Guide · updated 16.10.2026 · 8 min read · Lucent Legal team

Police Clearance Certificate in Dubai: how to apply in the UAE or from abroad

Dubai Police issues the Police Clearance Certificate, also called the Good Conduct Certificate, online. You can apply after you have left the UAE. Below are the steps, fees and timelines from the official Dubai Police service page.

Who asks for it

Employers, foreign immigration services and UAE authorities ask for it. The u.ae portal, for example, lists a UAE good conduct certificate as a condition for a foreign groom marrying under Sharia law.

Ask the receiving party what they need before you pay. Check the language, whether they accept an electronic copy, and whether they want attestation.

Who can apply

The Dubai Police service page lists four groups:

• UAE citizens;
• residents;
• visitors;
• people outside the UAE who have entered the country before.

Dubai Police turns down two kinds of applicant: anyone wanted by an authority, and anyone whose criminal record prevents issuance.

How to apply in the Dubai Police app

The app and the website follow the same steps:

1. Open the Dubai Police app (iOS or Android) or dubaipolice.gov.ae. Find Police Clearance Certificate under certificates.
2. Fill in the form with your Emirates ID number or unified number (UID).
3. Attach documents. From abroad: a personal photo, a passport copy and a copy of your previous residence visa or entry visa.
4. Pay by Visa or Mastercard. Service centres also take cash or debit cards.
5. You get a transaction number by SMS and email. Use it to track the request.
6. The certificate and receipt arrive by email.

No smartphone? Call 901 or use a smart police station. Applying through a service centre costs AED 100 more.

How much the certificate costs

Fees from the official Dubai Police page, October 2026:

A resident applying online pays AED 220 in total. Dubai Police keeps the fee if it refuses the certificate. Check the amount on the payment screen, since fees change.

Processing time and validity

Dubai Police processes the certificate in 5 working days. It stays valid for 3 months from the issue date. An older version of the page said one month. If the receiving party wants a recent certificate, follow their rule.

Plan time for attestation too. MOFA digital attestation inside the UAE usually takes 1 working day with a complete file. The consulate stage takes from a few days to 2–3 weeks.

Applying after you left the UAE

You can apply from any country if you meet two conditions.

First, you must have entered the UAE before. Dubai Police checks your records from your stay.

Second, fingerprints. If you never had an Emirates ID or your ten-print record is missing, send a fingerprint card certified by the UAE embassy in your country. If you are in the UAE without an Emirates ID, go in person to Al Qusais, Ports, Al Rashidiya or Jebel Ali police station.

Documents: a personal photo, a passport copy and a copy of your previous visa. Add your Emirates ID number or UID if you had one.

Other emirates and MOI

The Ministry of Interior (MOI) issues its own clear criminal record certificate through moi.gov.ae and the UAE MOI app. MOI also runs a separate service to authenticate the certificate for use abroad.

We could not open the MOI fee page, so we don't quote MOI fees here. If you lived in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or another emirate, ask the receiving party which certificate they accept, then check the terms in the UAE MOI app.

If you have a case

An open case or a wanted status blocks the certificate, and Dubai Police keeps the fee. Check yourself first:

• How to check if you have a case in the UAE: the free Dubai Police "Criminal Status of Financial Cases" service, by Emirates ID.
• How to check a case by passport: for when you have no Emirates ID or lost it.

If a case shows up, close it before you apply. Sometimes that means reconciliation or paying a cheque debt, sometimes a verdict and serving the sentence. The full path is in our UAE criminal law guide.

An old conviction is a matter for a separate rehabilitation procedure. The waiting period depends on the sentence; an advocate works it out from the law.

Attestation for Russia and other countries

The UAE is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention. For Russia you need consular legalisation:

1. MOFA (UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Digital attestation. Our fee review puts a personal document at about AED 150.
2. The destination country's consulate in the UAE. For Russia, the Consulate General in Dubai adds the final stamp.
3. Translation. Done at the consulate or by a notary in the home country. Ask the receiving authority which one it accepts.

The full route and timelines are in our UAE document legalisation guide.

When you need a lawyer

You can get a standard certificate yourself in the app. Get help if Dubai Police refuses it, an old case turns up, or you need the certificate for a visa on a deadline.

Lucent Legal is a management consultancy (DET licence No. 1192929). We check case status, prepare documents and negotiate. At the prosecution and in court, a UAE-licensed advocate we work with represents you.

Topic: UAE Criminal Law 2026

Get a lawyer's help: Criminal lawyer

This material is for information only and is not legal advice. UAE law changes — a lawyer will assess how it applies to your situation.