Get Your PCC Fast & Easy: Indian Student Guide 2025

Applying for a student visa from India? Don’t forget your Police Clearance Certificate (PCC). It is an important document that proves your criminal background is clean. Immigration authorities abroad require this to process your visa application faster and with fewer background checks.

A PCC is a government-issued document verifying that you have no criminal record. Most countries ask for this when Indian students apply for long-term student visas. It fast-tracks the immigration process and builds trust with host countries. All Indian students who are planning to pursue full-time degree programmes would need to submit a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) as part of their student visa application process.

The Police Clearance Certificate not only vouches for your good behaviour in your home country but also speeds up your Student Visa application process as the availability of your PCC would require minimum background checks to be conducted by the concerned authorities before visa issuance.

The processing of your Police Verification Certificate can take a week or even up to 21 days depending on the workload of the police. Hence, it is always advisable to apply early and with the right documents as part of the PCC process.

Read: What is PCC for Ireland Visa?

State-wise PCC Application Process in India

Students in need of a Police Clearance Certificate for their long-term student visa would be required to apply for their PCC from the address mentioned on their Indian passports. Provided below is a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from different states in India.

PCC Delhi

Students who are residents of Delhi must apply through the official PCC Delhi website. The PCC Delhi has launched a dedicated website for candidates looking to apply for their Police Verification Certificate. The process is entirely online and candidates are required to visit the official website, follow the steps mentioned and pay the service fee of INR 350 + additional bank charges for individual applications and INR 1000 + applicable bank charges for Organisations applying for their PCC Delhi.

Students should keep in mind that they should be residents of Delhi to be able to apply for their PCC on the official website of the Delhi Police. As the issuing of the Police Verification Certificate is entirely handled remotely, candidates are not required to physically visit the administration. Once their PCC Delhi has been approved, they will receive their Police Verification Certificate on the email ID they provided during the time of the registration. Candidates must provide the right email ID to be able to receive the PCC.

PCC Mumbai

Similarly, students residing in Mumbai, Pune or any other location in Maharashtra would be required to visit the ‘Police Clearance Services’ website to apply for their PCC Mumbai. As part of the PCC Mumbai application process, candidates would be required to register, create a profile and verify with their phone number. Once the verification process is complete, the candidate will be required to log in using their username and password. Candidates would be then required to upload their photograph and signature and the required documents that they would need to process their PCC Mumbai request. Once this has been completed, candidates would be required to go onto the next step pay the fees and wait for their PCC to be processed.

PCC Tamil Nadu

As per the official website, students from Tamil Nadu can opt for the entirely remote services of the Tamil Nadu Police Verification Certificate. The Candidate would be required to put in their contact number to start their PCC registration process. The Police Clearance Certificate - PCC Tamil Nadu is entirely handled online and candidates are not required to visit the police station. Once they have submitted their self-verification form, candidates would be required to pay a fee to raise their request. If all documents are in order, PCC Tamil Nadu should reach you in under a week in your provided contact email ID.  

Police Verification Certificate Odisha

Students from all parts of Odisha are required to visit the Citizen Portal website to apply for their Police Verification Certificate Odisha. Found on the Home Page of the website under character certificate, students are required to log into the portal to begin their application for their Police Verification Certificate in Odisha.

Once logged in, candidates would be required to update their profile immediately and upload their photo, Identity Proof, and Address Proof for all services and future references. While filling out the request form, candidates are required to fill in at least all the mandatory fields (*) along with Personal details, address, contact number and purpose of applying the services properly. Before submitting the request, students should verify the same. Once you submit, the request will not be editable. After submission of the request, you will be alerted by the system by SMS and email along with the Service Request Number. Please get a system-generated print copy after successfully submitting the request for future reference.

PCC Uttar Pradesh

UP Police Character Certificate Download: Found under the official UP Police website, the character verification option is for students looking to apply for PCC certificates from UP. First-time applicants are required to register on the Citizen Services option of the official UP Police website to raise a request a character certificate request. Once the registration is complete, students will be required to click on 'Add Character Certificate Request' found under the ‘Citizen Services’ ‘Character Certificate Request’ and apply by filling in the required information.

PCC Kerala

In Kerala, the police clearance certificate (PCC) has been renamed as the Non-Involvement in Offences (NIO Certificate). The Police Clearance Certificate in Kerala can be submitted at the office of the respective District Police Office (DPO) or Police Station (PS) through the official website or mobile app of Kerala Police viz. Pol-APP. Then the application will be received at the Citizen Module of the concerned PS or DPO. The NIO Certificate/ PCC application can be directly submitted at the office of the respective District Police Office or Police Station, which would be entered on the website by the concerned office. Candidates should note that all further enquiry and approval processes will be done through the iCoPS application only. The fee for applying for PCC Kerala is INR 610. Students wanting to study abroad from Kerala should note that the Non-Involvement in Offences (NIO Certificate) and Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) are the same.

Candidates should note that PCC Harayana, PCC Punjab and PCC Kolkata all follow similar guidelines. Candidates would be required to visit the Citizens Portal/ Services found on the official website of the state Police to raise a Police Clearance Certificate request. 

Disclaimer: Applicants should note that specific requirements and processes may vary depending on the state and are advised to check the official website for the latest information.

How to Apply for PCC in India for Students

Students can apply for a PCC online by visiting the official website of their state police department. The process typically involves:

1. Navigate to the Citizens Portal/Services section.
2. Clicking on "Police Clearance Certificate" or "Character Certificate."
3. Filling out the online application form with details like name, address, contact information, and purpose of travel.
4. Uploading a recent passport-sized photograph and government-approved address proof. (Example: Aadhaar Card, Voter Identity Card, Passport, Driving License )
5. Paying the processing fee and applying.

6. Submit and wait for confirmation via email/SMS.

PCC Application Form Details

In this section, we are going to talk about the details candidates are required to submit in their PCC Application Form. 

The first section would require the candidate to put in their name, date of birth, email address and contact number. The second section would require the candidate to fill in his/her complete permanent address and current address. Candidates would also need to mention the duration of their stay at their current address. For the final section, the candidate would have to upload a recent passport-size photograph and government-approved address proof. Candidates can check out the list of Documents required for PCC for student visa on our website. Candidates should note that since the PCC application is bifurcated based on your state the requirements on your forms could vary. However, the basic structure would remain the same.  

PCC Processing Time

Most PCCs come to your registered email ID in around 7 working days. Sometimes it takes 21 days if police workload is heavy. If you give wrong info your PCC request can get rejected and fee is lost. So you better give correct details and apply for Police Clearance Certificate early to avoid last minute hassle.

Candidates looking for assistance with university admissions can get in touch with our Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors. Candidates can write to us in the comments below.