Four passport offices, one route
Tamil Nadu has four Regional Passport Offices: Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Coimbatore. Where you live decides which one issued your PCC. It makes no difference to us. A PCC from any of the four, or from a PSK or Post Office PSK under them, is signed by an MEA passport officer.
Because the MEA can check its own officer's signature, a passport office PCC normally needs no state step. It goes straight for the MEA apostille, at ₹1,000. Where a Gulf embassy comes next, it goes for MEA attestation instead.
Police PCC and the Tamil Nadu red seal
The Tamil Nadu Police also issue a verification certificate for visa purposes through their e-services portal. That one is a state document. Before the MEA will stamp it, a Tamil Nadu authority has to confirm the signature on it.
In most states that authority is the Home Department. Tamil Nadu is different. The state's signing authority for personal documents is the Public Department, as listed in the schedule of state signing authorities that Indian missions abroad publish. India's national services portal describes the step as getting a red seal from the Public (Foreigners) Department.
Passport office PCC
Straight to the MEA
₹1,000 per certificate.
Tamil Nadu Police certificate
State step first
Notary + SDM where your destination accepts it, ₹1,500 in total. The Tamil Nadu state seal route is on quote.
The state step must match the issuing state. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait warns that a police PCC attested by another state is not treated as genuine. A Tamil Nadu Police certificate gets its state seal in Tamil Nadu.
Gulf, Singapore and Malaysia: what Tamil Nadu applicants run into
Many PCCs from Tamil Nadu are meant for jobs in the Gulf or South-East Asia. The rules in these places differ more than people expect.
| Destination | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman | MEA attestation, then the embassy in India, priced on quote. The foreign ministry stamp is done after arrival. |
| Saudi Arabia | Indians have been exempt from a PCC for Saudi visas since November 2022. If an employer still asks, only the MEA e-apostille with a QR code works. |
| Bahrain | MEA apostille plus translation, when a PCC is asked for at all. |
| Singapore | A PCC is generally not part of standard work pass or PR applications. Ask your employer before you spend on one. |
| Malaysia | Rarely asked. If it is, Malaysia is not an apostille country, so the PCC needs Malaysia Embassy attestation. |
For Kuwait, plan for two PCC sets. Applicants have reported being asked for two PCCs for a work visa, and it is simpler to process both together.
Sending your PCC from Tamil Nadu
We have one office, in New Ashok Nagar, New Delhi. There is no Chennai branch and we do not collect from homes. Courier the original to C-5, A/2, New Ashok Nagar, New Delhi 110096, and we return it by Blue Dart or another secure courier with a tracking number.
- Original PCC, flat and unlaminated
- Copy of your passport, front and back pages
- Destination country and the employer's document list
- Your return address with pin code
- Photo on WhatsAppWe tell you whether it is a passport office or police PCC, and quote.
- Courier to DelhiFrom any town in Tamil Nadu.
- State seal, if neededPolice certificates only.
- MEA, then embassy if neededApostille, or attestation for the Gulf.
- Return by Blue DartTracking shared on WhatsApp.
We give you a time estimate with the price, before you send anything.
Questions from Tamil Nadu applicants
My PCC is from the Madurai passport office. Can you still handle it from Delhi?
Yes. Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore and Chennai are all MEA passport offices. The MEA apostilles or attests their PCCs the same way, whichever office issued them.
What is the red seal people talk about in Chennai?
It is the Tamil Nadu Public (Foreigners) Department's authentication of a state-issued document. A police PCC needs it, or Notary + SDM where accepted, before the MEA. A passport office PCC does not.
My Malaysian employer has not mentioned a PCC. Should I get one attested anyway?
No. Malaysia rarely asks for an Indian PCC. Wait until your employer or agent asks in writing, then send us their list.
My Dubai job offer says the PCC must be recent. How recent?
A September 2026 report said the UAE wants a legalised foreign PCC valid for at least 90 days. Confirm the exact limit with your employer before you courier the certificate.
Can a relative in Chennai send my PCC while I am already abroad?
Yes. Anyone can courier the original to us. Give us their name and the return address so the parcel comes back to the right person.
I also need my degree attested for the Gulf. Is that a separate route?
Yes. A degree goes through the state education department before the MEA and the embassy. See degree certificate attestation.