Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) Nepal Guide

1. What the PCC is and who needs it

A Police Clearance Certificate (प्रहरी चारित्रिक प्रमाणपत्र), often called a “police report”, is issued by Nepal Police to confirm your criminal-record status. It is commonly required for foreign visas, immigration (PR), overseas employment, study abroad and some official processes. You apply on the official OPCR portal, which is free and available 24/7.

2. Applicant categories

During registration you choose one category, which sets the form and processing path:

• I Am Nepali — Nepali citizens applying with citizenship (and passport for foreign use).
• I Am Foreigner — foreign nationals who have lived in Nepal; processing is usually longer (about 7–15 working days).
• I Am Refugee — refugees in Nepal, under the matching category.

Foreign nationals may also apply offline at designated police offices (for example the Metropolitan Police Offices in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, or offices in Pokhara or Bharatpur). Confirm the current office and requirement with Nepal Police.

3. Prepare your documents and photo

Create a compliant photo with the Passport Photo Maker (plain background, both ears visible), keep document scans clear with the Image Compressor, and use the BS–AD Date Converter if a date field needs the other calendar.

4. Apply step by step on OPCR

1. Open the OPCR portal and click Register.
2. Select your category, enter your full name, gender, mobile and email, complete the CAPTCHA and register.
3. Verify your account and set your password (email and OTP are used for recovery).
4. Complete the 5-step form: personal details, purpose of the certificate and travel history.
5. Upload citizenship (front and back), the passport bio page for international use, and your photo.
6. Review every field against your documents, then submit. There is no application fee.

5. After submission — status and download

Log in and open View Application Status. Online cases are usually approved in about 2–7 working days. When the status shows Approved or Completed, use Download Certificate to get the digitally signed PDF, which carries a QR code for authenticity verification — no in-person collection is needed for online applications.

6. MOFA attestation for use abroad

Many embassies require the PCC to be legalized before they accept it. Nepal is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille is not available. Instead, use MOFA attestation from the Department of Consular Services.

• Verify the certificate details, then enter the Dispatch Number and date of birth on the attestation portal.
• Pay the fee (about NPR 500) through a digital gateway such as ConnectIPS, Khalti or eSewa, or a bank voucher.
• After about one business day, download the attested certificate using your reference and dispatch numbers.

7. Applying from abroad

Because the OPCR portal works from anywhere, Non-Resident Nepalis and Nepali citizens living abroad can apply online and download the signed PCC without travelling to Nepal. Plan ahead for any attestation step, as that may still need a representative or courier in Kathmandu depending on the destination’s requirement.

Common mistakes that cause rejection or delay

• Typos in name, date of birth or address that do not match citizenship/passport.
• Blurry, cropped or wrong-background photos that fail the photo rules.
• Leaving mandatory fields blank or mismatching uploaded documents.
• Registering with a wrong name and discovering it cannot be corrected.
• Applying too early, so the PCC is outside the embassy’s 3–6 month window.
• Assuming apostille exists for Nepal instead of arranging MOFA attestation.
• Entering details on an unofficial look-alike site instead of the OPCR portal.

Frequently asked questions