Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi revises requirements for police clearance for Indian expats

Abu Dhabi: The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi on Thursday announced that it will stop asking for clearance from local police in the UAE to issue a police clearance certificate from India through its service provider BLS International.

“Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi no longer requires local Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) for the issuance of Indian PCC from Indian service seekers with an intention to simplify various procedures related to Consular matters pertaining to Indian expatriates living in the UAE,” the mission stated.

“Accordingly, any Indian service seeker, who requires an Indian PCC can approach BLS International, Embassy’s outsourced service provider, without the need for a local PCC,” it said.

The mission clarified that the move is intended to help Indian service seekers to save money and time especially during the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Indian PCC is issued to Indian passport holders in case they have applied for residential status, employment or long term visa or for immigration.

In the UAE, expats generally seek PCC from India for employment depending on the requirements set by their employers, an official told Gulf News.

Indian expats looking to relocate to a third country, especially in the West, also require police clearance certificate from the home country, he said.

“For Indian PCC, earlier expats had to mandatorily get local PCC as well. If it is in Arabic, they also have to get legal translation done. It involves extra money and time. With the removal of this clause applicants can save both,” the official explained.

PCC is not issued to persons visiting the UAE on tourist visa.