PCC Apostille in India: Passport PCC and Police PCC
A PCC apostille lets a foreign visa office, employer or immigration department accept the police clearance certificate you got in India. The route depends on who signed your PCC: a passport officer or the local police. INFINITYGRO Attestation sorts that out first, then submits it to the Ministry of External Affairs.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
PCC apostille sample
Does a passport office PCC need notary and SDM before apostille? No. A PCC from a Passport Seva Kendra is signed by a passport officer, so for a PCC apostille it goes straight to the MEA without notary or SDM. A police clearance or character certificate from the district police or Police Commissioner is different. It first goes through the Delhi route or the state home department, and then to the MEA.
Two kinds of PCC, and why it matters
India issues police clearance in two different ways, and each takes a different path to the apostille.
Passport PCC
You apply online at passportindia.gov.in and attend a Passport Seva Kendra or Post Office Passport Seva Kendra. The Regional Passport Office issues the certificate, signed by a passport officer. It is the version most often asked for in visa and immigration files.
State police PCC
This is a police clearance, character or verification certificate issued by the district police, the Superintendent of Police or the Police Commissioner. Most states let you apply through their police or citizen-service portal. Some employers and foreign agencies ask for this one specifically, often when they want a local police record.
Read the instructions you were given carefully. If they say "issued by passport authorities", get the passport PCC.
Key facts
| Passport PCC issued by | Regional Passport Office / Passport Seva Kendra |
|---|---|
| Apply for passport PCC at | passportindia.gov.in |
| Passport PCC route | Directly to MEA for apostille |
| Police PCC issued by | District police or Police Commissioner, via state portals |
| Police PCC route | Delhi route (notary, SDM) or state home department, then MEA |
| MEA fee | Rs 50 per document |
| UAE, Qatar, Kuwait | Need attestation and embassy legalization, not apostille |
How the PCC apostille route works
Passport PCC: because a central government officer has already signed it, no notary or SDM step is needed. We submit it straight to the MEA through its authorised centres. This is often the simplest document we handle.
Police PCC: this is treated as a personal document. It is notarised and verified by an SDM in Delhi, or authenticated by the home department of the issuing state, and then apostilled by the MEA. Choose the state route only if the receiving office wants it.
The MEA checks only that the authenticating officer's signature is genuine. It does not re-check your police record. See our MEA apostille guide for how the final stage works.
PCC apostille or PCC attestation for the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait
Gulf jobs are the most common reason people need a PCC legalized, and this is where most mistakes happen. The UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are not members of the Apostille Convention. An apostilled PCC will not be accepted there.
For those countries, the PCC goes through MEA attestation, a separate stamp from the same ministry, and then legalization by that country's embassy in India. Only then is it valid there.
Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain are Convention members, so they accept the apostille. Egypt, like the UAE, needs attestation. China does not accept Indian apostilles after India's objection in 2023, and Germany checks Indian documents through its embassy.
For Gulf work, see UAE attestation charges and our embassy attestation service.
PCC apostille by state
Choose the state or union territory that issued the document.
What differs by state for a police clearance
The passport PCC works the same way in every state, though you apply through the Regional Passport Office that covers your address. Larger states have more than one office.
The police PCC varies more. Each state runs its own portal, its own forms and its own processing. In some cities the Police Commissioner issues it, in others the district SP. Authentication on the state route also changes. Gujarat uses its General Administration Department, Telangana its Secretariat GAD, and Karnataka its home department's passport and foreigners section.
Choose your state from the state directory below to see its passport offices, police services and authority, for example the Telangana PCC page.
Who usually asks for a PCC from India
A police clearance certificate is a standard part of many long-stay files abroad. You may be asked for one when you apply for:
- A work visa or employment permit
- Permanent residence or skilled migration
- A long-term study visa in some countries
- Citizenship or naturalisation, where India was a past country of residence
- Jobs working with children, patients or older people
Not every receiving office wants the PCC apostilled. Some check it directly with the passport authorities, and some only want the original. Ask whether they need an apostille, attestation, or neither before spending money on it.
Where they do want legalization, tell us the country and the purpose. That decides whether we arrange an apostille or attestation, and whether the passport PCC or police PCC is the right starting point.
How recent should the PCC be?
A PCC describes your record on the date it was issued. Many embassies, employers and immigration departments only accept one issued within a recent window, and the window differs by country and purpose. Ask the receiving office for its rule before you apply for the PCC.
Time your steps so the certificate is still within that window after the apostille and any courier time. The apostille stamp itself does not reset or extend the PCC's validity.
If your PCC is close to the end of the receiving office's window, it is usually safer to apply for a fresh one before starting the apostille.
Cost, time and documents for a PCC
The MEA fee is Rs 50 per apostille. For a police PCC on the Delhi route, our all-inclusive fee is Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500, covering notary, SDM, MEA fee and service, usually done in 2 to 3 working days. A passport PCC skips the notary and SDM steps; ask us for the exact quote. Courier is extra.
- Original PCC, unlaminated and unfolded if possible
- Passport copy, front and back pages
- Affidavit if the name on the PCC differs from the passport
- Note of the destination country, so we choose apostille or attestation correctly
Post the PCC to C-5 A/2 New Ashok Nagar, Delhi 110096. Delhi NCR clients can drop it off. We return it by Blue Dart or a similar tracked courier.
Errors that delay a PCC
- Getting a police PCC when the visa office wanted the passport PCC, or the other way round.
- Apostilling a PCC for a UAE, Qatar or Kuwait job, where attestation was needed.
- Letting the PCC age past the receiving office's window during processing.
- Sending a scan or printout without the original signature.
- A police PCC in a regional language with no English version. We can arrange certified translation.
What a police clearance certificate apostille looks like
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
PCC apostille FAQs
Can I apostille a PCC from the Passport Seva portal myself?
Since July 2012 the MEA does not accept documents from individuals at its counter. Documents go through authorised centres or an agency like ours.
Is a police character certificate the same as a PCC?
Often it is the same document under a different name, issued by the state police. It follows the police PCC route, not the passport PCC route.
Which PCC do Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain want?
That depends on the employer or visa category. These countries accept the apostille, so ask them which issuer they need and we will process it.
Can I get a PCC apostilled if I am already abroad?
A PCC issued by an Indian embassy abroad is a different case. Contact us with your details and we will tell you what applies.
Does the MEA check my police record?
No. The MEA only confirms the signature of the officer who issued or authenticated the PCC.
Do I need both apostille and attestation?
No. A Convention member takes the apostille. A non-member such as the UAE needs attestation plus embassy legalization instead.
How long does the passport office take to issue a PCC?
That depends on your case and on police verification, and the passport office does not promise a fixed time. Apply early so you are not rushed before your visa date.
Send your police clearance certificate details
WhatsApp a photo of the document and the destination country. We reply with the route and one total price.