Police Clearance Certificates (PCC) are vital documents that are required if you are applying for a visa or if you’re planning on immigrating, and, based on current backlogs at the SAPS Criminal Record Centre (CRC), it’s essential to keep on your toes when it comes to planning any overseas trips.
Police clearance certificates prove to a host country you’re planning on traveling to or moving to, that you don’t have a criminal record, and that you don’t have any pending criminal charges against your name.
Police clearance certificates are becoming a vital part of life today, when a large percentage of employers insist on job seekers being able to provide proof that they have a clean record; in a sense it offers assurance to an employer that you have a record of good conduct, so to speak.
In the past, it was only in positions of trust and in businesses that had a high level of security that a PCC was a requirement for those seeking employment, however, with the failure of the economy and increase in crime levels, being able to provide a PCC has become a norm.
How to obtain Police Clearance Certificates in South Africa?
There are two routes you can take to obtain a PCC in South Africa, namely;
Via the South African Police Services
Since the general public is not allowed to deal directly with the CRC in Pretoria, the first step in obtaining a police clearance certificate is to apply at the closest police station.
Bear in mind that your local police station won’t be sending your application to the CRC until they have sufficient applications to fill their bag, which is where a lot of time can be lost in the process.
Once your fingerprints are taken, they’ll be attached to your application form, along with your ID or passport, at which time you’ll need to make sure that you get a reference number you can use to follow up on your application.
It’s important to make sure that all the information on your application form is 100% correct; any mistakes could result in having to start the whole process from the beginning again.
Following up on your application will be time-consuming due to the huge backlog of police clearance certificates currently being experienced at the CRC, which seems set to continue for the foreseeable future.
Via Doc Assist
Applying for a police clearance certificate via Doc Assist means having all the frustration taken out of the entire process! This team of document procurement specialists carries the ball for you, from start to finish.
All you need to do when applying for your PCC with the assistance of Doc Assist, is to supply them with your fingerprints, 2 copies of your ID or passport.
In addition to this, you’ll need to supply them with the name of the country in which the PCC will be used, along with your marriage certificate, if you’d like both your maiden and married surname to reflect on the certificate.
That’s it! This team submits applications for police clearance certificates on a daily basis and they’ll do the following up on your behalf throughout. Once Doc Assist receives the PCC, they’ll email you a copy for your approval, and once approved, it’ll be couriered right to your doorstep!
Contact Doc Assist today to find out more about how they can take the frustration out of applying for a PCC, whether you currently reside in South Africa or overseas.
