Asking the question; do I need to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate? If you are, then there are a few things you need to be aware of, before you start the process of applying for a Police Clearance Certificate.
If you’ve never had to travel overseas, then you’ve probably never even heard about a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), so we’ll start with the basics of what this certificate is, and why it’s so important.
A police clearance certificate is an official document that acts as proof that you have no criminal record against your name, assuring the country you’re traveling to that they won’t be welcoming a criminal into their country.
The SAPS Criminal Records Centre (CRC) in Pretoria, is the only entity that can approve and supply you with a PCC, which is where your application is taken through quite an arduous process, before it can be approved and released to you.
Crime Scene Management Centre is also involved in the process of eliminating your fingerprints from any crime scene that has been processed, but that hasn’t yet confirmed any suspects in a particular case.
If you do have a criminal record, it will reflect on a second page attached to your police clearance certificate, however, it will not contain the details of the crime or crimes committed.
Do I need to apply for Police Clearance Certificate?
If you are going to apply for a visa, whether to study or work abroad, or are planning to emigrate, you will need to produce a valid police clearance certificate.
Should you currently be living overseas and would like to apply for permanent residency or citizenship, you’ll also be required to submit a police clearance certificate.
It’s important to note that a Criminal Record Check is different to a PCC, and won’t be accepted when applying for a visa.
You may find that you need a valid PCC in order to apply for employment locally, due to the fact that many employers are now wanting more than just a CV, when considering any candidate for employment.
You’ll also need to apply for a police clearance certificate if you plan to work with children, mentally or physically disabled people, as well as with elderly frail people.
If you’re going to apply for employment in the security industry, financial institutions or in mining, you’ll also need to produce a valid police clearance certificate before you’ll be considered for employment.
As you can see, a police clearance certificate is the most important document required for all the above-mentioned reasons, however, you need to apply for a police clearance certificate well in advance of when you’ll need it, due to the major backlog being experienced by the Criminal Records Centre.
Contact Doc Assist to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate
Applying for a police clearance certificate on your own will be a frustrating, time-consuming experience, which is why so many clients choose to apply for a PCC through Doc Assist.
As professionals that deal with the CRC on a daily basis, you can rely on Doc Assist to take all the frustration out of applying for a police clearance certificate.
From first contact to the receipt of your police clearance certificate, you’ll have experienced document procurement specialists keeping track of the entire process, and they’ll make sure that your application is registered on the SAPS system, which is a step that’s often missed when you go it alone.
Contact Doc Assist today to find out more about their Police Clearance Services, whether you currently live overseas or are in South Africa; Doc Assist makes applying for a PCC a cinch.