How to Apply for Police Clearance Certificate (India)

Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is issued to holders of Indian passports to prove that they have never been involved in any criminal activity in which the Indian police has to get involved. This is generally needed to verify that the applicant is a good member of society and will potentially not harm the society they’re going to enter.

Table of contents

• In which cases do you need a Police Clearance Certificate?
• Applying for PCC in India and abroad
• How to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate
• Documents needed to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate
• PCC photo requirements
• Get a photo for Police Clearance Certificate (India) online

In which cases do you need a Police Clearance Certificate?

A Police Clearance Certificate is usually needed to apply for residential status, employment, or other purposes requiring a long-term visa or immigration.

Dependent family members joining an Indian citizen emigrating also need to apply for a PCC.

It is only issued to citizens above the age of 18. It is not issued for tourist visa applications.

Applying for PCC in India and abroad

The PCC application process differs if you apply while residing in a foreign country. The documents may vary slightly depending on where you are and your migration status, but the core process is practically the same.

How to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate

Steps to apply for a PCC from India:

1. Register or sign-in on the Passport Seva website;
2. Click "Apply for Police Clearance Certificate";
3. Fill out the form honestly according to the instructions;
4. Schedule your appointment and see your payment options by clicking "Pay and Schedule Appointment" under "View Saved/Submitted Applications";
5. Pay the PCC fees according to the instructions and amount;
6. Go to your Regional Passport Office to submit your documents personally;
7. Go through police verification at the local police station that you chose while applying. A police verification consists of:
   1. Answering questions from the police officer, which usually includes background checks and questions about your emigration;
   2. Submit the needed documents as stated in the Passport Seva site;
   3. Pay the fee in cash or cheque.
8. Collect the certificate from Passport Seva Kendra.

How to apply for a PCC abroad

Contact the Indian diplomatic mission in your country of residence. The exact steps and details may differ depending on your country of residence.

However, as is the case with applications from India, it usually begins with an online application. Besides the online process, you will also have to submit documents in person and pay application fees.

Documents needed to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate

The documents you need depend on your purposes, where you are, and where you’re going. Besides the application form, here are the lists of the documents you need:

Documents needed by applicants going to ECR countries for employment

The 18 ECR countries are Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Documents required for skilled/semi-skilled workers

• Your old passport with self-attested copy of its first two and last two pages, page of observation and ECR/Non-ECR page;
• Self-attested copy of your employment contract with a foreign employer;
• Proof of present address;
• Copy of valid visa, if it’s already obtained, and translated to English if it is not in English.

Documents required for unskilled/women workers (above 30 years old) applying not through recruiting agents

• Your old passport with self-attested copy of its first two and last two pages, page of observation and ECR/Non-ECR page;
• Employment contract from the foreign employer attested by the Indian Mission or Permission letter from the concerned Indian Mission/Post.;
• Proof of your present address;
• Copy of valid visa, if it’s already obtained, and translated to English if it is not in English.

Documents required for unskilled/women workers applying through recruiting agents

• Your old passport with self-attested copy of its first two and last two pages, page of observation and ECR/Non-ECR page;
• Proof of your present address;
• Copies of your original employment contract, demand letter, and power of attorney from the foreign employer duly attested by the recruiting agent;
• Copy of valid registration certificate issued by the Protectorate of Emigrants, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.

Documents required for applicants emigrating to non-ECR countries

• Your old passport with self-attested copy of its first two and last two pages, page of observation and ECR/Non-ECR page;
• Proof of present address;
• Proof of residential status application, employment contract, long-term visa, or immigration permit.

Documents required for dependent family members following emigration

• Your old passport with self-attested copy of its first two and last two pages, page of observation and ECR/Non-ECR page;
• Proof of present address;
• A declaration that you are sponsored to emigrate.

Documents required for PCC applications abroad

• Self-attested copy of your Indian passport’s first two and last two pages;
• Proof of your present address;
• Photographs that satisfy the PCC photo requirements. The number of photos depends on the place of application;
• Copy of your migration status in your current country of residence (visa, permanent residence, etc.).

PCC photo requirements

To be accepted, your PCC application photo must satisfy the following parameters:

• The photo must be in color;
• The required PCC photo size is 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm);
• The photo’s background must be plain white with no shadows, patterns, or extraneous objects;
• Your face must be fully visible, your eyes must look forward, and the expression must be neutral;
• Your head must be in the center of the photograph;
• Religious headwear is allowed but must not obscure the face. No other headwear is permitted;
• You must wear plain (not patterned), non-white-colored attire in the picture.

Here is an example:

Get a photo for Police Clearance Certificate (India) online

Do you need to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate? Besides ensuring that all your documents are in order, you need to be sure that your photo fulfills all the requirements mentioned above to be accepted right away and not cause any delays. To ensure that, we recommend you use professional our online photo service.

Visafoto has been editing photos to fit the requirements of various documents worldwide. Simply take a picture of yourself following the posing and dress code requirements above under good lighting, preferably in daylight. You won’t need to worry about background or shadows.

Then, upload it to our tool below:

Take an image with a smartphone or camera against any background, upload it here, and instantly get a professional photo for your visa, passport, or ID.

Visafoto won’t just adjust the more significant details such as size and background, but it can also fix the subtler things that are also important. Still, the requirements do not necessarily mention, such as head tilt and contrast.

First, take a photo of yours under daylight like this one:

You will have two types of photos: a digital one for electronic applications and another one suitable for printing.

Here they are:

Still, have questions on Visafoto’s guaranteed results? Contact us, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!