Does a Police Clearance Certificate expire?

A police clearance certificate (PPC) is an official document that states whether or not an individual has any criminal records in the country where they live or have lived before. In South Africa, a police clearance certificate is often required for various purposes, such as employment, immigration, and adoption. However, many people wonder whether a police clearance certificate expires or if it is valid indefinitely.

What is the purpose of a PPC?

The purpose of a police clearance certificate is to provide official confirmation of an individual’s criminal record history, or lack thereof, in the country where they live or have lived before. This document is often required for various purposes, such as employment, immigration, and adoption. It helps to assure organizations or institutions that the individual is of good character and does not pose a risk to the safety or security of others. In essence, a police clearance certificate serves as a form of background check and can be a crucial part of certain application processes.

Obtaining a clearance certificate

In South Africa, a police clearance certificate can be obtained from the Criminal Record Center of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The process of obtaining a police clearance certificate involves submitting a set of fingerprints, either in person at a police station or electronically and paying a processing fee.

All applications for police clearance certificates start with the basic step of having your fingerprints taken. The fingerprints must be verifiably those of the applicant and must be submitted in original ink. Along with your fingerprints, it is also essential to submit a copy of your South African Identity Document along with the completed application form.

You clearance certificate through your local police station; however, this is often a very timely approach. Police stations do not directly send off applications on the day you submit them. To save on internal courier costs, police stations wait until they have received a set number of applications before couriering them to the CRC in Pretoria. There is also a delay between when the applications arrive at the CRC and when they are captured on their SAPS system.

The other option is to use a South Africa concierge service, like Apostil.co.za, to handle everything on your behalf. As a trusted resource and registered courier with the CRC, we know exactly where to apply for these documents and can have the applications captured on the system as soon as possible.

When does a police clearance certificate expire?

The short answer is that a police clearance certificate in South Africa does not have an expiry date. Once issued, it remains valid until its information becomes outdated or inaccurate. However, it is important to note that some organizations or institutions may have their own policies regarding the validity of police clearance certificates, and they may require a new certificate to be obtained after a certain period of time.

For example, some employers may require a police clearance certificate not older than six months, while others may accept a certificate up to a year old. Similarly, some immigration authorities may require a new police clearance certificate to be obtained after a certain period of time, especially if the applicant has been living in another country for an extended period.

In conclusion, a police clearance certificate in South Africa does not have an expiry date, but its validity may be subject to the policies of certain organizations or institutions. It is always advisable to obtain a new certificate if an individual’s circumstances change significantly, such as if they have been convicted of a crime after the certificate was issued.

Renewing or updating a PPC

In South Africa, you cannot renew or update a police clearance certificate that you have already obtained. However, you can apply for a new police clearance certificate if your circumstances have changed since you last obtained the certificate. For instance, if you have been convicted of a crime or have been involved in any criminal activity since the issuance of the last certificate, you will need to apply for a new certificate.

Follow the same process 

To apply for a new police clearance certificate in South Africa, you must follow the same process you followed when you obtained the initial certificate. If your certificate has been printed with wrongful details, Apostil.co.za can submit your certificate for corrections. Since we are a registered courier with the CRC, we can re-obtain your corrected document as soon as possible.

It is important to note that some organizations or institutions may have their own policies regarding the validity of police clearance certificates. They may require a new certificate to be obtained after a certain period of time. Therefore, it is always advisable to check the specific requirements of the organization or institution you are dealing with to ensure that you have the most up-to-date certificate.