Where the PCC comes from: you get it yourself from Passport Seva (a PSK, POPSK or Regional Passport Office) or from the police. Applying for it is not part of our service. The process below begins once the certificate is issued to you.
Before step one: read your PCC and your checklist
Two papers decide everything that follows. The first is the PCC itself. Look at the letterhead and the signature. If a passport officer signed it on Passport Office letterhead, it is a passport office PCC. If a police station, SP, Commissioner or a state police portal issued it, it is a police PCC. The two take different paths to the MEA.
The second paper is the checklist from the country, employer or university that asked for the PCC. It tells you whether they want an apostille or embassy attestation, whether a translation is needed, and sometimes how recent the PCC must be. A WhatsApp photo of both papers is enough for us to name your path.
Two paths to the MEA apostille
Path 1
Passport office PCC
The passport officer works for the central government, so the MEA can confirm the signature without a state step. ₹1,000 per PCC.
Path 2
Police PCC
A police certificate is a state document. It is authenticated first, then apostilled. ₹1,500 via Notary + SDM where accepted. The Home Department route is on quote.
Path 1, step by step
- Photo and checklistWe confirm it is a passport office PCC and that your country takes an apostille.
- Original reaches usOffice drop-off in New Ashok Nagar, or courier from your city.
- Check against your passport copyName, passport number and signature, before anything is submitted.
- MEA apostilleThe e-apostille with its QR code is fixed to the original PCC.
- Back to youCollect it, or we send it by Blue Dart with a tracking number.
Path 2, step by step
- Photo and checklistWe note which state issued the PCC and what your destination accepts.
- Choose the state stepNotary + SDM where the destination accepts it. Home Department of the issuing state where it does not.
- Original reaches usDrop-off or courier, as above.
- State authenticationThe authenticating officer signs and seals the PCC.
- MEA apostilleThe MEA confirms that state signature and issues the apostille.
- Back to youIn person or by Blue Dart.
For Italy, Spain and Portugal, a police PCC goes through the Home Department. The Notary + SDM route is not used for these three countries.
The branch for embassy countries
The UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, China and Thailand do not take an MEA apostille on a PCC. After the state step (if your PCC needs one), the MEA attests the PCC, and then that country's embassy in India adds its own attestation.
The last box happens in the destination country. You or your employer complete it there. Embassy routes are priced on quote because each embassy has its own requirements. See PCC attestation for the country pages.
Why PCC files get stuck
Most delays we see come from the certificate itself. Each problem below can stop a file at the state stage, at the MEA, or at the desk abroad.
- Name does not match the passport. A missing middle name or a different spelling is enough. Only the issuing office can correct a PCC, so get it fixed before you send it.
- Laminated PCC. Seals and the apostille cannot be fixed properly on lamination, and offices usually refuse it. A laminated PCC normally means getting a fresh one.
- Wrong state authenticated it. A police PCC must be authenticated by the state that issued it. So a Kerala police PCC cannot be authenticated in Delhi. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait, for example, says a PCC attested by a different state is not treated as genuine.
- The PCC is too old. The apostille does not refresh an old certificate. If the checklist asks for a recent PCC and yours is months old, the file can fail abroad after every Indian stamp is in place.
- Old passport number. If your passport was renewed after the PCC was issued, ask the receiving office whether they accept it.
Questions about the PCC apostille process
Does the MEA check my police record when it apostilles the PCC?
No. The MEA confirms that the signature and seal on the PCC belong to the officer who signed it. Your record was checked by the office that issued the PCC.
Do I have to be present at any stage?
No. Once the original reaches us, you do not need to visit any office. We message you on WhatsApp when a stage is done, and you can ask for an update any time.
I have both a passport office PCC and a police certificate. Which one should I send?
Send the one your checklist names. If it only says "police clearance certificate", the passport office PCC has the shorter path. Some destinations name one type, so check the wording first.
My police PCC is a printout of a digitally signed PDF. Which path is that?
It is still a police PCC, so it follows Path 2. How a printout is authenticated differs by state. Send us the PDF and we tell you what your state needs.
Where does translation fit in the process?
It depends on the country. Portugal, for example, wants the PCC and its Portuguese translation both apostilled, so the translation is done here and apostilled separately. We translate into any language and fit it into the right point of the chain.
What happens if an office returns my PCC?
We tell you which office returned it and why. If the problem is on the certificate itself, such as a name error, only the issuing office can fix it. If it is a route issue, we explain the next step and its price before doing anything.