If you are planning to study or work abroad, you may be required to provide a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC). In Chinese, this document is called 无犯罪记录证明 (Certificate of No Criminal Record).

A criminal background check is required for foreign nationals residing in China when applying for a new work or student visa. Additionally, a Police Clearance Certificate issued in China may be necessary for individuals who have already left the country and are submitting documents for employment, visa applications, or other official purposes in third countries.

Please note: Foreign nationals who are not currently residing in China but wish to apply for a Chinese visa must obtain a Police Clearance Certificate from their country of residence or citizenship. This document must then be legalized by the Chinese embassy or consulate in that country.

Unlike in many countries, the issuance of Police Clearance Certificates in China is not centralized. Applications are processed by the local Public Security Bureaus (公安局, PSB) — based on the place of your household registration or actual residence.

Each PSB office sets its own requirements for documentation, application format, and processing time. In some cities, copies are sufficient; in others, personal presence or the original passport may be required.

If there is no final and legally binding verdict from the People’s Court convicting a citizen, he is considered to have no criminal record. This also applies in cases where:
  • the investigation was discontinued by the prosecution or investigative authorities;
  • the case was closed due to lack of criminal evidence;
  • a decision was made not to initiate a criminal case;
  • the preliminary investigation was completed without transferring the case to court.

    • Thus, a person is recognized as having no criminal record in the absence of a final court conviction.

    What does a Police Clearance Certificate from China look like?

    The appearance of the certificate may vary slightly depending on the region, but generally, the document includes the following standard elements:

  • document title: 无犯罪记录证明 (Справка об отсутствии судимости);
  • full name of the applicant (in Chinese and/or Latin script);
  • passport details — passport number, nationality;
  • period of residence in China covered by the certificate, along with a statement confirming the absence of a criminal record for that period;
  • date of issue, PSB office seal — red, round, with the name of the issuing authority;
  • signature of the official (sometimes including the position).

    • Important! The certificate does not contain information about the presence of a criminal record — it only confirms its absence. In some cases, it may be issued on paper with watermarks or a barcode.

    What documents are required?

    To begin the process, you will need to prepare the following documents:

    Passport — scanned copies of all pages, including:
  • biographical data,
  • visas,
  • entry and exit stamps for the relevant period.

    • If an individual applies for a police clearance certificate more than three times within one calendar year (not inclusive), they must submit proof of legitimate reasons for using the certificate. In other special cases, advice can be obtained by calling the hotline of the National Immigration Administration of China at 12367.

    If the certificate is requested by a company on behalf of an employee, the following documents must be submitted:

    • A letter of authorization from the organization;
    • A valid identity document of the company’s authorized representative;
    • A completed application form, stamped with the company’s official seal;
    • Documents proving that the person for whom the request is made is an employee, a job candidate, or planned to be hired.

    It is prohibited to forge or use fake documents, provide false information, use personal data of others without permission, as well as to falsify the police clearance certificate itself. Any actions violating the established procedures for requesting and issuing the certificate entail legal liability. In cases of serious consequences, offenders are held accountable according to the law, and if signs of a crime are detected, they face criminal liability. Furthermore, the entire procedure must be conducted with strict confidentiality: disclosure or unauthorized use of information regarding the presence or absence of a criminal record is unacceptable.

    ⚠️ Attention: In some cities (e.g., Beijing, Suzhou, Wuxi), the police require the original passport. In this case, you will need to send your passport to our office in China. We will provide full support and ensure safe delivery.

    For this, it is also necessary to provide the following documents:

  • Visa information — type, date of issue, and validity period of each visa (X1 — student visa, Z — work visa, etc.);
  • Proof of residence registration, such as a temporary residence registration form (Registration voucher of residence for visitors from overseas, 临时住宿登记表) or a rental agreement;
  • Previous police clearance certificate (if available) issued by the local police department.

    • Additional information:

    • For student visa holders — name of the university and campus;
    • For work visa holders — name of the company and its address;
    • Exact residential address in China;
    • Purpose of using the certificate and destination country (this affects the format, language, and legalization requirements);
    • Language of the translation and number of notarized copies;
    • DHL delivery address — recipient’s name, full postal address, and contact phone number.

    How the process works

    We assist clients at every stage — from data collection to certificate issuance and legalization. The procedure includes the following steps:

    Information review

    We assess the documents you provide, determine whether the certificate can be issued, in which city, and in what format (by proxy or in person).

    Power of attorney preparation

    In most cases, the certificate can be requested by a representative based on a notarized Power of Attorney translated into Chinese. We will provide a template and step-by-step guidance on how to prepare and, if necessary, legalize it (via apostille or consular legalization).

    Submission to the municipal public security bureau (公安局)

    Our representative submits the full set of documents to the relevant PSB office in the appropriate city.

    ⏱ Processing time: from 5 business days to 4 weeks, depending on the region.

    Certificate obtaining

    Once the certificate is issued, we verify:

    • the accuracy of personal details;
    • the correctness of the stated period of residence;
    • the presence of all required stamps and signatures.
    Notarization, translation, and legalization

    Once the Police Clearance Certificate has been issued, we prepare it for official use abroad. The exact procedure depends on the requirements of the destination country, but typically includes the following steps:

    • Notarization in China — the certificate is notarized together with its translation into the required language. This results in a certified document suitable for further legalization.
    • Apostille by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China — applicable if the destination country recognizes apostilled documents (z. B. Germany, Australia, Kanada, the United Kingdom etc.).
    • Consular legalization — if the destination country does not accept apostilles, the document is additionally legalized at its embassy or consulate in China (relevant for Thailand, Vietnam etc.).

    We select the appropriate sequence and format of legalization to ensure the document is fully accepted by the competent authorities.

    Document delivery

    The completed document package is shipped to your address via DHL courier service. We provide a tracking number so you can monitor the delivery in real time.

    📦Total processing time ranges from 3 to 6 weeks, depending on the city, specifics of the request, and whether legalization is required.

    If you're unsure whether it's possible to request a certificate in your case — simply fill out a short form, and we’ll provide a free assessment.

    What is an apostille?

    What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.

    How can we help?

    We will be happy to help you with apostille and legalization of documents for use abroad. You can always contact Schmidt & Schmidt, we have accumulated vast experience in legalization of various documents and we provide all necessary services in this area, including making notarized copies, translation, preparation of necessary powers of attorney, legalization of documents in government agencies and consulates of foreign countries, as well as delivery of finished documents to most countries of the world. You can read more about the legalization and apostille procedure in China and other countries on our website.
    Please login or register to leave a comment. Please note that we release all comments manually, so that they are only published with a certain time delay. You can find more information about the comment function here.