This Guide is about how foreign nationals obtain a Certificate of No Criminal Record in Beijing, China. The certificate is also known as a police certificate/check/clearance in other countries. The procedures and requirements in Beijing are governed by the Implementation Rules for Handling Criminal Record Checks by Beijing Public Security Bureau issued on March 25, 2022.
Foreign nationals may need to obtain a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China for a variety of reasons including immigration, employment, etc. Typically, a Certificate of No Criminal Record is not acceptable for these purposes until it is notarized 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”.
STEP 1: Application for Certificate of No Criminal Record
WHERE TO APPLY?
You can apply for a Certificate of No Criminal Record at one of the district branch offices of the exit and entry administration of Beijing Public Security Bureau (PSB). For contact information of the exit and entry administration branch office in each district of Beijing, please visit China’s National Immigration Administration (NIC) and select “Beijing”.
WHO ARE ELIGIBLE?
- Have had residence permits issued from Beijing.
- Have lived in Beijing for 180 days or longer.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS?
- Passport(s)
- Temporary Residence Registration Forms (Optional)
- Power of attorney, if applicable.
PROCESSING TIME?
1 to 3 working days.
SAMPLE CERTIFICATE OF NO CRIMINAL RECORD
STEP 2: Notarization of Certificate of No Criminal Record
WHERE TO APPLY?
After you get the Certificate of No Criminal Record from the police, you need to submit the certificate to a local notary office for notarization and translation. There are multiple notary offices in Beijing that are licensed to notarize Certificates of No Criminal Record for use abroad. For contact information of all the notary offices in Beijing, please visit 12348 Beijing Public Legal Service Website.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS?
- Passport(s)
- Certificate of No Criminal Record
- Power of attorney, if applicable.
PROCESSING TIME?
1 to 2 weeks.