No Criminal Record Certificate in HANGZHOU

Guide to Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in Hangzhou

This guide is intended to assist foreign nationals in obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in Hangzhou, China. In other countries, this document is also known as a police certificate, police check, or police clearance.

In addition to China’s Ministry of Public Security’s Provisions on the Handling of Criminal Record Checks by Public Security Organs (2022), the Zhejiang Provincial Public Security Department issued a local regulation titled the Provisions on the Handling of Criminal Record Checks by the Public Security Organs of Zhejiang Province (2022). These two regulations are very similar, but the Zhejiang local regulation includes a few more details, such as specific requirements for a power of attorney.

Foreign nationals may need this certificate for various reasons, including immigration, employment, and more. Typically, the Certificate of No Criminal Record is not acceptable for these purposes until it has been notarized by a local notary office in China. Additionally, for use in certain countries, the certificate must be apostilled by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or authenticated by the embassy of the country where it is to be used. This guide covers the two primary steps: “STEP 1: Application for Certificate of No Criminal Record” and “STEP 2: Notarization of Certificate of No Criminal Record”.

A foreign national’s application for a Certificate of No Criminal Record should be filed with a district branch office of the Division of Exit and Entry Administration of Hangzhou Public Security Bureau. The district branch office must have jurisdiction over the district where you have lived and registered your residence, as recorded in your Temporary Residence Registration Form. For contact details of the exit-entry administration branch offices in each district of Hangzhou, please visit China’s National Immigration Administration (NIC) website and select “Hangzhou”.

• Have lived in Hangzhou for 180 days or longer.

• Passport(s)
• Power of attorney, if a third-party is appointed to handle the application. The power of attorney must be authenticated by a Chinese consulate/embassy if you are living outside of China. However, some police officers may waive the authentication requirement if you provide a notary office’s Criminal Record Investigation Request.
• Notary Office’s Criminal Record Investigation Request (Optional): If you have an authenticated power of attorney, you will not need this document. You can obtain this document at a local notary office in Hangzhou. Note that the police will send your criminal record check result directly to the notary office if you submit this document.

The processing time for this certificate is typically 3 working days.

The Hangzhou police issue Certificates of No Criminal Record that may include specific details like a QR code for verification. While the layout may vary slightly depending on local practices, the essential elements remain consistent across different cities. Click here to view a sample Certificate of No Criminal Record.

There are multiple notary offices in Hangzhou authorized to notarize Certificates of No Criminal Record for use abroad. For contact details of all notary offices in Hangzhou, please visit the websites of the Zhejiang Notary Association or Hangzhou Justice Bureau. Some notary offices also have their own official websites, such as the Hangzhou Guoli Notary Public Office.

• Passport(s)
• Certificate of No Criminal Record
• Power of attorney, if a third-party is appointed to handle the application.

The notarization process typically takes between 1 to 2 weeks.

All notary offices across China issue Notarial Certificates of No Criminal Record in the same standardized format. For more details on what the certificate should look like, please refer to our article, "What a Certificate of No Criminal Record Should Look Like".

Yiyuan is here to assist you with every step of the process, ensuring that your application and notarization of the Certificate of No Criminal Record in Hangzhou are handled smoothly and efficiently. Contact us today to get started.