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A police clearance certificate (PCC) – also called a good conduct certificate – is the document that proves you have no criminal record in the UAE. Employers, immigration authorities and licensing bodies ask for it. It is issued by the police, not by a typing centre, and you can get it online. What trips people up is that there is no single counter: the federal Ministry of Interior and each emirate’s police issue it through their own channels, with different fees. Everything below was checked on official pages on 8 August 2026.
Which channel issues your certificate
| Channel | Who it suits | How |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Interior (federal) | residents anywhere in the UAE | MOI website or the MOI UAE app; fees per its service card vary by nationality, residence and certificate language |
| Dubai Police | certificates for Dubai-related purposes | website, app, Smart Police Stations, call centre 901 |
| Abu Dhabi Police | Abu Dhabi-related purposes | adpolice.gov.ae and TAMM |
Sources: u.ae, Police Clearance Certificate and the police pages linked below, checked 8 August 2026. Ask the body requesting your certificate which issuer it accepts before paying – that single question decides the channel.
Dubai Police fees, the fully published set
| Applicant | Fee |
|---|---|
| UAE citizen | AED 100 |
| UAE resident | AED 200 |
| Applicant outside the UAE | AED 300 (about $88) |
| Knowledge and innovation fee | +AED 20 on every application |
| In-person service centre handling | +AED 100 |
Source: Dubai Police, Good Conduct Certificate service, checked 8 August 2026. Issued within 5 working days; digital channels work 24/7. The MOI federal fee is set in its own service card and differs by nationality, residence and certificate language – the MOI page states the principle but the public pages do not list one universal figure, so this article does not invent one.
Validity, languages and what it says
| Fact | Published answer |
|---|---|
| Validity | 3 months from issuance (Dubai Police) |
| Languages | Arabic or English, chosen at application |
| What it certifies | no criminal precedents recorded against you in the UAE |
| Typical uses | employment, immigration, study, licensing |
Three months is shorter than many foreign immigration timelines. Order the certificate when the requesting body is ready to receive it, not months ahead – an expired PCC is a repeat purchase.
Documents
| Situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| Resident inside the UAE | Emirates ID; apply online, biometrics are already on file (see how the Emirates ID works) |
| Applying from outside the UAE (Dubai Police) | personal photo, passport copy, copy of your previous residence visa |
| Ex-resident via a UAE embassy | fingerprint card taken in your country, attested by the UAE embassy; the UAE Embassy in Washington charges $40.84 per certificate for its part |
Sources: Dubai Police service page and UAE Embassy, certificate of good conduct, both checked 8 August 2026. The ex-resident route exists precisely because you cannot give fingerprints remotely – the attested card replaces them.
If the application stalls
The system checks your record against your Emirates ID file. Where an application does not go through, the usual reasons are an expired Emirates ID, a name mismatch between passport and file, or an unresolved case. A pending case is a legal matter, not a paperwork matter – check first whether anything is recorded against you, starting with a travel ban check, and clear it before reapplying.
Who handles this
From the Emirae directory, measured 8 August 2026.
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Active consultants in the directory | 70 |
| Cover PRO services, the category this sits under | 28 |
| Cover visa and residency | 38 |
A PCC application is a task most people finish alone in the app. Where a consultant earns their fee is the messy versions: applying from abroad, fixing a name mismatch, or bundling the PCC into a visa or licensing file with a deadline.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a UAE police clearance certificate cost?
At Dubai Police: AED 100 for citizens, AED 200 for residents, AED 300 from outside the UAE, plus AED 20 knowledge fee (checked 8 August 2026). The federal MOI fee is set in its service card and varies by nationality, residence and language.
How long does it take?
Dubai Police states up to 5 working days. Digital channels accept applications 24/7.
How long is the certificate valid?
3 months from the date of issuance, per Dubai Police.
Is a good conduct certificate the same as a police clearance certificate?
Yes. UAE government pages use both names for the same document.
Can I get a UAE PCC after leaving the country?
Yes. Apply through Dubai Police as an applicant outside the UAE (AED 300 + 20, with photo, passport copy and previous visa copy) or through a UAE embassy with an attested fingerprint card.
Do I need fingerprints?
Inside the UAE, no fresh capture is normally needed – your biometrics are already on file with your Emirates ID. From abroad, a fingerprint card attested by a UAE embassy replaces them.
Which emirate should issue my certificate?
Ask the body requesting it. The federal MOI channel covers residents UAE-wide; Dubai Police and Abu Dhabi Police issue through their own portals with their own fees.
Can the certificate be in English?
Yes – Arabic or English, chosen when you apply.
Applying from abroad or against a deadline? Describe your case and compare offers from consultants.
Official references used for context in this article.
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