A Police Clearance Certificate (also known as SKCK) is a certificate which is issued by the national police of Indonesia. The certificate is available to expatriates or local Indonesians who require a confirmation of their criminal status. Applicants do not need to reside in Indonesia as the certificate is also available to applicants who are no longer residing in Indonesia.
The Police Clearance Certificate (SKCK) is a proof of a person’s criminal record in Indonesia. In case a person has no criminal record in Indonesia, the national police with issue the police clearance certificate.
The vast majority of applicants require a Police Clearance Certificate (SKCK) for immigration purposes. Foreign governments often require a proof of police clearance before approving or issuing any residency permit.
PNB Immigration Law Firm assists with the application of hundreds of Police Clearance Certificates (SKCK) on annual basis
Application Procedure Police Clearance Certificate
Upon completion of all required documentation, the application must be submitted manually to the Indonesian National Police Headquarters. Indonesian citizens require an additional step: they first must submit an online application through the Polri Super App prior to the manual submission
In case applicants reside in Indonesia at the moment of application, their must take their fingerprints at the local police office. Our firm typically accompanies clients during this procedure to ensure smooth and fast processing.
In case applicants reside outside Indonesia, the applicant does not need to travel to Indonesia. They can take their fingerprints at a fingerprint agency, local foreign police office, or notary public, depending on the country of residence. They then need to ship the original fingerprint form to Indonesia for further processing of the police clearance certificate application.
Who Qualifies for the Police Clearance Certificate (SKCK)
The Indonesian Police have set restrictions to people who can apply for a Police Clearance Certificate (SKCK). The following people qualify:
- All Indonesian citizens;
- Foreigners who currently reside in Indonesia and possess a work permit and stay permit (ITAS/ITAP); and
- Foreigners who no longer live in Indonesia but previously held a work permit and stay permit (ITAS/ITAP).
The entities sponsoring the work and stay permit of the foreigners must sign the applications letters. Indonesian nationals can sign the application letters by themselves, hence the do not require a signature from thier employer for their application.
Main Reasons of Rejection
The main reasons of rejection of the Police Clearance Certificate application are:
- The applicant is unable to take fingerprints at an agency abroad, or the quality of the fingerprints is not good enough. Without a quality record of the fingerprints of the application the police is unable to confirm the criminal record of the applicant in their database. Hence, they are unable to issue a Police Clearance Certificate.
- The applicant is unable to fulfill the document requirements. This is often the case in case when foreigners resided in Indonesia using a visit visa, where the police requires at minimum the records of a work permit and stay permit (ITAS). Another reason is that the application or the company no longer hold copies of all requested documents due to various reasons.
- The current or former employer of the foreigner is not willing to sign the required application letter. There are a few reasons why companies are not willing to sign the application letter. For example, the employer is afraid that it will be exposed to any legal risks when they sign the letters. Or the employer and foreigner have ended the employment relationship on bad terms. What also often happens is that the employer has terminated its operations in Indonesia.
Before our firm initiates the application, our lawyers and consultants will scrutinize all documents provided by the client. This ensures that the police will accept the application. In case the applicant is unable to obtain a police clearance certificate, our team will discuss alternative options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My Employer is not willing to sign and issue the required application letters, what can I do now?
In certain cases it is possible to use a third party to sponsor the police clearance application. It may also be possible for the foreigner to sign the sponsor letters, in case for instance the company ceased to exist. Our consular team will provide a tailored advice after careful analyzing client’s case.
Q: What is the validity of the police clearance certificate?
The certificate is valid for a period of 6 months. Applications can always apply for a new certificate after the previous one is expired. The application of a new certificate does not require the finger prints of the applicant anymore. The police will have these fingerprints already in their database from the first application.
Q: Do I need to legalize the police clearance certificate at the embassy of my country?
Most countries do not require legalization of the certificate. However some countries do require such legalization. Therefore please confirm with the authority requesting the police clearance whether or not they require such legalization.