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Police Clearance

Good Conduct Certificate in Dubai

A police clearance certificate from Dubai Police, issued for employment, professional licensing or emigration. Straightforward if you are here. More involved if you have already left.

Apply for a Certificate Call +971 52 933 0454
Dubai Police Official channel
Ex-Residents Fingerprint route handled
Attestation MOFAIC stamp if needed

How do you get a good conduct certificate in Dubai?

Apply to Dubai Police, in person or through their digital channels, with your Emirates ID and passport. Current residents are matched against existing records. Applicants who have already left the UAE must submit fingerprints taken abroad on the required form. The certificate is issued for a stated purpose.

Good Conduct Certificate in Dubai at a glance
Issuing authorityDubai Police (for records in the Emirate of Dubai)
Who needs itJob applicants, professional licence applicants, emigration and visa applicants
ResidentsApply with Emirates ID and passport
Former residentsApply with fingerprints taken abroad on the prescribed form
ValidityCommonly treated as valid for three months by receiving bodies
What MSM handlesApplication, follow-up, translation and MOFAIC attestation where needed

Last updated 2 August 2026 · Reviewed by Mohammed Shareef A, Senior PRO Consultant, 12+ years in Dubai government liaison. Fees and timelines are set by the issuing authority and change without notice — confirm current figures before you budget.

Who actually needs a good conduct certificate?

Fewer people than assume they do, and more than expect to. Employers in regulated sectors ask for one. Professional licensing bodies ask for one. Other countries ask for one when you apply for residence or citizenship, covering every country you lived in for more than a set period.

If somebody has asked you for a police clearance covering your time in the UAE, this is the document.

  • Employment in regulated and security-sensitive roles
  • Professional licences, including certain healthcare and education roles
  • Emigration and long-term residence applications abroad
  • Some adoption, guardianship and court processes
Applicant presenting an Emirates ID at a Dubai Police service counter

What if you have already left the UAE?

You can still apply, but you cannot be matched against a live Emirates ID, so the process runs on fingerprints instead. You take a fingerprint form to a police station or authorised body in your current country, have your prints taken, and submit that with your passport and a copy of your old UAE residence visa.

The most common failure is a fingerprint card that does not meet the specification. Get the correct form first.

  • Fingerprints taken abroad on the prescribed form
  • Copy of the old UAE residence visa and Emirates ID, where available
  • Passport copy covering the period of UAE residence
  • The application can be filed on your behalf from Dubai
Fingerprint form being completed at a police station desk

Does the certificate need attestation?

If it is being used inside the UAE, usually not. If it is going abroad, almost always yes.

The chain is the same as for any UAE-issued document leaving the country: attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then legalisation by the receiving country's embassy or consulate here. Countries in the Apostille Convention may accept an apostille instead, which is shorter.

  • MOFAIC attestation for use outside the UAE
  • Embassy or consulate legalisation for the destination country
  • Certified translation where the destination requires it
  • No apostille route — the UAE is not a Hague Convention party, so consular legalisation is the only option
Official UAE document receiving an attestation stamp at a counter

How long is it valid and when should you apply?

The certificate itself does not carry a long shelf life in practice. Receiving bodies commonly treat a police clearance as current for around three months, and some are stricter.

Apply close to the point of use. A certificate obtained six months early is often a certificate obtained twice.

  • Commonly accepted as current for about three months
  • Some immigration authorities require it to be issued within a set window
  • Attestation adds days, so build that into the timing
  • Apply once you know the deadline, not before
Calendar and certificate showing a three-month validity window

How MSM processes a good conduct certificate

  1. Confirm the purposeThe certificate names the purpose it was issued for. We confirm what the receiving body needs before the application is made, because a mismatch means re-applying.
  2. Choose the routeResident route with Emirates ID, or the fingerprint route for applicants outside the UAE. The documents differ.
  3. Apply to Dubai PoliceApplication submitted and tracked. Where fingerprints are needed, we send you the correct form first.
  4. Collect and checkWe check the issued certificate against what the receiving body asked for, before it goes anywhere.
  5. Attest if neededMOFAIC attestation, embassy legalisation and certified translation arranged where the certificate is going abroad.

Which route applies to you?

Route depends on where you are now, not on where the certificate is going.
Your situationRouteKey document
Current UAE residentStandard applicationEmirates ID
Recently cancelled visa, still in the UAEStandard applicationCancelled visa page and passport
Left the UAEFingerprint routeFingerprint form taken abroad
Certificate for use inside the UAENo attestation usually neededCertificate as issued
Certificate for use abroadAttestation chainMOFAIC plus embassy legalisation
The mistake we see most: Applying with the wrong stated purpose. The certificate is issued for a named purpose, and a receiving authority abroad will reject one issued for a different one. Ask the requesting body exactly what wording they need before the application goes in.
MSM tip: If the certificate is going abroad, start the MOFAIC attestation the day you collect it. The certificate has a short practical shelf life, and spending three weeks of it deciding whether attestation is needed is how people end up applying twice.

What documents do you need?

Documents for a good conduct certificate

Emirates ID, for current residents
Passport copy, full page and clear
Passport-size photograph
Copy of the UAE residence visa, current or cancelled
Fingerprint form taken abroad, for applicants outside the UAE
A letter from the requesting body stating the purpose, where available
Details of the destination country, if attestation will be needed

If you lived in more than one emirate, check whether the requesting body wants a Dubai Police certificate specifically or a federal one from the Ministry of Interior. They are not the same document.

Certificate Attestation

MOFAIC and embassy attestation for documents leaving the UAE.

Certified Legal Translation

Ministry of Justice approved translation for official documents.

Emirates ID Services

New applications, renewals and replacements.

Sources

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good conduct certificate?
A police clearance certificate confirming whether you have a criminal record in the UAE. Employers, licensing bodies and foreign immigration authorities ask for it. It covers UAE records only.
Can I get one after leaving the UAE?
Yes. You submit fingerprints taken in your current country on the prescribed form, together with your passport and, where available, a copy of your old UAE residence visa. The application itself can be filed from Dubai on your behalf.
How long does a good conduct certificate take?
For a resident with a clean record, often a matter of days. The fingerprint route from abroad takes longer, and attestation for use overseas adds further working days on top.
Is the certificate valid indefinitely?
In practice no. Most receiving bodies treat a police clearance as current for around three months, and some immigration authorities set their own window. Apply close to the point of use.
Do I need MOFAIC attestation?
Only if the certificate is being used outside the UAE. Then it normally needs MOFAIC attestation followed by legalisation at the destination country's embassy here. There is no apostille option: the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention.
Is a Dubai Police certificate the same as a Ministry of Interior one?
No. Dubai Police issues for the Emirate of Dubai; the Ministry of Interior issues at federal level. Check which one the requesting body wants before applying, because they are not interchangeable.

Need a police clearance certificate?

Tell us where it is going and whether you are still in the UAE. We will confirm the route and what it needs.

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The route depends on whether you are still in the country. Say which, and we can quote accurately in one reply.

Hotline: +971 52 933 0454

Email: info@msmdoc.com

Office: Deira, Dubai — serving all seven emirates.