Choose the Criminal Record Certificate the Recipient Needs
The words police clearance do not identify one universal UK certificate. Confirm purpose, issuer and disclosure type before authentication.
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Who this guide is for
- Applicants asked for UK police evidence abroad
- People comparing ACRO, DBS, regional disclosure or ICPC requirements
- Teams reviewing a certificate before arranging paper authentication
The practical problem
Home Office guidance distinguishes ACRO police certificates for emigration or consular requests, ICPC checks for work with children abroad, and employer-related disclosure routes. It identifies basic disclosure issuers as DBS in England and Wales, AccessNI in Northern Ireland and Disclosure Scotland in Scotland, and tells applicants to check recipient acceptance. These are not interchangeable products. Also distinguish a UK-issued certificate used abroad from a foreign-issued certificate requested by a UK employer or visa process. UK legalisation does not authenticate an overseas issuer simply because the recipient is in the UK. This guide does not determine disclosure eligibility or interpret a person's criminal history.
Your options
Step 1: Name the recipient and purpose
Ask the embassy, employer or other recipient to state the accepted certificate and issuer, required age and countries covered. A request for a national police certificate may not be satisfied by a basic employment disclosure. Obtain clarification before applying or paying for an apostille.
Step 2: Match the issuer rather than the marketing label
Use official issuer instructions for ACRO, DBS, AccessNI, Disclosure Scotland or ICPC as appropriate to the confirmed purpose. Check applicant or employer eligibility with that issuer. A UK record does not automatically cover every country where the applicant previously lived.
Step 3: Check the paper route and prerequisites
GOV.UK excludes ACRO and DBS certificates for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland disclosure certificates, and fingerprint certificates from e-Apostille. Review the exact document and qualifying signature before submission. Do not assume a private certified PDF bypasses the exclusion or that every police-related document has identical prerequisites.
Step 4: Keep sensitive content out of public intake
Describe the issuer, certificate type and destination without disclosing criminal-history details. Hypothetical example: an applicant holds a basic DBS certificate, while an overseas consulate names an ACRO police certificate. Pause authentication and ask about the correct issuer product; apostilling the DBS certificate would not turn it into ACRO evidence.
Documents typically needed
- Non-sensitive issuer, certificate type, issue date and issuing jurisdiction
- Recipient's exact certificate and authentication requirement
- Countries or periods for which the recipient asks for separate records
- Original availability, translation instructions and delivery deadline
- Certificate contents and identification only in the secure dashboard after a reviewed request
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating ACRO and DBS as interchangeable
- Assuming one UK certificate covers all previous countries of residence
- Using UK legalisation for a certificate issued by a foreign authority
- Ordering e-Apostille for an excluded disclosure certificate
- Posting certificate contents or criminal-history details in a public form
How Nomadic Go helps
Start with a non-sensitive description of the issuer, document type, destination and recipient requirement. Nomadic Go can review whether an agreed supported document route is available and prepare an itemised quote before payment; this page does not approve a supplier, replacement-document service or particular application. The authority issues the apostille. Issuer fees, certification prerequisites, authority charges, translation and courier are separate unless expressly included in the reviewed quote. Routine approved certified-copy costs remain governed by the catalogue and accepted quote. Do not put certificates, identity documents or criminal-history information in public forms. Private documents belong only in the secure dashboard after a reviewed request. Acceptance and delivery times are not guaranteed. This is practical preparation information, not legal or tax advice.
Important limitations: Nomadic Go provides assistance and coordination services only. We do not guarantee approval of any bank account, visa, or company registration application. All final decisions rest with the relevant bank, government authority, or regulatory body. We do not provide tax advice, legal opinions, or financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can an apostille make the wrong certificate acceptable?
No. Authentication does not change the issuer, coverage or disclosure type. Ask the named recipient what it requires first.
Is an ICPC the same as an ACRO police certificate?
No. Home Office guidance describes ICPC for work or volunteering with children abroad and ACRO police certificates for emigration or consular requirements. Check the intended recipient and issuer instructions.
Can you interpret a conviction or advise what must be disclosed?
No. This document-handling guide does not provide criminal, employment or immigration legal advice. Ask the competent issuer about the record and obtain qualified advice for disclosure questions.
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