Issuing and Translating a Criminal Record Certificate for External Use
This guide focuses on the document that the National Portal calls the “Criminal Records Report” and also describes as a “Certificate of good conduct (Criminal Record).” It is issued electronically through Absher in a Ministry of Interior service available to individual citizens and residents. The published steps include selecting the entity and purpose, confirming the details, paying, and reviewing and printing the certificate. The service displays a fee of SAR 57 and allows access to previous reports for 30 days from issuance; that period concerns access to prior reports and does not set a foreign recipient’s acceptance period. For use outside Saudi Arabia, first identify the destination country, receiving authority, and purpose, then confirm the recipient’s requirements for the original, translation, and any ratification or apostille. “Good conduct” does not necessarily identify one separate, standardized Saudi document for every purpose; it can instead be a qualification used in particular regulated roles, while a Criminal Record Certificate is the relevant document in another context. As a practical safeguard, reproduce the document title, content, identity data, seals, and identifiers faithfully, without adding a legal characterization or conclusion that is absent from the original. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides document-ratification routes, and its apostille form includes a criminal-record certificate, but this does not guarantee that every country or recipient will accept the document or its translation.
- Criminal Record Certificate (criminal record) issued electronically through Absher.
- Criminal Records Report available for review and printing through the service.
- A previous report from the service, where needed, noting that access to previous reports is available for 30 days from issuance.
- A criminal-record-clearance certificate attached to a lawyer-licence application, only in that specific professional context.
- A criminal-record certificate submitted with a Ministry of Foreign Affairs ratification or apostille request when that route applies and the receiving authority requires it.
Identify the receiving authority, destination country, and purpose before starting. The Absher route asks for the entity and purpose, while the recipient determines translation and acceptance requirements.
Ask the receiving authority to confirm whether it requires the Arabic original, a translation, ratification, an apostille, or a particular format. No established single rule applies to all recipients or countries.
Log in to Absher, select “My Services,” then “Public Security” and the Criminal Record Certificate service, and request the certificate.
Select the entity and purpose, confirm the details, pay the displayed SAR 57 fee, then review and print the certificate.
If a record appears incorrect or remains registered, visit a General Directorate of Criminal Evidence branch for assistance. The direction does not specify a correction outcome or time frame.
As a practical safeguard, reproduce the title, content, names, ID or Iqama numbers, dates, seals, and identifiers as they appear in the certificate. Do not add descriptions such as “clean record” or a legal equivalent absent from the original.
If the destination or recipient requires it, use the Ministry of Foreign Affairs electronic route. The apostille form includes a criminal-record certificate and asks for the original-document nature, issuing government entity, destination country, page count, and one PDF file; this does not establish acceptance of every translation.
As a practical safeguard after confirming the receiving authority’s requirements, compare the translation against the original line by line and check the name, ID or Iqama number, dates, purpose, and destination. Keep the original, translation, and submission proof, and use any issuer-provided electronic verification method when available.
| Document type | Common use | Note |
|---|---|---|
What is the closest official document name?
The National Portal calls it the “Criminal Records Report” and also describes it as a “Certificate of good conduct (Criminal Record).”
Which authority provides the service?
The National Portal attributes the service to the Ministry of Interior, and the certificate is issued electronically through Absher.
Is the service limited to citizens?
No. The service is intended for individual citizens and residents.
What are the official issuance steps?
Log in to Absher, select “My Services,” “Public Security,” and the Criminal Record Certificate service; request the certificate, select the entity and purpose, confirm, pay, and review and print it.
What fee is displayed for the service?
The service displays a fee of SAR 57.
Does the 30-day period mean that the certificate is valid for 30 days?
That is not established. The period concerns access to previous reports within 30 days from issuance; it does not set a foreign recipient’s acceptance period.
Is “good conduct” always a separate document?
The sources do not establish one separate, standardized Saudi document with that name for every purpose. The phrase may be a qualification for a particular regulated role, while a Criminal Record Certificate is the relevant document in another context.
Does the certificate satisfy every professional application?
No. The Ministry of Justice mentions the certificate in the specific lawyer-licensing context, which cannot be generalized to every profession or recipient.
What should I do if an incorrect record appears?
The Absher guidance directs you to a General Directorate of Criminal Evidence branch for assistance. It does not specify the correction outcome or timing.
Does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs certify the translation itself?
The available information does not establish that as a general rule. The Ministry describes document ratification for cross-border use, but does not guarantee translation quality or acceptance.
Can an apostille be requested for a Criminal Record Certificate?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs form includes a criminal-record certificate among request types or purposes. You must still confirm that the route applies and that the destination country and recipient will accept it.
Does an apostille guarantee translation acceptance?
No. The form shows that an application route exists; it does not state that every country or recipient accepts the document or its translation.
Is there a mandatory Saudi English wording?
The available information does not establish a mandatory Saudi English wording. As a practical safeguard, translate the title and contents as they appear in the original and follow the recipient’s format if it expressly requires one.
Must a sworn translator be used?
The available information does not state a universal rule. The matter depends on the receiving authority’s requirements or the relevant legalization route, and a translator should not be described as certified without a verifiable basis.
What is the most important step before submitting a translation?
First confirm the receiving authority’s and destination country’s requirements. Then, as a practical safeguard, compare the translation with the original certificate, including the name, ID or Iqama number, dates, seals, and identifiers.
This guide is for general information and is not legal or consular advice. Always verify current requirements with the receiving authority.