This Guide is about how foreign nationals obtain a Certificate of No Criminal Record in Suzhou, China. The certificate is also known as a police certificate/check/clearance in other countries.
This guide was updated in March 2022 after the issuance of the Provisions on the Handling of Criminal Record Check by Public Security Organs which came into effect on Dec. 31, 2021.
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. For use in some countries, it also needs to be apostilled by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or authenticated by the embassy representing the country where the certificate is to be used. This Guide covers the two primary 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 Suzhou 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 Suzhou, please visit China’s National Immigration Administration (NIC) and select “Suzhou”.
WHO ARE ELIGIBLE?
- Have had residence permits issued from Suzhou.
- Have lived in Suzhou for 180 days or longer.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS?
- Passport(s). Either original or copies authenticated by a Chinese consulate/embassy if you are living outside of China.
- Power of attorney, if a third-party is appointed to handle the application. If the applicant lives in another country, the power of attorney needs to be EITHER apostilled by the country’s foreign affairs department OR authenticated by a Chinese consulate/embassy in the country.
PROCESSING TIME?
3 working days.
SAMPLE CERTIFICATE OF NO CRIMINAL RECORD
The Provisions on the Handling of Criminal Record Check by Public Security Organs provides a basic model Certificate of No Criminal Record. The model contains a QR code which is used for verification and a statement regarding no criminal record. Local police in different cities issue the certificates with slight variations in the layout. Click here to view a sample Certificate of No Criminal Record.
STEP 2: Notarization of Certificate of No Criminal Record
WHERE TO APPLY?
There are multiple notary offices in Suzhou that are licensed to notarize Certificates of No Criminal Record for use abroad. Suzhou Notary Public Office is probably the most experienced notary office in the city. For contact information of all the notary offices in Suzhou, please visit 12348 Jiangsu Legal Services Website and select “Suzhou”.
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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