Overview
Living abroaddoes not come without its challenges, especially when it is time to move to another country. One of the things that many expatriates in Shenzhen, China, typically need when moving is a police clearance certificate. In most cases, this certificate is required to work or live in another country.
Shenzhen police clearance certificate is an official document issued by Shenzhen Exit-Entry Administration Bureau. It confirms that an individual has no criminal record or that the person has not committed any crime that would make them ineligible for a job. In some cases, this certificate is needed when applying for a visa or immigration status. In countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, a police clearance certificate is required for employment, volunteer work, and certain licenses.
If an expatriate resident in Shenzhen needs a police clearance certificate, they need to go to the Shenzhen Exit-Entry Administration Bureau and apply for one. The Shenzhen Exit-Entry Administration Bureau will then conduct a background check on the expat to determine if they have any criminal records. The process can take five to seven working days, but it is typically a straightforward process.
Under normal circumstances, the Shenzhen non-criminal record certificate must be notarized when used in overseas countries, and the notarization of Shenzhen non-criminal record certificate is issued by the Shenzhen Notary Public Office. The notarial certificate includes notarized pages in Chinese as well as notarized pages translated into foreign languages.
Who needs a Shenzhen Non-Criminal Record Certificate?
Foreigners must have lived in Shenzhen for more than 6 months and held a residence permit in Shenzhen before they can apply for a non-criminal record certificate in Shenzhen. Generally, foreigners holding Z (work), X1 (study), or J1 (journalist) visa will have a residence permit in Shenzhen and are eligible to apply for a Shenzhen non-criminal record certificate.
How to get a Non-Criminal Record Certificate in Shenzhen?
The non-criminal record in Shenzhen is issued by the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of the Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau. To qualify for this certificate, foreign applicants must have resided in Shenzhen continuously for at least six months. The Shenzhen non-criminal record certificate can be used for various international purposes including work permits, immigration, visas, enrollment, and other matters in a third country.
Procedure of Obtaining Shenzhen Non-Criminal Record Certificate
Step 1: Apply non-criminal record certificate at Shenzhen Public Security Bureau.
Step 2: Submit the police certificate to Notary Public Office for a notarial certificate of Clearance Certificate.
How long does it take to apply for a Non-Criminal Record application in Shenzhen?
After submitting the application, it takes approximately five to seven working days for the police to process your request and issue the certificate. If there are any issues that require further review, the applicant will be notified by phone or email. If the certificate is successful, the applicant can pick it up in person or nominate a representative to pick it up.
After obtaining the Shenzhen Police Certificate from Shenzhen Exit-Entry Administration Bureau, you can apply for notarization at a public notary office. Processing time for the notarial Shenzhen Police Certificate is seven working days, excluding mailing time.
It is important to note that the application process for a police certificate in Shenzhen can take several weeks and may require the individual to provide additional information or documentation. Therefore, foreign nationals seeking a police certificate in Shenzhen should plan accordingly and allow adequate time for the application to be processed.
If the applicant cannot come to China to apply, can he/she authorize a representative to apply for Shenzhen Police Certificate?
Most Chinese cities allow a representative to apply for a China Police Certificate. Applicants are required to provide a power of attorney (POA) to nominate a representative to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate.
Each city has different requirements for power of attorney. If you cannot come to Shenzhen to apply, a Power of Attorney must be apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or legalized by Chinese Embassy/Consulate. You must provide a written consent if you need someone other than you to deal with your application on your behalf.
Documents checklist for request of Police Clearance Certificate
You must prepare the necessary documents for the Shenzhen Police Certificate application. This may include following documents:
1. Copy of passport photo page apostilled by Ministry of foreign affairs or legalized by Chinese Embassy/Consulate.
You will be required to bring the legalized passport to the Public Security Bureau. Alternatively, you may ask a third party to present in person with your legalized passport to make application where written consent applies.
2. Scanned copy of passport pages with China visa, the pages with Chinese residence permit and the pages with China exit-entry stamps.
3. Scanned copy of residence registration form.
Residence Registration Form is the form that you filled upon your arrival in China within 24 hours. You need to bring the copies of residence registration forms to the Public Security Bureau.
4. Scanned copy of work permit or degree/diploma.
Work permits, and degree are optional documents for police certificate application.
5. Power of Attorney apostilled by Ministry of foreign affairs or legalized by Chinese Embassy/Consulate.
Apostille and Legalization are two certification types. The country in which the authorization is issued determines the type of certificate needed.
- An apostille is for documents issued in member countries of the Hague.
- Consular authentication certificate is for documents issued in Non-Hague Convention countries.
Does the Shenzhen Non-Criminal Record Certificate cover all of China?
There is no national issuing authority of China Police Certificate covering the whole China. Applicants should apply for Shenzhen Police Certificate at the Entry and exit reception Hall for foreigners of Shenzhen Public Security Bureau.
Shenzhen Police Certificate only confirms that applicant has no criminal record during living in Shenzhen not the whole China.
If you are unable to obtain a Shenzhen Police Clearance, we will help you as follows:
In some cases, the applicant cannot obtain a Shenzhen police certificate or cannot obtain a police certificate covering all the period of residence in Shenzhen.
Reasons for the failure to apply for a Shenzhen Police Clearance:
1. Stay in Shenzhen for no more than 6 months.
2. The temporary residence registration was not registered during the period of residence in Shenzhen.
3. Have a criminal record while living in Shenzhen.
Immigration/employment authorities in some foreign countries may be exempt from submitting overseas police certificates.To apply for the exemption, we can provide a letter of declaration from our company explaining why the police certificate cannot be obtained.
Shenzhen Police Certificate that you obtain
Names of documents to obtain:
1. Shenzhen Police Clearance Certificate issued by Shenzhen Public Security Bureau.
2. Notarial Certificate of No Criminal Convictions issued by Shenzhen Notary Public Office.
Please be noted that the original police certificate issued by Shenzhen Public Security Bureau will be retained by Shenzhen Notary Public Office. You will receive a notarial certificate of clearance issued by the Notary Public Office.
Sample of Shenzhen Police Clearance Certificate
How to confirm the authenticity of a criminal record in Shenzhen?
Individuals can verify the authenticity of the Notarial Police Certificates in the following ways:
1. Notarial certificates from some notary public offices bear two-dimensional code allowing you to scan the code to check the authenticity. You may check the notarial certificate by inputting the verification code.
2. You may log in the Notary Public Office website to check the authenticity of the certificate with a specific code.
3. You may call the Notary Public Office to check the authenticity of the notarization. For this verification, you’ll need to provide:
- The applicant’s name
- The applicant’s date of birth
- The certificate’s serial number
In conclusion, a police clearance certificate is a vital document for expatriates residing in Shenzhen, especially when planning to move or work abroad. It is always advisable to begin the process of obtaining this certificate early enough to avoid any delays in your relocation plans. As the world becomes more interconnected, it’s important to have the proper documentation so that you can move from one country to another without any hiccups, and one of the documents that you need to have been a police clearance certificate.
Apostille and Legalization for Non-Criminal Record in Shenzhen
Getting a document legalized or obtaining an apostille is sometimes required before you can use a Chinese document abroad. Some foreign countries may require the Chinese documents to be authenticated for acceptance in their jurisdiction after you obtain a notarial certificate from a Chinese Notary Public Office.
To find out if your document requires authentication, confirm the requirements by contacting the authority requesting your document or the embassy, high commission, or consulate of the country where your document will be used.
It’s important to note that China officially joined the Hague Convention in November 2023.Therefore, if a Shenzhen Police Certificate is to be used in Hague Convention countries, the applicant needs to get the Shenzhen Police Certificate apostilled. A Consular legalization certificate is needed for a Shenzhen police certificate to be used in Non-Hague Convention countries.
How to Apostille the Shenzhen Police Certificate
Take the Shenzhen Police Certificate to the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China or Foreign Affairs Office of Shenzhen Municipality for apostille.
How to legalize Shenzhen Police Certificate
• Take the Shenzhen Police Certificate to Chinese Foreign Ministry or Foreign Affairs Office of Shenzhen Municipality for authentication.
• Take authenticated Shenzhen Police Certificate to corresponding Embassy/Consulate in China for legalization.
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