How to Get a Police Certificate - Pakistan

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 Character Certificate or 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 are a citizen of Pakistan

If you live in Pakistan

There are similar, but different, procedures for different provinces of Pakistan.

  • Islambad
  • Sindh
  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    • These agencies and tribal areas of the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) have been merged in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province:
      • Khyber
      • Mohmand
      • Bajaur
      • Orakzai
      • Kurram
      • North Waziristan
      • South Waziristan
  • Balochistan
  • Punjab
    • The Punjab province has introduced separate facilitation offices, Police Khidmat Markaz (PKM), for the public.
      • This service is available in all 36 districts of the province, including multiple offices in major metropolitan cities like Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.
    • You can now apply for a Character Certificate from any center all over Punjab. You don’t need to apply from the district for which a character certificate is required.
      • For example, if you’re currently living in Lahore and previously lived in Rawalpindi, you can apply for a Character Certificate directly from the PKM in Lahore.

In-person processing is only done in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. You may need to visit the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) office.

After processing, a certificate:

  • will be delivered to your mailing address via courier, or
  • can be collected from the same office you applied at.

If you live outside of Pakistan:

Contact your nearest Embassy or Consulate of Pakistan for assistance. You should bring:

  • A completed  application form (PDF, 0.6 MB)
  • Certified copies of your passport, including all the pages showing your legal stay
  • Certified copy of your National Identity Card
  • 3 passport-size photographs
  • Applicable fees

In some cases, a relative who lives in Pakistan can apply on your behalf. They need all of the above items and they need:

If you are not a citizen of Pakistan:

If you live in Pakistan:

Apply directly at the local district office of the Senior Superintendent of Police of the Police Security Branch. You may need to present:

  • A completed  application form (PDF, 0.6 MB)
  • Certified photocopies of your passport, including all the pages showing your legal stay
  • Certified photocopy of your national identity card (if applicable)
  • 3 passport-size photographs
  • Applicable fees

If you live outside of Pakistan:

Apply at your nearest Embassy or Consulate for Pakistan. You may need:

  • A completed  application form (PDF, 0.6 MB)
  • Certified photocopies of your passport, including all the pages showing your legal stay in Pakistan
  • Certified photocopy of your national identity card (if applicable)
  • 3 passport-size photographs
  • Applicable fees

Special considerations

Note: The Canadian High Commission in Islamabad cannot help you get a police certificate.

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