How to Get a Police Clearance Certificate in Zhengzhou as a Foreigner

Section 1: Eligibility Requirements

The Exit-Entry Administration Department of Zhengzhou may directly accept applications for a Certificate of No Criminal Record submitted by foreign nationals who previously resided in any of the six urban districts of Zhengzhou: Zhongyuan District, Erqi District, Jinshui District, Huiji District, Guancheng District, and Shangjie District.

In addition, Zhengzhou administers five county-level cities — Xingyang, Dengfeng, Gongyi, Xinzheng, and Xinmi — as well as one county, Zhongmu County. Therefore, foreign nationals who previously resided in any of these county-level cities or Zhongmu County may, in principle, also submit their applications for a Certificate of No Criminal Record to the Zhengzhou Exit-Entry Administration Department.

However, in practice, Asomerit recommends that foreign applicants who previously resided in these areas contact us in advance, so that we can further confirm the applicable handling requirements with the Zhengzhou Exit-Entry Administration Department.

Under the relevant requirements for applying for a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China, foreign applicants generally need to meet the following basic conditions before applying for a Police Clearance Certificate in Zhengzhou.

Requirement 1: You held a residence permit during your stay in Zhengzhou

You generally need to have held a valid Chinese residence permit during the relevant period of your stay. This may include a work-type residence permit, private affairs residence permit, study residence permit, or other valid residence permit categories.

Please note that a residence permit is different from a Chinese visa. If you only held a Chinese visa and did not obtain a residence permit, you may not be eligible to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate for foreigners, even if you stayed for more than 180 days.

Requirement 2: You should have accumulated more than 180 days of residence in Zhengzhou.

When reviewing your application, the Exit-Entry Administration Department in Zhengzhou may check your entry and exit records to verify your actual period of stay. Even if you previously held a multi-year residence permit, your application may still be rejected if your actual stay in Zhengzhou did not exceed 180 days.

Section 2: Application Process and Documents

Step 1: Apply for the Criminal Record Check with the Zhengzhou Exit-Entry Administration Department

The first step is to submit an application to the Exit-Entry Administration Department of the Zhengzhou Public Security Bureau (PSB) to check whether you have any criminal record during your stay.

If no criminal record is found, the authority will issue a Certificate of No Criminal Record confirming that you had no criminal record during your period of residence.

Required Documents for Applying for the PPC

You will generally need to provide:

1. Scanned copies of all passports and residence permits used during your stay in Zhengzhou;
2. Scanned copy of your current valid passport;
3. A signed power of attorney, which Asomerit will prepare for you;
4. A photo of you holding a signed power of attorney and your valid passport, ensuring both documents are clearly visible.

Processing Time

Approximately 3–5 business days.

Step 2: Notarization of the Police Clearance Certificate

After the Certificate of No Criminal Record is issued, Asomerit will submit the original certificate to a local notary office in Zhengzhou for notarization. The notary office will review the content and authenticity of the certificate and issue a notarial certificate.

Required Documents for Notarization

You will generally need to provide:

1. The original Certificate of No Criminal Record issued by the Exit-Entry Administration Department;
2. A copy of your valid passport;
3. Scanned copies of all passports and residence permits used during your stay in Zhengzhou;
4. A signed power of attorney, which Asomerit will prepare for you;
5. A photo of you holding a signed power of attorney and your valid passport, ensuring both documents are clearly visible.

Processing Time

Approximately 7–9 business days.

Step 3: Apostille, Consular Legalization, or Other Authentication

In most cases, a notarial certificate issued by a Chinese notary office cannot be directly accepted by overseas authorities without further authentication. Therefore, after the notarization is completed, you may also need to apply for Apostille, consular legalization, or other document authentication depending on where the document will be used.

The type of authentication depends on the destination country or region:

• Apostille Convention member countries: Apply for an Apostille;
• Non-Apostille countries: Apply for authentication by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and consular legalization by the relevant embassy or consulate in China;
• Hong Kong or Macau: Apply for a confirmed copy of the notarial certificate;
• Taiwan: Complete document verification through the relevant cross-strait verification procedure.

You may also refer to our related blogs to learn more about how to authenticate China-issued documents for use in different countries and regions.

Processing Time

Approximately 7–9 business days for Apostille, or several weeks for non-Apostille consular legalization.

Section 3: Asomerit Service Fees

Asomerit provides a clear and transparent fee structure for Police Clearance Certificate services in Zhengzhou. We will inform you of the service scope and fees in advance, with no hidden charges.

Our standard Police Clearance Certificate package with Apostille is USD 500. This package includes:

• Eligibility review, document review, and preparation of the power of attorney;
• Translation of overseas application documents into Chinese, if required, such as notarized and authenticated power of attorney documents prepared outside China;
• Government fees and administrative fees;
• Notarization of the Certificate of No Criminal Record and translation of the notarial certificate;
• Apostille fee;
• One-way international courier delivery to your country.

If your document will be used in a non-Apostille country or region, Asomerit will provide a case-by-case quotation based on the requirements and fees of the relevant embassy or consulate in China.

Apply for a Police Clearance Certificate in China with Asomerit

Since its establishment, Asomerit has been committed to providing efficient, reliable, and professional China Police Clearance Certificate application services for foreign clients.

If you need to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate in Zhengzhou, or if you are no longer in China and need assistance with the remote application process, Asomerit can help you review your eligibility, prepare the required documents, complete notarization, and arrange Apostille or consular legalization.

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