Police Clearance Certificates and Background Checks for Use Abroad
What a police clearance certificate is, who issues it, how to apply through pcc.police.gov.bd or ACRO, and how to prepare it for a visa application abroad.
A police clearance certificate is an official document confirming whether you have a criminal record in a given country. Immigration authorities, foreign employers and residence permit schemes ask for it as part of a background check. For people applying from the UK, the standard document is a police certificate issued by ACRO; for Bangladeshi nationals, applications run through the national portal pcc.police.gov.bd.
What a police clearance certificate is used for
The short answer: it proves to a foreign authority that you have no undisclosed criminal history. A PCC police clearance certificate is typically requested for visa applications, overseas employment, permanent residence and citizenship. It is different from a domestic disclosure such as a DBS check, which is designed for employment screening inside the UK and is generally not what immigration authorities abroad want to see.
Who issues police certificates
Which body you apply to depends on where you have lived. The overview table on our police clearance certificate page compares ACRO, Disclosure Scotland, AccessNI and overseas issuers such as the Australian Federal Police and Bangladesh Police portal. For UK visa and immigration purposes, the document foreign authorities usually name is the ACRO Police Certificate (UK-wide), not a Scotland-only employment disclosure.
If you have lived in several countries, each one usually needs its own certificate, so start with the country where you spent the longest period.
Police certificates for visa applications
Most immigration systems that require a background check will name the exact certificate they accept. Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States all commonly ask for police certificates from every country where an applicant has lived for a significant period, and many work and residence schemes elsewhere follow the same pattern. Check the instructions for your specific visa category before applying: the wrong certificate, or one issued by the wrong body, is a frequent cause of refusal.
Police certificate or subject access request: which one you need
These two documents get confused constantly, and choosing the wrong one costs weeks.
| Document | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Police certificate (ACRO) | An official statement of UK criminal records, issued for visa and immigration use | Visa applications, residence and work permits abroad |
| Subject access request | Your right to see the personal data a police force holds about you | Checking your own records, correcting mistakes, personal peace of mind |
| PCC via pcc.police.gov.bd | A Bangladesh Police clearance certificate | Bangladeshi visa, work and residence applications |
A subject access request is for your own information. Employers, landlords and foreign governments cannot make one on your behalf, and immigration authorities generally will not accept it in place of a police certificate. If your goal is a visa, apply for the certificate the visa authority names.
Documents and details you need to apply
Applications are broadly similar across issuing bodies. Before you start, prepare:
- a valid passport, which is the standard identity document;
- a full address history for the period the certificate must cover, with dates;
- the purpose of your application, since some bodies issue different certificate types for different uses;
- payment for the application fee, set by the issuing body.
Gaps or inconsistencies in your address history are the most common reason applications stall, so work through old tenancy agreements, utility bills or family records before filling in the form.
Applying through pcc.police.gov.bd from abroad
Situation: you are a Bangladeshi national living overseas and need a PCC for a visa or work permit.
Steps: create an application on pcc.police.gov.bd, complete the identity verification against your Bangladeshi passport, and provide a Bangladeshi mobile number, which the portal commonly uses for verification codes. Pay the fee using the challan code generated by the system, then submit the application for police verification in the relevant district.
Result: once verification is complete, the certificate is issued through the portal and can be collected or downloaded depending on the option you selected. Because verification runs through your local police district, timelines vary, so build in extra time if your visa appointment is fixed.
Fingerprints for a visa application
Some countries issue police certificates based on fingerprints rather than a name check, which they consider more reliable. If your destination country requires this, you will need to book a fingerprinting appointment at an approved location, have your prints taken, and have them forwarded to the relevant authority. Take your passport and any application reference with you, and confirm in advance whether the appointment provider sends prints directly or gives them to you to post.
Records on the Police National Computer
UK ACRO Police Certificates for visas are issued UK-wide and are based on national police systems such as the Police National Computer. You cannot always predict what a certificate will show, so if you suspect an old record exists, a subject access request to the relevant force can save surprises in your immigration file. That SAR is not the same document embassies ask for: for immigration, order the ACRO certificate even if you lived in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Domestic employment disclosures from Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI are separate products; see ACRO for Scotland for how they differ.
Getting the certificate accepted abroad
Many countries only accept a foreign police certificate if it carries an apostille. Our document legalisation service handles this step, and our guide to UK apostille and legalisation explains the full process.
One detail worth planning around: according to gov.uk (source accessed 2026-09-14), the electronic apostille (e-apostille) is not available for ACRO police certificates. The same restriction covers registry office certificates such as birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates, DBS certificates in England and Wales, and disclosure certificates in Scotland. In practice this means a paper original is the safe assumption for any police certificate destined for an embassy or immigration authority, so leave time for postage as well as processing.
See also
- Our Partner Programme
- ACRO Police Certificate: Application and Legalisation for Use Abroad
- Certified Translation for UK Visa Applications
FAQ
It is an official document issued by a police authority that states whether you have any criminal records held in that jurisdiction. It is commonly known as a PCC or a police certificate and is used for visas, employment and residence abroad.
In the UK, Police Certificates for visa and immigration purposes are issued by the ACRO Criminal Records Office. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own disclosure bodies, and other countries issue certificates through their national police or a dedicated online portal.
Identify which certificate the visa authority requires, apply to the correct issuing body with your passport, address history and the application fee, and then legalise the certificate if the destination country asks for an apostille.
A subject access request is your legal right to ask an organisation, including a police force, for copies of the personal data it holds about you. It is meant for your own information, not for submission to immigration authorities.
Only you can make a subject access request for your own records, or a parent or guardian on behalf of a child, or someone acting with your written authorisation. Employers, landlords and foreign authorities cannot request your records this way.
Many immigration systems ask for one, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, as well as numerous work and residence permit schemes elsewhere. Always check the specific instructions for your visa category.
For visa and immigration police certificates, apply to ACRO regardless of which UK nation you lived in. Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI handle domestic disclosure checks; a subject access request to Police Scotland or AccessNI is a different route for your own data, not a substitute for the ACRO certificate.
Some countries issue police certificates based on fingerprints rather than name checks. You would book an appointment at an approved fingerprinting location, have your prints taken, and the prints are then sent to the relevant authority for the check.
Step by step
- Confirm the exact certificate required
Check the visa or employment instructions from the destination country: the certificate type, the issuing body and whether fingerprints are needed.
- Prepare your identity documents
A valid passport is the standard ID document; some issuing bodies also ask for a second form of identification.
- Compile your address history
List every address you have lived at for the period the certificate must cover, with dates where possible.
- Submit the application to the correct body
ACRO for UK police certificates for visas and emigration (UK-wide, including Scotland). Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI issue domestic disclosure checks, not the immigration police certificate. Overseas portals such as pcc.police.gov.bd for Bangladesh.
- Arrange fingerprints if required
Book an appointment at an approved fingerprinting location and take your passport and application reference with you.
- Legalise the certificate if the destination asks for it
Many countries want an apostille on the original certificate before they accept it.
Common mistakes that get applications rejected
- Ordering a subject access request when the visa authority asked for a police certificate: an SAR is for your own records and is usually not accepted for immigration.
- Starting the application before checking which country and which certificate type the destination authority actually requires.
- Leaving gaps in your address history, which can delay processing or trigger follow-up questions.
- Assuming a digital certificate will always be accepted: some issuing bodies and receiving countries still expect a paper original.
- Forgetting that a certificate may need legalisation after issue, so the final deadline is later than the issue date.
- Letting someone else request your records: employers, landlords and foreign authorities cannot make a subject access request on your behalf.
We review your documents before submission to catch these errors first.
Helpful guides
Related pages
Who issues a police clearance certificate, how to apply online for a visa or job, UK routes compared, fingerprints and apostille guidance for applicants abroad.
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