Police clearance certificates: requesting, translating and timing the lodgement
Quick answer
A police clearance certificate is issued by the police authority of each country you have lived in, then translated into English by a certified translator. Timing matters most: receiving bodies generally accept certificates issued within a stated window, so request the certificate once your lodgement plan is firm and send it for translation as soon as it arrives.
Police certificates are usually ordered either too early or too late. Too early and the issue date sits far outside the window the receiving body accepts. Too late and the file misses its deadline. This article sets out a workable order, from assembling the application to the extra certification some cases need.
What to prepare
- Passport photo page
- National identity document, or the equivalent in the issuing country
- Proof of address or household registration, where the issuing authority requires it
- Fingerprint forms on the issuing authority's template, where required
- A power of attorney if someone else lodges the request for you
How the process runs
- 1Establish which countries you need certificates from — Receiving bodies usually look at residence history. If you have lived in several countries beyond the stated period, a certificate may be needed from each. Check the published conditions before starting.
- 2Assemble the full request before attending — Gather identity documents, address evidence and the issuer's forms so you do not have to make a second trip.
- 3Send it for translation the day it arrives — Provide a colour scan of both sides, with the seal and document number clearly legible, so the certified translation is issued as soon as possible after the issue date.
- 4Check whether further certification is needed — Some cases require legalisation by a domestic authority or an embassy. Confirm this first so the steps run in the right order rather than being repeated.
- 5Lodge inside the accepted window — Assemble the set and lodge within the published window, keeping a copy of the translation for reference.
Dates matter more than people expect
Many receiving bodies state how recently a police certificate must have been issued. That window varies by application type and by the guidance in force at the time, so check the responsible authority's own page before ordering.
In practice, set the target lodgement date first and count backwards to the request date, allowing time for translation and for any further certification.
Translate the whole document, including the reverse
Police certificates often carry qualifying wording, seals and a statement describing the scope of the check on the back or at the foot of the page. Those elements belong in the translation, because they define how the certificate should be read.
Where several countries are involved
Send certificates from all countries together so names, dates and authority titles are rendered consistently, and so the coverage periods can be seen to be continuous rather than leaving gaps.
Things to watch
- Do not order the certificate far ahead of the lodgement date.
- Do not scan only the front where wording or a seal appears on the reverse.
- Do not skip further certification where the receiving body requires it.
- Do not reuse an old translation when a fresh certificate has been issued.
- Always confirm the accepted window on the receiving body's own website.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a police certificate valid?
The certificate itself does not carry an expiry date. The receiving body sets the window it will accept, and that window varies by application type, so check its published guidance before lodging.
Should the document be translated or legalised first?
The order depends on the receiving body's requirements. Some cases require the original to be legalised first so the translation can cover the added seals. Doing it the other way round means translating twice.
Can someone request the certificate on my behalf?
Many authorities allow a representative with a completed authority form and identity documents for both parties. Confirm the conditions with the issuing authority first.
My certificate is already in English — do I still need a translation?
If the issuing authority produced the whole document in English, a translation is usually unnecessary. Where seals or parts of the text are in another language, those parts still need translating.
Can you plan the whole sequence with me?
Send your target lodgement date and the countries you have lived in on LINE, and we will map the request, translation and any legalisation steps against the receiving body's window.
Let our team handle the whole set
We work as an adviser as well as a translation provider. Send your scans and the receiving body's checklist on LINE and we will review the set, map the order of every step, and tell you what still needs to be obtained before anything is lodged.
Ask us on LINE @NAATIRelated services
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Content reviewed August 2026. This article describes general process and is not legal or migration advice. Confirm current requirements with the receiving body.