French Police Clearance Certificate for UAE Visa

Your UAE visa renewal requires a police clearance certificate from every country you’ve lived in for six months or more. You filed the request. Weeks later, the document arrived. In French.

GDRFA doesn’t read French. Neither does ICA or the Ministry of Human Resources. Your PCC needs to be in Arabic — or it won’t be accepted.

Here’s exactly what to do.

What the UAE requires

UAE immigration authorities accept documents in Arabic only, or with a certified Arabic translation. They do not accept French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, or any other language without translation.

For any PCC going to a UAE government entity, you need two things:

1. Attestation — confirms the document is genuine and was issued by an official authority
2. MOJ-certified Arabic translation — done by a licensed translator in the UAE

The order matters: attestation first, then translation. Never translate before attesting.

Attestation for French PCCs

France is a member of the Hague Convention, which means French documents use apostille — not the full embassy chain.

For a casier judiciaire (Bulletin n°3) from France:

• The apostille is issued by the Court of Appeal (Cour d’Appel) in the jurisdiction where the document was issued — or by the Procureur de la République in some cases
• You can request apostille online via the official French justice portal (service-public.fr) or through a notaire or legal agent in France
• Once the apostille stamp is on the document, it’s ready for translation in the UAE

For Belgian PCCs (extrait de casier judiciaire):

• Belgium is also a Hague Convention member
• Apostille issued by the Belgian Federal Public Service Justice or via the commune that issued the document
• Then translate into Arabic in the UAE

For Swiss French-canton PCCs:

• Switzerland is a Hague Convention member
• Apostille issued by the cantonal authority of the issuing canton

North African PCCs: different rules

Morocco and Algeria are not Hague Convention members. Their PCCs don’t use apostille — they go through the full embassy attestation chain.

Moroccan casier judiciaire:

1. Authentication by the Moroccan Prosecutor’s office
2. Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation
3. UAE Embassy in Morocco attestation
4. Then translate into Arabic in the UAE

Algerian extrait de casier judiciaire: Same chain: local authentication → Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs → UAE Embassy in Algeria → Arabic translation

This takes 2–4 weeks for the embassy chain alone. Factor that into your visa renewal timeline.

Tunisian PCCs: Tunisia is not a Hague Convention member. Same embassy attestation chain as Morocco.

Canadian PCCs (Quebec)

Quebec’s RCMP criminal record check is issued in English and French. The English version is sufficient for UAE purposes, but if you only have the French version, it needs Arabic translation. Canada is a Hague Convention member, so apostille applies — issued by Global Affairs Canada.

Translation: French → Arabic directly

There is no requirement to translate French into English first, and then English into Arabic. An MOJ-licensed translator in the UAE works directly from the French original into Arabic. Adding an English intermediary step means an unnecessary extra attestation and cost.

The translator must be licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice (MOJ License #701 or equivalent). Typing centres and general translation agencies are not MOJ-licensed. If your document goes to GDRFA, ICA, or any UAE court, use an MOJ-licensed translator only.

The timing trap

PCCs expire. Most UAE government entities require the PCC to have been issued within the last 3–6 months. Attestation and translation don’t reset this clock.

This is the timeline that catches people:

• Request PCC from France: 2–4 weeks
• Apostille in France: 1–2 weeks
• Ship to UAE: 1 week
• Translation: 1–2 days
• Total: 5–8 weeks

If your visa deadline is in 8 weeks, you are already cutting it close. If your PCC also needs to be attested in Morocco or Algeria, add another 2–4 weeks for the embassy chain.

Request your PCC the moment you know your visa renewal is coming. Don’t wait for the GDRFA reminder.

Multiple PCCs from multiple countries

If you’ve worked in France, Morocco, and Canada before arriving in the UAE, GDRFA may request PCCs from all three. Each has its own attestation chain and language. Keep a tracking sheet:

One delayed PCC holds up your entire residency renewal.

What to send us

When you’re ready to translate:

• The original French PCC with apostille or embassy attestation stamps attached
• Let us know the issuing country and authority
• We translate directly from French to Arabic with MOJ certification

Send via WhatsApp: +971 50 862 0217. Standard turnaround is same day for single-page PCCs.