Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs) are now required for certain immigration applications for the UAE, with requirements varying depending on the applicant’s nationality, immigration status and the authority processing the application.
While the requirements are not currently uniform across the UAE, PCC requirements are being applied across Mainland and Free Zone jurisdictions. Employers should therefore assess PCC requirements at the outset of the immigration process and allow sufficient time for the document to be obtained and, where required, legalized.
Certificate validity
All PCCs should be valid for at least three months (90 days) before the immigration application is submitted. Employers and applicants should therefore factor the validity period into their immigration planning, particularly where the PCC must first be obtained and legalized before submission.
Document requirements by immigration status
The type of PCC required may depend on the applicant’s immigration status and whether the application is being submitted from inside or outside the UAE.
| Documents requirements by immigration status | ||
| Application submission route | Requirements | |
| Inside the UAE – Cancelled
UAE residence permit | UAE PCC issued by Dubai Police or Ministry of Interior | |
| Inside the UAE – Visit Visa /
Visa on Arrival | PCC issued by the applicant’s home country, followed by
legalization at the jurisdictional UAE embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in the UAE | |
| Outside the UAE | ||
Examples of jurisdiction-specific requirements
Several UAE immigration jurisdictions have introduced PCC requirements for applicants of certain nationalities. The table below provides examples of nationalities currently subject to PCC requirements across different UAE jurisdictions.
| PCC requirements overview | |
| Immigration authority | Nationalities currently subject to PCC requirement |
| Free Zone jurisdictions in Dubai such as Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), and Dubai Development Authority (DDA) | The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Morocco,
Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Syria, Tonga and Uganda |
| Free Zone jurisdictions in
Abu Dhabi such as Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and Twofour54 | Afghanistan, Algeria, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Cuba,
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, Syria, The Gambia, and Tonga |
| Mainland | Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iraq, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe |
The requirements outlined above reflect the current position and are provided as examples of how PCC requirements are being applied across different UAE immigration jurisdictions. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list.
As immigration requirements continue to evolve, the nationalities subject to PCC requirements and the supporting documentation required may change. Employers should therefore confirm the applicable requirements before applying to help minimize the risk of processing delays, requests for additional documentation or application refusal.
The evolving PCC requirements mean that documentary requirements should be assessed early in the immigration process, particularly for employees who may be subject to nationality-specific requirements.
To help minimize delays, employers should:
Early consideration of these requirements can help ensure that the correct PCC and supporting documentation are obtained, appropriately legalized and valid at the time of submission, helping to avoid unnecessary delays to the immigration process.
At Vialto, we support organizations in navigating evolving UAE immigration requirements and managing the associated documentation requirements for their workforce. Our support includes:
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Anir Chatterji
EMEA Immigration Partner
Rekha Simpson
Director, Middle East Immigration
Nasrine Abdi
Manager, Middle East Immigration
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