The Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is a document issued by the Bangladesh Police to certify that a person has no criminal records. It is an official document that is issued by police of Bangladesh upon request of an individual. It is an important document for any individual living in Bangladesh who wishes to demonstrate their clean record and good character to authorities in Bangladesh or abroad. Getting a police clearance certificate is easy, and anyone can get it through an online application. This article will cover the necessary steps to get a police clearance certificate online. Who Needs a Police Clearance Certificate? In Bangladesh, there are several situations where individuals may be required to obtain a police clearance certificate. One common scenario is when applying for a job, especially in the government or private sector. Employers often require the certificate to ensure that their employees have a clean record and no history of involvement in illegal activities. Similarly, individuals who plan to study abroad or immigrate to other countries may also be required to provide a clearance certificate as part of the visa application process. Furthermore, those who wish to adopt a child or participate in volunteer work may also need to obtain a PCC. Foreign nationals living or working in Bangladesh may also require PCC to switch a job or move to another country. Overall, the PCC serves as a crucial document to demonstrate an individual's good character and integrity, and it is required for various purposes in Bangladesh and abroad. Read More: e-TIN: Online registration process in Bangladesh How to Apply Online for a Police Clearance Certificate in Bangladesh? Previously, people faced numerous difficulties, including wasting a huge amount of time to obtain their police clearance certificate. However, with the right knowledge of the online application process, the applicant can now easily acquire a certificate. To achieve this, the applicant needs to collect the necessary documents and get familiarized with the regulations for the online application. Let us now look into the procedure for obtaining a police clearance certificate. Conditions for Obtaining Police Clearance Certificate Applicants must have a passport with at least 3 months of validity. The Police Clearance Certificate can only be obtained by the candidate if both of their current and permanent addresses are within the boundaries of Bangladesh Police. This includes any Metropolitan Police or District Police jurisdiction. However, a Bangladeshi citizen living abroad can also get PCC. In the case of Machine Readable Passport (MRP), if the address is not mentioned in the passport, then the photocopy of the National Identity Card/Birth Registration Certificate/Local Ward Councilor Certificate must be submitted as proof of address. The copy should be attested by the Government Gazetted 1st class officer. Read More: Smart NID Card in Bangladesh: Online Application Process, Documents Needed, Fees When a Bangladeshi passport holder staying abroad wants to obtain a police clearance certificate, a copy of the information page of his or her passport attested by the Bangladesh Embassy/High Commission (in the country where he or she is currently staying) should be submitted along with the application made on his or her behalf. If the applicant is attempting to apply for police verification with a previously used passport number, the application will be rejected. Additionally, even if the applicant has a draft copy of a previous application, it will not be accepted. To avoid such situations, the applicant needs to delete the previous draft application and submit a new one. If the applicant requires assistance, he or she can contact the Police Helpline. Contact Number: 01320001824, 01320001825 (Sunday to Thursday, 9 am to 4 pm except for Public Holidays). Read More: How to Get E-Passport in Bangladesh: Things you need to know Any Bangladeshi citizen going abroad or expatriate who has issued/re-issued passports from any country other than Bangladesh needs to upload a scanned copy of the page containing the latest arrival stamp with the application if he or she wants to obtain police clearance after arriving in Bangladesh. Non-resident Bangladeshi applicants need to upload an authorization letter with the application stating the name and National Identity Card number of the person through whom they wish to collect the Police Clearance Certificate. If the applicant is local, the permission letter must still be submitted to the collector at the time of acceptance of the certificate. If a Bangladeshi citizen needs a police clearance for employment or any other work within Bangladesh, the individual can collect it from the district DSB office of the district where he or she lives. If the applicant’s address is in the metropolitan area, he or she needs to contact the city SB office of the metropolitan area. Read More: How to Obtain an International Automobile Driving License from Bangladesh? Required Documents The applicant will need to submit a properly completed application form through the Bangladesh Police’s website. Scan copy of the information page of the passport attested by 1st class gazetted officers is required. Bangladeshi citizens living outside their country must upload the scanned attested copy of the passport information page. The passport information page needs to be attested by the Bangladesh Embassy in the relevant country. In the case of foreign nationals, the scanned copy of the information page of the passport needs to be attested by the Justice of the Peace of their country. Read More: How to Get a Trade License in Bangladesh? Step-by-Step Guide to Apply Online for Police Clearance Certificate Bangladeshi citizens going abroad or living abroad can apply online from anywhere in the country or outside the country using the internet at https://pcc.police.gov.bd/ or by visiting the Bangladesh Police website (http://www.police.gov.bd/) and clicking on the Online Police Clearance located on the left side. The application can be made on a computer or mobile phone, and upload the necessary documents and government fee payment challan along with the application. The applicant does not require to visit the police station in person. The first step of the application form is to fill in personal details; the second step is to fill in the current and permanent address. The third step is to upload scanned copies of the required documents. Filled all the information can be seen in the fourth step. If there is any mistake in the application, it can be corrected by going through the previous steps. However, after the submission of the application in the fourth stage, there will be no chance of correction. In the fifth step of the application form, the applicant can see the payment option. Pay the Fee It takes Tk 500 (source: Bangladesh Police, retrieved March 18, 2023) to get police clearance. Tk 500 should be deposited in favor of the Bangladesh Government through treasury challan from any branch of Bangladesh Bank/Sonali Bank (code 1-7301-0001-2681). Those who are not willing to go to the bank and stand in line to submit the challan fee for PCC can submit the challan fee of Tk online through different online methods. Read More: E-Passport for Children in Bangladesh: Application process, necessary documents There will be some instructions on how to pay the fee through challan and what to do next. Follow those instructions. The application reference number must be written on the original copy of the invoice before uploading it. Otherwise, the authority will not accept the payment and the application will be rejected. Get an Update on the PCC Application To know the latest status of the application, the applicant can send a text message to 26969 from any mobile with PCC S (PCC S XXXXXXXXX) followed by his or her application reference number. The applicant will get the latest status of his or her application on a return SMS. Receiving the Police Clearance Certificate After the police clearance certificate is signed by the officer-in-charge of the police station, countersigned by the Superintendent of Police or Deputy Commissioner of Police, and verified by the Ministry of External Affairs, the applicant can personally collect it from the One Stop Service Counter of the Office of the District Superintendent of Police or Metropolitan Police Commissioner. If the applicant wants to receive it by courier or post, he or she can specify it during the time of application. In that case, the applicant can get the certificate at home, subject to payment of postage or courier fee. Receiving the certificate will not take more than 7 working days within Dhaka and 10 working days outside Dhaka after submission of the application. Read More: Bangladesh E-passport Error Correction Process Verify the PCC A QR code is printed in case of an online police clearance certificate. Scanning the code using a QR code scanner application from any smartphone will provide an online link to the issued certificate. Visiting the link using any internet browser will display an exact digital copy of the issued certificate. As a result, there will be no possibility of a counterfeit police clearance certificate being issued, and any foreign mission can verify it online. How Does the Police Investigate? Usually, the candidate does not need to go to the police station. The Investigating Police Officer will go to the candidate's address for investigation. However, the original copies of all the submitted documents must be provided if requested by the investigating police officer. If a candidate faces any form of harassment to get police clearance, they can file a complaint with either the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters and Administration) of the related metropolitan area or the Superintendent of Police of the relevant district in the event that the region is not metropolitan. Read More: Get Digital Birth Certificate (English) in Bangladesh: Process, documents, frees How Long Does the Police Clearance Certificate Remain Valid? The validity depends on the authority or the country one is applying for. Depending on that, one may use the PCC within 30 days to 6 months. One can apply again for a new police clearance certificate, once the previous PCC has expired. Final Words Applying online for a police clearance certificate in Bangladesh is a convenient and efficient process that saves time and effort. With the use of modern technology and the internet, applicants can now apply for a police clearance certificate from anywhere in the world, as long as they have access to the necessary documents and a reliable internet connection. It is important to ensure that all required documents and information are accurate and up-to-date before submitting the application, as any errors or discrepancies can result in delays or rejection of the application. By following the step-by-step guidelines provided in this article, applicants can complete the online application process smoothly and obtain their police clearance certificate in a timely manner. Read More: SSC, HSC Certificate Information Change or Correction Process in Bangladesh