Dubai Police Clearance Good Conduct Certificate

Coronavirus in the UAE: Some information on this website is out of date as a result of measures taken in the UAE to deal with the coronavirus crisis. Confirm with official or authoritative sources.

Dubai Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)

Dubai Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), Good Conduct Certificate (GCC), Certificate of Good Conduct (CGC), or criminal record check. How to apply for a certificate online or from a Dubai Police Station. Costs, fees, procedure.

Important: On 08 Jan 2018 it was announced (WAM) that all new UAE "work visa" applications from 04 Feb 2018 onwards would need PCC(s) covering previous 5 years of residence whether in UAE or other countries. On 01 Apr 2018 this requirement was suspended indefinitely (still suspended as of 31 Dec 2018). However, some job applications might still require a PCC depending on employer and/or sector.

PCC is only issued electronically, sent to your email, usually within 24 hours of application (in 2018). It can be validated as authentic by using the e-Document service on the Dubai Police website.
PCC validity is 3 months from the date of issue, but depending on the purpose, older certificates might be accepted by whichever body wants one. Check with them directly.

Where to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate in Dubai

Online: from the Dubai Police website. In English:
- www.dubaipolice.gov.ae/wps/portal/home/services/individualservices/goodconductcertificate (if link fails, try navigation from Home > Services > Individuals (More) > Police Clearance Certificate > Access Service.
Mobile or smartphone: from the Dubai Police App.
Offline: in person at a Dubai Police station (timings 0730-1430 Sun-Thu).
By email: not possible but you can send an enquiry to mail@dubaipolice.gov.ae.
By telephone: not possible but enquries can be made to the Dubai Police Call Center (901).

Requirements

Emirates ID card. For online application only the number is needed. If Emirates ID has expired you should still be able to get a PCC as long as you know the number.
AED 120 (UAE citizens), AED 220 (expat residents in the UAE), AED 320 (if applying from outside the UAE). Fee amounts valid as of end 2018.
An email address, the certificate will be sent to the address you give.
Portrait photo with white background. Specified in list of requirements from Dubai Police but wasn't asked for when we did an online application, possibly because photo information included in Emirates ID.
Telephone number. Application confirmation and reference number will be sent by SMS to the phone number you provide, but actual certificate will be sent by email. If Dubai Police have your number on file, it will be shown during the application (and can be confirmed or edited).
"Biometric Card Photocopy", stated in online application but not needed if you have a valid Emirates ID card (your fingerprints are stored on the card and with the police).

Procedure

For UAE residents and citizens in the UAE

For tourists and visitors

Not possible unless you previously lived in the UAE, meaning you had a valid residence permit. If you "lived in" the UAE without a residence permit (e.g. doing repeated visa runs to the Oman border), you were not a legal resident, at least not from the perspective of the authorities who issue good conduct certificates.
If you need a GCC for whatever reason, apply to the police or relevant authority where you are or were legally resident. Failing that, try applying to the authorities of a country you hold a passport from.

From overseas

If you have an Emirates ID card, apply online.

For convicted criminals

You can apply but won't receive a certificate. The point of a PCC is to say that you have no criminal record.

FAQs

How long does it take for a good conduct certificate to be issued?
- In 2018 our experience the emailed PDF was sent within 24-48 hours of submitting an application. Check your spam folder if it's been longer than a day and you haven't received it yet.
- Before certificates were issued electronically, the wait period was longer ... up to several weeks.
How do the police know if an online application is made inside or outside the UAE?
- The first question on application form asks where applicant is located. If you answer "inside UAE" when applying from outside UAE (to try and save AED 100 on the fees), we don't know what happens, we didn't try. But possible ways the police can check your location include:
  - Checking with UAE Immigration if you are in or out of the country.
  - Checking with the telecom provider if your UAE mobile phone number is connected in the UAE or another country.
  - Checking the IP address of the device you used to submit the form.
If I am a UAE national, or legal resident of the UAE, but away from the UAE when I apply online, what should I do?
- Some sources say that the fees are AED 200 for UAE residents, implying that a UAE resident away from the UAE should still only have to pay AED 200 (+AED 20 knowledge and innovation fees).

Timeline and history

2018 Apr 01: CGC requirement suspended indefinitely.
2018 Feb 04: Official start date of Certificate of Good Conduct (CGC) requirement. Some offices had been rejecting visa applications before this date if the correct CGCs were not included.
2018 Jan 08: Announcement that good conduct certificates from the past 5 years would be required for all foreigners applying for new work permits, starting 04 Feb 2018.
2017 Nov 23: A firing squad executed Nedal Issa Abdullah.
2017 .... : Cabinet Resolution issued concerning security checks and good conduct certificates for expat workers.
2017 Feb 26: Nedal Issa Abdullah was sentenced to death after he lost a final appeal in the Dubai Court of Cassation. He was first convicted in the Dubai Court of First Instance and given the death sentence. The Dubai Appeals Court confirmed the verdict and sentence in Jan 2017.
2017 Jan 10: Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, was reported as saying "We expect a Cabinet decision to conduct security checks on all foreign workers will be issued soon".
2016 Oct: UAE Cabinet approves the principle of security checks on foreign workers. Discussion was prompted by the assault and murder of Obaida Al Aqrabawi in May 2016.
2016 Aug 15: Nedal Issa Abdullah was convicted by the Dubai Court of First Instance, and sentenced to death. He was also fined AED 21,000, the money to be paid to the boy's family.
2016 May 20: A young boy, Obaida Al Aqrabawi, was kidnapped in Sharjah, then raped and killed. His body was found 2 days later. A Jordanian man, Nedal Issa Abdullah, was arrested for the crime on 22 May 2016.

References

www.wam.ae/en/details/1395302658857, 2018-01-08, "Good Conduct and Behaviour Certificate" a condition to receive work visa. Refers to UAE Cabinet Resolution (or decision) "(1/8#)" of 2017, but resolution not available on UAE Cabinet website (www.uaecabinet.ae), not found in Lexis Middle East Law either. Possible typo?
- UAE Cabinet Resolution #(1) of 2017 concerns the Enforcement of Mandatory Standards in the UAE.
- UAE Cabinet Resolution #(8) of 2017 concerns the Organizational Structure of the Office of UAE Minister of Tolerance.
- UAE Cabinet Resolution #(18) of 2017 concerns the Approval of the List of Terrorist Persons and Organizations.
- UAE Cabinet Resolution #(81) of 2017 not found. Total number of resolutions in 2017 was 55?
- UAE Federal Decree-Law #(8) of 2017 concerns VAT.

Last update Tuesday 29-Jan-2019. Page development 3D 4L 5C.

Related websites (new window)

www.dubaipolice.gov.ae - Dubai Police website in Arabic and English.
[Disabled] Submit URL.