Information
about obtaining Police Certificates and Military Records
in different countriesDisclaimer:
Please note that the information on this page is not official
information from any organization. The information provided
here should not be taken as legal advice. Reliance on the
information is at the risk of the reader. All information
should be used as a rough guideline only.
Police
certificates are required from every visa
applicant aged 16 years or over for each locality
of the country of the applicant‹s nationality or
current residence where the applicant has resided
for at least six months since attaining the age
of sixteen. Police certificates are also required
from all other countries where the applicant has
resided for at least one year.
Generally,
application for such certificates should be made directly
to police authorities in the district in which you
resided. If you have any questions about where or how
to apply for police certificates in other countries,
you may communicate directly with the U.S. consular
office processing your visa applications.
A
certified copy of any military record is
required, and persons convicted of a crime must obtain
a certified copy of each court record and
any prison record, regardless that they
may have benefited from an amnesty or pardon.
Information
sheet DSL-1083 gives some information on obtaining
police records and military records. A version of this
information sheet may be downloaded or accessed on
line at the National
Visa Center site (Portable Document Format
- Adobe Acrobat Reader).
The
February 2000 version of DSL-1083 gives the following
information:
Do
not attempt to obtain police certificates covering
residence in any of the following countries as they
are not available:
Afghanistan*
Iran*
Saudi
Arabia*
Angola*
Iraq*
Sierra
Leone
Azerbaijan*
Jordan
Somalia*
Bangladesh*
Kazakhstan
Sri
Lanka
Bulgaria*
Laos*
Sudan
Cambodia*
Liberia
Syria*
Chad*
Libya
Tajikistan
Colombia*
Malaysia*
Tanzania
Costa
Rica*
Mexico
Thailand*
Equatorial
Guinea*
Moldova
Turkey*
Ghana
Mongolia
United
States of America
Guatemala*
Nepal*
Uzbekistan*
Haiti*
Nicaragua*
Venezuela*
Honduras*
North
Korea
Vietnam
Indonesia
Pakistan*
Police
Certificates from the following countries are only
available to people physically present in the country
who apply in person:
Belarus
Kuwait*
United
Arab Emirates
Brazil
Paraguay
Ukraine
Chile
Lebanon*
Yemen
Comores
Rwanda*
Ethiopia
Suriname
Police
Certificates in the following countries are only available
through the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Contact the
U.S. Consular Office if you currently are or have been
a resident of one of these countries:
Bermuda
Brunei
Korea*
Netherlands*
Military
records from the following countries and those above
marked with an asterisk (*) are not available:
Different
States and Territories will have different forms, procedures
and fees. Police record checks come under State Law,
not Federal Law.
General
Instructions issued by the Consulate General of the
USA in Sydney
Australian
Police Certificate Instructions
You are now requested to apply for an Australian Police Certificate in
connection with you Immigrant visa application. Please comply with the
following procedures to obtain this certificate for each non-American
member of your family immigrating to the US, who has reached age 16,
or will have reached age 16 at the time he or she appears for the visa
interview. All police certificates must be issued on the basis of a fingerprint
check.
If
you were born in 1941 and after:
All Australian State Police Forces maintain a computerised national fingerprint
identification system for people born in 1941 and later years and can
perform an Australia wide fingerprint check. You should, therefore, apply
for an Australian national police certificate through the police
headquarters of the state in which you are currently residing.
If
you were born before 1941:
An Australian wide police certificate is not available to persons
born prior to 1941. Each State Police Force will search it's own records
and issue a state police certificate only. If you have lived in more
than one Australian state for a period of six months or more since reaching
the age of sixteen, it will be necessary for you to obtain a separate
police certificate from each state.
General
Information For All States:
All
police certificates must be issued on the basis of
a fingerprint check.
Most
police certificates take approximately three weeks to
be processed and are forwarded to you or direct to
this office.
Fees
must be paid in cash if you apply in person, or by
postal money order or bank cheque in Australian Dollars
if you apply by mail - Do not send personal cheques.
You
must take your passport or other identifying documentation
along with this form letter when appearing
to be fingerprinted.
When
forwarding fingerprints by mail to the police headquarters,
include a covering letter with your full name, date & place
of birth, sex and address, explaining that you are
applying for an immigrant visa at the American Consulate
General in Sydney.
Children
under sixteen years of age do not require police
certification.
Police
certifications bearing an Australian residential
address are valid for twelve months from the date
of issuance.
If
you are applying for a Police Certificate from outside
Australia:
If you do not plan to spend at least one month in Australia at the time
of your immigrant visa appointment, you should apply for your police
certificate by mail well before coming to Australia. Have your fingerprints
taken at the local police department and send the completed fingerprint
chart, a covering letter giving your full name, date & place of birth,
sex, current address and explaining that you are applying for an immigrant
visa through this office, payment to the appropriate police headquarters
and a copy of your identification (Biographic page of passport or other
identification showing name, date & place of birth, photograph and
signature). Payment for the police certificate must be in the form of
an international money order or bank draft, made payable to the appropriate
Australian police headquarters. The cheque must be endorsed to an Australian
bank. As foreign currency will not be accepted, the application with
all documents supplied will be returned to the requester if payment is
not received in Australian dollars.
Request
for Personal Conviction Check Release Form
Application
for a Request for civil conviction check release must
be completed on the attached form. Once completed the
form is to be taken to any police station where the
applicant will be required to provide proof of identity.
The application will not be processed until such proof
of identity is provided. The application must be lodged
in person by the applicant.
The
first check in a 12 month period is supplied free.
Second and subsequent checks are $25 per check
Victoria
The
actual fingerprinting can be done at any Police Station
in Victoria, that has the facilities (which are most
of them). They then give you the sheet with your fingerprints,
and you attach it to the form requesting a records
check, and send it off to the City Main Office. It
will take about two (2) weeks to get the results back.
Police
certificates may be obtained by making application
personally at any police station throughout the state.
Suitable identification i.e. drivers license, passport
etc. is to be produced at the time of making application
together with the required fee. Fee: $ 12.00
Certificates
are issued on a name search only. Processed applications
will be forwarded by mail to the address nominated
on your application. Please allow 5 to 7 working days
from the date of your application until receipt of
your certificate.
Fingerprint
searches are NOT conducted by the WA Police Service.
The United States Consulate General in Perth will advise
you on the procedure to obtain a fingerprint search.
Enquires should be directed to telephone number (08)
9231 9400
You
have to go the local police station of the place where
you last resided for more than 6 months and ask for
a "proof of good behaviour and morals" ("Bewijs
van goed gedrag en zeden"). Secondly you have
to send a letter to the Department of Justice asking
for two excerpts from the penal records ("Uittreksel
van het Strafregister"). The address for this
is:
Ministerie
van Justitie
Strafregister
115, Boulevard de Waterloo
1000 Brussel
Just
include your name and address, place and date of birth,
and ask for two excerpts from the penal record intended
for your immigration visa process for the USA. They'll
send two copies of your (hopefully) empty ("blanco")
penal record.
From
a newsgroup regular: "My experience is in
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, but I believe it is
the same for all states. To get the certificate,
you must go to the Secretaria De Seguranca Publica
("Public Safety Office"), taking your ID
("Carteira de Identidade") with you. You
don't have to pay any fees to get the certificate.
It is VERY important that you state clearly to the
clerk that the certificate is for Visa purposes,
because it will different from the "regular" certificate
(that you need for jobs, sometimes). You will have
to get it signed by the Delegado ("sheriff")
at the place, and then you'll have to get his signature
notarized ("reconhecer firma"). Since you
need the signature of a "delegado", I don't
think you can use the "express" offices
in Brazil that give documents faster. I took the
consulate letter with me (the one addressed to the
Police, explaining why you need the certificate),
but it wasn't needed.
If
you are currently living in Canada, you can just go
to the RCMP in your area and request the record search.
You do not have to go for fingerprinting at the local
police department. You only do this if and when the
RCMP requests that you do.
Normally
the RCMP will only use the name you supply and if you
have used more than one name, i.e. married woman has
used her married and maiden names, you tell them to
check under both names. This check will take from ten
minutes to 24 hours. There is not cost involved.
The
RCMP in Ottawa currently requires the applicant to
have fingerprints done. There is a charge for the prints
and the results can take five days to over five weeks
to be returned to the applicant.
For
the military records you should be able to get a "record
of postings" that shows your rank, when and where
you were posted. It's a sheet that just lists all of
that info from the time you entered the military until
the time you left and your status upon leaving. You
can call DND and ask them for a copy of your records
for immigration.
If
you've been out of the armed forces for more than three
years, you'll have to contact the National Archives
of Canada in Ottawa for your records. Processing time
of 2-3 weeks.
Police
Certificates applicants who resides in Montreal, Toronto,
Ottawa, or Halifax/Dartmouth should contact the International
Fingerprint Service Canada at locations where applications
and waivers are available.
Applicants
not residing in these areas should obtain a set of
fingerprints from a local police agency, complete an
application/waiver form, forward original fingerprints,
the application/waiver, and a certified cheque or money
order to International Fingerprinting Services Canada
Ltd. Fee is CAD$5.00.
From
a newsgroup regular: "To obtain a police
certificate in Ottawa, Canada from the RCMP, a fingerprint
check is not required. The same process applies in
Ottawa as for the rest of the country.
I
think there has been some confusion about this as the
RCMP lists several divisions in the Ottawa directory,
among these the "Civil Fingerprint Screening Services" for "visas-passports-permits".
This is *NOT* the place to go to obtain a police certificate
for a K-1 visa. A check-based, rather than fingerprint-based
certificate is available at the following office:
RCMP
Operations Centre
155 McArthur Road
Ottawa ON
Tel. 613-993-8887
Hours
of operation are 9 to 3 Mon-Thurs and 9 to 2:30 on
Friday. You are required to bring $25 cash, as well
as two pieces of ID, one must bear your photo. The
process takes about 20 minutes, and they give you two
originals of your certificate."
Another
newsgroup regular (quoted from their Web site): "In
Canada the ONLY certificate accepted is the one issued
by the RCMP. It covers the whole country, so
there is no need to obtain various certificates from
the different Canadian cities you might have lived
in. You ought to be able to obtain this on a walk-in
basis from the RCMP Detachment nearest your place
of residence and there is no charge for it. The form
you will be given is called a Canadian Police Certificate
for visa application/foreign travel/foreign work
permit. It is basically a computer record check and
does not require fingerprinting. The police certificate
will have to be no more than one year old when you
go for your interview. It's a good idea to bring
the Fiance Visa instruction letter with you when
you go into your local RCMP office. Persons convicted
of a crime must obtain a certified copy of each court
record and any prison record, regardless that they
have been benefited from an amnesty or pardon."
From
a newsgroup regular: "I just picked up my
police certificate in Montreal and I though there
might be some out there wanting to do the same, but
not quite sure how or where to go about it. If you
do some reading, you'll find out that the only police
certificate that your US consulate wants is the one
that comes from the RCMP. If your Visa is of the
non-immigrant type (as in the case of a K-1 visa)
then you do not need to get your fingerprints taken.
Police certificates for non-immigrant visas are processed
either the same day or withing 24 hours. If fingerprints
are necessary, it takes longer.
Where
do you go? Well in Montreal you DO NOT go to the RCMP
office at 4225 Dorchester West in Westmount. Apparently
they used to do these certificates there, but they
have since rented out an office in a building about
2 minutes away from the main RCMP office.
The
address is:
4060 Ste-Catherine West Suite 525 (Identification Canada)
Phone number: 514-934-2244
"no appointments necessary"
Hours
of operation are Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm. Get this,
they're even open on Saturdays 10am to 2pm! The building
is right across the street from Alexis-Nihon Plaza
and the Atwater Metro stop.
The
following services are available:
RCMP
Police Certificate
Fingerprinting
Pardon
Application
U.S.
Waiver
The
police certificate costs $30 and $5 for each additional
official copy if you want more than 1 (includes taxes).
I'm pretty sure that's the cost for all services, but
I don't remember for sure. Not sure if they take credit
cards either.
Once
at the office you feel out a one page form with general
information about yourself. They also require two pieces
of identification (my drivers license and medicare
card was fine). They also take your photo with a digital
camera. Once you've filled out the form you pay your
$30. You get a receipt and are told to come back any
time the following day to pick up the results.
The
next day I picked up the half-page sized yellow sheet
that contains: Your name, address, birth date. The
name and signature of the issuing officer. and a statement
that reads:
"This
certifies that a search, based on the above name and
date of birth, failed to disclose any such person with
a record of criminal convictions in the national repository
for the criminal records in Canada. ("Search not
confirmed by fingerprints")
The
certificate also says: "Canadian police certificate
for visa applicants/foreign travel/foreign work permits".
In
addition, they colour (I'm not american yet so it's
still coloUr to me!) print your photo on the back of
the certificate.
I
tried to provide all the details for everybody's knowledge.
This was my experience in Montreal, though I'm sure
the process is similar elsewhere in Canada. Any questions
can be posted to the newsgroup alt.visa.us.marriage-based."
The
police certificate is called "Extrait de Casier
Judiciaire". Call the nearest police station for
more information.
According
to the Web site of the French Department of Justice
(http://www.cjn.justice.gouv.fr),
there are two ways to obtain your police clearance:
On
line with "Minitel" at: 3615 CJN (FF0.37/min)
- delivery in one week;
By
mail to: Casier Judiciare National, 44079 Nantes
Cedex 1, stating your last name, first names, date
and place of birth, address where you want it to
be sent - delivery in two weeks.
The
Police clearance can be asked on line by people born
in France or in an overseas department (DOM) at http://www.cjn.justice.gouv.fr -
delivery in a few days.
For
the army certificate, write to the local "Bureau
du Service National" and ask for "Etat Signaletique
et des Services", providing social security number,
name, date and place of birth and, if possible, the
military ID number ("matricule").
"Polizeiliches
FíLrungszeugnis". Each person over the age
of fourteen may obtain a police certificate. The
application has to be filed with the registration
office ("Meldebeh?de") having jurisdiction
over the applicant's residence. The applicant has
to provide evidence of identification.
You
can go to your "Einwohnermeldeamt" and request
a "F?rungszeugnis". You pay a fee for this,
and several weeks later, it will be mailed to your
home address.
If
you are male, and completed your mandatory military
service, you should have received discharge papers,
and several copies of your service record ("Wehrdienstzeitbescheinigung")
upon your release. You can make a photocopy of this
and bring it with you to the consulate for your interview.
The
paperwork from the consulate shows that you can bring
paperwork either in English, or German.
Former
residents of Germany, no longer registered in Germany,
can apply for the police certificate directly at:
Bundeszentralregister,
Auslandabteilung,
Neurenberger Str. 16,
10969 Berlin
Phone: 030/25388
Fee:
DM 15.00 for each copy. processing time: three to four
weeks. The police certificate does not necessarily
show the complete criminal history. Certain decisions
of criminal courts of minor importance are not included.
After a certain time, minor convictions are no longer
recorded. The length of this period depends on the
nature and scope of the legal punishment imposed, and
thereafter, whether any additional sentences were entered
into the registry.
Police
clearance applications can be obtained from the Consulate.
You will need to submit the form with 3 photographs,
finger prints, and application fee (Guy$500.00). You
will obtain your certificate within a week.
Please
note that finger prints should be taken at the International
Fingerprinting Services. A relative can also file for
you, if not, you can submit it to the Guyana Consulate.
However, this takes longer, sometimes three to six
months.
Certificate
of No Criminal Conviction - Notes to Local Applicants
Certificates
of No Criminal Conviction are issued, when applicable,
by the Hong Kong Police Force solely in connection
with a person's application for a visa to visit or
reside in another country.
Applications
for Certificates for private commercial or any other
purposes will not be accepted. Every applicant should
attend in person the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction
Office, which is located at:
B1
Floor,
Trade Department Tower,
700 Nathan Road,
Mongkok, Kowloon.
The
applicant should bring along the following documents:
His
or Her Hong Kong Identity Card or Travel Document.
The
original and a photocopy (for each applicant) of
the letter from the relevant Consulate / Immigration
Authority, which contains his or her name and clearly
indicates that the production of the Certificate
is required.
The
original and a photocopy of the document s proving
his or her relationship with the Principal Applicant
for the visa if the said letter does not contain
his or her own name.
Processing
fee of HK$220 per person. Payment can be made in
cash or by cheque which should be crossed and made
payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region".
Subject
to the daily quota of applications not being exceeded,
applications will be processed immediately. Applicants
may elect to make advance appointment by dialing to
2396 5351 to the Automatic Telephone Appointment Booking
System at any time of the day. If the daily quota has
been exceeded, an appointment card will be issued to
the applicant asking him or her to return to the Office,
bringing along the above requisite documents, at the
appointed date and time.
All
applicants should be willing to be fingerprinted. They
will be required to sign an authorization to the effect
that their fingerprints can be retained by the Hong
Kong Police Force and that details of any criminal
conviction recorded against him or her in Hong Kong,
can be disclosed to the appropriate Consulate / Immigration
Authority.
If
no criminal conviction data against the applicant in
Hong Kong is located, we shall issue a letter and send
it directly by registered mail to the relevant Consulate
/ Immigration Authority within four calendar weeks.
If
criminal conviction data is located, both the relevant
Consulate / Immigration Authority and the applicant
will be replied with a letter by registered post, within
the prescribed period, advising that the Certificate
could not be issued and listing out the conviction
data.
The
personal data provided by the applicants will only
be used for the purpose of processing their applications.
Every applicant has the right to request for access
and correction of his or her personal data, by sending
a written request to the Chief Inspector (Support)
Identification Bureau at 10/F, Arsenal House West Wing,
Arsenal Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong. In order to recover
the administrative cost of acceding to such request,
the prevailing government rate for photocopies will
apply. All fingerprints and other personal data collected
shall be destroyed within a reasonable period of time
upon conclusion of the application processes.
From
Tim, a newsgroup regular: "The items that
stand out in my mind are:
The
police certificate is mailed directly to the HK consulate,
it's not given to the applicant. But at least it
is sent by certified mail.
It
can take up to 4 weeks to reach the consulate, so
request it early (i.e. as soon as packet #3 arrives).
It
costs money.
The
applicant may be fingerprinted. My fiance(e) was
required to undergo fingerprints when she requested
her police certificate."
Residents
of India should apply to their nearest Indian Embassy
or Consulate. (Inquire first at the Consulate. You
might not need a police clearance. In this case the
consulate does it for you in your behalf).
Police
Record: Available. If a person has been arrested and
tried the sentence is available from the court where
the trial took place. The Certificato Penale Generale
is a certified record of final court convictions and
decisions regarding mental incompetency and bankruptcy
or a statement that no record exists ("Nulla").
Those born in Italy can obtain the certificate from
the Procura della Republica. For persons born outside
of Italy, the certificate is issued by the:
Judicial
and Criminal Records office
(Casellario Giudiziale per i Nati all'Estero)
Procura of Rome,
Piazzale Clodio,
00100 Rome, Italy
Request
for this certificate for immigration purposes only
should be accompanied by the applicant's birth certificate
and approximately $2.50 in postage coupons to offset
the cost of reply.
From
a newsgroup regular: "I sent in my request
Fed-Ex with a Fed-Ex prepaid envelop to speed up
the process. I did not send any money because I was
afraid they would stick a stamp on an envelop and
send the document in the mail (taking 1-4 weeks or
more). After 2 weeks I telephoned, 39-06-3879-2390,
and discovered that my request was just sitting there
because they were waiting for approximately $4 to
cover some cost. I have Fed-Ex'ed $5 and I am now
waiting for them to send the documents."
Police
records can be obtained from the Office of the Superintendent
of Records and Identification, C.I.B. Headquarters,
East Queen Street, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies,
submitting the following:
Two(2)
sets of fingerprints (i.e. two of each hand) certified
by local immigration service.
Official
birth certificate.
Money
order valued at J$1000.00 payable to the C.I.B. Headquarters.
Three
(3) passport-size photographs, one of which must
be certified (whether by a notary public or lawyer,
Justice of the Peace, family physician, bank manager,
dentist, police officer).
Name
and address of Embassy, Consulate or Immigration
authority to which certificate should be sent. Please
note that certificate can neither be sent to you
nor your lawyer.
Approximate
date when certificate will be required.
To
get a police certificate in Japan, you must first get
copies of your birth certificate/family register ("Koseki
Shohon") and residence certificate ("Jumin
Hyo") from your local city hall.
The
police will want to see both of these, as well as your
passport, personal seal ("Han"), and the
instructions from the U.S. Embassy that say why you
need a police certificate.
Foreign
applicants for a Japanese police certificate will need
only a valid passport, alien registration card ("Gaijin
Toroku Sho"), or U.S. Forces identity card, and
and the instructions from the U.S. Embassy that say
why you need a police certificate. A foreigner who
lived in Japan before and now lives somewhere else,
has to wait to get the letter from the consulate in
their country. A letter will be sent to the applicant
from the U.S. Consulate as soon as the documents will
be received from the INS. The applicant should mail
a copy to the local Japanese mission requesting for
a police certificate. They in turn will forward it
to the police station where he resided during his stay.
The process takes two months or so.
The
police certificate is issued from the Prefectural Police
Headquarters - the Ken Keisatsu Honbu (in Tokyo, this
is the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters, or Keishi
Cho). Call first to find out their hours and where
to go. They will take your fingerprints, and tell you
that the certificate will be issued within three weeks.
You get two copies of the certificate: one in Japanese
and an English translation free of charge.
Military
records from the Japan Self Defense Forces are available
from the unit commander. Pre-World War II military
records may be obtained though Prefectural Government,
Welfare Section, or through the Relief Agency, Ministry
of Public Welfare.
A
person applying for a police record should send in
a written request addressed to Servicos de Identificacao
de Macau, Caixa Postal 1089, Macau. You should include
a copy of the document of your identification issued
by the Macau Government wherein on its expiration,
shall be accompanied additionally by a copy of your
travel document. If you don not have any document of
identification issued by the Macau Government, you
should attach a copy of your travel document and a
proof of previous stay in Macau.
When
you apply, you must write your purpose why you want
to obtain the Certificate. You must also have your
fingerprint taken of the right index (2nd) finger next
to your signature.
If
you do not have a document of identification of Macau
Government, you should submit an official document
with your parents' names and notarized. Processing
fee is US$10 (or US$23 for an urgent case). A check
payment should be made payable to Servicos de Identificacao
de Macau.
You
don't have to collect police certificates in the Netherlands.
The police certificate is handled by the U.S. Consulate
General. There is no separate procedure for the Dutch
Citizen to acquire one, since the Consulate receives
these certificates directly from the Dutch Department
of Justice.
[from
private e-mail:]
"It would be good to inform/warn people that obtaining of a Dutch Police
certificate from abroad may take quite a lot of time. As far as I could figure
out from other people's stories it takes on average 8 weeks. I think that one
has to count with a minimum waiting time of at least 6 weeks, and a maximum of
3 months.
To
speed up the procedure by a week or two, it is important
to give full Dutch addresses (including street and
house no.) on the OF-239 part 1 form. (US consulate
in Amsterdam informs about it, but other consulates
do not, and they will let you know only after they
have received OF-239 part 1)".
Police
certificates must be no more than 6 months old at the
time an application is lodged. If police certificates
become a year old from date of issue before a decision
on an application is made, visa and immigration officers
may request further police certificates.
Visa
and immigration officers may also request further police
certificates within the 12-month period if there is
good reason to do so.
The
applicant is responsible for meeting all the costs
of obtaining a police certificate. Only original or
certified copies of police certificates are to be provided
with applications. If a police certificate is not written
in English, the original or certified copy must be
accompanied by a translation that is full and complete,
and prepared and certified by a translator, and on
an official letterhead, and bears the stamp or signature
of the translator.
Each
visa applicant aged 16 or older must have a Record
Clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation
(NBI), Taft Avenue, Manila and a Police Certificate
from other countries where applicant has resided for
at least one year. Any visa applicant who has been
charged or convicted of a crime must have a certified
copy of each court and prison record. The court record
must state the charge and, if convicted, the sentence.
If convicted, you must also have a copy of the law
showing the maximum penalty for the offense. Applicants
who have served in the military should have a certified
copy of their military records.
The
applicant must come in person to the Philippine Consulate,
where their fingerprints will be taken and then sent
with applicant information to Manila. In Manila the
police record will be processed by the NBI, and returned
in 3 to 4 weeks.
From
a newsgroup regular: "Jane went to a branch
office of the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation),
again in Iloilo, and secured her NBI clearance. It
took about a month, and, once again, it had to be
processed in Manila. Jane easily obtained clearances
from the barangay officials (smallest local civil
unit) and local police department. Since Jane had
lived her entire life in one place no additional
police clearances were required. The barangay clearance
was never asked for."
You
must provide a police certificate or clearance, or
record of no information for yourself, your spouse(if
applicable) and all of your dependants indicating any
criminal record or absence of criminal record.
Everyone
in your family aged 18 or over requires a police certificate/clearance
from each country in which they have lived for six
months or longer since reaching 18 years of age.
It
is your responsibility to contact the police or relevant
authorities to obtain the necessary police certificate
or clearance. You may have to provide information or
documentation regarding photographs, fingerprints or
your addresses and periods of residence in that country.
You may also be asked to pay a fee for the service.
From
a newsgroup regular: "Ok... it was a complicated
process (it seems it's more complicated in Saint
Petersburg than elsewhere) but I'll have her now
give me the rundown. First, she called to the American
Consulate in Saint Petersburg to obtain a document
which would aid in getting a police certificate (the
Saint Petersburg police don't like to issue them
for some reason). She was told to come during certain
hours (evidently, she got it in Packet 3). She took
that document and her passport to the local police
department ('Uchestkovi')and presented that document
to them. They just looked at the document and said
ok. They checked her record, and were going to create
a handwritten form, but she wanted it as neat as
possible, so the guy at the station dictated what
to type to her. She typed it and printed it up (one
in English, one in Russian). She returned and gave
the completed form to the Uchestkovi, and the guy
there took it to another station, where it was stamped
with an official seal. Then it was returned to her
and that was that."
From
a newsgroup regular who contributed his wife's experience
in getting a police record: "Anastasiya
(American spelling according to INS) had quite an
ordeal getting her police record. Before describing
it, though, the people who need these records should
remember that in Russia, people have to register
in the community when they move, and I think their
records follow them. So it might be possible to cover
one's entire police history from the last place she
lives.
First,
Anastasiya went to her local police in St. Petersburg
and they said they aren't allowed to give a certificate
of a police record, go to the local district headquarter.
At HQ they told her to go back to the local office.
Back at the local office, they told her to write a
letter to the head of the local office, a colonel,
requesting a certificate and explaining the reason
for the request. The colonel told her they aren't allowed,
and said go to the city headquarters (then he gave
her the wrong address...).
Anastasiya
finally called the police and found the main city HQ.
She wrote a letter of request for the certificate,
and they wrote back saying they weren't allowed (by
the Ministry) to do this. She called again to ask what
the hell to do now. They said: bring the letter from
the U.S. Consulate, and we can give you the certificate
in a month. At this point our time was dwindling--my
trip to Russia and the interview at the Consulate were
drawing nigh.
Anastasiya
went back to the local police and begged the Inspector
to help. He said he could write a certificate, but
couldn't put an official stamp on it because of the
Ministry. So Anastasiya went home in tears, describing
her latest travails to her parents. Papa decided he'd
had enough of this official ring-around-the-rosy. He
went to the local police Inspector and said, okay,
how much!? They settled upon 500 rubles. The next day,
the signed, stamped certificate was ready.
Note:
This ordeal was caused by trying to do this the "right" way,
without bribes, etc. Also note, a friend of Anastasiya's
recently got her police certificate by going to her
local inspector and describing the situation. The inspector
told her to go home, write the certificate in Russian
and English, and bring it back that same day. She did
so, and he signed and stamped it. No money changed
hands.
Hope
this helps. I have no idea how they approach this problem
in Moscow. It makes me wish the State Dept., which
sets all these demands for immigration, took a realistic
look at the situation in Russia and adjusted their
demands to fit the country..."
More
information can be found at the web site of the Singapore
Police Force. Go to services then select certificates.
From there you can download the instructions and form.
The Certificate of No Criminal Conviction (CNCC) is
issued for immigration related purposes only. CNCC
is issued to Singapore citizens, Singapore residents
and foreigners who have resided in Singapore for more
than 6 months and are above the age of 16. For more
information, please call: CNCC Officer, Tel :437 4561
Police
clearance certificates may be acquired from the any
police station. Fingerprints are also done from the
police station which forwards them to the Central Registry.
You
must submit the following:
2
Passport size photographs
South
African identity document
Application
form
Fees
In
South Africa, you just go to your local police station
and request a Police Clearance Certificate. It costs
about R30. They do it from Pretoria and it will apply
for every place you have lived in South Africa from
the age of 16.
Residents
of Turkey needs to apply to the Public Prosecutor's
Office in your nearest large town. If you are not living
in Turkey, then apply to your nearest Turkish Embassy
or Consulate.
If
residing in Ankara, apply to:
Ankara
Cumhuriyet Bas
Saviciligi
Zemin Kat
Sihhiye - Ankara
If
you are not a Turkish national, apply to:
Security Police, Foreign Department (Yavancilar Polisi) in the nearest
city to where you are living.
According
to the form UK-85 that is received by the UK applicant
for the visa: "If you or accompanying member(s)
of your family now applying for a visa have resided
in another country or countries, certificates covering
residences of six month or more must be obtained. Generally,
application for such certificates should be made directly
to police authorities in the district in which you
resided. If you have any questions about where or how
to apply for police certificates in other countries
you may communicate directly with this office via post."
To
obtain a Police Certificate in the UK, go to your local
police station and request a form called "Subject
Access". Send send this with the ten pounds fee
to the Data Protection Officer of the police force
for the area you are resident in. This form is then
sent by the police to Scotland Yard and the results
are supplied to the individual requesting them within
a statutory 40 day time limit. If you're waiting for
your certificate try 0171-230-3751 to see what
state it's at.
The
address of the Subject Access Office is:
Subject
Access Office
Metropolitan Police
FREEPOST
London SW1H 0YY
The
forms initially required are HMSO Form 3019 and 3019a
(sending an A4 Stamped Addressed envelope with the
request to the above address is recommended).
For
the required Military Records, all one needs is the
Certificate of Discharge supplied by all the services
in the UK on leaving that service.
For
UK Army the 'Red Book' Regular Army Certificate of
Service is what is required. The UK Army forces enquiries
are sent to:
Army
Personnel Centre
Personnel Records Section
Room 424
Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
Glasgow G2 8EX
Phone: 0141 224 8886
The
address for ex-Royal Air Force people to obtain copy
of service records is:
Royal
Air Force
Personnel Management Agency
Innsworth
Gloucester
GL3 1EZ
Phone: 01452 712612 Extn: 7615
From
a newsgroup regular: "If a person first
committed an offence before 1983 in the UK, this
or any subsequent offences are not shown on the police
record. The reply will state "These records
are held on manual files and are therefore not subject
to the Data protection act." This means that
you can have an awful job trying to obtain court
records unless you have a photographic memory for
dates."
To
obtain an FBI clearance, go to a local police station,
FBI field office, or Immigration Service Center and
obtain a fingerprint form, fill out the form and get
fingerprinted. Mail the card with a certified cheque
or money order for US$25 made payable to the "U.S.
Treasury" to the following address:
FBI
CJIS Division
Attn: Special Correspondence - Mode - D2
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, West Virginia
26306 USA
Include
a letter stating the request and reason for the FBI
Clearance certificate.
A
resident of the US can obtain a police clearance through
their local police station.
Warner Center Tower 2, 21550 Oxnard Street., Suite 810 Woodland Hills, CA 91367 USA
Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, e-mail, articles or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation.
