Police clearance certificate for permanent residence, RVP and work in Kazakhstan: how to get one in Turkey, China, India and Russia, apostille and translation

A foreigner obtains a certificate of criminal record (or its absence) in the country of citizenship — and, if required, in the country of permanent residence — adds an apostille or legalisation unless a treaty between the countries waives it, and has it translated into Kazakh or Russian with notarisation. For a permanent residence permit the certificate is valid for no more than 180 days, so it should be one of the last documents you order.

Below: where Kazakhstan requires the certificate, how to get it in Turkey, China, India and Russia, and how to prepare it for filing.

Where the certificate is required in Kazakhstan

For work under a foreign labour permit, the certificate is usually collected when the C3 visa or the worker's RVP is arranged — see our guide to the C3 work visa and work permit. For the C5 visa the certificate is needed already at the consulate. Confirm the exact list for your procedure with the host party or the migration service.

Turkey: adli sicil kaydı via e-Devlet

• Where to get it. The adli sicil kaydı is issued online through the e-Devlet portal (Ministry of Justice section) or at a courthouse prosecutor's office. It is free and verifiable by barcode.
• Language. e-Devlet can issue the certificate in a foreign language too; for Kazakhstan you still need a translation into Kazakh or Russian.
• Apostille. The Turkish Ministry of Justice issues electronic apostilles through the e-Apostil system (eapostil.gov.tr), including for adli sicil certificates. The alternative is a paper document apostilled in Turkey. Check beforehand whether the Kazakhstan authority accepts an electronic apostille.
• If you are in Kazakhstan. The certificate and e-Apostil can be obtained remotely via e-Devlet; a paper version through a Turkish consulate or a representative in Turkey.

Turkish citizens may also find our business checklist for Turkish citizens useful.

China: 无犯罪记录证明

• Where to get it. The certificate of no criminal record (无犯罪记录证明) is issued by the police station (派出所) at the place of hukou registration or residence.
• Notarisation and apostille. For use abroad the certificate is usually processed through a notary office (公证处), which issues a notarial certificate with translation, followed by an apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an authorised local foreign affairs office. The Apostille Convention has applied to China since 7 November 2023.
• If you are abroad. In practice the certificate is obtained through relatives or a representative in China under a notarised power of attorney. Whether online applications through consular services are possible depends on the region — ask the Chinese consulate.

India: Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)

• In India. The PCC is issued by the Regional Passport Office through Passport Seva. For use in Kazakhstan, the certificate is generally apostilled by India's Ministry of External Affairs.
• In Kazakhstan. Indian nationals can apply to the Embassy of India in Astana or its office in Almaty: the application is completed online on the embassy's passport portal, then the printed form, documents and fee are submitted in person. Embassy documents state the fee differently — confirm the current amount before applying.
• Note. Check with the receiving authority what certification is needed for a PCC issued by the embassy in Kazakhstan before you file.

Russia: certificate via Gosuslugi or the Ministry of Internal Affairs

• Where to get it. The certificate of criminal record (or its absence) is issued by Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs: apply via Gosuslugi, a multifunctional centre (MFC) or an MVD office. The standard time is up to 30 days. From abroad, you can apply through a Russian consulate.
• Electronic or paper. Gosuslugi can issue an electronic certificate; an apostille requires the paper original.
• Apostille for Kazakhstan. Russia and Kazakhstan are parties to the 1993 Minsk Convention on legal assistance: official documents are generally accepted without an apostille. If an authority asks for one anyway, it is added by the MVD unit that issued the certificate.

The same Minsk Convention principle applies to documents from its other parties, such as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.

A certificate from Kazakhstan

If a foreigner has lived in Kazakhstan for a long time and the authority asks for a certificate from the country of permanent residence, the Kazakhstan certificate of criminal record is issued by the Committee on Legal Statistics and Special Records — through egov.kz or a Government for Citizens centre, provided you have an IIN.

Apostille, translation and notarisation in Kazakhstan

1. The apostille is added in the issuing country. Embassies in Kazakhstan do not apostille documents. Hague Convention countries use an apostille, others use consular legalisation, and Minsk Convention parties usually need neither.
2. Translate together with the apostille. The whole document is translated, including the apostille stamp; names exactly as in the passport.
3. Notarisation. A Kazakhstan notary certifies the translator's signature. More in our guide to apostille and translation of Turkish and Chinese documents.
4. Check the validity. For permanent residence the certificate must be no older than 180 days on the filing date; allow time for the apostille, delivery and translation.

Typical timelines

Checklist before filing

1. The certificate was issued by an authority of your country of citizenship (and of your country of permanent residence, if requested).
2. The issue date fits the period your procedure requires: for permanent residence, no older than 180 days on the filing date.
3. The apostille is on the original (or the certificate comes from a Minsk Convention party).
4. For an electronic certificate or electronic apostille, you have confirmed that the authority accepts it.
5. The translation into Kazakh or Russian covers the whole document, including the apostille, and the translator's signature is notarised.
6. Full name and date of birth match across the passport, certificate and translation.
7. You have copies: the original certificate may stay in the file.

Common mistakes

• Ordering too early. The certificate goes stale before filing, especially if you are waiting for other documents.
• An electronic certificate the authority cannot verify. Not every authority accepts electronic documents and electronic apostilles — check in advance.
• A certificate from the wrong country. You need the country of citizenship and sometimes the country of permanent residence as well.
• Name spelling differences between the certificate, the translation and the passport.

Visa Navigator helps determine whether your procedure needs a certificate and from which country, checks the apostille, arranges translation and notarisation in Kazakhstan, and assembles the package for an RVP, permanent residence or a work permit. Certificates are issued by authorities in your country of citizenship on their own timelines; we are responsible for preparing the package in Kazakhstan. See the permanent residence (residence permit) service page.

This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. Rules and practice change — verify the current requirements as of the date you apply.