How to Obtain a Police Clearance Certificate from China

The Police Clearance Certificate, also known as the Certificate of No Criminal Record or 无犯罪证明, is an official document issued by the Chinese authorities. It confirms that an individual has no criminal history during their stay in China.

This certificate is often a mandatory requirement for foreigners who have lived, worked, or studied in China. You may need it when:

• Applying for a work visa or residence permit in another country.
• Applying for a job with an international company.
• Handling immigration procedures for countries like Canada, Australia, the UK, or the US.

If you are an applicant who has worked, studied, or lived in China for 6 months (180 days) or more, follow the steps below to obtain your certificate.

What Does a Police Clearance Certificate from China Look Like?

Currently, Police Clearance Certificates in China are issued in a standardized format nationwide, the document contains the following elements:

• Document title: 无犯罪记录证明 (Certificate of No Criminal Record);
• Applicant’s full name (usually in Chinese and sometimes in Latin letters);
• Passport details — passport number and nationality;
• The period of residence in China for which the certificate is issued;
• A statement confirming the absence of a criminal record for the specified period;
• Date of issuance;
• Official red circular seal of the issuing authority (usually the Public Security Bureau or Exit and Entry Administration).

Important: The certificate does not contain information about criminal convictions. It only confirms that no criminal record was found for the specified period.

How to Obtain a Police Clearance Certificate from China?

Before you start, you must confirm that you qualify to apply.

STEP 1. Confirm your eligibility

Requirement 1: You must have resided in China for at least 6 months (180 days) continuously. You can verify this by checking the entry and exit stamps in your passport. If there are more than 180 days between your entry stamp and the corresponding exit stamp, you meet the eligibility requirement and may apply for the certificate. If the period of stay is less than 180 days, it is not possible to obtain a Police Clearance Certificate. Please also note that in such cases it is not possible to obtain an official refusal from the immigration authorities, as records for applicants who stayed less than the required period are not processed for this procedure.

Requirement 2: To request a Police Clearance Certificate, you must provide scans of your Temporary Registration Forms (住宿登记表) issued by the local police station at your place of residence. If you lived on a university campus, you will need to obtain a confirmation letter from the university verifying your residence there during the relevant period.

STEP 2. Prepare the required documents

Passport In most cases, a scan of the main passport page and all pages containing Chinese visas and entry/exit stamps is sufficient to request the Police Clearance Certificate. The scan must be high-quality, full size (1:1), and not a photo. However, in some cities the original passport is required for the application. This applies, for example, to Beijing, Suzhou, and Wuxi.

Temporary Registration Forms (住宿登记表) You must provide scans of your Temporary Registration Forms issued by the police. If you changed your place of residence, registration forms from all addresses will be required.

Power of Attorney If you authorize us to obtain the Police Clearance Certificate on your behalf, you will need to provide a notarized Power of Attorney with Apostille (海牙认证), issued in the name of our employee, authorizing them to submit the application.

STEP 3. Submission

Previously, Police Clearance Certificates were issued by local police stations at the place of residence. However, under the current procedure, the authority responsible for issuing this certificate is the Exit and Entry Administration of the Public Security Bureau (公安局出入境管理局), which operates under the immigration services.

Therefore, the application for a Police Clearance Certificate is usually submitted to the Exit and Entry Administration office where your visa or residence permit was processed.

Processing time: approximately 2 weeks. Validity of the certificate: 3 months from the date of issuance.

STEP 4. Legalization of the Police Clearance Certificate for Use Abroad

After the Police Clearance Certificate has been issued, it must be legalized before it can be used abroad. Depending on the destination country, this is done either through Apostille (海牙认证) or Consular Legalization (领事认证).

As a rule, the certificate must first be notarized by a Chinese notary public (公证处). During this process, the certificate is usually bound together with a translation into the language of the country where the document will be used. It is important to inform the notary of the destination country, as different countries may require single or double notarization, depending on their specific regulations.

After notarization, the procedure continues as follows:

• If the destination country is a member of the Hague Convention, the notarized document must be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China or its local Foreign Affairs Offices (中国外交部或地方外事办公室) for the issuance of an Apostille (海牙认证).
• If the destination country is not a member of the Hague Convention, the document must go through Consular Legalization (领事认证). In this case, after notarization the document must be submitted to the consulate of the destination country in China for legalization.

Estimated processing time: approximately 10–14 days.

STEP 5. Sending the Completed Document Abroad

Once the document has been issued and properly legalized, it can be sent abroad to the final recipient. For international delivery, we recommend using reliable courier services with a strong reputation to ensure safe and timely delivery. We use DHL to ship completed documents to any destination worldwide.

STEP 6. Translation Requirements

Although the finalized document will already include a translation into the language of the destination country, it is common for the receiving authorities to require an additional translation prepared in the country where the document will be used by a locally certified translator. We therefore recommend checking the specific requirements of the receiving authority in advance and preparing accordingly, as the validity period of the Police Clearance Certificate is limited.

Obtaining a Police Clearance Certificate from China can be a complex process that requires careful preparation and strict compliance with local requirements. The procedure often involves collecting supporting documents, confirming periods of residence, and completing additional steps such as notarization and legalization for use abroad.

Because the certificate also has a limited validity period, it is advisable to start the process well in advance to avoid delays in immigration procedures, employment applications, or other administrative matters. If you need assistance, Schmidt & Schmidt can help with Procurement of Documents (文件获取) and Extracts of Land Register (不动产信息查询).