This Guide is about how foreign nationals obtain a Certificate of No Criminal Record in Chengdu, China. The certificate is also known as a police certificate/check/clearance in other countries.
This guide was updated in March 2022 after the police authorities in Chengdu changed the rules for issuing Certificates of No Criminal Record according to the Provisions on the Handling of Criminal Record Check by Public Security Organs which came into effect on Dec. 31, 2021. The Announcement Regarding the Issuance of Certificates of No Criminal Record to Foreigners in Chengdu (2016) is longer effective. Currently, the implementation of the new regulation is in its early stage. As local authorities gain more experience in practice, they may make adjustments with respect to the requirements for issuing Certificates of No Criminal Record.
Foreign nationals may need to obtain a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China for a variety of reasons including immigration, employment, etc. Typically, a Certificate of No Criminal Record is not acceptable for these purposes until it is notarized by a local notary office in China. (In some cases, it also needs to be authenticated by the embassy representing the country where the certificate is to be used. For more information about that process, please check our authentication guide.) And it is for this reason that our guide below has two steps, namely “STEP 1: Application for Certificate of No Criminal Record” and “STEP 2: Notarization of Certificate of No Criminal Record”.
STEP 1: Application for Certificate of No Criminal Record
WHERE TO APPLY?
A foreign national’s application for a Certificate of No Criminal Record should be filed with a district branch office of the Division of Exit and Entry Administration of Chengdu Public Security Bureau. The district branch office must have jurisdiction over the district where you have lived and registered your residence. Residence registration details are found in your Temporary Residence Registration Form. For contact information of the exit-entry administration branch office in each district of Chengdu, please visit China’s National Immigration Administration (NIC) and select “Chengdu”.
WHO ARE ELIGIBLE?
- Have had residence permits issued from Chengdu.
- Have lived in Chengdu for 180 days or longer.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS?
- Passport(s)
- Power of attorney, if a third-party is appointed to handle the application. The power of attorney must be authenticated by a Chinese consulate/embassy if you are living outside of China. (Some officers may also require you to obtain a notarized translation of the power of attorney. The notarized translation should be provided by a local notary office in Chengdu.)
- Temporary Residence Registration Form(s). (Some officers do not require this document.)
PROCESSING TIME?
1 to 3 working days.
SAMPLE CERTIFICATE OF NO CRIMINAL RECORD
STEP 2: Notarization of Certificate of No Criminal Record
WHERE TO APPLY?
There are multiple notary offices in Chengdu that are licensed to notarize Certificates of No Criminal Record for use abroad. Chengdu Notary Public Office is probably the most experienced notary office in the city. For contact information of all the notary offices in Chengdu, please visit 12348 Sichuan Law Website and select “Chengdu”.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS?
- Passport(s)
- Certificate of No Criminal Record
- Power of attorney, if a third-party is appointed to handle the application.
PROCESSING TIME?
1 to 2 weeks.
SAMPLE NOTARIAL CERTIFICATE OF NO CRIMINAL RECORD
All notary offices across China issue Notarial Certificates of No Criminal Record in the same format. Please take a look at our article, What a Certificate of No Criminal Record Should Look Like
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