Police certificate
A police certificate is an official document issued as a result of a background check by the police or government agency of a country to enumerate any criminal records that the applicant may have. Criminal records may include arrest, conviction, and possibly criminal proceedings
A police certificate is also known as good citizen certificate (in Hong Kong), good conduct certificate, police clearance certificate, national police history check (in Australia) or judicial record extracts.
Applicants may have to submit fingerprints and certain personal information to request a criminal record check, and the police or government agency may charge a fee.
Purposes
A police certificate may be required if the applicant is:
Applying for vocational positions requiring clearance;
Seeking to immigrate or obtain visas; and
Satisfying an individual employer's request.
Scope
Depending on each country's law, applicants may be required to submit police certificates of countries which they have stayed beyond periods as specified by law.