India, Philippines missions flooded with calls on good conduct certificate

The certificate must then be certified by the UAE's missions.- Alamy Image

Confusion reigned on Sunday as the UAE made the 'Good Conduct and Behaviour Certificate' mandatory to get a work visa. Missions in the UAE received numerous phone calls from concerned job seekers asking about the procedures involved.
Indians constitute the largest expat workforce in the UAE. Unsurprisingly, the embassy has been flooded with calls for a few days now. "All the callers ask about the procedures to follow regarding the Good Conduct Certificate. The verification procedures will be handled from the UAE missions in India," an embassy official said.
Pakistanis are the next biggest expatriate population in the UAE. The Pakistan Embassy is in contact with the UAE Ministry of Interior for further details on the language the certificate is to be issued in. Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE, Moazzam Khan, said people should rely on the embassy for further updates. "This is a sovereign decision and we respect it. We are waiting for the Ministry of Interior to give more details," Khan said.
The common man, however, has many doubts. Someone like Safar Ahmed is on a job hunt here. "I am trying for a sales job here. I have searched online but couldn't find anything conclusive about the certificate," said Ahmed.
Officials at both embassies said there will be more clarity in the coming days.
The Philippine Consulate General Dubai has issued guidelines on how to acquire the Certificate of Good Conduct for new Filipino workers in the UAE. "The certificate, also known as 'No Criminal Record' in the Philippines, must be obtained from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)," Philippine consul general Paul Raymund Cortes said. "The NBI Clearance must be authenticated by the (Philippine) Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and attested by the UAE Embassy in Manila."
Philippine vice consul Elizabeth Ramos earlier told Khaleej Times that a "document similar to the Good Conduct Certificate is alre-ady being issued by the Philippines government to migrant Filipinos" so they see no problems in issuing the new certificate. "The NBI clearance is the Philippine police clearance. The Consulate provides a fingerprint card which serves as the application for NBI clearance and the applicant goes to the police station for fingerprinting and the document is then attested by the Consulate," Ramos said.
Procedures to obtain the certificate
For Indians
> Citizens need to get a 'Police Clearance Certificate'
> It can be applied online through the consular, passport and visa division of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs
> They can register through the Passport Seva Online Portal
> They then click 'Apply for Police Clearance Certificate' link
> They need to pay and schedule an appointment
> They need to visit the designated Passport Seva Kendra or Regional Passport Office along with original documents
> The certificate must then be certified by the UAE's missions.
For Filipinos
> Secure National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance application form (NBI form no. 5) from the Philippine Consulate. The form is free and not for sale.
> Fill out Form 5 and go the nearest police station for fingerprinting, which should be rolled impression. The one who took the fingerprint must sign on the Form.
> Return to the Philippine Consulate to have the NBI Form 5 notarised and then apply for a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) authorising your represent in the Philippines to submit accomplished Form 5 to the NBI.
> Upon release of NBI Clearance, your representative will also request for the authentication of document with the DFA, and apply for the attestation of the NBI clearance at the UAE Embassy in Manila.
(With inputs from Angel Tesorero)
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi
• Dubai
• India
• Philippines

Ashwani Kumar

Ashwani Kumar is a versatile journalist who explores every beat in Abu Dhabi with an insatiable curiosity. He loves uncovering stories that are informative and help readers form their own opinions.

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com