Qatar Police Clearance Certificate: How to Obtain the PCC in Qatar?

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Updated January 2024

A Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is a certificate issued by the police authorities of a country to confirm good conduct and the absence of a criminal history of an individual. Most Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, require expats to obtain a PCC before applying for residency.

Keep reading to learn more about the Qatar PCC.

What is Qatar PCC?

In Qatar, a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is a certificate provided for the good conduct and good behaviour of a person who is or has been living in the country, citizens who leave the country, or foreigners who work or live in the country. It gives confirmation of the non-criminal background of the individual within the boundaries of that country.

The Qatari government requires all foreign as well as local citizens to provide a Qatar PCC to apply for residency, migrate to another country, register their marriage, apply for a job, start a business, and more.

The Qatar PCC (Police Clearance Certificate) can be obtained by adults (18+) who have been living in Qatar for 6 months or more and have had their fingerprints recorded in the MOI (Ministry of Interior) system by the Criminal Evidences and Information Department (CEID).

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Qatar PCC required documents

The documents required to obtain a Qatar PCC vary depending on the reason you’re applying for it, your nationality, and where you’re applying from.

Qatar PCC for expats living in Qatar for over 6 months

For expat residents who have been residing in Qatar for over 6 months, the requirements to obtain the PCC are as follows:

• a filled and completed application form
• a valid copy of your passport (current passport and old passport that was used while in Qatar)
• a valid copy of your residence permit
• copy of the fingerprinted document certified or attested by the Qatar Embassy in your country
• addresses of all the places you’ve resided in Qatar and the time period of your stay
• copy of the Qatar ID
• a formal letter addressed to the Director / General of evidence and criminal information that shows the certificate’s purpose
• 2 passport-size photographs (4×6 cm)
• if applicable, a letter from the company
• home country PCC attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qatar (MOFA)

Expats who have left Qatar can obtain the PCC by:

• visiting Qatar with the necessary documents and applying personally
• sending a representative with a power of attorney stating that the person is able to apply on your behalf and the necessary documents
• visiting your nearest Qatar Embassy and the necessary documents
• applying through mail or post to the CEID in Qatar and the necessary documents

Qatar PCC for UPDA exams

The Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA) exam is a mandatory exam for engineers and architects who want to obtain a license to practice in Qatar. One of the prerequisites of the exam is a Qatar PCC, which can be obtained by gathering the following documents:

• a filled and completed application form
• a letter from the Engineers’ Admission Committee
• a valid copy of your passport (current passport and old passport that was used while in Qatar)
• a valid copy of your residence permit
• copy of the fingerprinted document certified or attested by the Qatar Embassy in your country
• addresses of all the places you’ve resided in Qatar and the time period of your stay
• copy of the Qatar ID
• a formal letter addressed to the Director / General of evidence and criminal information that shows the certificate’s purpose
• 2 passport-size photographs (4×6 cm)
• if applicable, a letter from the company
• home country PCC attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qatar (MOFA)

For steps on obtaining the PCC for the UPDA exam, please refer to the MeTrash2 procedure section below.

Qatar PCC for employment

For those residing in Qatar

• a filled and completed application form
• copy of the ID Card
• an offer letter from the employer that is addressed to the Director of CEID
• academic qualification certificate
• if applicable, the previous employer’s no-objection letter
• 2 passport-size photographs (4×6 cm).

For those who have left Qatar

• a filled and completed application form
• an offer letter from the employer that is addressed to the Director of CEID
• a copy of the ID Card
• 2 passport-size photographs (4×6 cm)
• PCC from your country attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other concerned authorities
• if applicable, the previous employer’s no-objection letter.

Qatar PCC for other reasons

To obtain a Qatar PCC for customs clearance, marriage, company establishment, or the license for an independent school, you’ll need documents as prescribed below.

For those residing in Qatar

• a filled and completed application form
• a valid copy of their ID
• 2 photographs (4×6 cm)

For those who have left Qatar

• a filled and completed application form
• a valid copy of their residence permit and a passport
• full addresses of the places you have resigned in Qatar as well as the time period of the stay
• original fingerprints documents certified by your country’s Embassy
• PCC from your country attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other concerned authorities
• sponsor letter from the company
• 2 passport-size photographs (4×6 cm)

Qatar PCC from outside the country

If you’re no longer residing in Qatar but need a Qatar PCC for some reason, you’ll require:

• an original document with the full set of fingerprints, attested by a competent government authority in the applicant’s country
• copies of relevant pages of the applicant’s current passport, as well as the old passport used while in Qatar; make sure that you also have a residence permit, dates of first entry to the country, and the last exit from the country, as well as personal particulars
• 3 recent passport-size photographs (4×6 cm)
• letter explaining the purpose of the certificate
• original Good Conduct Certificate from your local police authority attested by a competent government authority.

Qatar PCC procedure through MeTrash2

You can easily apply for the Qatar PCC digitally via the MeTrash2 app (available on Google Play and App Store both).

• log into your MeTrash2 account. If you’re using the app for the first time, you’ll first have to create a new account
• click on the ‘General Services’ tab on the homepage
• select ‘Police Clearance Certificate’ and then press ‘Request Certificate’
• fill in the data asked therein
• click on ‘Next’ and upload all the necessary documents
• tick the ‘I agree on the validity of data’ box and click on ‘Next’
• make the payment
• submit your application

Qatar PCC processing time

If all the documents required are submitted correctly, then the Qatar PCC is generally issued within 5 to 7 working days.

Qatar PCC status and tracking

To check the status of your Qatar PCC application:

• log in to Metrash2 app.
• click on ‘General Services’ on the homepage and then on ‘Police Clearance Certificate’.
• select ‘Application Follow-up’ and fill in the details asked.
• click on ‘Search’ to check the status of your application.

Qatar PCC validity

The Qatar PCC is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. If you need to use a Qatar PCC post that time period, you’ll be required to apply for a new one.

Qatar PCC collection time

Once your Qatar PCC application is processed, you can collect your certificate from the Criminal Evidences and Information Department (CEID) office anytime between its working hours.

The CEID office remains open from 6 AM to 12 PM from Sunday to Thursday. It is closed on Fridays and Saturdays.

Qatar PCC fee

The fee for Qatar PCC is QAR 10.