How to obtain a police clearance certificate in Saudi Arabia

Confirm what document is required

Employers, immigration authorities and professional bodies use different names: police clearance certificate, criminal record certificate, certificate of good conduct or Criminal Records Report. Before applying, ask the receiving authority whether it accepts the electronic Absher document, whether a translation or authentication is needed and how recent the certificate must be.

There is no universal one-year or lifetime acceptance period. A certificate describes the record available for the relevant period, while the organisation receiving it decides how recent it must be.

Who can use the Absher route

The official Absher user guide says individuals can issue a Certificate of Good Conduct electronically, review and print the report and access previous reports for the period made available in Absher. It also states that the subject’s fingerprints must be available at the Ministry of Interior.

You will generally need:

• access to your own active Absher account;
• a Saudi identity or residence record recognised by the service;
• fingerprints registered with the Ministry of Interior;
• the purpose and destination country requested by the form; and
• a way to pay any amount shown in the live service.

This guide does not quote a fixed price or promised processing time. Absher can change the service charge, report availability and processing steps, and an individual case may need review.

Request the report in Absher

1. Sign in to the official Absher Individuals website or app.
2. Open My Services, then the general or public-services area used by your current version of Absher.
3. Select Absher Reports and choose the option to request a report.
4. Select Criminal Records Report or the current equivalent.
5. Check the personal details populated from your government record. Stop if the name, passport, nationality or identity number is wrong.
6. Choose the purpose or destination requested by the form and review the declaration.
7. Pay only the amount displayed by Absher, if payment is required, and keep the receipt.
8. Submit the request and save its reference number.

Return to the previous-requests or report area to check the outcome and download the certificate when it becomes available. The report can also be verified through Absher’s public Verify Criminal Record Certificate service. Share the certificate or reference information only with the organisation that genuinely requires it.

If you are outside Saudi Arabia

Do not travel to Saudi Arabia on a visit or Umrah visa simply because an old guide says this will make you eligible for a police certificate. Do not appoint a representative until an official Saudi mission confirms that representation is accepted and explains the required authorisation.

Contact the Saudi embassy or consulate responsible for where you live. Give your former Iqama details, passport used in Saudi Arabia, dates of residence and the purpose of the request. Also ask the receiving authority whether it accepts an alternative, such as an explanation of unavailability, fingerprints or records from another official channel. Follow the mission’s case-specific written instructions.

Check before submitting the certificate

• Confirm the English and Arabic names match the passport.
• Check the identity details, destination and issue information.
• Ask whether official translation or authentication is required.
• Use the Absher verification page where the recipient needs to validate the document.