Hong Kong Police Clearance: Certificate of No Criminal Conviction

Conclusion: A “Certificate of No Criminal Conviction” is issued by the Hong Kong Police Force and is commonly known as a “police clearance certificate”, but this is a paid service that is not available for private individuals to obtain at will. According to the Hong Kong Police Force’s “Certificate of No Criminal Conviction” — General Information page, the certificate issued by the Police is solely for applications for various types of entry visas, including those for travel, further studies or residence, or for adoption applications; applications for other purposes will not be accepted. The purpose of issuance therefore directly determines whether an application will be accepted.

Conclusion: Private use falls outside the scope of issuance. The Police’s Certificate of No Criminal Conviction FAQ explains that if an applicant merely wishes to check whether Hong Kong holds any record of their criminal convictions, they may use the “Access to Criminal Conviction Record Information” service; if they do not meet the eligibility for a police clearance certificate but require proof for private purposes, the reply lists the option of considering making a declaration/statutory declaration at a Home Affairs Department Community Advice Bureau. Neither is a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction issued by the Hong Kong Police Force, and the two must not be confused.

Application channels and documents

Conclusion: The application channel depends on where the applicant is located. Those in Hong Kong may use the Hong Kong Police Force Online Service Application Platform, or apply in person at the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction Office in Wan Chai, Hong Kong; in-person applications cannot be submitted at any police station or at any Chinese embassy abroad. Both the Notes for Applicants in Hong Kong and the relevant FAQ set out this arrangement.

Conclusion: Those located outside Hong Kong may only submit online. From 1 January 2026, the Office will stop accepting applications from applicants outside Hong Kong submitted by post, drop box or through a representative, together with payment; both the Notes for Overseas Applicants and the FAQ require the use of the aforementioned online platform. Applying in person at the Wan Chai Office is a channel for applications within Hong Kong and is not an alternative route for overseas applicants.

Conclusion: The core documents for an overseas application are a formal letter, fingerprints and proof of identity. According to the March 2026 edition of the Notes for Overseas Applicants, applicants must in principle prepare a completed application form, a signed consent to fingerprinting, an applicant information form for visa applications only, a Hong Kong Identity Card or valid travel document, a photograph, and a letter issued by the relevant consulate/immigration authority/government department. Where the letter does not state the applicant’s name, documents proving the relationship between the applicant and the principal visa applicant must also be submitted; the full set of fingerprints for an overseas application must be taken by a law enforcement agency or consulate in the applicant’s place of residence, and fingerprints are otherwise subject to the general exemptions described below.

Conclusion: The authority’s letter is not a formal attachment but the direct document through which the Police identifies the purpose of issuance and the receiving institution. The letter must state the applicant’s name, clearly state that the consulate/immigration authority/government department requires the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction for assessment purposes, and set out the Office’s postal and email addresses. The Police FAQ only accepts letters issued by the relevant institution within the last year; if only an email version is available, the applicant must print the full content, showing the sender’s email address, the recipient’s email address and the date the email was sent.

Conclusion: Overseas fingerprints must be a complete record and cannot be substituted with an electronic version or a certified copy. The Notes for Overseas Applicants require the full set of fingerprints to cover every finger, including the four fingers of the left hand, the four fingers of the right hand and flat impressions of the left and right thumbs. The fingerprint form must state the applicant’s full name, the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction application reference number, the name and rank of the person taking the prints, the full name and stamp of the law enforcement agency or consulate, the date and place of printing, and be certified by that institution as true.

Conclusion: Documents not in Chinese or English are subject to separate translation requirements. If application documents are not written in Chinese or English, a Chinese or English translation must be attached, verified by the issuing authority or a government-recognised translation agency; these requirements are set out in the Notes for Overseas Applicants.

Conclusion: Fingerprints are not required for all online applications. According to the Police’s Fingerprint New Measures FAQ, from 30 March 2026, if an applicant submits the form through the Online Service Application Platform using an “iAM Smart” account, and the purpose of the application is not related to matters involving children or mentally incapacitated persons, fingerprints are generally not required; adoption of a child is given as an example in the document. Even where the conditions are met, fingerprints may still be required in special circumstances — for example, where the applicant has previously entered Hong Kong using a travel document issued by another country.

”Validity period” and re-application

Conclusion: A “validity period” is not a uniform timeframe set by the Hong Kong Police Force for the police clearance certificate. The Police FAQ clearly states that the application result for the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction it issues carries no validity period, and the result only shows a date of issue. Any so-called validity period is set by the relevant consulate/immigration authority/government department, and applicants must enquire with the actual receiving institution; they cannot convert the date of issue into a validity period themselves.

Conclusion: An applicant cannot turn the certificate into a check record limited to a specified number of years. The Police FAQ does not provide for a specified check year, and applicants cannot request that only the most recent five years be checked; if there are any criminal conviction records, all criminal conviction records will appear on the result, for the relevant consulate/immigration authority/government department to consider on its own.

Conclusion: An issued result cannot be “updated” through the Police. The FAQ states that the Police does not offer a result-update service; if the relevant consulate/immigration authority/government department indicates that the previous result has expired, the applicant must submit a fresh application, which includes fingerprints and the relevant authority’s letter, rather than requesting that the original result be amended.

Conclusion: The recipient of the application result differs depending on whether there is a criminal record. The Notes for Overseas Applicants provide that if the Hong Kong Police Force holds no criminal record of the applicant, the certificate will be sent to the relevant consulate/immigration authority/government department, and the applicant will not receive an original or copy; if there is a criminal record, the Police will issue the result separately to the relevant institution and to the applicant, stating that no Certificate of No Criminal Conviction can be issued for that applicant, and setting out the criminal record details.

Suspension of processing and processing time

Conclusion: Certain backgrounds will lead to an application not being processed further. The Notes for Overseas Applicants provide that if an applicant is under investigation by the Hong Kong Police Force/a Hong Kong law enforcement agency, is a defendant in criminal proceedings in Hong Kong, or owes an unpaid fine, including for traffic offences, their application will not be processed further until the matter is concluded.

Conclusion: The processing time is only an official reference benchmark, not a guarantee of completion. The Notes for Overseas Applicants state that for applications meeting the conditions set out in the notes, the processing time may be shortened to 15 calendar days; cases requiring additional handling in special circumstances will take longer, and the Hong Kong Police Force says it will endeavour to complete them within 28 calendar days. Both are reference values, not guarantees for any individual application, and do not represent a commitment by the Police to issue the certificate or by the relevant institution to approve the visa.

Conclusion: The Hong Kong Police Force does not provide a document authentication service. The FAQ clearly states that the Police do not provide document authentication, i.e. apostille/notarisation services; if the receiving institution requires notarisation or authentication, the applicant must enquire with and approach other institutions on their own. Whether this is required and the specific arrangements should be confirmed with the receiving institution; one cannot assume that obtaining the certificate from the Police means the relevant procedure is complete.

Conclusion: Whether a particular entry application requires a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction should be based on the current document requirements of the actual receiving consulate/immigration authority/government department. The Police’s service for the aforementioned visa purposes is contingent on the relevant institution having issued a letter that clearly lists the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction as required for assessment; applicants should not directly assume the same applies this time based on the visa name, an online article or the arrangement for a previous application.

Conclusion: Before formally submitting the form, applicants should first check the Police’s current document requirements. The telephone number for enquiries on eligibility and documents is 2860 6557, the number for online application and technical support is 8226 1886, the enquiry number for those outside Hong Kong is 2860 6558, and the email is [email protected]; the relevant contact details are set out on the Police’s General Information page and FAQ.

migration.hk Editorial Team