Criminal Record Check Apostille UK
Apostille your criminal record check in 3 easy steps.
In order to apostille your criminal record check, you simply need to follow the 3 basic services as described below. You have the option of have us apostille your document only after the document is solicitor certified/notarised yourself, or alternatively you can also send us your original documents, we can take a copy, have it certified by a solicitor and go onto apostille it at the FCO office. We can offer a 2 day or same day service.
Please select below:
#2
Send us the order form and the original version of your certification for inspection.
#3
If you require us to certify the original, or a photocopied version to be solicitor certified, then please let us know. Please note we would require the original anyway.
Upon receipt of the documents, we will then have the document certified by our solicitor and then apostilled at the FCO accordingly after this and returned straight back to you
For more information about Apostilling a criminal record check, please read below where we have the most common questions answered.
Section 1: Criminal Record Check Apostille UK
An individual’s criminal record states any history of offences committed by that individual throughout their adult life. Many employers, educational institutions and other organisations, within and outside the UK, might request for such a document, which is called a Criminal Record Check. While in most cases, this document shows no history of criminal offenses, if you have ever been prosecuted for an offense, the document will provide details of the type of offense, the date of which it was committed and the punishment received for it.
To prove that you do not have a criminal record, the Criminal Record Check document will require an apostille stamp, issued in the UK for its citizens. Although this document does not have any expiry date, the usual practice is that employers and licensing authorities request for a new document to be issued every three years. In addition, there are various levels of criminal background check, based on which the information in the document will vary. It is best to confirm with the organization requesting for the document, which type of check they require.
Criminal background check documents in the UK are generally issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).
Section 2: General Queries About Apostilled Criminal Record Check
1. Why Does a Criminal Record Check Need an Apostille?
A criminal record check document is part of the vetting process for many companies, educational institutions, and other bodies. However, the document requires an apostille certificate attached to it to validate its authenticity. The apostille confirms the legalisation of the criminal record check document. In fact, many organisations do not accept the document without an apostille. The background check document can be obtained from the police, the DBS or other service providers, such as Disclosure Scotland. Following the receipt of the document, an apostille certificate can be obtained from the Foreign and Common Wealth Office (FCO) of the UK.
2. What are the Different Types of Criminal Record Checks?
The most commonly requested criminal record check, with apostille, especially by the FBI or while applying for a work visa for another country, include documents issued by:
- Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO)
- The ACPO Criminal Records Office (ACRO)
- National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC)
- Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS), which issues Basic, Standard and Enhanced record check documents, based on the level of screening requested for
- Disclosure Scotland, a Scottish government department providing criminal record check specifically for employment purposes
- Police Letters
3. What are the Requirements for Getting Your Criminal Record Check Apostilled?
When you are asked by an employer or any other organisation to provide a UK criminal records certificate, the first thing is to enquire the type of information being sought. This will determine whether you need to contact the ACPO, ACRO, NPCC, DBS or the police to get the document. Once you have obtained the document, you will need to produce it at the FCO for the legalisation of the criminal record check via an apostille certificate. The easiest course of action is to approach an experienced and reliable service provider, such as , who will take care of the entire process for you and have the apostilled document delivered to your doorstep.
4. Why Would You Require an Apostille Criminal Record Check?
A UK criminal records certificate is proof that you do not have any history of even a minor criminal offense. Employers in the UK and other countries request for such a document as part of their vetting process for new recruits. However, you need to prove that the document you have provided is true and genuine, issued by a government body. The way to do this is to get an apostille attached to your criminal record check document. The Foreign and Common Wealth Office (FCO) of the UK issues apostille certification for all legal documents, including degrees, birth, marriage and death certificates and criminal background checks.
Additional FAQs
The easiest way to get an apostille stamp for an FBI criminal record check in the UK is to enlist the help of a trusted and experience legalisation firm, like Rapid Legalisation Services (RLS). All you need to do is:
- Provide the firm with the original document or a scanned copy, although an original paper document is always preferable since copies might not be accepted in many countries.
- Make the payment via credit card or bank transfer
- Receive the apostilled document at your preferred address
RLS will take on the responsibility of presenting your document to the FCO, obtaining the apostille and delivering the document securely back to you.
In the UK, apostille certification is issued by the FCO. However, undertaking this exercise on your own could be a tedious process. The easiest thing to do is to enlist the services of a trusted firm, such as Rapid Legalisation Services (RLS), who will take on the responsibility of obtaining the criminal record check apostille on your behalf for a nominal fee, inclusive of the FCO charges and VAT.
With RLS, getting an apostille for your criminal record check can be accomplished in 3 easy steps:
Step 1: Order the service online
Step 2: RLS gets the apostille from the FCO
Step 3: The apostilled document is delivered back to you.
The time taken to get a criminal record check apostille in the UK depends on the type of service chosen. With RLS, you can opt for:
- Same-day service
- 2-day service
The cost of criminal record check legalisation with an apostille depends on the service type chosen:
- Same-day service: £135 (FCO fee £75 + VAT £10)
- Two-day service: £78 (FCO fee £30 + VAT £8)
Yes, the apostille certification for a UK criminal record check document, regardless of whether it is issued by the DBS or is an ACPO police check, is recognised by all member states of the Hague Convention. For countries that are not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, consular legalisation by the embassy of the specific country can be done in the UK. RLS also provides consular legalisation services.