💡 Quick Summary
Police Clearance Certificate from Royal Thai Police, price on request fee, 2-4 weeks. Need translation+Notary+Apostille/Consular, add price on request.
What is a Police Clearance Certificate?
Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) or CID Certificate is issued by the Criminal Records Division, Royal Thai Police, confirming whether a person has criminal records in Thailand. Required for: overseas work visa; PR applications; immigration; employment requiring background checks; foreign professional license applications.
How to Apply
Application process: 1) Apply at Criminal Records Division, Royal Thai Police, Building 16, Rama 1 Rd, Pathumwan. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-16:30. 2) Required: original ID card (Thai) or passport (foreigner), house registration, 2 photos (1 inch), price on request fee. 3) Fingerprinting. 4) Wait 2-4 weeks (normal) or 1 week (express, +price on request). Thais abroad: apply through Thai embassy, 4-8 weeks. Thai Notary Law can submit on behalf (fingerprinting must be done in person).
Translation + Certification + Apostille
After receiving PCC: 1) Translate to target language (English/Japanese/Korean/etc.) price on request. 2) Notary Public certification price on request. 3) Apostille (Hague) or Legalization (non-Hague) price on request. Total: price on request, 3-7 days. Important: PCC valid 3-6 months depending on destination. Plan timing carefully. Thai Notary Law handles translation+Notary+Apostille/Consular all in one.
Countries Requiring Police Clearance
Countries requiring PCC: Work Visa: Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK, Germany. PR/Immigration: Australia, Canada, NZ, USA, UK, Singapore. Student Visa: Australia (some cases), Canada, UK. Long-stay tourist: Netherlands, Belgium, Austria. Requirements vary: some need PCC from every country lived 6+ months; others only from current country.
Important Precautions
Precautions: 1) PCC expires quickly (3-6 months), don't apply too early. Apply 1-2 months before visa submission. 2) Name must match passport — declare both old and new names if changed. 3) Some countries need PCC from every country lived 6+ months in past 10 years. 4) Thai PCC is in Thai only — always needs translation. 5) Thais abroad can apply through Thai embassy but takes longer (4-8 weeks). 6) Foreigners who lived in Thailand must also get Thai PCC.
Apostille vs Legalization for PCC
Choose by destination: Apostille: Japan, Korea, Australia, NZ, UK, Germany, France, USA, Canada (124 Hague countries). Total price on request, 3-7 days. Legalization: China, Taiwan, UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Vietnam (non-Hague). Total price on request, 7-15 days. Thai Notary Law handles both, recommends the correct method.
Case Studies
Case 1: Mr. Somchai — Japan work, CID 2 weeks → translate+Notary+Apostille 5 days, price on request, Work Visa approved. Case 2: Ms. Manee — AU PR, needed Thai+Singapore PCC, CID+NAATI+Apostille price on request. Case 3: ABC Company — 10 employees to UAE, Legalized PCC ×10, special price on request, 3 weeks. Case 4: Ms. Jittra (American) — lived in Thailand 5 years, moving to UK, CID+translate+Apostille price on request.
Why Choose Thai Notary Law?
Thai Notary Law handles PCC full service: assists with Royal Thai Police submission (fingerprinting must be in person); translators in multiple languages; Notarial Services Attorneys; handles Apostille/Consular; 77 provinces; transparent pricing; Lawyers Council–registered attorneys; individual and corporate clients nationwide; verifiable job reference on every certificate. Initial case assessment — tell us your destination, we'll advise the full process and costs.
