How to get a police certificate – Cameroon

If you need to give your fingerprints for a police certificate, this isn’t the same as giving your biometrics (fingerprints and photo) for an application.

Name of the document you need

  • Police Clearance Certificate

We only accept a Police clearance certificate issued by the Judicial Police in Yaoundé.

To get a police certificate in Cameroon, the Cameroonian authorities require that you must first get a Bulletin No 3.

  • A Bulletin No. 3 is not a Police Clearance Certificate.

Police certificate and IRCC requirements

You must provide a police certificate when you apply for:

  • permanent residence
  • citizenship
  • some temporary residence programs

Check your application package or instructions for details.

How to apply

If you live in Cameroon

Step 1: You must first apply for a Bulletin No. 3

Where to apply

Apply for a Bulletin No. 3 from the Ministry of Justice in Yaoundé if you:

  • are a foreign national
  • were born in the English-speaking zone, or
  • were born in the northern regions of Cameroon (Adamaoua, North and Extreme North)

Apply at the trial court of the jurisdiction where you were born in Cameroon if you were born in any other region of the country.

Step 2: Apply for a Police clearance certificate

Once you have obtained the Bulletin No 3, apply for a Police clearance certificate from the Directorate of the Judicial Police (PJ Elig-Essono) located in Yaoundé.

If you live outside Cameroon

If you’re a Cameroonian living abroad send your original birth certificate along with a power of attorney to someone living in Cameroon who can apply on your behalf by following the steps for someone living in Cameroon.

Foreign nationals not living in Cameroon must apply at the nearest Cameroon embassy.

Contact information

For more information, visit the Ministry of Justice of Cameroon.

Page details

2026-01-19