China Police Certificate is also known as China Police Clearance Certificate, Certificate of Character, Good Conduct Certificate, Police Check, Certificate of Clearance, or Criminal History Record Check.
The issuing authority for Shanghai Police Certificate was adjusted from Shanghai Notary Public Office to the Exit and Entry Administration Bureau of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau after the Provisions on “The Investigation of Criminal Records by Public Security Organs” came into effect on 31 December 2021. Policy of China Public Security Ministry
Relatives or friends of expats may request the issuance of China Police Certificate/ Non-Criminal Record on your behalf with a specific written authorization letter.
According to the policy, people have stayed in China for six months or more with long-term visas are eligible to apply for the investigation of a non-criminal record certificate. The application for China Police Certificate should be accepted by the Exit-entry Administration Bureau of the Public Security Bureau in the city of the applicant’s place of residence.
Who needs to apply for Shanghai Police Certificate?
Shanghai Police Certificate is issued by the Shanghai Exit-entry Administration Bureau of the Public Security Bureau to individuals if needed in conjunction with an application for a temporary or permanent residence or student visa, work visa to enter China or any foreign nation such as USA, UK, Canada, Russia, etc.
Who is eligible to apply for a Shanghai Police Certificate?
Individuals are eligible to apply for a China Police Check when they have continuously resided in China for 6 months or longer. This typically includes long-term visas/residence permits holders (e.g., Z Work Visa, X1 Student Visa, J1 Journalist Visa).Those with cumulative 6+ months residency under short-term visas are not eligible to apply.
Key Notes on the 6-Month Requirement:
The duration may be met through accumulated or continuous residence (total 6+ months) under a long-term residence permit.
A short-term visa only allows less than 6 months’ residence, so continuous residence under a short-term visa is usually not possible.
Chinese Visas are categorized into long-term visas and short-term visas.
Long-term Visas
- Work Visa（Z）
- Student Visa（X1）
- Family/Personal Visit Visa（Q1）
- Relatives of Foreigners（S1）
- Journalist Visa（J1）
Short-term Visas
- Tourist Visa（L）
- Student Visa（X2）
- Family/Personal Visit Visa（Q2）
- Relatives of Foreigners（S2）
- Journalist Visa（J2）
- Non-commercial Visit Visa（F）
- Business Visa（M）
- Crew-member Visa（C）
- Transit Visa（G）
How do I get a non-criminal record in Shanghai?
STEP 1: Apply for Shanghai Police Certificate at the Exit and Entry Administration Bureau of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau.
If the applicant lives abroad currently, the required documents checklist is as follows:
▸ Scan copy of current and previous passport photo pages;
▸ Scan copy of current and previous passport pages with Chinese residence permit;
▸ Original Power of Attorney which needs to be legalized by the Chinese Embassy/Consulate.
If the applicant lives in China currently, the required documents checklist is as follows:
▸ Original current passport;
▸ Original previous passport; (If applicable)
▸ Original Power of Attorney.
STEP 2: Apply for Notarial Certificate of Shanghai Non-criminal Record at Shanghai Notary Public Office.
Required documents checklist:
1. Scan copy of current and previous passport photo pages, the pages with China visa, the pages with a Chinese residence permit and the pages with China exit & entry stamps.
(See photo page sample) (See China visa sample) (See residence permit sample)
Applicants from Hongkong, Macau need to provide scan copy of Hongkong/Macau ID card, scan copy of Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents.
Applicants from Taiwan need to provide scan copy of Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents.
2. Scan copy of the registration form of temporary residence (TRRF). （See sample）
3. If the applicant is the family member of the person who possesses a work permit in China, he/she should provide scan copy of birth certificate or scan copy of marriage certificate as proof of kinship.
4. If you are working or ever worked in China, you need to provide scan copy of work permit to apply for China Letter of Good Conduct/Non-Criminal Record Certificate. If you are studying or ever studied in China, you need to provide scan copy of diploma or scan copy of degree to apply for China Letter of Good Conduct /Non-Criminal Record Certificate.
( Sample old version | new version）
5. If you cannot submit documents in person, you need to provide a Power of Attorney (POA) to nominate a representative to apply for China Criminal Background Check /Non-Criminal Record Certificate on your behalf. Sample of POA is as follows:
I, , hereby authorize the following representative to request China Certificate of Clearance and the notarization inside the P.R.C. on my behalf.
6. Questionnaire in an electronic format. Please fill out the questionnaire to send it to info@intrz.com.
Documents Guidelines for a Shanghai Police Certificate Request
Scan requirements
▸ Use a scanner or mobile scanning app (e.g., Cam Scanner).
▸ Minimum resolution: 200 dpi.
▸ Accepted formats: PDF, JPG, PNG.
Email scanned documents to info@intrz.com as attachments.
Processing time for applying for Shanghai Police Certificate
Processing time for applying for Shanghai Police Certificate is 2-3 weeks excluding mailing time.
Cases Shanghai Police Certificate is unobtainable
There are cases in which the Shanghai Police Certificate is unobtainable. You may fail to obtain Shanghai Non-Criminal Record Certificate if:
▸ You have a criminal record in Shanghai.
▸ You stay in Shanghai with a tourist visa, business visa, or study visa (X2) for less than 6 months; Or you didn’t stay in Shanghai for 6 months in a row.
▸ You did not register the registration form for temporary residence during the period of your stay in Shanghai.
Exemption policy of police certificate by country
Canada: If you’re unable to get a police certificate from a country, you’re responsible to show why you can’t get one. To prove that you can’t get a police certificate, you must show proof that you requested a police certificate from the correct authorities and write a letter explaining all the efforts you have taken to get one. Policy of Canada CIC
New Zealand: If you’re unable to get a police certificate from a country, officer may require the applicant to make and provide a separate statutory declaration in both English and the applicant’s language. The statutory declaration must detail the applicant’s attempts to obtain a police certificate, and state whether the applicant and any accompanying family members have been convicted, or found guilty of, or charged with offenses against the law of that country or have not been charged with any offenses against the law of that country; and be corroborated by other information confirming the applicant’s character. Policy of New Zealand Immigration
As Shanghai public security bureau and notary public cannot provide a declaration on unobtainable Shanghai Police Certificate, our company can issue a declaration letter for the applicant to explain why the police certificate is unobtainable.
Apostille or Legalization of Shanghai Police Clearance Certificate
Most countries, such as the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. accept the basic Non-Criminal Record Certificate issued by Notary Public Office.
However, a few countries such as Spain, Italy, France, etc. require that the Police Clearance Certificate need to be apostilled by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Other non-Hague Convention countries such as Thailand, UAE, require the certificate must be legalized by their Embassy/Consulate in China.
China Police certificates and IRCC requirements
A police certificate is required when applying for permanent residence, citizenship, or certain temporary residence programs in Canada. For expats who have resided in China, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will request Chinese police clearance certificate after you submit your Canadian residency application.
How to Apply?
The process to get a China Police Certificate differs by city. You can apply in person or have someone else do it for you (with authorization).
After getting the China Police Check from a Chinese notary public office, you need to submit two things for your Canada residency application: a clear scan of the original “Notarial Certificate of No Criminal Record,” and its official notarized translation.
If criminal record check is unobtainable
If you cannot obtain a No Criminal Record Certificate at all, or if the certificate fails to cover a certain period of your residence in China, you must: Attach a written statement explaining the unobtainable situation or the uncovered period. This statement must include the exact phrase:
I am unable to provide a police certificate covering my complete residency period in China due to [insert reason].
FAQ on Shanghai Police Certificate
You could authorize a third party for the application. You need to provide Power of Attorney legalized by Chinese Embassy/Consulate in Australia to Exit and Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai Public Security Bureau.
Normally, your university should have registered your residence at the police station on your behalf.
Please let us know the campus of the university you have lived, then we can contact the local police station to verify your registration and help retrieve the registration form.
For applying for Shanghai non-criminal background check, one registration form of temporary residence (TRRF) during the period of your stay in Shanghai will suffice.
We can help you obtain a police certificate in following cities in China:
Is the city you are looking for not on the list? Contact us at info@intrz.com to find out if we can help you further.
Our all-encompassing service includes:
1. Apply for a Criminal Background Check on your behalf.
2. Have your document notarized by the Notary Public, Apostilled or authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and legalized by the Foreign Embassy in China.
3. We have helped thousands of clients apply for the notarized certificate. Using our service gives you complete peace of mind and ensures that you get what you need in time you require in a timescale to suit your needs. Our staff are in constant contact with the government department, and as such are fully aware of the steps required to ensure that your application goes smoothly.
Why choose us?
▸ You do not need to apply in person. You just need to send us all scanned documents. We will handle the entire application process for your Police Clearance Certificate/Non-Criminal Record Certificate on your behalf.
▸ If you have residence permit for work, study, or family reunion in China, we can help you apply for the China Police Clearance Certificate/Non-Criminal Record Certificate covering your entire residency period in the country.
▸ We manage every step—including translation, notarization, authentication by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and legalization at foreign embassies or consulates in China—to streamline the process and save you time.
How do I get a Police Certificate from Shanghai?
Follow these steps to apply:
1. Submit Application
Complete the Questionnaire, email the questionnaire along with scanned supporting documents (see Required Documents) to info@intrz.com.
2. Review & Quote
We’ll send you a fee quote and checklist of any additional supporting documents.
3. Sign Agreement
An agreement will be sent to you by email, then you sign and return the service agreement with a down payment to begin processing.
4. Processing & Full Payment
Once the notarized certificate is obtained, you’ll receive a scanned copy of the certificate for review and approval. Pay the remaining balance once you confirm the details.
5. Documents Delivery
The original notarized certificate is couriered to your address (e.g., DHL/FedEx).