Guide for Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China

A Certificate of No Criminal Record (CNCR) proves you have no criminal record in China. The certificate is also referred to as a police certificate/check/clearance in other countries. Foreign nationals who have lived in China may need to obtain a Certificate of No Criminal Record for a variety of reasons, including immigration, employment, school attendance, etc. This article is a general guide about how foreign nationals request a criminal record check in China. For city-specific guides, please click here.

Applicants referred to in this article are individual foreign nationals, not employers. In some circumstances, employers can request to check the criminal record of someone applying for a job, which is not within the scope of this article.

Please note that a Certificate of No Criminal Record is typically not acceptable for use abroad until it is notarized and translated 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”.

REGULATIONS

In 1990, China’s Ministry of Justice issued the “Notice Regarding the Handling of Certificates of Whether Foreigners Have Criminal Sanctions During the Period of Their Residence in China” (hereinafter, the “1990 Notice”). This is the first nationally-applicable rule that deals with the matter.

On Dec. 31, 2021, the Provisions on the Handling of Criminal Record Check by Public Security Organs (hereinafter, the “2021 Provisions”) drawn up by China’s Ministry of Public Security came into effect. This is the only other national rule that talks about foreign nationals getting a Certificate of No Criminal Records in China.

Prior to the issuance of the 2021 Provisions, local authorities at the municipal or provincial level had made rules applicable in one city or province, such as the Implementation Rules for Handling Criminal Record Checks by Beijing Public Security Bureau (2022, Beijing),  the Provisions of Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department Regarding the Application for and the Handling of Certificates of No Criminal Record (2019, Guangdong Province), and the Provisions on the Handling of Criminal Record Check by the Public Security Organs of Zhejiang Province (2021, Zhejiang Province).

WHERE TO APPLY

China does not issue national Certificates of No Criminal Record (CNCR) to foreign nationals. A single certificate only covers an applicant’s time in a particular city or province. This means if you have stayed in multiple cities/provinces of China, you may need to apply for a separate certificate in each of the cities/provinces. Depending on the city where you apply, your CNCR application should be filed to either a notary office or a police department. We will discuss each in more detail.

POLICE DEPARTMENT

The police system in one city comprises various police departments which are generally divided into three levels:

  1. Municipality
  2. District
  3. Police Station

Depending on which city you reside in, the police department in charge of taking CNCR applications can be at any of the three levels. We will discuss each.

Municipality & District

Reception Hall of the Division of Exit and Entry Administration of Guangzhou PSB
Reception Hall of the Division of Exit and Entry Administration of Guangzhou PSB

Article 5 of the 2021 Provisions states that foreign nationals’ CNCR applications “should be filed to the exit and entry administration of public security at the county level or above in the place of the applicant’s residence”. 

At the level of municipality, it is always the division of exit and entry administration of the public security bureau (公安局出入境管理支队) that issues Certificates of No Criminal Record to foreign nationals. Cities in which you apply to a division of exit and entry administration include Guangzhou, Shenyang, Guilin, Xi’an, and Changchun.

The division of exit and entry administration in one city may have branches at the district level. The branch is called a brigade of exit and entry administration of the district bureau of public security (公安分局出入境管理大队). Cities that designate brigades of exit and entry administration to take CNCR applications include Beijing, Chongqing, Tianjin and Dalian.

Police Station

While the 2021 Provisions specifies that the exit and entry administrations are responsible for handling CNCR applications filed by foreign nationals, it also leaves the door open for local variations.

Article 5 further provides, “According to local actualities and for the convenience of people, local public security bureaus may add additional work units for accepting applications …” This means local police may designate other police departments, in addition to exit and entry administrations, to take CNCR applications.

In some cities, the police station having jurisdiction over your residence is the police department for handling your CNCR application. Cities, where you apply to a police station, include Dali of Yunnan Province and Qingdao of Shandong Province.

NOTARY

In addition to police departments, the 1990 Notice authorizes notary offices to issue Notarial Certificates of No Criminal Record to foreign nationals.

Article 4 of the 2021 Provisions also says that notary offices can request criminal record checks for purposes of issuing Notarial Certificates of No Criminal Record. This seems to indicate that you can apply for a Certificate of No Criminal Record through a notary office, which conforms to our on-the-ground experience in many cities. One typical example is Chengdu.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

The required documents for applying for a Certificate of No Criminal Record can be different from one city to another. Below is a list of the commonly required documents:

APPLICATION THROUGH A REPRESENTATIVE

If you are currently living outside of China, you may appoint a representative to apply for a Certificate of No Criminal Record on your behalf as well as the notarization of the certificate. See Article 4 of the 2021 Provisions and Article 26 of China Notary Law (2017).

Your representative must appear in person at the government agency with your written authorization, i.e. power of attorney (POA). Some local authorities require that powers of attorney be authenticated by a Chinese embassy/consulate.

SAMPLES

Certificates of No Criminal Record Issued by Police Departments

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.

Notarial Certificate of No Criminal Record Issued by Notary

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.

Our service

We specialize in assisting foreign nationals in obtaining Certificates of No Criminal Record in China or preparing statements explaining why a certificate is unobtainable. Our services cover most major cities in China. If you are interested in hiring us, please click the below button to fill in a quote request form.

95 thoughts on “Guide for Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China”

  1. Hello Pete,

    you mention it is needed to provide “Passports including pages with China entry and exit stamps” but I don’t have the passport from the time I entered China because French government doesn’t allow you to keep the old one when you renew it as it is property of the government. I also have no exit stamp from my last exit because I used the Echannel system and I can’t find a way to get Statements of Travel Records issued in China. Do you think you still would be able to help?

    Thanks and with the best regards.

    Reply
    • Hi Yolaine. Local authorities in China are likely to refuse your application for a police certificate if you are unable to provide a complete copy of your old passport. In a case where a police certificate is unobtainable, we could help you write a letter explaining the reasons for the unattainability. For more information about unobtainable police certificates, see our article What if a China police certificate is unobtainable?

      Reply
    • Hello Tj. Thanks for leaving a message. We are a specialized agency that helps foreign nationals obtain China police certificates. If you are interested in using our police certificate service, please fill in a quote request form.

      Reply
  2. Hi,
    My partner did 2 years of study in China. Xiamen University. How can we apply for police clearance certificate now as we need for Australian visa purpose, and we are here in Australia.
    Thank you

    Reply
  3. Hello, I lived in Beijing for some years. Currently, I am living outside of China. I am needing (No criminal record from china or any proof correspondence with the authorities of that country in my attempt to obtain the police certificate from them) Is it possible with you?

    Reply
    • Hello Lisbeth. Thanks for leaving a comment. We will be happy to assist you in obtaining a no criminal record certificate from Beijing or preparing a letter explaining an attempt to obtain the certificate. If you are interested in our service, please click here to complete a request-a-quote form.

      Reply
    • Hi IK. You may not be able to renew a police certificate issued by Changchun police authorities. You would need to re-apply for a new police certificate at the Division of Exit and Entry Administration of Changchun Public Security Bureau. The documents you need are your passport(s), letter of introduction(介绍信)issued by your school/employer and enrollment verification certificate (学籍证明)/employment verification letter (工作证明)issued by your school/employer.

      Reply
  4. Hi, I need to obtain police clearance certificate from Shanghai. I am outside China. What is the procedure and may my friend do that on my behalf?

    Reply
  5. Sir, if my university want not to give me “School letter confirming on criminal conviction” then what should I do?
    It happened with one of my friend. He asked school to get this paper, but university didn’t give him. Although he didn’t have any criminal record.
    In this case what should he do?

    Reply
    • Hi Ashadullah. We also had cases where universities refused to issue a letter confirming no criminal conviction. I would recommend that you escalate the matter to the supervisors of the university. Usually, supervisors have a better understanding of the situation. In 1990, China’s Ministry of Justice issued a rule (click here to view the rule) stating that the school needs to issue to a foreign student a letter of no criminal conviction so that the student can apply for a notarial police certificate. You may show them the 1990 rule in an effort to convince the university.

      Reply
  6. Hi. Do they accept third party representative in Chongqing and Wuhan where I studied years ago?
    Since I don’t have any temporary residence registration form now and I am outside China, Where can I get them to complete my application documents?
    Please How long will it take if I use your service to get the PCC from both cities?

    Reply
    • Hi Dan. In both Chongqing and Wuhan, you can appoint a third-party to file your police certificate application on your behalf. There is a chance you may not need Temporary Residence Registration Forms in these two cities. Our service for getting police certificates in both cities takes about 2 to 3 weeks on condition that you provide sufficient documents.

      Reply
  7. Hi,
    My wife studied in China (Chonqing medical University from 2007-2012). She had obtained Police clearance but the PCC does not cover till her last stay in China. PCC was provided on July1st whereas she left China on July 25th. For Canada immigration purpose, they are looking for PCC till July 25th. Could you please explain the process for us. We see currently in India.

    Reply
  8. Hi, I already got my PCC from Chongqing city 出入境管理支队 for the one year of period where I lived for one year. I need to get notarized my PCC. Do I need to get it notarized from the exact area where I got my PCC? As I’m in Sri Lanka now, it’s hard to be in person and do the notarization. Do you provide notarization services?

    Reply
    • Hi Chathurangi. Thanks for leaving a comment. Yes, you need to get the PCC notarized by a local notary office in the city of Chongqing. You can appoint someone else to file the notary application. If you are interested in hiring us to help you with the notary application, please click here to complete a request-a-quote form.

      Reply
  9. Hello. I need to get a police clearance certificate from Beijing. I am Indian, and have lived in China 2 years ago for about 6 months. My Chinese friend is helping me with this procedure.. she called the police office, and they said they never heard about this kind of clearance certificate. She also called Exit-Entry Administration Office of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, they said they haven’t provide foreigners this kind of clearance certificate. Can you please help us in understanding who issues this certificate in Beijing and what is required for it? Thank you very much.

    Reply
  10. Hello,

    I studied in Beijing twice, in I think 1999 and 2001/2. I may need to apply for a police certificate but I don’t have my old temporary residence permits or even remember the addresses where I lived. Will I be able to get one?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Hi Summer. Thanks for leaving a comment. The local authorities would issue you a police certificate if they can find your Temporary Residence Registration Forms covering 6 months or longer in their database. In other words, you will know whether you can get a police certificate until you actually apply to the authorities.

      Reply
  11. Hello,
    I have studied in Dalian for 6 years from 2009-2015.
    I have my passport from 2010 but lost the previous one in which 2009 stamps were there.
    Do you think i can get my PCC as i am applying for immigration purpose for Canada.

    Reply
    • Hi Nish. We had a few cases in Dalian where applicants studied in Dalian, but we have not had any case where a prior passport used for entering China is unavailable. And there are no written rules provided by authorities in Dalian. In my experience, I think you should be able to get a police certificate coveirng at least the years 2010 to 2015. You need to find it out by actually filing the application with Dalian Notary Public Office.

      Reply
  12. Hello,
    I have studied in Suzhou (Jiangsu Province) from January to April 2018, did an internship in Shanghai from April to August 2018 and went back to Suzhou to finish my studies (August to December 2018).

    What is the procedure to obtain a police certificate? Shall the third party only go to a Shanghai notary office? Or shall they also go make a request in Suzhou?

    Also what are your usual quotation for this type of services and how long does it take?

    Best regards,

    Reply
    • Hello Luce. Thanks for getting in touch with us. The procedures for getting police certificates in Suzhou and Shanghai are different. In Suzhou, you will first visit a local notary office to get a special letter for submission to local police station(s) where you registered your residence. Then, you bring the letter to the police station(s) and request for issuance of your police certificate(s). For procedures in Shanghai, please see our article, Guide to Applying for a China Police Certificate in Shanghai.

      I do not think you will be able to get a police certificate in Shanghai because one basic requirement for applications in Shanghai is that you have to live in the city for 6 months or longer. You can apply for a police certificate in Suzhou to cover the periods of your residence reflected by your Temporary Residence Registration Form.

      Our average fee for getting a Suzhou notarial police certificate with English translation starts at USD 580. To request a quote for our service, please click here to complete a request-a-quote form.

      Reply
  13. Hi, I used to work in Tieling City China, however it’s been more than a year now that I’m out of China and I don’t have my passport that I used when I lived in there. Is there anything that you can advise for me? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi Loleth. Thanks for leaving a comment. To be honest, we have no had any on-the-ground experience of getting a police certificate in Tieling. Our experience in other Liaoning cities, e.g. Shenyang, shows that applicants are required to provide their old passports used in China. If your police certificate from Tieling is unobtainable, you should consider the option explained in our article, What if a China police certificate is unobtainable?

      Reply
  14. Hello
    I am a pakistani national and have studied in jiamusi medical university,china for 5 years 2007-2012.Now i need a Police character certificate for canada immigration purpose.kindly guide me that how can i get my PCC as i am in pakistan.

    Reply
  15. Hi Pete and thank you so much for this helpful article.
    I was a foreign student in China (Chongqing) for almost a year and now I live in Canada. I would also need a chinese police certificate. Is it possible for me to ask a third-party to get that police certificate on my behalf? Would I need the same documents that you mentioned in your article?

    Reply
    • Hi Olivia. You can always appoint a third-party to get a police certificate in Chongqing. In Chongqing, your appointed person will need to apply to the district division of exit and entry administration (区出入境管理局) which is the police department in each district dealing with foreign affairs. Typically, the documents required are your passports copies, a power of attorney and an application statement explaining who you are, what the purpoes is for getting a police certificate, what period you live in Chongqing and where you lived in Chongqing.

      Reply
  16. Hello pete and Big thanks for the clear explanations on your website. I would like to get a no criminal record certificate for my stay in wuhan where i studied few years back. May i please know What the required documents are for application at the notary or police office? Also how much would it cost if you apply on my behalf?
    Thanks

    Reply
  17. Hello, I am currently resident in Austria, and need a China Police clearance certificate for the periods I lived in the China, in Dalian from 2001 to 2003, and in Shanghai from 2005 to 2010. I am a Zimbabwean citizen and need this document as part of my application for an Austrian passport.
    I have not lived in China for nearly 11 years now, can you advise how I can get the police clearance certificate. for both Dalian and Shanghai? Can you help me?

    Reply
    • Hi Imani. Regarding your Shanghai application, please take a look at our article, Guide to Applying for a China Police Certificate in Shanghai. For getting a police certificate in Dalian, you would need to provide copies of your passports and evidence of your study or work in Dalian and file your application with Dalian Notary Public Office. It has been 20 years since the beginning of your residence in China. You probably cannot provide the required documents. If this is the case, your police certificate will be unobtainable.

      Reply
  18. Hi Pete,

    Good day! I was wondering if you can help me out with the question below.

    I am a Malaysian citizen and currently residing in Sydney, Australia. I would like to apply for the Police Certificate during my stay in Jiangsu, Taichang from 2012 – 2014 for my PR application in Australia. I was on a business visitor visa F and M throughout the period and I can prove that with a copy of my old passport.

    Is there any way I would be able to acquire the certificate based on my circumstances?

    Thank you.

    Cheers,
    Jase

    Reply
    • Hi Jason. Thanks for getting in touch. We only had one successful application in Taicang. Our experience shows that local police stations issue police certificates to foreigners who have Temporary Residence Registration Forms (TRRFs). If you registered with local police station(s) and got TRRFs, we think you should have a chance to apply for police certificate(s).

      Reply
      • Hi Pete,

        Thanks for getting back to me. I am not sure if I ever had the TRRF when I was in China as everything was taken care of by the HR of my previous employer.

        Say if there’s no way that I can acquire the certificate and I need to show the proof to the immigration that I had attempted to retrieve it without success. What sort of evidence I can provide?

        Cheers,
        Jason

        Reply
  19. Hello my husband stayed in Shanghai China on work visa from Nov 22 2015 to Jul 01 2017. After that he visited Shenzhen China for training purpose for 21 days between Jul 23 to Aug 13. Do we need Police certificate for this 21 days in Shenzhen also or only the stay is Shanghai is enough for Canada PR. If both are required what documents are required for applying for police certificate.

    Reply
  20. Thanks Pete. You’re being super helpful!

    I have provided immigration with a detailed explanation of why obtaining a Police Certificate in China is not possible based on my circumstances. Hope I can get their understanding. #fingerscrossed

    Cheers,
    Jase

    Reply
  21. Hi, I lived in Dalian for from Sept 2012 to July 2014 and Ningbo from September 2014 to July 2017 and I was wondering how I should go about applying for police clearance (no criminal convictions) for Australia visa purposes if I’m not in China? Im currently in Australia

    Reply
    • Hi Will. Thanks for leaving a comment. You may ask a local friend in Dalian or Ningbo to help you file police certificate applications with the notary offices in Dalian and Ningbo. The main documents that are required by the local authorities in Dalian and Ningbo are your passports, Temporary Residence Registration Forms, and power of attorney.

      Reply
  22. Hi, I studied in Guangzhou from April 2018 to August 2019, and I need a police certificate to apply for a Canadian study permit. How long would it take to get the police certificate through your agency?

    Reply
  23. Hi Pete,
    My mom who is a HK resident and lives in Shenzhen with her China national husband on the weekdays and stay in HK for the weekend. She applied for the US green card . The officer asked for a China Police Certificate , yet she never apply for the TRRF in the past. Is there a way she can get the China Police certificate to cover the period she stayed in China before ? Thanks !

    Reply
  24. Hello, can you please tell me if Zhengzhou will issue a police check for a foreign national (Argentina) who is no longer living in China, but who was there for a few months at a time over the last 10 years, exceeding 12 months in total?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Thanks for leaving a comment. Unfortunately, I do not have a clear answer to your question. We helped some clients who no longer live in China obtain police certificates in Zhengzhou, but they were all long-term residents in Zhengzhou either working or studying. I think you need to inquire with the local police station having jurisdiction over your Zhengzhou address. If I have to guess, I would say the odds of success are very low considering you were a temporary resident.

      Reply
  25. I studied in Wuhan for 2 years, but now I’m living in France. Can you help me to get No Criminal Record Certificate?

    Reply
    • HI Laety. We’ll be happy to help you apply for a police certificate in Wuhan. If you are interested in using our service to obtain your China police certificate, please click here to complete a request-a-quote form.

      Reply
  26. Hello

    I want to get PCC when i was in Kunming three years ago , But I can’t find my Accommodation form, Do you have any advice. Thank you

    Best regards.

    Reply
    • Hi Kate. Thanks for leaving a message. In our experience, some officers in Kunming can accept your application although you no longer keep the accommodation form. You would need to give it a try.

      Reply
  27. Hi,

    my husband studied in Harbin for 2 years for his master’s degree. He lost his old passport with China visa, so is there a way to get the Police Clearance Certificate without a passport?

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi Soyolmaa. We haven’t had any cases in Harbin where an applicant cannot provide his passport. If your husband keeps copies of his lost passport, we think there is still a chance.

      Reply
  28. Hello I currently live in Wuhan , and have lived in 2 other cities . Hence I have lived in 3 cities throughout my stay in Chin. So how do I get police certificate for my entire time I’ve stayed in China .

    Reply
    • Hi Champ. Thanks for leaving a message. You would need to obtain a separate police certificate in each of the three cities to cover the entire length of your stay in China.

      Reply
  29. Hello! I just wanna ask whether I need to get a CNCR from every places i’ve stayed in China? I worked in four different cities in China for 16 years – Hefei (Anhui), Jinan (Shandong), Wenzhou (Zhejiang), and Wuhu (Anhui) and stayed for at least a year in each cities mentioned. Should i need to apply a CNCR from each city? Or only from the last city i’ve lived?

    Reply
    • Hi Ram. Thanks for leaving a message. You may need to obtain one CNCR in each city to cover the entire length of your stay in China.

      Reply
  30. Hello I am Jordanian who is residing in Jordan now …… I studied in china (Nanchang University, Jiangxi provience) majoring medicine since 2012 to 2018…. I am applying for Immigration to the USA and they asked me to get no criminal record from China as I lived there more than 12 months… Can you help me to get that certificate?

    Reply
    • Hi Motaz. Thanks for leaving us a message. We will be happy to assist you in obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record (CNCR) in Nanchang. If you are interested in using our service to obtain your CNCR, please click here to complete a request-a-quote form.

      Reply
  31. Hello,
    I need to provide a clearance for my US immigration process. I studied in Shanghai from 2005-2014. Can I hire your firm to deal with it? Will i need any papers from my University? I have my residence permits on my old passports. What documents should i request from my University?

    Reply
    • Hi Joe. Thanks for your message. We will be happy to assist in obtaining the police clearance in Shanghai. We do not need you to request any documents from your University. However, it is helpful if you can provide your graduation/degree certificates.

      Reply
    • Hi Amy. We helped one person obtain a police certificate in Dali earlier this year. In that case, we started the application process with the community police office.

      Reply
  32. To my understanding, the certificate in Shanghai needs to be requested at the Entry-Exit Bureau and then notarized and translated by a local Notary Public. Then, for it to be used in other countries, it needs to be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Consular Service Department inside China. I don’t have a particular country that I need to use it for right now because I will probably not need it for the next 5 years. Thus, I can’t go to a specific country’s consulate in Shanghai to legalize it there too. Is it okay if I just legalize it at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and be done?

    Reply
    • Hi Andrei. Thanks for leaving a message. a Certificate of No Criminal Record will no longer be acceptable to most embassies in China for purposes of legalization after a period of time (e.g. 6 months). Therefore, I think legalization with China’s MFA now will not be helpful 5 years later.

      Reply
  33. Hello!

    I’ve lived in 山西太原 for more than 12 months (about 10 years ago) and Beijing (about 5 years) for more than 12 months. Will you be able to apply for a police clearance certificate 无罪证明 for both cities at the same time? For example, will you be able to go to the Taiyuan office and apply for a police clearance certificate that covers both cities?

    Reply
    • Hi Squirrel. We can help you obtain a Police Clearance Certificate in Beijing to cover all the periods of your residence in China including the time you spent in Taiyuan. But, we cannot achieve the same result in Taiyuan.

      Reply
  34. Hi. I have a police record letter from Guangzhou for the 2 years I lived there, 2012-2014. However, I need to produce a new one, to give to New Zealand Immigration (they won’t accept the old one I have). What do I need to provide to get a new version of the letter? Can I just provide the old one, copies of my passport and a letter of authorization? Thank you.

    Reply
  35. Hello! thank you for those information, they are very helpful! I have an question in case you know the answer please.

    I live in Nanjing for few years now and I need a criminal record certificate. Does the content of criminal record issue from authority in Nanjing will contain ONLY the record of me residing here in Nanjing (with residence permit), and will not mention records that happened in other city where I resided before? (I lived in Beijing long ago).

    It’s important for me because I have a minor record done in Beijing a year ago when I went there for a 2 weeks holiday (basically, I was not able to register at police within the 24H rules after arriving in a city…they just gave me a warning and that’s it but I think its ofc in there data). I’m worried in case this information that happened in Beijing will be written of my non-criminal record certificate that I will apply in Nanjing. I am trying to apply for Visa purpose abroad and need a record of 5 years (I live in Nanjing since 2019 September so it’s already under the 5 years needed)

    Hope getting a response from your side.

    Reply
    • Hi Fran.L, thanks for your message. Under the current rules, a Certificate of No Criminal Record issued in Nanjing can cover your entire length of stay in China, including the period you stayed in any other city. The minor record you had in Beijing shall not affect your application for a Certificate of No Criminal Record. Article 2 of the Provisions on the Handling of Criminal Record Checks by Public Security Organs states “All persons shall be deemed innocent of any crime except those whose crimes have been confirmed by effective judgment documents issued by people’s courts.”

      Reply

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