We do not issue police clearance certificates, and we do not apply for them. You get the certificate yourself from your police station, district police office or your state's police portal. We start work once it is in your hands.
Which certificates this page covers
Each state issues its own police clearance for people going abroad. In districts it is usually signed by the SP or a district intelligence officer. In cities with a Police Commissionerate it often comes from the Special Branch. Many states now run the whole thing online through a citizen portal. Some examples that are documented:
- Delhi Police PCC portal, which lists emigration and embassy visa needs among its purposes
- Maharashtra's Aaple Sarkar portal, under the service named "Abroad PCC"
- Kerala Police's Thuna portal
- Haryana Police's HarSamay portal
If your certificate came from any of these, or from a police station anywhere in India, the route below applies. A PCC from the Regional Passport Office is a different document with a shorter route. See passport office PCC apostille.
Digitally signed PCCs: ask before you print
Portal PCCs are often a PDF with a digital signature and a QR code instead of an ink signature and a seal. The Delhi Police certificate, for example, is checked online by its QR code and carries no manual seal or stamp. Maharashtra and Haryana also issue digitally signed certificates.
The state office that authenticates the PCC has to accept what you hand over, and practice for printouts is not the same everywhere. So before you print it, laminate it or courier it, send us the PDF on WhatsApp. We tell you how to print it and whether anything else should go with it. Never laminate a PCC that is going for apostille.
The route: same state first, then the MEA
The MEA works on signatures it can verify. For a police-issued PCC that means the state authenticates it first, through the state's authentication department (usually the Home Department) or, where the destination accepts it, through a Notary and the SDM.
Where accepted
Notary + SDM → MEA
₹1,500 per PCC for the full route. Used when the destination and your checklist accept SDM authentication.
State department
State authentication → MEA
Priced on quote. Required for Italy, Spain and Portugal, and for embassy countries such as Kuwait.
The state that issued it must authenticate it. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait says Home Department attestation must come from the same state that issued the PCC, and that one attested by another state is not treated as genuine. A Rajasthan police certificate goes to Rajasthan, even if you now live in Delhi.
For apostille countries the MEA adds the apostille. For the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, China and Thailand the MEA attests it, and the embassy follows. That route is explained on PCC attestation.
Portals and authenticating offices by state
The table covers states where we have a documented portal or signing office. Where a cell says "we confirm", we check it when we see your certificate. State offices do change, so we confirm the current one before quoting.
| State | Police PCC portal | Who authenticates |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Delhi Police PCC portal | SDMs of Delhi authenticate personal documents (Notary + SDM route) |
| Maharashtra | Aaple Sarkar ("Abroad PCC") | Home Department |
| Kerala | Thuna | Home Department, with certificates collected through NORKA Roots |
| Haryana | HarSamay | Home Department |
| Uttar Pradesh | UP Police CCTNS citizen portal | General Administration Department |
| Punjab | Saanjh Kendras | Department of NRI Affairs |
| West Bengal | Kolkata Police PCC portal (Kolkata) | Home Department (Foreigners & NRIs) |
| Tamil Nadu | We confirm | Public Department |
| Gujarat, Telangana | We confirm | General Administration Department |
| Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha | We confirm | Home Department |
| Other states | We confirm | We confirm |
What to send and how it runs
- The original PCC, or the PDF first if it was issued online
- A clear copy of your passport (front and back pages)
- The destination country and your checklist
- PDF or photo on WhatsAppWe confirm the state office, the route and the price.
- Original to our officeDrop off in New Ashok Nagar, Delhi, or courier it from your city.
- State stepNotary + SDM, or the issuing state's department.
- MEAApostille, or attestation followed by the embassy.
- ReturnCollect at the office, or we send it by Blue Dart with tracking.
We give you a time estimate with the price, before you send anything.
Questions about police-issued PCCs
My Delhi Police PCC has no stamp or ink signature. Can it be apostilled?
Send us the PDF before you print it. Delhi Police certificates are verified by QR code, and we tell you how to print it and what to send so the SDM step can go ahead.
Can I use Notary + SDM for a Portugal or Spain visa?
No. For Italy, Spain and Portugal we take personal documents such as a PCC through the state department, not Notary + SDM. That route is priced on quote.
I got my PCC from Kerala police but work in Mumbai. Who authenticates it?
Kerala, because Kerala police issued it. Where you live or work now does not change the state.
Is a police character certificate the same as a PCC?
Not always. Some countries, Canada among them, do not accept a character certificate in place of a PCC. Check the exact wording your checklist uses before getting anything stamped.
Should I get a passport office PCC instead?
If your destination names the passport office PCC, yes. New Zealand, for example, accepts only RPO certificates from Indians living in India. Otherwise, a police PCC works once it has been authenticated.