Police clearance for Cyprus PR - where from, how long, when to renew

A police clearance certificate (criminal record certificate) is an official document confirming that a person has no criminal record. The Cyprus PR criteria require one from the applicant and spouse from their country of origin and country of residence, if different. Adult student children file their own.

It is the slowest document in the package, so we order it in the first week. In Russia the certificate takes up to 30 days and the apostille up to 5 more working days (2,500 ₽), and the check can be extended by another 30 days. In Israel it takes about 4-6 weeks with the apostille, in Kazakhstan a few days via eGov, and from Ukraine 1-3 months via a consulate. Only a paper certificate with an apostille works, followed by a sworn translation in Cyprus.

The criteria set no validity period. In practice it should be no older than 3-6 months on the filing date, so certificates should arrive 2-4 weeks before filing. After PR is granted, adults must renew them every 3 years. Review takes about 2 months if there are no questions about criminal record or security.