How much does police clearance certificate cost in the GCC? 2026 fees
The Good Conduct Certificate that Canadian, Australian, UK and GCC employers will all ask for in 2026.
Indicative fees, renewal cycles and the issuing authority for all six Gulf states, plus an honest view of whether this is worth filing yourself.
Police Clearance Certificate fees across the six GCC states
| Country | Known locally as | Issuing authority | Indicative fee | Renewal cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United Arab Emirates | Good Conduct Certificate | Ministry of Interior (UAE) via NESS app, Dubai Police, Abu Dhabi Police | AED 200 resident; AED 300 former resident; AED 150 MOFA UAE attestation | New each time; valid 3 to 6 months |
 Saudi Arabia | Shahadat Husn Sira | Saudi MOI via Absher | SAR 100 issuance + SAR 30 to SAR 60 MOFA attestation | New each time; valid 6 months |
 Qatar | Good Conduct Certificate (PCC) | Ministry of Interior (Qatar) via the Metrash app | QAR 30 issuance + QAR 50 to QAR 200 MOFA | New each time; valid 6 months |
 Bahrain | Good Conduct Certificate (CID) | Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) via bahrain.bh | BHD 11 issuance + BHD 8 MOFA Bahrain | New each time; valid 6 months |
 Oman | Good Conduct Certificate | Royal Oman Police (ROP) via ROP eServices | OMR 10 issuance + OMR 10 to OMR 20 MOFA Oman | New each time; valid 3 to 6 months |
 Kuwait | Good Conduct Certificate | MOI Kuwait, Criminal Evidence Department via Sahel | KD 5 issuance + KD 5 MOFA Kuwait + fingerprinting | New each time; valid 6 months |
Compare the fee and the renewal cycle together
A headline fee on its own is misleading. A lower fee renewed every year can cost more across three years than a higher fee renewed every three. Both columns matter.
What you are paying for
A Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), also called a Good Conduct Certificate, Certificate of Good Standing, or Shahadat Husn Sira, is a one-page extract from the criminal-record database of the country that issued it. It is the single most requested supporting document for skilled-migration visas to Canada (Express Entry, IRCC), Australia (subclass 189, 190, 482, 186), the United Kingdom (Skilled Worker, Health and Care, settlement), New Zealand, Schengen long-stay, the United States (immigrant visas, USCIS), and for almost every cross-border GCC job offer. It is also routinely asked for adoption, marriage to a foreign national, professional registration with overseas regulators (GMC, NMC, ACCA, CPA Canada, AHPRA), and in some cases for opening a bank account at private-wealth tier.
Each GCC country issues its own PCC from its own interior ministry. The UAE issues the Good Conduct Certificate through MOI (moi.gov.ae) and through Abu Dhabi Police, Dubai Police, and Sharjah Police mobile apps; ICP handles the establishment side. Saudi Arabia issues the Shahadat Husn Sira through the MOI on Absher and through Saudi embassies for former residents. Qatar issues the PCC through MOI Qatar with Metrash2 and the dedicated MOI PCC service. Bahrain issues through the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) on bahrain.bh and the eGovernment portal. Oman issues through the Royal Oman Police (ROP) on rop.gov.om and the ROP eServices app. Kuwait issues through the MOI on Sahel and at the Criminal Evidence Department.
The document chain is shorter than full attestation but still has moving parts. You need a clean Emirates ID / Iqama / QID / CPR / Civil ID / Resident Card matched to the passport name, biometrics on file with the issuing police (fingerprints captured during the residence visa stamping for most current residents), the residence visa or sponsor letter if requested, and a passport-size photo. Former residents almost always need fresh fingerprints taken at a local police station and sent to the issuing GCC country by sealed envelope, which adds two to four weeks. Once the PCC is issued, use abroad requires MOFA attestation in the GCC country and a stamp at the destination embassy.
Should you file it yourself, use a typing centre, or use a desk?
We run a paperwork desk, so treat this as coming from an interested party. It still contains the case for not paying us, because for a clean, simple filing that is the right answer.
Do it yourself
- Cost
- Government fee only
- Time
- Your own hours, plus any counter visit
- Best for
- Straightforward cases where every document is valid and the transaction is available in an app or portal.
- Watch out for
- A rejected submission costs you the resubmission and the wait, and the reason is often not explained.
Typing centre
- Cost
- Government fee plus a service fee per transaction
- Time
- One visit, usually same day if documents are complete
- Best for
- Transactions that still need a correctly formatted submission or original document sighting.
- Watch out for
- Service fees vary widely between centres and are rarely quoted separately from the government fee.
A desk like ours
- Cost
- Fixed fee quoted before we start, plus government fees at cost
- Time
- You send documents once and we handle the sequence
- Best for
- Cases already rejected once, sequences spanning several authorities, or deadlines where the fine exceeds the fee.
- Watch out for
- Not worth paying for a clean, simple filing you could complete in an app in ten minutes.
Decided you want it handled?
We file police clearance certificate in all six GCC states
Fixed fee quoted before we start, government fees shown separately at cost. Tell us the country and where you are stuck.
What the process looks like
- 1Confirm the destination's exact requirementCheck whether IRCC, Home Affairs, UKVI, USCIS, or the embassy needs Arabic, English, MOFA attestation, embassy stamp, or a sworn translation.
- 2Apply on the issuing portalUAE MOI / NESS app, Saudi Absher, Qatar Metrash2, Bahrain CID via bahrain.bh, Oman ROP eServices, or Kuwait Sahel.
- 3Pay the feeAED 200, SAR 100, QAR 30, BHD 11, OMR 10, or KD 5; former-resident fees are higher and paid in local or embassy currency.
- 4Give fingerprints if requiredFirst-time applicants, former residents, and Kuwait MOI cases attend a police station or service centre; expect 30 minutes.
- 5Collect the digital or paper PCCDownload the digital PDF with QR verification or collect the paper original within 1 to 14 days.
- 6Stamp at the issuing country MOFAMOFA UAE (AED 150), MOFA Saudi, MOFA Qatar, MOFA Bahrain (BHD 8), MOFA Oman, or MOFA Kuwait.
Traps that differ between countries
- A PCC from one GCC country only certifies your record in that country; Canada, Australia, and the UK require a PCC from every country you have lived in for six months or more after age 18.
- UAE residents need a PCC for every emirate of long-term residence; the federal MOI certificate now covers all emirates but Abu Dhabi Police and Dubai Police still issue local versions on request.
- Saudi former residents must apply through the nearest Saudi embassy and almost always need fresh fingerprints on a local police card sealed in an embassy envelope.
- Qatar requires the PCC application to match the QID name in Arabic; transliteration mismatches between the QID and the passport are the most common rejection cause.
- Bahrain CID accepts only English / Arabic; non-English destination embassies (Germany, France, Spain) need a sworn translation in the destination country, not in Bahrain.
- Oman ROP requires applicants who left more than two years ago to attend the Omani embassy in person for fingerprinting; courier-only requests are rejected.
Who has to pay this
- Skilled-migration applicants for Canada Express Entry, PNP, and Quebec
- Australian visa applicants (subclass 189, 190, 482, 186, 500 over 16)
- UK Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, ILR, and Naturalisation applicants
- US immigrant-visa and USCIS adjustment-of-status applicants
- Schengen long-stay, residence, and family-reunification applicants
- Cross-GCC job movers (UAE to Saudi Arabia, Qatar to UAE, etc.)
What pushes the cost above the headline fee
- Submitting a PCC older than 6 months and being told to apply again
- Forgetting MOFA attestation and being rejected by the destination embassy
- Name spelling mismatch between the passport, the residence visa, and the PCC
- Applying for a UAE PCC under an expired Emirates ID and being unable to authenticate on NESS
- Former Saudi residents trying to apply from outside without an Absher account in good standing
- Missing the IRCC 12-month freshness rule because the GCC issuer's 6-month stamp was honoured
Police Clearance Certificate by country
United Arab EmiratesGood Conduct CertificateSaudi ArabiaShahadat Husn SiraQatarGood Conduct Certificate (PCC)BahrainGood Conduct Certificate (CID)OmanGood Conduct CertificateKuwaitGood Conduct CertificateCosts you will hit at the same time
Guides that go deeper
Frequently asked questions
It varies substantially by country because each state sets its own schedule. United Arab Emirates: AED 200 resident; AED 300 former resident; AED 150 MOFA UAE attestation. Saudi Arabia: SAR 100 issuance + SAR 30 to SAR 60 MOFA attestation. Qatar: QAR 30 issuance + QAR 50 to QAR 200 MOFA. The table on this page lists all six. Treat every figure as indicative and confirm with the issuing authority before paying, since fees change.
Not always, and we would rather say so. If your documents are valid and the transaction is available in an app, file it yourself. Paying a service fee makes sense when a submission has already been rejected without explanation, when several authorities are involved in sequence, or when a deadline fine would exceed the fee.
Comparing headline fees alone is misleading, because renewal cycles differ between states. A lower fee renewed annually can cost more over three years than a higher fee renewed every three. Compare the fee and the renewal cycle together, both of which are in the table on this page.
Because the government fee is only one line. Typing or service centre fees, urgent processing surcharges, delivery, medical tests, insurance and translation are charged separately, and providers bundle them differently. Ask for the government fee and the service fee split out before agreeing to anything.
They are indicative planning figures drawn from the issuing authorities and consistent public sources, and they are dated. Government fees change without much notice and free zone schedules are set independently. Always confirm the current amount with the issuing authority before you pay.
Open the NESS app or visit moi.gov.ae, log in with UAE PASS, choose Good Conduct Certificate, select 'For use outside the UAE', set the destination as Canada, and pay AED 200. The digital PCC arrives in 1 to 2 working days as a PDF with a QR code. For IRCC Express Entry, attach the digital PDF directly; IRCC currently accepts UAE digital PCCs without paper attestation, but if your case officer requests it, take the printout to MOFA UAE (AED 150) and the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi for the consular stamp.
Not directly. The MOI portal and NESS app authenticate against an active Emirates ID and UAE PASS. If your residence visa is still valid but the Emirates ID is in renewal, you can apply through Tasheel or a typing centre with the passport, residence visa, and a print of the Emirates ID application receipt. If both have expired, you must either re-enter and re-stamp residence, or apply as a former resident through the UAE embassy in your current country, which takes 3 to 6 weeks and costs AED 300 plus embassy fees.
Every GCC country accepts former-resident applications through its embassies abroad. UAE: nearest UAE embassy with passport copy, residence-visa copy, and AED 300 fee. Saudi Arabia: Saudi embassy with Absher account plus fingerprints on FBI / RCMP cards. Qatar: MOI Qatar through the Qatari embassy with old QID copy. Bahrain: CID via the Bahraini embassy. Oman: ROP through the Omani embassy with fingerprints. Kuwait: MOI Kuwait via the Kuwaiti embassy with fingerprints. Allow 4 to 8 weeks total.
Yes if the destination country (Canada, Australia, UK, US) asks for a PCC from every country you have lived in for six months or more since age 18. The UAE record stays on file at MOI permanently, so the PCC for an old residence is still issuable through the UAE embassy in your current country. Bring the old Emirates ID number or the passport that held the residence visa; without one of these the search may fail and you will need to file a manual records request.
Want police clearance certificate handled without the counter?
We quote a fixed fee before we start, with government fees shown separately at cost. If your case is simple enough to do yourself, we will tell you that instead.