Who in Germany asks for an Indian PCC
Most German visa checklists do not list a police clearance certificate. The request usually comes from another office in your file. Get a PCC apostilled only if your recognition authority or employer asks for it.
Nursing and health-profession recognition
This is the most common reason. Before an Indian nurse can work as a registered nurse in Germany, a state authority checks the nursing qualification and the applicant's suitability. Berlin's nurse recognition page, for example, lists a certificate of good conduct from the police or judicial authorities of the home country, "if applicable". Other states have their own offices and lists, so follow the one your file goes to.
Ausbildung and employer requests
Some vocational training (Ausbildung) providers, care homes and hospitals ask for a police certificate during hiring, especially for work with patients, children or older people. Their HR checklist decides whether it must carry an apostille.
The three-month window
Berlin's recognition page says the police certificate must not be older than three months when it is presented. That limit runs from the issue date printed on your PCC, and the apostille does not reset it.
In practice this means timing matters more than speed. Collect the rest of your recognition file first: nursing diploma, registration, transcripts, language certificate. Get the PCC from Passport Seva when the file is nearly complete, then send it to us straight away. If your state office uses a different limit, follow theirs.
Tip for nurses: your nursing diploma and marksheets usually need an apostille for recognition as well. For Germany, education documents go through State HRD or Notary + SDM before the MEA, depending on your checklist. See degree certificate apostille. We can process them in the same batch as the PCC.
Passport office PCC or police PCC
From PSK or POPSK
Passport office PCC
Signed by the Regional Passport Office. Goes directly to the MEA for the apostille. ₹1,000 per certificate.
From a police station, SP or Commissioner
Police PCC
Needs state authentication first. Notary + SDM where accepted, ₹1,500 in total, or the Home Department of the issuing state, on quote.
If you have not yet applied for a PCC, ask your recognition office or employer which type they want. Many German offices are used to the passport office PCC.
Does the PCC need a German translation?
An Indian PCC is in English. Some German offices accept English documents, others ask for a German translation. Your recognition office's list will say. If a German translation is asked for, we translate the PCC together with its apostille once the MEA stage is done. If the office insists on a translator appointed in Germany, use one there instead.
What to send us
- Original PCC, ideally issued recently
- Copy of your passport, front and back pages
- The recognition office's or employer's list, if you have it
- Any education documents you want apostilled in the same batch
Delhi clients can drop off and collect at our New Ashok Nagar office. Others courier the originals to us, and we return them by Blue Dart or another secure courier. We give you a time estimate with the price, before you send anything.
Questions about PCC apostille for Germany
My German visa checklist does not mention a PCC. Should I get one apostilled anyway?
No. Only get it if your recognition authority, employer or training provider asks. An unrequested PCC costs money and may be too old by the time someone does ask.
Is the MEA apostille enough, or does the German embassy also need to stamp the PCC?
The MEA apostille is enough. Germany accepts it, and there is no separate German embassy stamp on the PCC.
My PCC is four months old. Can I still use it for nurse recognition in Berlin?
Berlin's page says it must not be older than three months, so you will most likely need a fresh PCC. Check with the office handling your file before you apostille the old one.
My recruitment agency in Germany wants all my documents at once. Can you do the PCC and diploma together?
Yes. Send everything in one courier. Each document is priced separately, and we tell you the route for each before we start.
Will the apostille be on the PCC or on a separate page?
The MEA fixes the apostille to your original PCC. Keep a scan of the full set before you send it to Germany.