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PCC and apostille cost in India: Rs 750 and Rs 50 are only part of the bill

Tips · 2026-11-03 · 9 min read

The official fee for a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is Rs. 750 in India from 1 July 2026, and an MEA apostille sticker is Rs 50. Those two numbers are real, but they are not the whole bill: the passport behind the PCC, the collection charge on each document and the page count all add up. This guide puts every official amount in one place so you can budget before an employer's offer turns into a visa file.

If you are still working out the full move, start with our breakdown of Australia work visa fees in Indian rupees. This post covers only the paperwork you arrange at home.

The official fees at a glance

Read these as the official amounts for each step, not as a quote for your own case.

What changed on 1 July 2026

Under the notification dated 25 June 2026, the revised passport and PCC fees applied from 1 July 2026. If a friend quotes an older amount, ask which date they paid on. Budget from the table above and confirm the figure on the Passport Seva payment screen.

A separate rule affects where a PCC may come from. From 1 December 2025, Immigration New Zealand only accepts PCCs issued by a Regional Passport Office of the Ministry of External Affairs from Indian national applicants who live in India. Our post on why a police station certificate no longer counts for New Zealand explains the change, and the Immigration New Zealand notice is the official text.

How the PCC works and what it costs

MEA says a PCC is issued to Indian passport holders who have applied for Residential Status, Employment or a Long term visa, or for immigration. It cannot be issued for someone going abroad on a tourist visa. You apply at a Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or Mini PSK within the jurisdiction of your Passport Office.

Passport Seva says the PCC is issued on the same day at the PSK when the police verification report for your existing passport is clear. Otherwise it is issued only after police verification, and the country it is issued for is stamped on the passport.

Because the PCC is tied to your passport, the passport can become part of the cost. A fresh or reissued 36-page passport costs Rs. 2500 (normal) or Rs. 5000 (Tatkaal). Someone who needs both a new passport and a PCC would pay Rs 3250 at the normal rate or Rs 5750 at the Tatkaal rate, before travel to the PSK and any photocopies.

Home Affairs may ask for a police certificate from every country you lived in, usually if you are over 17 and lived there for at least 12 months in the past 10 years. Certificates for Australian visas are valid for 12 months from the issue date, so ordering one too early can mean paying twice. The Home Affairs character requirements page sets out the rule.

How apostille works and what it adds up to

India has been a member of the Hague Convention of October 5 1961 since 2005, and an apostille is accepted in all member countries. The HCCH status table shows the convention entered into force for India on 14 July 2005, for Australia on 16 March 1995 and for New Zealand on 22 November 2001.

MEA apostilles personal documents such as birth, death and marriage certificates, affidavits and powers of attorney, and educational documents such as degrees and diplomas. The document must first be authenticated by the designated State Government, Union Territory or Chambers of Commerce authority. Details are on the MEA apostille page.

The fee has two layers. MEA charges Rs 50 per sticker, and the outsourced agencies charge Rs 84 per document plus Rs. 3 per page. For one two-page document that is Rs 140. The table below repeats the same sum for more documents. It is a rough illustration from the published charges, and the state-level authentication step before it may have its own cost, which this guide does not cover.

Attestation, ECR and costs you can skip

MEA's normal attestation is for countries that are not members of the Hague Convention. Australia and New Zealand are members, so apostille is the route for them. Ask any agent who quotes "embassy attestation" for either country why it is needed.

Emigration Clearance is a separate matter. MEA's overview dated 21 April 2026 lists 19 ECR countries, and Australia and New Zealand are not among them. So the Emigration Clearance for ECR passport holders applies to jobs in the listed countries, not to jobs in Australia or New Zealand. Passport Seva says that if you are in the ECR category, ECR status is printed on your passport; if ECR is not printed, you are deemed Non-ECR. Our guide to the ECR passport and an Australia job covers it in detail.

If someone asks for money to "arrange" these documents, compare the amount with the table above first. Our post on recruiting agent service charges in India explains what an agent may charge.

Steps to get your papers ready

1. Check what your visa file actually asks for. A police certificate is requested for some applicants, and the document list you are given beats any general checklist.
2. Check the passport. If it is near expiry or has no free pages, renew it first, because the PCC is issued against the passport you hold.
3. Book the PCC at the PSK or Mini PSK under your Passport Office and pay Rs. 750. The country it is issued for is stamped on the passport.
4. Collect the documents that need authenticating: degrees, diplomas and certificates. Get the State or Chambers of Commerce authentication first.
5. Submit them for the MEA apostille and pay Rs 50 per sticker plus the agency charges.
6. Keep an English translation with each original if a document is not in English. Home Affairs asks for both, and translators outside Australia must include their full name, address, phone number and language qualifications and experience.
7. Book the visa medical only after your application is set up. Home Affairs lists panel clinics in India, and our post on the visa medical test in India shows how to time it with your PCC.

Common mistakes

• Ordering the PCC too early. Certificates for Australian visas are valid for 12 months from the issue date, so an early one may have to be ordered again.
• Using a police station letter for New Zealand. Since 1 December 2025 it is no longer accepted from Indian applicants living in India.
• Paying for attestation the destination does not need. Apostille is the route for Australia and New Zealand.
• Applying for a PCC for a tourist trip. MEA says it cannot be issued for travel on a tourist visa.
• Counting only the headline fee. The passport, the agency charges per page and the State authentication step all sit on top.
• Handing original documents to an unverified agent. Keep scans and copies, and use the official offices where you can.

Tradespeople planning around a specific role can see what employers ask for in the live carpenter job in Cairns or the fitter, turner and welder job in Christchurch. A clear CV helps while your documents are processed, and Build AI CV can help you set out your trade experience in an Australian format.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a police clearance certificate cost in India in 2026?

From 1 July 2026 the fee for a Police Clearance Certificate is Rs. 750 when you apply in India and $40 when you apply abroad, under Gazette Notification GSR 516(E) dated 25 June 2026. Check the amount on the Passport Seva payment screen before you pay, because that screen is the one that counts.

Does the MEA charge for an apostille?

MEA charges Rs 50 per apostille sticker, and its normal attestation carries no MEA fee. Outsourced agencies that collect and scan documents charge Rs 84 per document plus Rs. 3 per page, so the amount you pay at the counter is higher than the sticker alone.

Do I need an apostille or normal attestation for Australia and New Zealand?

MEA says normal attestation is for countries that are not members of the Hague Convention. Australia and New Zealand are members, so apostille is the route for them whenever a document needs authenticating. Whether your particular visa file asks for it is shown in the document list you are given.

Can I get a PCC if I am only travelling on a tourist visa?

No. MEA says a PCC cannot be issued for persons going abroad on a tourist visa. It is issued to Indian passport holders who have applied for Residential Status, Employment or a Long term visa, or for immigration.

Is a PCC from my local police station still accepted for New Zealand?

Not for Indian national applicants who live in India. From 1 December 2025 Immigration New Zealand accepts only certificates issued by a Regional Passport Office of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, not those from a Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police or local police station.

Do I need Emigration Clearance for a job in Australia or New Zealand?

MEA's Emigration Clearance for ECR passport holders applies to jobs in its list of 19 ECR countries. Australia and New Zealand are not on that list. Passport Seva prints ECR status on the passport, and if ECR is not printed you are deemed Non-ECR.

Key takeaways

• The PCC fee is Rs. 750 in India from 1 July 2026, and an MEA apostille sticker is Rs 50.
• Add the passport fee (Rs. 2500 normal, Rs. 5000 Tatkaal) if your passport needs renewing.
• Agency charges of Rs 84 per document plus Rs. 3 per page sit on top of the sticker.
• Apostille is the route for Australia and New Zealand, so skip normal attestation.
• For New Zealand, Indian applicants living in India need a PCC from a Regional Passport Office.

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