DUBAI: Expatriates applying for a job in the UAE must obtain a certificate of good conduct in order to be issued a work permit. The mandatory certificate is a document to prove that you have no criminal record and are fit to work and live in the UAE, which is essentially a background check for anyone looking to work in the UAE.
In announcing the regulation, which came into effect on 4 February, the UAE said it would further improve security in the country. It applies to all foreigners seeking work in the UAE but not those with existing visas that are switching jobs, dependents of workers, students and tourists.
In response to a number of enquiries since the announcement was made by the UAE authorities, the Consulate General of Sri Lanka, Dubai and the Northern Emirates has put together a set of Frequently Asked Questions related to the Good Conduct Certificate for the benefit of Sri Lankan expatriate workers and how one could obtaining such a certificate from the Sri Lankan Police.
1. What is the Good Conduct Certificate requested by the UAE authorities?
The Good Conduct Certificate is primarily a Police Clearance Certificate issued by the police providing criminal clearance to a person’s behavior for a period of time the person concerned spent under the jurisdiction of a specific police of a specific country.
As per the UAE Cabinet decree 1/8 of 2017, a good conduct certificate has become a mandatory requirement for all job applicants with effect from 4 February 2018. In this context, the UAE authorities are requesting a good conduct certificate issued to the concerned person by his/her country of origin, or the country or countries that he/she has been residing for the past five years.
2. Why is the Good Conduct Certificate requested by the UAE authorities?
The basic purpose of submitting a Good Conduct Certificate to the UAE authorities is to assure them that the visa applicant has a clear record in his/her country of origin or the country of residence within the previous five (05) years. Hence, the UAE authorities are able to issue visas for such persons with confidence, whilst also ensuring the safety and security of the UAE.
3. How can I apply for a Good Conduct Certificate?
There are two ways to apply for a Good Conduct Certificate, depending on the job applicant’s country of residence:
(i) If the person is a new visa applicant applying from Sri Lanka, he can contact his relevant local police station and obtain the Good Conduct Certificate. The certificate so obtained should be translated into either Arabic or English by a competent legal translator and it should be attested by the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka and by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
(ii) If the person is applying for a Good Conduct Certificate from the UAE, he/she has the two (02) following options to apply for the same;
a. He / She can either visit the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai or the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi in order to obtain the Good Conduct Certificate. For this purpose, the applicant has to bring;
- A copy of the National Identity Card issued by the Department of Persons Registration of Sri Lanka.
- A copy of the Passport issued by the Controller General Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka.
- If there are any discrepancy/discrepancies between the names mentioned in the NIC and the Passport, an affidavit declaring that both documents are of the same person.
(For this purpose a fee of AED 40 (approximately Rs 1600) is charged. The application form can be downloaded at https://www.police.lk/images/clearence/clearance_application.pdf for submission
b. The certificate can be applied via online – https://www.police.lk/index.php/crime-division/91-
application-for-clearance-certificate – through the website of Sri Lanka Police, following the guidelines stipulated therein. (Rs 1500 is charged and it should be settled through appropriate online payment mode – Visa/Master/American Express/ Ecash)
4. How long does it take to obtain a Good Conduct Certificate from Sri Lanka?
If the Good Conduct Certificate is applied through the Consulate General, the time involved between the submission of application and receipt of the same may approximately vary between three (03) to six (06) months. However, since this procedure is done by the Sri Lanka police, depending on a number of supporting reports to be submitted by a number of institutions, the aforementioned time period may depend on the discretion of Sri Lanka Police.
Nevertheless, if the applicant intends to visit Sri Lanka to apply in person from Sri Lankan Police or apply through the online system, he/ she will be able to collect it within two (02) to six (06) weeks.
5. If it is urgent, what are the best options to obtain a Good Conduct Certificate?
I. Visiting the relevant police station in Sri Lanka in person is the easiest and the quickest way of obtaining the Good Conduct Certificate.
II. If it is applied through the online link of the Sri Lanka police, i.e. https://www.police.lk/index.php/crime-division/91-application-for- clearance-certificate , it may take a time period of between 4 to 6 weeks and this period may also depend and vary at the sole discretion of the Sri Lanka Police, depending on a number of supporting reports to be received in this regard by a number of concerned institutions.
The above two recommendations are the best way to receive the Good Conduct Certificate as soon as possible.
In addition to the above options, if any applicant wishes to obtain the Good Conduct Certificate through the Consulate General, it is still possible to obtain it following the procedure mentioned at 3 (a) above. However, please note that it might take a longer period of time in obtaining the certificate through this method (i.e. between 3 to 6 months), since it involves collecting the relevant documents from Dubai and sending them to an onward destination in Sri Lanka through diplomatic mail. The same process will be followed in returning the documents back to the Consulate General from Sri Lanka. Hence. the Consulate General has very limited control in expediting the process.
6. Should the Good Conduct Certificate be attested prior to submission?
Yes. The Good Conduct Certificate should be attested by both the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of the UAE in Colombo prior to submission to the employer.
As indicated earlier, please also ensure that the Good Conduct Certificate is translated to Arabic or English by a competent legal translator prior to attestation.
7. Should the applicant go in person for the attestation of the Good Conduct Certificate?
No. After receiving the Good Conduct Certificate from Sri Lanka Police, the job applicant’s Good Conduct Certificate could be attested in absentia from the Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For this purpose, the person who is residing abroad or elsewhere should send an authorization letter addressed to Secretary/Foreign Affairs with attention to Senior Director General of Consular Affairs, delegating authority to the person who will be bringing the document for attestation, explicitly mentioning the details of sender’s Passport/NIC details along with a copy of the same and indicating the authorized person’s Passport/NIC details in the same letter.
The person who has been authorized to obtain attestation on behalf of another person must always produce his/her original Passport/NIC (as indicated in the letter) for verification of his identity by the Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once this document is attested by the Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it can be furnished at the Embassy of UAE in Sri Lanka for re-attestation.
Sample letter for delegation of authority
“Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo 01
(Date)
Attention: Senior DG: Consular Affairs
Delegation of authority to Mr. Mrs.……….(name of the authorized person) for attestation of Police Clearance Certificate issued on behalf of (name of the authorizer)
I,……….(name in full), bearer of the Sri Lankan Passport number/ NIC number…………………….(indicate the number clearly) fully authorize Mr/Mrs./Ms……………………………….(name in full of the authorized person), bearing the Sri Lankan Passport number/ NIC number……………………..(indicate the number clearly) to get my police clearance certificate attested from the Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka.
By placing my signature hereon, I solemnly take the full and final responsibility of any negative consequences that may occur by producing the attached Police Clearance Certificate to any other purpose than its specified purpose.
(Signature of the authorizer as in the passport) “
8. Should the Good Conduct Certificate be always produced during renewal of visa?
Even though it has not been specified whether visa renewals require Good Conduct Certificates, the visa applicant has to submit the same at the request of the employer. Therefore, prior to the renewal of visas, expatriate workers are advised to contact their employers and to ascertain whether the employer requires a Good Conduct Certificate.
9. Do the residents of the UAE need a Good Conduct Certificate for visa application in terms of work?
Those who were born and raised in the UAE will not need a Good Conduct Certificate. However, those who spend sometime in their home country, or any other country before applying for a job in the UAE, must produce a Good Conduct Certificate related to their previous domicile.
