If you had a Police Clearance Certificate apostilled a while ago, you may wonder whether the apostille has “expired” and needs redoing. The answer hinges on an important distinction between the apostille and the PCC itself. Here it is, clearly.
The apostille does not expire
An apostille has no expiry date. It permanently certifies that the signatures and seals on your PCC were genuine when it was issued. So the apostille itself never “runs out” and does not need renewing on its own.
But the PCC often does have a shelf life
Here is the catch: while the apostille does not expire, the receiving country usually requires the PCC to be recent — commonly issued within the last three to six months. So even a perfectly apostilled PCC can be rejected simply because the underlying certificate is now too old for the destination’s rules.
What this means in practice
- If your PCC is still within the destination’s validity window: the existing apostille remains valid — no need to redo anything.
- If your PCC is now older than the destination accepts: you generally need a fresh PCC, and that new PCC must be apostilled again. You cannot simply “re-apostille” the old one to reset its age.
So do you re-apostille, or reissue?
You do not re-apostille an old PCC to make it current — the apostille was never the problem. If the PCC has aged out, you obtain a new PCC and apostille that. Effectively, it is a fresh certificate with a fresh apostille.
The practical takeaway
Before assuming your old apostilled PCC is fine, check the destination’s recency requirement. If the PCC is still recent enough, use it as is. If not, get a new PCC and apostille it — that, not re-apostilling the old one, is the correct step.
An apostille on a PCC never expires — but the PCC can. Confirm your destination’s recency rule; if your certificate is too old, a fresh PCC with a fresh apostille is what you need.
Quick FAQ
Does an apostille on a PCC expire?
No — the apostille itself never expires. But the PCC underneath it often must be recent (commonly three to six months) for the destination.
Can I re-apostille an old PCC to make it current?
No — re-apostilling doesn’t reset the PCC’s age. If the PCC is too old, obtain a fresh PCC and apostille that.
How do I know if my old apostilled PCC is still usable?
Check the destination’s recency requirement — if the PCC is still within the window, the existing apostille is fine.
How Manav Corporate Consultants can help
At Manav Corporate Consultants (MCC), we handle the complete apostille and attestation journey — checking your documents for issues before submission, then managing notarisation, state and Chamber of Commerce verification, MEA apostille and embassy legalisation — with doorstep pick-up and drop across India and genuine, online-verifiable results. As an ISO 9001:2015-certified, MEA-licensed firm, we help you get your documents ready for your visa, immigration or move abroad without the errors that cause rejections and delays.
Mumbai – +91 7738980318 / Chennai – +91 96770 59423 / Pune – +91 9970466594 | info@manavconsultants.com | www.manavconsultants.com