This guide is about how foreign nationals obtain a Certificate of No Criminal Record in Shanghai, China. The certificate is also referred to as a police certificate/check/clearance in other countries.
The rules governing the issuance of Certificates of No Criminal Record in Shanghai are the Provisions on the Handling of Criminal Record Check by Public Security Organs which came into effect on Dec. 31, 2021.
Foreign nationals may need to obtain a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China for a variety of reasons including immigration, employment, etc. Typically, a Certificate of No Criminal Record is not acceptable for these purposes until it is notarized by a local notary office in China. For use in some countries, it also needs to be apostilled by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or authenticated by the embassy representing the country where the certificate is to be used. This Guide covers the two primary steps, namely “STEP 1: Application for Certificate of No Criminal Record” and “STEP 2: Notarization of Certificate of No Criminal Record”.
STEP 1: Application for Certificate of No Criminal Record
WHERE TO APPLY?
Your application for a Certificate of No Criminal Record should be filed with the Division of Exit and Entry Administration of Shanghai Public Security Bureau or the branch exit and entry administration in the district of your residence.
WHO ARE ELIGIBLE?
- Have had residence permits issued from Shanghai.
- Have lived in Shanghai for 180 days or longer.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS?
- Passport(s)
- Power of attorney, if a third-party is appointed to handle the application. If the applicant lives in another country, the power of attorney needs to be EITHER apostilled by the country’s foreign affairs department OR authenticated by a Chinese consulate/embassy in the country.
PROCESSING TIME?
2 weeks.
SAMPLE CHINA CERTIFICATE OF NO CRIMINAL RECORD
The Provisions on the Handling of Criminal Record Check by Public Security Organs provides a basic model Certificate of No Criminal Record. The model contains a QR code which is used for verification and a statement regarding no criminal record. Local police in different cities issue the certificates with slight variations in the layout. Click here to view a sample Certificate of No Criminal Record.
STEP 2: Notarization of Certificate of No Criminal Record
WHERE TO APPLY?
After you get your Certificate of No Criminal Record from the Division of Exit and Entry Administration, you can submit it to a local notary office for issuance of Notarial Certificate of No Criminal Record. As mentioned previously, only the notarial certificate can be used abroad for purposes of immigration, employment, school attendance, etc.
Shanghai has more than 20 notary offices that are licensed to deal with foreign-related notarization. A complete list of the contact information of all the notary offices is provided by Shanghai 12348 Public Legal Service Platform.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS?
- Passport(s)
- Certificate of No Criminal Record
- Power of attorney, if a third-party is appointed to handle the application.
PROCESSING TIME?
1 to 2 weeks.
SAMPLE NOTARIAL CERTIFICATE OF NO CRIMINAL RECORD
All notary offices across China issue Notarial Certificates of No Criminal Record in the same format. Please take a look at our article, What a Certificate of No Criminal Record Should Look Like.
Our service
ZhaoZhao Consulting is committed to providing foreign nationals with high-quality services for obtaining Certificates of No Criminal Record or preparing statements explaining why a certificate is unobtainable. If you are interested in using our service, please fill in a quote request form. Click the below button to get started.
how can i request police clearance certificate?
i’m not a Chinese and right now i’m back at my country.
i stay and work in Shanghai China 2013 to 2015?
how can obtain the the PCC?
Hi Toni. You may appoint another person to file your police certificate application in Shanghai. If you are interested in using our service to obtain your China police certificate, please click here to complete a request-a-quote form.
How much does your service cost?
Our current average fee for obtaining a police certificate in Shanghai is USD 580 on the condition that you will be able to provide the required documents. If you are interested in using our service, please click here to complete a quote request form.
Can I still get a police certificate that covers the whole length of my stay in China? There is a period where I didn’t have Shanghai resendency permit and was on a visitor visa when I first arrived in China in the early four months of my stay(that was also when Covid just broke out).
Hi Theo. You raised a good question. The answer we don’t know. For the past a few months, our on-the-ground experience shows that both are possible, meaning the certificate may or may not cover your entire length of stay. Unfortunately, we have not been able to figure out any logic behind it. All you can do is to give it a try.
Thanks Pete! So if we tried, and couldn’t get the whole period covered, is it possible to get a different result if we persistently try again? Or once tried, the fate is set….?
I am a Permanent Resident of Australia holding a Malaysian passport ( current passport attached) and applying for Australian Citizenship.
I was seconded to Shangahi as ANZ Bank’s Shanghai Branch as Chief Corporate Banking between about April 1994 to around April 1997. I have lost my Shanghai Resident Permit and secondment letter from ANZ Bank and do not have any record of them.
Please advise if you are still able to apply for the Police Clerance for me
Hi Sin Hin Lim. Thanks for leaving a comment. Sorry, but We are not sure whether the local police in Shanghai would issue a police clearance under your situation. We think the chances are low.
Hi Pete,
Do you provide police check service for people from Hong Kong? If so, I lived in Shanghai in the past 10 years and a non criminal record is needed for that period. Can I apply through my Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents? Many thanks!
Hi Stephanie. We are happy to look into your case. If you are interested in using our service, please get started by filling in a quote request form.