Police ClearanceCertificate
Police Clearance Certificate
A document confirming the absence of a criminal record. Required for ALL immigration programs. In Russia it is obtained through the MFC or Gosuslugi, taking 30 days. Then: apostille plus translation plus notarization. Valid for 3-6 months.
- What it is
- An official document confirming that you have no unspent criminal record
- Where it is needed
- In any citizenship or residence programme — it cannot be done without
- Where from
- From your country of citizenship and every country where you lived for a long time as an adult
- Validity
- Usually no older than 3-6 months
- Can you prepare
- Yes: draw up a list of countries and an ordering schedule for filing
In plain words
A criminal record certificate is an official document confirming that you have no unspent criminal record. In immigration it is always requested: no citizenship or residence programme can do without it, because the state must be sure it is admitting a person with no criminal past.
The certificate is obtained in your country of citizenship and in every country where you lived for a long time as an adult. In Russia it is done through the MFC or Gosuslugi, and standard issue takes about 30 days. The document then has to be brought to international form: apostilled, translated and, where required, notarised.
An important point is its shelf life. Most programmes accept a certificate no older than 3-6 months, so it is ordered among the last documents, closer to filing. If the certificate is obtained too early, it will be out of date by the time of filing, and the whole route through apostille and translation will have to be repeated.
Where the certificate is needed
What matters about the certificate
- Country of citizenship
- Countries of long-term residence
- Usually from 6-12 months of living there
- No unspent criminal record
- For each adult applicant
- Official authority
- Apostille
- Sworn translation
- Notarisation (where required)
- Usually 3-6 months
- Ordered closer to filing
- Otherwise, start again
How to obtain the certificate
- 01Determine the countries required
- 02Order the certificates (~30 days)
- 03Apostille and translation
- 04File within the freshness period
- 05Documents accepted
What you need to know
- The certificate is required in any citizenship or residence programme
- It is obtained from the country of citizenship and all countries of long-term residence
- In Russia it is issued through the MFC or Gosuslugi — about 30 days
- An apostille and translation are needed, and sometimes notarisation
- Most programmes accept a certificate no older than 3-6 months
Timelines
- Where it is obtained
- The country of citizenship and countries of long-term adult residence
- Issue time
- Normally about 30 days (in Russia — MFC/Gosuslugi)
- After issue
- Apostille, translation and, if necessary, notarisation
- Validity
- Usually no older than 3-6 months at the time of filing
Common mistakes
- Ordering the certificate too early, so that it is out of date by filing
- Forgetting a country where you lived for a long time as an adult
- Skipping the apostille or doing the translation in the wrong order
- Not allowing ~30 days for issue plus time for legalisation
- Not checking the particular programme’s freshness requirements
What this means for a BRIDGES client
We work out in advance exactly which countries you need certificates from and draw up a schedule: when to order them so that by filing they are both ready and still valid. We keep the apostille, translation and certification under control so that the document is not rejected over a formality.
Frequently asked questions
01 /From how many countries is a certificate needed?
From your country of citizenship and, as a rule, from every country where you lived long enough as an adult — usually from 6-12 months. The exact list depends on the programme; we draw it up for your history.
02 /The certificate has already expired — what now?
Order a new one. Issue can almost always be expedited, but you should allow the standard period of about 30 days plus time for the apostille and translation. That is why we schedule it towards the end of document collection.
03 /Is a certificate needed for children?
For minors, usually not. The certificate is required for each adult applicant; the age threshold (most often 16-18) depends on the programme.
04 /Does the certificate need an apostille?
As a rule, yes — for use abroad the certificate is apostilled and translated. For countries outside the Hague Convention, consular legalisation is needed instead of an apostille.
05 /What if the country of residence has no such certificate?
The form and name of the document differ between countries, but an equivalent (police clearance, criminal record certificate) exists almost everywhere. We tell you exactly what to order in each country.
06 /When is the best time to order the certificate?
Towards the end of document collection — because of the 3-6-month freshness limit. If it is obtained too early, it will be out of date by filing, and the route through apostille and translation will have to be repeated.
See also
Read next
This material has undergone editorial review by BRIDGES.
Gather certificates without them expiring?
We will determine the countries required and the ordering schedule and take you through the apostille and translation — so that the document is accepted first time.