A Good Conduct or Police  Clearance Certificate is an official document issued as a result of a background check by the police or government agency of a country to enumerate any criminal records that the applicant may have. It’s known as Good Conduct Certificate or just PCC.

It may also be called by the below different names.

• Police Clearance Certificates
• Good Conduct Certificates
• Judicial Record Extracts or
• other names

Why you need a Police Clearance?

• Seeking to immigrate or obtain visas; and
• A police certificate may be required if the applicant is:
• Applying for vocational positions requiring clearance;
• Satisfying an individual employer’s request.

Which Countries request Police Clearance?

Depending on each country’s law, applicants may be required to submit police certificates of countries which they have stayed beyond periods as specified by law.

• Australia: For citizenship applications, countries where applicants have resided for 3 months or more if the applicants have been outside Australia for more than 12 months since acquiring permanent residency; for visa applications, countries where applicants have resided for 12 months or more.
• Canada: Countries where applicants have resided for 6 months or more.
• Ecuador: Country where applicants have principally resided during the last 5 years.
• New Zealand: Countries where applicants have resided for 12 months or more.
• United States: Countries where applicants have resided for 6 months or more.

What is the Validity of the Certificate?

A police certificate may or may not have a period of validity noted on the certificate, and criteria for recognizing the validity of certificates vary widely. The criteria which different countries use to determine the validity of certificates are often independent of any dates or validity periods noted on certificates themselves.