Which Kerala PCC is in your hand?
Keralites heading to the Gulf usually hold one of two certificates. Look at who signed yours.
- Kerala Police PCC from Thuna. Kerala Police run the Thuna citizen portal, which offers a Police Clearance Certificate confirming that the applicant is not involved in any criminal case. This is a state document.
- Passport office PCC. Issued through Passport Seva by one of Kerala's three Regional Passport Offices: Cochin, Kozhikode or Thiruvananthapuram. A passport officer of the MEA signs it.
Your employer or recruiting agent may have a preference. If their document list names one type, follow it. If it simply says "PCC", send us a photo and we confirm whether the one you hold will do for that country.
Kerala's UAE-only PCC
Kerala was reported by Gulf News as the first Indian state to set up a special mechanism for UAE job visas. A Kerala Police executive directive of 31 January 2018 created a PCC for that purpose, signed by the District Police Chief. The directive described that certificate as valid only for UAE visa or job purposes.
That last point matters if your plans change. A certificate issued under the UAE arrangement may not be accepted in Qatar, Kuwait or Oman. If your PCC names the UAE, or says it is issued for a UAE visa, and you are now going somewhere else, check with the new employer before paying for any attestation.
The UAE's own rules on police clearance have changed more than once since 2018. In September 2026 an immigration advisory reported that a PCC was again required for certain nationalities and routes, legalised by the UAE embassy and the UAE foreign ministry, and valid for at least 90 days. Your employer will know whether this applies to your visa.
The attestation chain for Gulf countries
The UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are not members of the Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not enough there. Oman is handled as embassy attestation in our practice too. The PCC needs a chain of stamps.
Thuna or district police PCC
Kerala Home Department first
The state step must be Kerala's. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait warns that a police PCC attested by another state's Home Department is not treated as genuine.
Passport office PCC
MEA, then the embassy
The MEA can verify its own passport officer's signature, so no state step is needed.
After the embassy in India, the destination's foreign ministry adds its stamp in that country. Your employer or you arrange that after arrival. Every Gulf embassy stage is priced on quote, because each embassy sets its own process.
NORKA Roots, or courier to us?
Kerala has its own state agency for this kind of work. NORKA Roots collects non-educational certificates from Keralites and forwards them to the Home Department, which then sends them on for the MEA, embassy or apostille stage. In 2018 the UAE Embassy approved NORKA Roots to attest PCCs after Home Department clearance.
Using NORKA directly is a sound choice, and many families do. Clients come to us when they want the whole chain handled in one place, including the Gulf embassy stage in New Delhi, or when they have other documents going through at the same time. We have one office, in New Ashok Nagar, New Delhi, and no branch in Kerala. Courier the original to us and we return it by Blue Dart or another secure courier. We do not collect from homes.
- Original PCC, flat and unlaminated
- Copy of your passport, front and back pages
- Your visa or offer letter showing the destination country
- The employer's or agent's document list, if you have one
We give you a time estimate with the price, before you send anything.
Questions from Kerala applicants
I am going to Saudi Arabia. Do I need a PCC at all?
Usually not. Indians have been exempt from a PCC for Saudi visas since November 2022. Some employers still ask. If yours does, the PCC needs the MEA e-apostille with a QR code, not embassy attestation. The old non-QR apostille is not accepted.
My Thuna PCC was attested by the Home Department in another state. Will it work?
Probably not. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait says a PCC attested by a state other than the issuing state is not treated as genuine. A Kerala Police PCC needs Kerala's Home Department.
Can my family in Thrissur send the PCC while I am in Dubai?
Yes. Anyone can courier the original to our Delhi office. Tell us who will receive it back, and we send the tracking number to both of you.
Kuwait wants two PCCs. Do I attest both?
A 2019 report said Kuwait work visas need two PCCs. If your agent confirms that, send both originals together. Each set goes through the full chain and is priced per certificate.
Is the MEA apostille enough for Oman?
We process PCCs for Oman as embassy attestation. Send your employer's list and we confirm the chain before you courier anything.
Do my degree certificates follow the same route?
No. A degree goes through the state education department, not the Home Department, before the MEA and the embassy. See degree certificate attestation.