Bangladesh Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) for Ecuador Tourist Visa

Bangladesh's official background check document is called the Police Clearance Certificate (PCC). It is issued by Bangladesh Police through the national online portal at pcc.police.gov.bd and is verified by the Superintendent of Police (or Commissioner) for the district of your permanent registered address.

Ecuador requires a background check for tourist visa applicants. The Bangladesh PCC must be: - Issued through the official Bangladesh Police online portal — not from a local police station directly - Apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Bangladesh using the e-Apostille system - Translated into Spanish by a certified translator - Issued within 180 days before your visa application submission date

Important: Ecuador's 180-day validity window pauses while your visa application is under active review by Ecuador's Cancillería. The clock does not run during processing — it only counts days before submission and any days after Ecuador returns or rejects the file. Plan your PCC timing relative to your application submission date.

Who needs a PCC: - Citizens of Bangladesh applying for an Ecuador tourist visa: provide PCC from Bangladesh - Anyone who has resided in Bangladesh for any part of the last 5 years (regardless of citizenship): you must provide a Bangladesh PCC for that period of residence, in addition to your country of citizenship or current residence

The Bangladesh Police Clearance Certificate is administered centrally through:

Bangladesh Police — PCC Online Portal pcc.police.gov.bd

The application is submitted online, but physical field verification is conducted by the police in the district of your permanent address in Bangladesh. The Superintendent of Police (SP) or Commissioner for that district issues the final certificate.

Key distinction: You do not go to a local police station to apply. All applications flow through the central portal. Local police are involved only in the backend verification step — they visit your registered address to confirm residency and check records.

For Bangladeshi nationals currently abroad: You can apply remotely through the online portal, but you must have a representative in Bangladesh to facilitate the address verification step. The field verification still occurs at your permanent registered address in Bangladesh. Applications from abroad may take up to 20 working days because of this extra coordination step. Your passport photocopy must be attested by the relevant Embassy or High Commission officer if submitting from outside Bangladesh.

Special Branch (SB) clearance is a separate, more intensive investigation covering political associations and intelligence records. SB clearance is only required when the requesting authority explicitly specifies it. For Ecuador tourist visa purposes, the standard Bangladesh Police PCC is sufficient.

Step 1 — Register on the official portal Go to pcc.police.gov.bd. Create an account using your mobile number and personal details. Do not use third-party sites — only the official police portal.

Step 2 — Complete the online application form Log in and begin your PCC application. You will be asked for: - Full name (must exactly match your passport and National ID — including spelling of "Md." vs. "Muhammad") - Date and place of birth - Permanent address in Bangladesh - Passport number and details - Purpose of the PCC (select "Visa" or "Immigration")

Step 3 — Upload required documents Scan and upload clear copies of: - Valid Bangladesh passport (bio-data page and address page) - National ID card (NID) - Recent passport-sized photograph - Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement, or ward councilor certificate dated within the last 3 months)

Step 4 — Pay the government fee The official fee is BDT 500. Pay online through: - bKash, Nagad, or Rocket (mobile financial services) - Debit or credit card (Visa/Mastercard) - Internet banking - Offline: Treasury challan to code 1-7301-0001-2681 at any Sonali Bank or Bangladesh Bank branch

Keep your payment confirmation.

Step 5 — Field verification After submission, police will conduct an address verification at your permanent registered address in Bangladesh. This is handled at the SP/Commissioner level in your home district. You do not need to be present in Bangladesh for this step, but the address must be accessible and your contact information accurate.

Step 6 — Receive and download your PCC Once verification is complete, the PCC is issued digitally. You can download the certificate from your portal account. The document is in English.

Prepare scanned copies of the following before starting your application:

Mandatory for all applicants: - Bangladesh passport — bio-data page and address page (must be valid, at minimum 3 months of remaining validity) - National ID card (NID) — front and back - Recent passport-sized photograph — taken within the last 6 months - Proof of current address — acceptable documents: - Utility bill (electricity, gas, water) dated within the last 3 months - Bank account statement (last 3 months) - Ward Councilor certificate - Registered rental or lease agreement

Critical name consistency rule: Your name must be spelled identically across your NID, passport, and application form. Even minor differences — "Md." versus "Muhammad," "Begum" included or omitted — can trigger a mismatch flag and delay or reject your application. Reconcile any discrepancies before applying.

For applicants currently outside Bangladesh: - Attested photocopy of passport (attested by an officer at the Bangladesh Embassy or High Commission in your country of residence) - Written application on plain paper addressed to the SP/Commissioner of your home district - Treasury challan or online payment receipt

Standard processing: 7–15 working days for applicants whose permanent address is in Bangladesh.

Applicants applying from abroad: up to 20 working days, because field verification must still be coordinated at the permanent address in Bangladesh.

Breakdown: - Portal application and payment: immediate (same day) - Field verification by district police: 5–10 working days (urban areas) to 10–15 working days (rural areas) - Certificate issuance after verification: 1–3 working days - Download from portal: immediate after issuance

Factors that cause delays: - Address information does not match the NID (triggers re-verification) - Name spelling inconsistency between passport and NID - Rural or remote permanent address (police verification takes longer) - Representative in Bangladesh is unavailable when police make contact for verification - High volume periods

Planning buffer: Allow 4–5 weeks from the day you submit your application to the day you have the certificate in hand. For applicants abroad, budget 6 weeks.

The official government fee for a Bangladesh Police Clearance Certificate is:

BDT 500 (approximately $4.50 USD)

This is the only government fee for the PCC itself. Payment methods: bKash, Nagad, Rocket, Visa/Mastercard debit or credit card, internet banking, or offline Sonali Bank challan.

Warning on third-party agents: Many private agents advertise PCC assistance for BDT 1,500–5,000 or more. The official portal is straightforward and entirely in English. You only ever need to pay the BDT 500 government fee for the PCC application itself.

Bangladesh joined the Hague Apostille Convention on July 29, 2024, with the convention entering into force on March 30, 2025. This means Bangladesh PCCs can now be apostilled — and Ecuador, as a Hague member, accepts Bangladesh apostilles. Ecuador has not raised any objection to Bangladesh's accession.

The apostille authority for Bangladesh is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), which operates a fully digital e-Apostille system.

Apostille Process for Bangladesh PCC

Step 1 — Apply for e-Apostille through MOFA Use the MOFA e-Apostille portal at mofa-servicedirectory.apostille.mygov.bd. The system is digital — you submit online and the apostille is issued as a digitally signed certificate with a QR code for verification.

Step 2 — Submit your original PCC The PCC must be verified by the SP office or Police HQ before MOFA will accept it for apostille. Confirm whether your downloaded digital PCC satisfies this requirement, or whether you need a physically stamped/signed original. If a physical original is required, collect it from the relevant SP office before submitting to MOFA.

Step 3 — MOFA issues e-Apostille MOFA issues the apostille certificate with a unique QR code allowing foreign embassies and immigration authorities to verify authenticity online. Processing at MOFA typically takes 3–7 working days.

Total apostille timeline: 7–14 working days from PCC in hand to apostilled PCC in hand.

Important note for historically complex cases: If for any reason Ecuador's consulate or immigration authority does not accept your MOFA apostille (which is unlikely but possible, especially for applications processed through older manual systems), the fallback authentication chain is: 1. Bangladesh Police PCC → verified by SP/Police HQ 2. MOFA attestation (standard legalization, not e-Apostille) 3. Ecuador Embassy or Consulate in New Delhi (nearest mission to Bangladesh) — consular legalization

This fallback adds 3–6 weeks. Start with the e-Apostille route — it is the standard and recognized pathway. Contact the Ecuador Embassy in New Delhi if you need confirmation before submitting.

Ecuador requires all foreign-language documents to be translated into Spanish by a certified translator. Your apostilled Bangladesh PCC must be accompanied by a certified Spanish translation when submitted with your visa application.

Requirements for the translation: - Translated by a certified/sworn translator (not a machine or AI translation) - The translation must accompany the apostilled original document - Translator's certification and signature must be included - Translation of the apostille itself is also required

[EcuadorTranslations.com](https://ecuadortranslations.com) offers certified Spanish translation services for Bangladesh PCCs and other immigration documents. Translators are familiar with Ecuador's immigration document standards.

Translation turnaround: Typically 2–5 business days. Submit your apostilled PCC as soon as you receive it to avoid delays in your overall timeline.

When submitting your Bangladesh PCC as part of an Ecuador tourist visa application, Ecuador requires:

1. Issued within 180 days of the date you submit your visa application
2. Apostilled by Bangladesh's MOFA (e-Apostille)
3. Translated into Spanish by a certified translator

Who must provide a Bangladesh PCC: - Bangladeshi citizens (regardless of current country of residence) - Any applicant who has resided in Bangladesh for any portion of the last 5 years — even if they are not a Bangladeshi citizen. If you lived or worked in Bangladesh at any point in the past 5 years, you must obtain a Bangladesh PCC covering that period of residence.

Critical note on the 180-day validity window: The 180-day clock runs from the PCC's issue date to the date you submit your visa application. It does not run during Ecuador's processing period. Ecuador's active review time does not count against the 180 days — the clock pauses while Ecuador is reviewing your file. You will not be penalized if Ecuador takes several weeks or months to process your application. Plan your timing around your submission date, not your expected approval date.

Practical implication: Get your PCC apostilled and translated before you submit your application on EcuaGo. Do not apply for your PCC so far in advance that it will be older than 180 days by the time you are ready to submit.