Issued online by MOI federally and Dubai Police in Dubai — and the 2018 rule demanding certificates from incoming workers has been suspended since 1 April 2018.
Overview
The UAE's criminal-record document is the Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), also called the Good Conduct Certificate — proof that the holder is not accused and has no criminal precedents in the UAE. It is issued by police authorities across the emirates: federally through the Ministry of Interior's website and MOI UAE app, and in Dubai through the Dubai Police website, app and Smart Police Stations. Certificates are available in Arabic or English, to current residents (Emirates ID required) and to former residents applying from abroad, who must supply a fingerprint card taken by their local police and attested by the UAE embassy there, plus passport copies showing their old UAE visas. Fees differ according to language, nationality and place of residence — check the current service card. In the other direction, the UAE briefly required incoming workers to present home-country good-conduct certificates (introduced 4 February 2018) but suspended the rule from 1 April 2018, and it has not returned as a blanket requirement. Verified against u.ae, moi.gov.ae and dubaipolice.gov.ae as of June 2026.
Getting a UAE PCC — Current Residents
- Federal channel (MOI): Apply online through the Ministry of Interior's website (moi.gov.ae) or the MOI UAE smartphone app, or in person at MOI service centres — fill the form, pay electronically, receive the certificate.
- Dubai channel: For Dubai-based records, apply through the Dubai Police website (dubaipolice.gov.ae), the Dubai Police app, or at Smart Police Stations (SPS) — the 24/7 unstaffed stations — and drive-through centres.
- Emirates ID required: Resident applications run off your Emirates ID; have it (and UAE PASS login) ready before you start.
- Language: The certificate can be issued in Arabic or English — choose based on where it is going; many foreign immigration authorities accept the English version directly, while UAE-internal uses may want Arabic.
- Purpose-built document: The certificate is issued for a stated purpose — work, study, immigration, licensing — and the receiving body is named in the request, so apply per use rather than stockpiling one certificate for everything.
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See Paid Plans →Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a UAE police clearance certificate while living in the UAE?
Apply online: federally through the Ministry of Interior's website or the MOI UAE app (App Store/Google Play), or — for Dubai — through the Dubai Police website, app, or a Smart Police Station. You'll need your Emirates ID, a photo, the purpose of the certificate and electronic payment; the certificate issues in Arabic or English as requested. In-person service exists at MOI service centres and Dubai's smart/drive-through stations if you prefer. Fees differ according to language, nationality and place of residence, so check the live service card rather than relying on quoted figures. Apply shortly before you need it — Dubai Police certificates are valid for three months.
I left the UAE years ago and now need a UAE PCC for another country's immigration — what's the process?
The service remains available to former residents. First get a fingerprint card from the police in your current country of residence, then have that card attested by the UAE embassy or consulate there — this attestation is mandatory. Apply through the MOI online channel (or Dubai Police if your record is Dubai-based) with the attested fingerprint card, passport copies including the pages showing your previous UAE residence visas, and a recent photo, paying the overseas-applicant fee. Budget several weeks for fingerprinting, embassy attestation and processing combined, and time it against your destination's freshness rules since the certificate ages from issue.
Do I need a police certificate from my home country to get a UAE work visa?
As a blanket rule, no. The requirement to present a home-country good-conduct certificate for new employment visas was introduced on 4 February 2018 and suspended from 1 April 2018 'until further notice' after it disrupted visa processing; it has not returned as a general requirement. However, specific programmes, free zones, security-sensitive roles and case-by-case reviews can still request one — and if asked, it must come through the full legalisation chain (your home authority, the UAE embassy in your country, then MOFAIC at AED 150) with a Ministry of Justice-licensed Arabic translation where required. Wait for a checklist to name it before spending on attestation.
What does the UAE certificate actually say, and what stops me getting one?
It certifies that you are not accused and have no criminal precedents in the UAE — it is a statement about your UAE record only, not a worldwide check. Issuance is blocked by pending criminal cases, active investigations and unresolved records: police authorities verify your file before issuing, and an open case (including unresolved financial cases, which Dubai Police lets you check online) must be closed or adjudicated first. If you suspect a legacy issue — an old bounced-cheque case, an absconding report from a former employer — investigate and resolve it before applying, because a refused PCC application doesn't clean the record, only resolving the underlying case does.
My destination country wants my UAE PCC 'legalised' — how does that work if the UAE has no apostille?
Correct — the UAE is not a Hague Apostille Convention party, so no apostille exists for UAE documents. The chain is: obtain the PCC, have it attested by MOFAIC (AED 150 per personal document, applied digitally via mofa.gov.ae or the UAEMOFA app), then have the destination country's embassy or consulate in the UAE complete its own legalisation. If the destination wants a translation, use a certified translator acceptable to that country. Watch the clock: with Dubai Police certificates valid three months from issue, run the attestation steps immediately after issuance so the certificate is still fresh when filed.
Which authority should I use — MOI or Dubai Police — and does it matter?
Both are official. The Ministry of Interior channel is the federal service covering the UAE-wide record and is the default for most purposes; Dubai Police issues certificates through Dubai's own systems and is the natural channel for people whose UAE history is Dubai-based or who want Smart Police Station convenience. Receiving authorities abroad generally just ask for a 'UAE police clearance certificate' and accept either. Practical tiebreakers: where you live now, which app you already have UAE PASS-linked, fee differences for your category, and — for former residents — where your residence visas were sponsored, since that's where your record sits.