Example of Police Clearance Certificate in Egypt

If you're applying for a visa, a foreign work permit, residency abroad, or even some local tenders, you'll probably be asked for a police clearance certificate from Egypt. Below is what one actually looks like, what fields it contains, and how to read it.

Quick answer

An Egyptian police clearance certificate (شهادة عدم محكومية, "non-conviction certificate") is a one-page document issued by the Criminal Evidence Sector of the Ministry of Interior. A typical example of a police clearance certificate shows the Ministry of Interior header and eagle, the applicant's full name, date and place of birth, national ID or passport number, father's and mother's names, the fingerprint reference, a statement that no criminal convictions appear against the person in the records up to the issue date, the issue date, serial number, and the signature and stamp of the authorised officer. It's valid for 3 months in most consular contexts.^[1][2]

What an example of a police clearance certificate actually contains

A standard Egyptian certificate (sometimes called "Good Conduct Certificate" on English translations) runs about half an A4 page. Fields, top to bottom:

• Header: "جمهورية مصر العربية — وزارة الداخلية — قطاع الأدلة الجنائية" (Arab Republic of Egypt — Ministry of Interior — Criminal Evidence Sector), with the state eagle.
• Certificate title: "شهادة بيان الحالة الجنائية" (Statement of Criminal Status) or "شهادة عدم محكومية" on older templates.
• Serial number and date of issue (Gregorian + sometimes Hijri).
• Full name in Arabic — four names (given name + father + grandfather + family).
• Date of birth and place of birth (governorate).
• National ID number (14 digits) for Egyptians, or passport number for foreigners.
• Mother's full name.
• Fingerprint file reference (رقم الملف) linking back to the central AFIS record.
• The operative statement: a one-line declaration that, after searching the records, no criminal rulings appear against the named person up to the date of issue — or, if there are, they are listed.
• Signature of the competent officer, round stamp of the Criminal Evidence Sector, and often a security seal or hologram on recent prints.

The English translation (when ordered through the issuing office or a sworn translator) carries the same fields plus a translator's note and stamp. For foreign use you'll also need an Apostille or MOFA + consular legalisation on top — the certificate itself is not accepted abroad bare.^[2][3]

Honestly, most people are surprised at how short it is. One page. No long narrative.

Watch out: a photocopy is not a certificate. Embassies want the original with the raised stamp, or a digitally-issued version with a QR code that resolves to the Ministry's verification portal. Scans without that QR get rejected.

Where to get one and what it costs

Egyptians inside Egypt apply at any Civil Status Authority office or directly at the Criminal Evidence Sector in Abbasiya, Cairo. The fee sits at roughly EGP 30–50 for the Arabic original, with extra charges (around EGP 100–150) for an official English copy, as published on the Ministry of Interior's e-services portal. Expect 3–7 working days for pickup; the same-day service exists at Abbasiya for an urgency fee.^[1]

Egyptians abroad apply through the nearest Egyptian consulate using Form 86 (استمارة 86) plus fingerprints taken at the consulate or at a local police station and legalised. Consular fees vary by country — budget USD 30–60 plus the fingerprint card cost.^[2]

Foreigners who have lived in Egypt need the same certificate when applying for residency or citizenship elsewhere; they file at the Mogamma or at the Criminal Evidence Sector with their passport, residence permit, and two photos.

For foreign use, add legalisation. Egypt joined the Apostille Convention effective August 2024, so for countries that are parties to the Hague Convention a single Apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is enough. For non-Hague countries you still need MOFA + the destination country's embassy stamp.^[3][4]

Legal basis and validity period

The certificate is issued under the authority of the Ministry of Interior's Criminal Evidence Sector, which maintains the national criminal records database under Law No. 162 of 1958 on the organisation of police records and subsequent ministerial decrees. The non-conviction statement reflects records of final convictions only — pending cases and investigations are not disclosed on the standard certificate.

Validity is not fixed by Egyptian statute. It's set by the receiving authority. The common rule in practice:

• 3 months for most European and Gulf visa applications.
• 6 months for Canadian immigration (IRCC) and Australian visas.
• 3 months for UAE residency and labour files.

If your file sits with the embassy longer than that, you'll be asked to pull a fresh one. Frustrating, but that's the standard.

When the example you've been shown looks "off"

A few red flags that tell you a sample certificate is fake, outdated, or from the wrong authority:

• No Criminal Evidence Sector stamp. Civil Registry stamps alone don't count — the record has to come from the criminal database.
• "Clean record" phrased as a sentence invented by a translator instead of the formal Arabic wording. Legitimate translations mirror the Arabic structure.
• Missing serial number or no file reference. Every genuine certificate has both.
• Issued more than 6 months ago and being presented for a current application.
• No QR code on a certificate dated after mid-2023 (the Ministry rolled out verifiable e-certificates then for most governorates).

If you need the certificate verified for use inside Egypt — say, a employer or tender office wants to confirm authenticity — the Ministry's e-services portal lets you check the serial against the central registry.

For related civil-status paperwork you may need alongside it, see our guide to civil status answers.