3 Ways To Obtain Police Clearance Certificate in Nigeria

The official price for a police clearance certificate in Nigeria is NGN40,000. This cost excludes the ‘bribes’ in the application process.

This is because when the official cost of a character certificate was NGN5, 000 some years ago, applicants paid at least NGN10,500 while applicants who had no political influence paid as much as NGN40, 000 or more.

What is Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)?

The Criminal History Record Check or Police character certificate is an official document issued by the Police as a criminal background check on those who are immigrating or changing their country of residence.

It is demanded globally so that the host country doesn’t have to carry the security threat of another country through travel. It is proof that you’re a law-abiding person and of good character.

It is called different names around the world, whatever the name is called in your country of residence, they serve the same objective.

6 Significance Police Criminal Record Check

You may want to ask, “Why do I need to obtain a police clearance certificate?”

1) To ensure that those who committed an offence face the consequences of their action.

2) In Nigeria, it is mandated for someone who wants to occupy a sensitive position to obtain it e.g to be a member of the Armed Force, you need a police check which is called police attestation.

3) It is mandatory for if you are invited by the Canadian Immigration office to complete your application for a temporary or permanent residence (as a worker).

4) You will also need to upload a Police character certificate if you want to proceed on a post-graduate programme in United Arab Emirates, UK, Canada, Russia or any foreign institutions.

5) An employer may also request you to provide a police clearance report before you are fully employed (this is very rare).

6) Even as a tourist to another country, you will need a police character cert. to show that you don’t have an “outstanding” criminal record back home, and ensure that you won’t be a threat to your host country.

Is a police clearance certificate the same as a criminal check?

Yes, it means the same thing. The police clearance certificate is called different names around the world. Simply put, it is the same document, with different names.

Here are the different names it is called.

• Criminal History Record Check
• Police Clearance Certificate (Nigeria)
• Police extracts
• Good citizen certificate (Hong Kong)
• Police Check
• Judicial Record Extracts (UK, Australia)
• Good conduct certificate (Nigeria)
• Identity History Summary Check
• National Police History Check (Australia)
• NPF Character Clearance (Nigeria)
• Criminal Record Check

Do I need police clearance certificate for immigration purposes?

Yes.

As a student or skilled worker who just landed an opportunity in the United Kingdom, the United States or any other country around the World, you will be required to obtain Police Clearance Certificate from your country of residence (e.g Nigeria) before being allowed entry to another country.

For instance, if you’re sponsored by UK companies to come work as a foreign worker, you will definitely need this document to for verification so that your employer doesn’t take criminal liability as staff.

A U.S citizen who has been managing his business in Nigeria for several years (e.g five years) and wants to immigrate to Germany to further his business extension needs police clearance.

The scope varies, depending on each country’s law, applicants may be required to submit police certificates from the countries in which they have stayed beyond certain periods.

It could be weeks, months, and years as clearly stipulated by the country’s immigration law:

Nigeria: A foreigner who has live-in Nigeria for more than 30 days

Canada: Countries where applicants have resided for 6 months or more.

New Zealand: Countries where applicants have resided for 12 months or more.

Australia: For citizenship applications, countries where applicants have resided for 3 months or more if the applicants have been outside Australia for more than 12 months since acquiring permanent residency; for visa applications, countries where applicants have resided for 12 months or more.

Ecuador: Country where applicants have principally resided during the last 5 years.

United States: Countries where applicants have resided for 6 months or more.

NOTE: An escapee from prison can’t obtain it, it isn’t issued to 419 or any other person who has been found guilty of criminal offences and serving a jail term.

Who issues criminal check forms?

It varies from country to country, but it’s majorly issued by the Police or a security agency saddled with the responsibility of feting and checking the criminal record of its citizens or residents.

For instance, Police Check is undertaken and issued in the United States of America by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In Nigeria, Central Criminal Registry Force C.I.D. Annex, Lagos (CID headquarters), is saddled with the responsibility of issuing a police clearance certificate.

In Ethiopia, it is issued by the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission Forensic Investigation Department.

In South Africa, it is issued by the South African Police Service, while the payment is made to the South Africa Police Service’s account in favour of the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service.

How do I apply for Police Clearance Form?

In Nigeria, there are three major ways to obtain Police Clearance Form:

1. Physical application
2. Online application
3. Third-party application process

1) Physical Application at Force CID, Lagos

In you reside in Lagos, this process is for you.

• Step 1: Ask for the criminal registry office, Alagbon, Lagos.
• Step 2: Pay the charge fee
• Step 3: Collect and fill application form and attach your passport photograph.
• Step 4: Proceed to the forensic desk. It could take some minutes here, depending on the number of applicants ahead of you.
• Step 5: Wait for your record to be processed and collect your certificate.

Physical application can be done at:

Central Criminal Registry Force C.I.D. Annex
Alagbon Close Ikoyi
Alagbon, Lagos State

Nigeria

Direction to Criminal Registry Office, Alagbon, Lagos:

The Criminal registry office isn’t far from Obalende motor park. Ask for directions when you get to the park, it’s a popular area in Ikoyi

For someone who is coming from Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo or anyone from the Soutsouth or Southeast or North and would like to get it done in Lagos,, here is the direction. From Berger bus stop to Obalende and ask for further directions if you’re driving.

2) Online Application on POSSAP Portal

Wherever you are in Nigeria, you can apply for the police clearance certificate on a specialised official portal for services rendered by the Nigeria Police Force.

What is POSSAP?

POSSAP means Police Specialized Services Automation Project. POSSAP was launched by the Ministry of Police Affairs on June 2, 2022

The aim of launching POSSAP was to institutionalize transparency, and accountability and entrench quality service delivery to Nigerians by the Nigeria Police Force and eliminate corruption and bribery in the services rendered by the Force..

The services that can be applied on the POSSAP portal are:

1. Police extract
2. Police character certificate
3. Escort and guard services

How to apply for police character certificate on POSSAP Portal?

• Visit the official portal at possap.gov.ng
• Create an account by signing up
• Confirm your email address
• Return to the page, and click the “Request Service” or “Get Started” button to access a page to request a service.
• There are services for Individual and corporate/NGOs
• Select individual, allow the page to load
• From the next menu, select “Police Character Certificate” for the service, and hit the “proceed” button
• Fill the form
• Confirm details and submit the request
• Proceed to the payment page

Note:

1) Fill in the necessary information and choose your preferences location in Nigeria for capturing and finger printing.

2) Appointment for capturing will sent to your registered phone number.

3) Some of theose who have used the portal said they paid NGN10, 0000 for capturing.

4) The server is down half the time. We got error when we tried the portal several times.

“Sorry something went wrong while processing your request. Please try again later or contact admin.”

Our Take:

This may create an avenue for bribery and corruption and makes it more tedious for applicants. Police form is record that should be done with high integrity, when bribery is involved, the form may be comprised and it could be issued to criminals

3) Third-Party Service Application Process

This process could be done in two ways: 1) Via Nigerian Embassy, 2) Via Third-party service

Through Nigeria’s embassy:

Application for police clearance check isn’t restricted to those who are based in Nigeria, those who reside in any part of the world can also submit their application for the clearance form.

For instance, if you are applying in Canada, the application can be submitted by mail to:

The Commissioner of Police

Central Criminal Registry Force C.I.D. Annex,

Alagbon Close,

Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria

Or send to the official email address of the Police ncis@npf.gov.ng

Requirements:

• A pre-paid return courier envelope
• Three photocopies of your international passport bio-data page with necessary visa stamps
• Three copies of a properly filled application form
• A set of fingerprints taken and certified by a recognized police authority or the Nigerian embassy or consulate
• An international money order payable to the Nigerian Police Force, CID.

NOTE:

Your email may never get response.

If you’ve received ITA or Invited to Apply email as a result of your application for Canadian Express Entry Immigration, you will need to upload it in your Electronic Application for Permanent Residence (e-APR). Canadian Immigration Office doesn’t accept police clearance check by email.

Third-Party Service:

Below are the requirements you may be asked by an agent:

• Name
• Address
• Phone Number
• Tribe
• Place of Birth
• Passport data page
• Year of Birth
• Passport photo
• Signature
• Race
• Fingerprint in corresponding boxes

Note:

Fill in your name as it appears on your passport data page.

Third parties services for Police Character Certificate

No other person’s fingerprints match your own, as such, it can’t be done by proxy. However, the third parties that offer this service will send a form of fingerprints to you

Third parties that offer Police Character Certificate Service are:

1) Gatewayng

2) Famsville

Conclusion:

A police clearance certificate is the same as a Police character form or police criminal record check. It is called different names across the world and it cost forty thousand naira in Nigeria.

If you submitted your application outside Nigeria, you will still need to authenticate the document upon arrival at the Nigerian embassy or consulate in your host country. Your clearance application may be rejected because of some reasons pointed out in one of our articles.

Where can I apply for a police character certificate in Osun State?

If you are in Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Ikirung or other towns in Osun State, you can physically apply for a police character certificate in Osogbo at the Osun State Police Headquarters (The Nigeria Police Force) Abere, Ede South LGA, Ede, Osun State.

If you coming from Ibadan or Ile-Ife, it’s by the left-hand side before the Governor’s Office. If you coming from Ilorin, Iragbiji, Ikirun, the Osun State Police Command is by the right-hand side a few seconds drive after the Governor’s Office, Abere, Osun State.

Conclusion:

The police character certificate is an official document issued by the Police as a criminal background check on those who are immigrating or changing their country of residence

In Nigeria, the cost of the police record check is between NGN30,000 to NGN40,000.

The portal to apply for police character certificate is possap.gov.ng