When Is A Police Clearance Certificate Required
Police clearance certificates will be required in the following instances: When you have plans to emigrate from South Africa. If you want to get permanent residence in a foreign country for the purposes of work, studies or business. Sometimes this is only necessary when you apply for particular types of visas, or when you apply for particular studies abroad.
If you apply for an express police clearance certificate the process can take between five to seven working days. Those who have previous criminal records or convictions will get their Police Clearance Certificates after 30 working days or longer because there is a more thorough searching to be done. However, as long as the applicants are not currently wanted by the South African authorities, they will get their Police Clearance Certificates.
Police clearance certificate status Enquiry
Once your application has been received, a confirmation of receipt message will be sent to you via SMS to the mobile number you provided in your application form. This message will include your allocated reference number. After the application process has been completed, you will receive another SMS. If your application is incomplete you will be notified through SMS, and advised on what to do.
You can then check the status of your Police Clearance Certificate by making an online enquiry on the SAPS website. You will need to input your allocated reference number on the SAPS website before you can view the status of your application.
Where To Get A Police Certificate
You can obtain a police clearance certificate from the issuing authority in each country, listed on the U.S. Department of States website. On the left-hand side of the webpage, you will need to select the first letter of your countrys name, select your country, and click on the Police, Court, Prison Records tab to view the important details.
For each country, the State Department lists the name of the issuing authority, current fee, and procedures for obtaining a certificate.
Other Uses Of The Document/certificate
- This clearance is needed by those who want to change country of residence.
- You may be mandated to get police clearance certificate if you want to occupy a sensitive position in Nigeria, though simply called police attestation.
- You may also need to upload a Police character certificate, if you are to proceed on a post graduate programme in foreign institutions.
- Even as a tourist to another country, you will need police character certificate. to show that you dont have outstanding criminal record back home, and ensure that you wont be a threat to your host country.
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Saudi Police Clearance Certificate After The Final Exit
If you have left Saudi Arabia on a final exit, you can still apply for a police clearance certificate. Your authorized representative needs to submit the following documents to your countrys embassy/consulate.
MOFA Approval: Upon submission, your countrys embassy/consulate will obtain approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Note Verbale.
Submission to the Police Station: After this, your authorized representative will make an appointment with the police and submit all the above-mentioned documents along with the MOFA approval.
Collection: The authorized representative can visit the same police station and collect the police clearance certificate on the prescribed date.
Apply For A Police Clearance Certificate
If you want to emigrate or work abroad, you must apply for police clearance certificate at your nearest South African police station.
The certificate confirms whether you have a criminal record or not.
You must provide your full name, surname, date of birth and identity document or passport to the police at the police station where your finger prints will be taken.
If you are outside the country, you may apply at any police station in that country or at the South African Embassy.
Find out more about how to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate.
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What Is The Difference Between Police Clearance And Nbi Clearance
The Philippine National Police , which is responsible for issuing police clearances, launched the National Police Clearance System in 2018. Similar to the one used by the NBI, the NPCS is a centralized database containing all records/cases from different towns and cities all over the country.
Although it aims to one day replace the NBI clearance system altogether3, the PNP reveals the two clearances will remain separate from each other for now.
Now that the two clearances have nationwide coverage, their main difference lies in how they deal with a HIT on an applicants records and the type of information they keep in their respective databases. For more information, read this: What is the difference between NBI clearance and police clearance?
Take note that the cases were talking about here only refer to criminal cases. Both the NBI clearance and police clearance dont cover civil cases or private disputes between individuals and organizations.
Are Police Reports Public
Police reports are essentially government documents and thus part of the public record, but this does not necessarily mean that anyone can simply walk up to a precinct and ask for copies. The procedure for obtaining police reports is statutory and usually falls under the freedom of information law of each state.
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When Is It Necessary
The scope varies, depending on each countrys law, applicants may be required to submit police certificates from the countries in which they have stayed beyond certain periods.
It could be weeks, months, and years as clearly stipulated by the countrys immigration law:
Nigeria: A foreigner who has live-in Nigeria for more than 30 days
Canada: Countries where applicants have resided for 6 months or more.
New Zealand: Countries where applicants have resided for 12 months or more.
Australia: For citizenship applications, countries where applicants have resided for 3 months or more if the applicants have been outside Australia for more than 12 months since acquiring permanent residency for visa applications, countries where applicants have resided for 12 months or more.
Ecuador: Country where applicants have principally resided during the last 5 years.
United States: Countries where applicants have resided for 6 months or more.
An escapee from prison cant obtain it, it isnt issued to 419 or any other person who has been found guilty of criminal offences and serving a jail term.
How To Get Police Clearance Certificate In Nigeria
Before you begin the application process, we urge you to get an idea of how much it cost to get police clearance certificate in Nigeria.Nigerian police havent been specific about the actual amount of the report though.
If you are in Nigeria, you can apply in person at the Central Criminal Registry in Lagos, the address is as follows:
Central Criminal Registry Force C.I.D. AnnexAlagbon Close IkoyiLagos, Nigeria.
Use the above address if youre in Lagos. You can also apply in other 36 Nigerian police state command offices .
Direction to Criminal registry Office, Alagbon, Lagos:
If you are within Lagos, board a commercial bus going to Obalende, from there ask for further direction, it is not far from Obalende motor park. If it were when Okara were operating within that area, you could easily pick a bike to drop you at Central Criminal Registry Force C.I.D., Ikoyi.
If you are coming from other states like Oyo, you can get Obalende bus at Berger bus stop .
Step 1:
At the criminal registry office, Alagbon, Lagos, or other state command headquarters, tell the officer in charge you want to get Police Character Clearance certificate you will be directed to the appropriate office.
Step 2:
Pay the charge fee, and collect the application form. You can fill with either black or blue pen, and attach your passport photograph.
Step 3:
To get it from other state, visit Nigeria Police Command in your state capital .
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What If A Police Certificate Is Not In English
Clearly, countries that do not have English as their national language might maintain their police and court records in a foreign language. In such cases, the applicant for lawful permanent resident status would need to acquire a translation to English.
Actually, for any immigration document, all evidence must be translated into the English language and must be accompanied by a certificate of translation. The translation certificate should be signed by a translator who swears that they are well-versed in the foreign language and are well aware of the contents of the document that they translated. to get a template certificate of translation.
Wait For Your Police Clearance To Be Released
Unlike other government-issued documents, police clearances are released on the same day of application. Depending on the police station, the entire process of getting a police clearance may take 15 minutes or more.
Once the verification process is complete, you can simply wait for your name to be called for the release of your police clearance.
The process is quite simple and fast so theres no reason for anyone to go to lengths just to falsify it.
Anyone who is caught using a falsified document will be facing a penalty of prison correctional in its medium and maximum periods and a fine of not more than Php 5,0007.
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Review The Notes/reminders And Pay The Police Clearance Fee
The next page contains a summary of your transaction including your chosen police station, schedule of appointment, payment option, and instructions on what to do next.
After reviewing the information, click Save Appointment.
Save or note the reference number that will be displayed on the page.
Pay the police clearance fee by clicking the Click here to Pay button on the bottom right corner of the page. Take note that over-the-counter payment at the police station is not allowed.
Youll be directed to the LandBank of the Philippines ePayment portal. Select either LandBank or Bancnet as your preferred payment option. Enter your account number and PIN to complete the transaction.
If you dont have a bank account, you can also pay the police clearance fee over the counter at the nearest 7-Eleven convenience store. .
You can also pay the fee via GCash. To pay the police clearance fee using your GCash account, enter your GCash number on the LandBank of the Philippines ePayment portal. The transaction details and payment summary will be subsequently shown.
Make sure to complete the payment at least two banking days before your appointment date or else your transaction will be canceled.
For first-time job seekers, no need to proceed with the payment. Just go directly to the police station on the day of your appointment and present your First Time Job Seeker Barangay Certificate.
For Those Travelling Abroad Police Clearance Check Hiked By 700%
The Nigeria Police, it has been learnt, has hiked the cost of Police Character Certificate , also known as police clearance, by around 700 per cent to N40, 000, from its previous price of N5, 000.
PCC is a document issued by the Nigeria Police to certify that an individual does not have criminal record, criminal conviction or is trying to evade prosecution for crimes committed in the country.
The document is largely sought by individuals, mostly youths, travelling out of the country to further their studies or to take up employment though some organisations in Nigeria sometimes request certain individuals to provide the PCC.
Several policemen who spoke to a correspondent of Sunday Vanguard, who disguised as a student seeking to obtain the PCC, said they received a directive from the police authorities, July 22, 2022, that the price of the document should be hiked to N40, 000 on that same day, without any reason.
One of the policemen at the Lagos Command said prior to that directive, they used to issue the PCC for N5, 000.
Another policeman in Abuja had initially agreed to process it for N25, 000, thinking it was the price at which he normally does it, but on presenting the data for check, he was told that the price has been hiked to N40, 000 since July 22, 2022.
Prior to the official hike, the actual price was known as it could range range from as low as N5, 000 to as high as N100, 000, depending on the police officer one approaches or the individual requesting for it.
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Is Personal Appearance Required
Yes, personal appearance is required whether youre applying for a National or Local Police Clearance.
While the police may have digitized records of the applicants, personal information and appearance change over time. Hence, you need to show up to update these records with your recent photo and biometrics AFTER securing an appointment online via the National Police Clearance System . If youre applying for a Local Police Clearance, you can proceed to the municipal hall without the need to secure an online appointment.
Note: The PNP also requires personal appearance partly to lure wanted criminals who are stupid enough to apply.
How To Apply For Pcc In Nigeria
The Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department is the highest investigating arm of the Nigeria Police. Here are the steps to apply for PCC online
1. Log on to www.npf.gov.ng
2. Click tinted permit link on the quick-link menu.
3. Fill the registration form on the right to obtain an Application ID.
4. Complete the Application Process by Login in with your email and the Application ID electronically generated.
5. Fill the Bio-Data form when logged-in and enter the details of the Vehicle you want to obtain tinted permit for with the instructions outlined on the page.
6. Upload your vehicle license, proof of ownership.
7. Print out the information submitted then take the Print-out to the State Intelligence Bureau in any Police Command, to capture your biometrics. The fingerprint form is available here
8. Applicants applying on medical grounds must upload a medical report obtained from any government hospital and must bring original copies of all relevant documents for verification before their biometric can be captured.
9. Upon completion of this procedure, your application shall be processed and decisions including issuance of the permit if application is successful shall be conveyed within five working days.
Your application will be fully processed after these steps.
The PCC cost varies from $50 to $100 depending on applying yourself or engaging service providers.
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What Is Police Clearance And What Is It Used For
A Police Clearance Certificate is an official document that is usually issued by the Nigerian Police Force as evidence of completion of background checks on the person looking to move from one country to another. This certificate is one of the core requirements by certain countries for those looking to immigrate to the country.
Although not all countries require the Police Clearance certificate, some European countries have made this a critical requirement and immigrants are expected to submit the certificate during the final stages of their immigration process.
This document is to guaranty the host country that you are not wanted by law in the country you are coming from. The certificate shows the intending immigrant is of a good character.
Police Increase Character Certificate Fee From N5000 To N40000
Nigerians travelling abroad, including students are now to pay N40,000 for a police character certificate, also known as a police clearance certificate.
This followed a new directive from the Nigeria Police High Command allegedly given earlier this month, directing the increment of the fees for PCC from N5,000 to N40,000.
The increment is a 700 per cent increase from the original fee of N5,000.
Before this official hike, the actual price was known as it could range from as low as N5,000 to as high as N100,000, depending on the police officer one approaches or the individual requesting for it.
Messages sent to Force PRO, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, seeking confirmation and reasons for the increment were not answered as at press time.
The PCC is a document issued by the Nigeria Police to certify that an individual does not have criminal record, criminal conviction or is trying to evade prosecution for crimes committed in the country.
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Option : Prove You Applied For The Police Certificate
In very rare cases, we may accept both a letter of explanation and proof that shows you made your best effort to get a police certificate on time.
You can upload this in the country-specific police certificate field of your document checklist. Examples of proof:
- a confirmation receipt
- a delivery notice
- a tracking number
An officer will review your application. If theyre not satisfied that you made your best effort, your application may be rejected for being incomplete.
Get The Police Certificates You Need
You must include police certificates when you apply for permanent residence.
Our online system will ask for a police certificate for:
- you and your family members who are 18 years or older
- and
- every country you stayed in during the last 10 years for 6 months or more in a row
You dont need to give us police certificates for any period of time before you were 18 years old or for time spent in Canada.
After you apply, an officer may ask for additional police certificates from any time in your life since you were 18 years old.
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