Latest update — August 2026: the UAE's good-conduct rule rolls out in three phases: Phase 1 (applies from 16 June 2026) covers 23 nationalities including India and Pakistan; Phase 2 (applies from 15 August 2026) adds 11 more including Bangladesh, the Philippines and Nigeria; Phase 3 (applies from 15 November 2026) adds China, Iran and South Africa. Who is covered, and which visa categories are caught, is explained in our good conduct certificate guide — this page is the practical companion: how to actually get the certificate from the five largest affected countries.
If you need a police clearance certificate (PCC) for a UAE work visa, budget three to six weeks end to end and expect the paperwork to cost far more than the certificate: the document itself runs from roughly AED 7 (Pakistan, PKR 500) to about AED 32 (India, INR 750) — Nigeria's portal fee varies and is confirmed at payment — but the legalisation chain — foreign-ministry attestation at home, UAE-embassy attestation in the issuing country, and a final AED 150 MOFAIC stamp in the UAE — adds several hundred dirhams and most of the waiting. The requirement is administered by the ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates; Dubai's GDRFA runs its own track with similar documentation expectations.
At a Glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Who needs a home-country PCC? | 45 nationalities, phased: 16 Jun 2026, 15 Aug 2026, 15 Nov 2026 |
| Which applications? | New work entry permits (renewals generally exempt; other categories vary — see the parent guide) |
| How fresh must it be? | Issued within roughly 3 months, per common UAE practice |
| Certificate cost | INR 750 (India), PKR 500 (Pakistan), PHP 155 (Philippines), BDT 500 (Bangladesh); Nigeria's POSSAP fee varies — see below |
| Attestation cost | Home MOFA fee + UAE embassy fee + AED 150 MOFAIC in the UAE |
| Is an apostille alone enough? | No — the UAE is not an Apostille Convention party; circulars name UAE-embassy attestation |
| Realistic total time | 3–6 weeks; longer if police verification is reopened |
India: Passport Seva at home, BLS in the UAE
Applying in India
Indian PCCs are issued by Regional Passport Offices through the Passport Seva portal (portal2.passportindia.gov.in). Register, complete the PCC form, pay online and book an appointment at a Passport Seva Kendra (PSK). The fee is INR 750 (about AED 32) under the Passports (Amendment) Rules schedule that applies from 1 July 2026 — the first revision since 2012, so many older guides still quote INR 500. If your current passport already carries a clear police-verification record, the PCC is frequently approved at the PSK visit itself and issued within days; if the RPO orders fresh police verification, allow up to 30 days.
Applying from the UAE
If you are already in the UAE — on a visit visa, cancelling status, or switching employers — apply through BLS International, which fronts consular services for the Consulate General of India in Dubai and the Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Under the revised July 2026 schedule the overseas PCC fee is set at US$40 (roughly AED 147), plus a BLS service charge; verify the exact dirham figure on the BLS UAE fee list before you go, as pre-July listings showed lower amounts. Clean records are commonly reported at two to four weeks; applications referred to India for fresh verification can run six to eight weeks or longer.
Attestation for UAE use
India has been an Apostille Convention member since 2005, but an apostille by itself is not what the UAE circulars ask for. The working chain is MEA attestation in India, then UAE Embassy or Consulate attestation in India, then MOFAIC (AED 150) in the UAE. When a typing centre asks for an "attested PCC", this chain is what they mean — ask them to confirm in writing whether your employer's channel accepts an apostille in place of the embassy step before paying for either.
Pakistan: Khidmat Markaz counters and the consulate route
Applying in Pakistan
Police character certificates are issued at district level. In Punjab, apply at any Police Khidmat Markaz or online via pkm.punjab.gov.pk; Sindh, KPK and Islamabad police operate equivalent counters and portals. The commonly reported fee is PKR 500 (about AED 7); issuance times vary by province, from a few working days at Punjab's counters to two weeks or more elsewhere. Identity is verified against NADRA records, so your CNIC and passport particulars must match exactly — mismatches are the single most common cause of delay.
Applying from the UAE
The Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai and the Embassy in Abu Dhabi take character-certificate applications from overseas Pakistanis: fingerprints are recorded at the mission and the file is forwarded to the home authorities, with the certificate couriered back — commonly reported at around three to four weeks door to door. Bring your NICOP/CNIC, passport and Emirates ID; fees are set per mission, so confirm the current dirham amount with the consulate.
Attestation
Have the certificate attested by MOFA Pakistan (any camp office), then by the UAE Embassy in Islamabad, then MOFAIC in the UAE. Pakistan joined the Apostille Convention in March 2023, but that changes nothing for UAE-bound documents — the UAE is not a member, so the embassy chain stands.
Philippines: NBI clearance, DFA, then the UAE embassy
Applying in the Philippines
Register at clearance.nbi.gov.ph, book an appointment, and pay PHP 130 plus a PHP 25 e-payment charge — PHP 155 total (about AED 10) via GCash, cards, Bayad Center or 7-Eleven. Biometrics are captured at the NBI centre, and if your name raises no "HIT" (a namesake with a record), the clearance is typically released the same day; a HIT adds anywhere from a few days to two weeks for manual verification. Choose the purpose carefully at application — the multi-purpose category is the safe pick for overseas employment paperwork.
Renewing from the UAE (OFWs)
If you hold an NBI clearance issued 2014 or later, you can renew online without appearing in person — commonly reported at around PHP 200 for applicants abroad — and have the new clearance delivered to a Philippine address, where a representative with authorisation can handle the next steps. First-time applicants abroad instead obtain NBI Form No. 5 (fingerprint card) through the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General in Dubai, have prints taken and authenticated, and mail the card to NBI Manila; allow several weeks.
Legalisation
Have the clearance authenticated by the DFA — PHP 100 regular (released in about four to five working days) or PHP 200 expedited (one to two working days). The Philippines has issued apostilles since 2019, but because the UAE is not an Apostille party, the DFA certificate must then be attested by the UAE Embassy in Manila, and finally by MOFAIC in the UAE.
Bangladesh: fully online at pcc.police.gov.bd
Applying in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Police runs a fully online PCC system at pcc.police.gov.bd: create an account with a Bangladeshi mobile number, upload your passport bio page and address documents, and pay the flat BDT 500 government fee (about AED 15) online or by treasury challan. The local police station verifies your recorded address before sign-off; end-to-end times of one to two weeks are commonly reported, but vary with the district workload.
Applying from the UAE
The Consulate General of Bangladesh in Dubai supports expatriates through its designated service centre (Foshwa Global, Karama): submit your original passport with an authorisation letter for attestation at AED 14 per document (plus service-centre charges), a step the consulate quotes at a minimum of three business days. You then apply on the police portal — which still requires an active Bangladeshi mobile number — and your authorised person in Bangladesh receives the certificate and couriers it onward.
Attestation
The certificate needs MOFA Dhaka attestation (Bangladesh has also issued apostilles since 30 March 2025), then UAE Embassy attestation in Dhaka, then MOFAIC in the UAE. As with every country on this page, the apostille is a bonus for other destinations, not a substitute for the UAE-embassy step.
Nigeria: POSSAP and the Force CID
The Nigeria Police Force issues the Police Character Certificate through the POSSAP portal (possap.gov.ng), replacing the old requirement to appear at the Force CID, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos — though biometric capture at a designated police facility is still part of the flow. The processing fee is displayed at payment on the portal and must be paid only through POSSAP — reported figures for international-use clearances vary widely, from around NGN 10,000 to NGN 30,000 or more, so treat any amount an agent quotes with caution. The police quote a minimum of 72 hours' processing once requirements are complete, with 3–7 working days after biometrics commonly reported; budget two to four weeks end to end, as timelines vary by command. From the UAE there is no established consular issuance route, so most applicants work through a relative or agent at home with a signed authorisation; confirm current practice with the Nigerian Embassy in Abu Dhabi before paying any third party. Nigeria is not an Apostille Convention member, so the chain is unambiguous: legalisation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, then the UAE Embassy in Abuja, then MOFAIC in the UAE.
Side-by-side: portals, fees and timelines
| Country | Where to apply | Official fee | Typical days (issue only) | Apostille member? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Passport Seva / PSK; BLS International in the UAE | INR 750 in India; US$40 (~AED 147) at missions | Same week to 30 days | Yes (2005) |
| Pakistan | Police Khidmat Markaz / district police; Pakistani missions in the UAE | PKR 500 (commonly reported) | A few days to 2+ weeks (varies by province) | Yes (2023) |
| Philippines | clearance.nbi.gov.ph; online renewal or Form No. 5 from abroad | PHP 155 (incl. e-payment fee) | Same day; +up to 2 weeks on a HIT | Yes (2019) |
| Bangladesh | pcc.police.gov.bd; consulate-assisted from Dubai | BDT 500 | ~7–15 days (commonly reported) | Yes (2025) |
| Nigeria | possap.gov.ng + biometrics; FCID Alagbon legacy route | Varies — shown at payment on POSSAP | 3–7 days after biometrics | No |
Issue times above exclude attestation. Add one to three weeks for the home MOFA, UAE embassy and MOFAIC steps combined, and courier legs if you are applying from the UAE.
The attestation chain — and the apostille trap
Four of these five countries can apostille documents, which tempts agents into selling you the wrong product. The UAE itself is not listed as a contracting party to the Apostille Convention on the HCCH status table as of August 2026 — despite some guides claiming otherwise — and the ICP-linked circulars for this rule specify attestation by the UAE embassy in the issuing country. Treat an apostille as useful only if you also need the same PCC for a Hague country. The chain that reliably clears UAE processing:
- Obtain the PCC from the issuing authority listed above.
- Have it attested by your home country's foreign ministry (MEA, MOFA Pakistan, DFA, MOFA Dhaka, MFA Abuja).
- Have it attested by the UAE embassy or consulate in the issuing country.
- Complete MOFAIC attestation in the UAE — AED 150 per personal document, usually 0–3 working days.
- Submit it with the new work entry permit while the certificate is under about three months old.
Step-by-step detail, typing-centre wording and fee tables are in our UAE attestation guide.
Timing, validity and what a missing PCC does to your application
UAE channels commonly expect the certificate to be issued within the last three months, and the attestation chain eats two to four of those weeks — so do not order the PCC months before a job search, and do not sit on an issued certificate. The practical sequence: start the home-country application as soon as you are seriously interviewing, run attestation immediately after issue, and keep scanned copies of every stamp. If a work permit is filed without a required PCC, the application is typically returned or rejected rather than held — which burns fees and restarts the queue; see what UAE visa rejection codes mean and track your file via the channels in our visa status guide. Nationals of China, Iran and South Africa face the same requirement from 15 November 2026 under Phase 3 and should follow the same logic with their own issuing authorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a PCC for a UAE visa from India?
Apply on the Passport Seva portal and attend a PSK appointment; the fee is INR 750 from 1 July 2026. If you are already in the UAE, apply through BLS International for the Indian missions at the overseas rate of US$40 (about AED 147) plus service charges. Then complete MEA, UAE-embassy and MOFAIC attestation.
Which NBI clearance category should I choose for a UAE work visa?
Select the multi-purpose category when applying at clearance.nbi.gov.ph. It costs the same PHP 155 (PHP 130 plus PHP 25 e-payment fee) and avoids re-applying if the certificate is needed for more than one transaction.
How much is a police clearance certificate in Pakistan for the UAE?
The commonly reported government fee is PKR 500 at Police Khidmat Markaz counters and district police offices. Issuance times vary by province, from a few working days in Punjab to two weeks or more elsewhere. Attestation by MOFA Pakistan and the UAE Embassy in Islamabad follows.
Can I get my home-country police clearance while already in the UAE?
Usually yes. India runs applications through BLS International; Pakistan's missions take fingerprints and forward files home; the NBI allows online renewal for clearances issued 2014 or later; Bangladesh's Dubai consulate attests your documents so a representative can complete the online application. Nigeria has no established consular route, so most applicants use an authorised person at home.
Is an apostille enough, or do I need UAE embassy attestation?
An apostille alone is not sufficient. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention as of August 2026, and the circulars behind the good-conduct rule specify attestation by the UAE embassy in the issuing country, followed by MOFAIC attestation (AED 150) in the UAE.
How long is a police clearance certificate valid for UAE immigration?
Issuing countries print validities of six months to a year, but UAE practice expects the certificate to have been issued within roughly the last three months at the time of the visa application. Time the application so attestation finishes well inside that window.
How long does the whole process take?
Three to six weeks is realistic: same-day to 30 days for issuance depending on the country and police verification, plus one to three weeks for the attestation chain and couriers. Start before your offer letter is finalised if your nationality is on the list.
Does the PCC requirement apply to visa renewals?
Renewals of existing residence visas generally do not require the certificate; the rule targets new work entry permits. Requirements for other new categories vary by emirate and channel, so check the current position in our good conduct certificate guide before assuming an exemption.
Related reading: start with the good conduct certificate rule and full nationality list, then see the UAE visa guide hub for the entry-permit process, family sponsorship requirements if dependants follow later, and what happens after approval in our Emirates ID guide.
