has no criminal record in the UAE and can be used to apply for a visa or work permit.
The PCC is required for all new residents in the UAE, who must present it at their first visit to immigration control upon arrival at Jebel Ali Airport or Al Maktoum International Airport. This also applies to visitors travelling within Dubai or Sharjah with a valid passport as part of an international trip; however, if they have already been granted approval from their home country's authorities, then they may bring this document instead of needing another one printed specifically for traveling purposes only!
Why do I need a PCC?
The PCC is a document that attests the criminal record of a person. It is required for all applications for residence visas, as well as employment in the UAE. It's also necessary if you want to get a driving license in Dubai.
If you live outside the UAE, you may also need to request your PCC, for example, a new employment screening in the country where you will be working. Your (new) employer wants proof that you have no criminal record in the countries where you have lived. This also applies to VISA applications, before your application is approved you must prove that you have no criminal record in all countries where you have resided for a certain period.
How long does it take to get a PCC?
The UAE Police Clearance Certificate is usually issued within 2 working days, but some cases can take longer. This is only when you have taken all the necessary steps before the application. When you are requesting your PCC from outside the UAE you need to legalize all the documents at the court, the ministry and get an attest at the UAE Embassy, this process takes longer. When you have all the legalizations/attest than you can submit your fingerprints to the Dubai police, you will have the results then within 2 working days.
If you are able to provide an Emirates ID number, they issue your police certificate without sending the fingerprints.
Required documents to apply for the PCC.
The following documents are required to apply for the PCC:
- Application form
- Applicant's passport
- Fingerprints (outside the UAE they need to be approved by the UAE Embassy)
- Applicant's last UAE residence visa
- Reason UAE PCC application
- two recent passport photos
- Active e-mail address
Application from the Netherlands
You can apply for your Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from the UAE online, but before you can complete this application you have to go through a number of steps in the country where you are at that moment. The UAE embassy in the Netherlands has decided that before they approve the documents to be sent to the Dubai Police, they will first have to go through a whole legalization process. As a result, you cannot request the statement within a few days, but you certainly need a week or two to collect all the correct documents.
Note: If you are able to provide an Emirates ID number, they issue your police certificate without sending the fingerprints.
step-by-step instruction UAE application
Attest by UAE Embassy.
Attestation is the process of verifying and certifying the authenticity of documents. It can be done by any government or non-government authority.
You can get an attestation from your home country's embassy in UAE if you have any document issued by them, such as birth certificate, marriage certificate etc. The document must be notarized by a Notary Public in The Netherlands, the court and the ministry of foreign affairs, after this procedure the UAE Embassy will attest your documents.
It takes 2 days for processing once all documents are submitted at the office but sometimes it may take longer depending upon workloads at concerned departments involved during this process
Conclusion
The UAE Police Clearance Certificate is a document that attests that you have no criminal record in the UAE. In case you apply for a VISA application it is important to apply for this certificate before applying for your residence visa, because it will help you avoid any delays or rejection of your application by the immigration authorities.
I had a really wonderful experience working with Ilse when I needed a police certificate from the UAE. She was very knowledgeable and very helpful, and really went above and beyond her scope of work to explain the process to me and help me manage it. Would definitely recommend anyone to go to her - you would be in very capable hands!
