How to Get a Criminal Background Check in China

Working and living in China can feel like an exercise in paperwork. Everything from transit to healthcare seems to require forms, stamps, and duplicates. The work visa application process is Chinese bureaucracy on steroids, a multistep process involving a medical examination, work history documentation, and numerous forms to be filled out. 

Part of the work visa process often requires you to prove that you have no previous criminal convictions. A criminal record check may also be required when for residence permits, adoption, or school enrollment. This document can be referred by a number of names, including a non-criminal history report, background check, criminal background check, police record, or good conduct certificate. 

The intention of this document is, as the name suggests, to ensure that all foreigners living and working in China have complied with laws in their country of origin and are thus likely to remain on their best behavior while in China. 

As a brief explanation, acquiring a criminal record check involves multiple steps, requiring input from both your country of origin and a Chinese embassy or consulate. These steps include:

Order the criminal record report 

Contact your local, state, or federal government representative to obtain the criminal record report.

• For US citizens: if a local or state background check is sufficient, then you may go to your local police department in your last place of residence or contact the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division of your state.
• UK citizens: you will need to apply for your police certificate via ACRO Criminal Records Office. 
• Certain countries require you to list all residential addresses for the previous ten years, and the date by month in which you lived in those countries.
• You may also have to supply: proof of address in China, the details of somebody who can endorse your application, a digital file of your passport photo.

Certify / Notarize the report

All documents should be signed by the relevant authorities and notarized, and for certain countries, apostilled. 

• For US citizens: this means that the document must be authenticated by the State Department if local notarization is insufficient.

Have the report authenticated by the Chinese consulate or embassy

When completing this process, here are some facts and figures to keep in mind:

• Once authenticated, removing the staples will invalidate the document. 
• For certain countries, authentication cannot be done via post, and can only be done in person, either by the applicant or an authorized replacement.
• For US citizens: Consular authentication takes about a week, with a fee of USD 25 per document.
• The US Department of State authentication also takes about a week, with a fee of USD 8 per document. 
• Should authorization from the Secretary of State be required, certification times will vary but roughly require 10-15 business days. The fee ranges from USD 2 to USD 25 per document.

Now you've proven you're not on the lam, why not settle down with these pro tips to house hunting in Beijing?

Image: sfmic.com