- The certificate is needed from any country except the UK where you lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years, while aged 18 or over.
- The 12 months can be continuous or added up across stays.
- Adult partners are covered, whether they apply with you or separately.
- With no certificate and no satisfactory explanation, the application will be refused.
What the guidance requires
The Home Office publication on criminal records checks for overseas applicants says a certificate is needed from any country, except the UK, where you have lived for 12 months or more, continuously or in total, in the last 10 years while aged 18 or over. It applies to the main applicant and to any adult partners, whether they apply with you or make a separate application to join you. It exempts applications for extensions of stay made within the UK. If you do not provide a certificate or a satisfactory explanation for why not, the guidance says the visa application will be refused.
One point needs care. The page we read still describes the requirement in terms of the old Tier 2 (General) route for specified health, education and social care roles, and its last-updated date is 31 January 2025. We could not confirm from it which of today's routes are caught, so confirm that on the guidance for your own visa before relying on this page or on an agent.
How the 12 months counts
| Time spent abroad since you turned 18 | Under the rule as worded |
|---|---|
| One country, 12 months or more in the last 10 years | Certificate needed |
| Same country in several stays adding up to 12 months or more | Certificate needed, because totals count |
| Less than 12 months in total in a country | Not caught by this rule |
| Time in the UK | Excluded: the rule is about countries other than the UK |
| Time before you were 18 | Not counted |
The table applies the guidance's wording as written. It is not a ruling on your own case.
How you get one
The guidance says the process for a criminal record check or “Certificate of Good Character” for someone from overseas varies from country to country, and that you apply in the country or to the relevant embassy in the UK. Country-specific guidance sits in three documents organised alphabetically, A to F, G to P and Q to Z. The page does not give validity periods, translation rules or fees, so for those, read the country document.
- List every country you lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years, with dates.
- Open the country entry in the right alphabetical document and note the named authority and application route.
- Apply to that authority directly, or to its embassy in the UK, and keep the receipt.
- Keep the original certificate. If a country will not issue one, prepare a written explanation as the guidance asks for.
Why agents target this
People in a hurry, or from a country where the official route is slow, meet agents who promise a certificate in days. A certificate has to come from the issuing authority. A document bought from a third party is a false document. Home Office staff guidance says that when an application is refused because of deception, future applications must be refused for 10 years, and that where deception cannot be proved but false documents were submitted, refusal is discretionary. That is a ceiling taken from the guidance, not a prediction of any case; see the consequences of using a false document and UK law on fake documents.
For checks on people in the UK, see basic DBS check cost, and for how criminal record checks differ between nations, Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get a police certificate from another country?
From the authority in that country, or through that country's embassy in the UK. The Home Office guidance says the process varies from country to country and points to country-specific documents arranged A to F, G to P and Q to Z.
Which countries do I need certificates from?
The guidance says any country except the UK where you lived for 12 months or more, continuously or in total, in the last 10 years while aged 18 or over. Check which of today's visa routes it applies to, because the page uses an older route name.
What happens if I cannot get an overseas certificate?
Give a satisfactory explanation. The Home Office says that if you do not provide a certificate or a satisfactory explanation, the visa application will be refused. Describe the attempts you made and keep the evidence.
Does my partner need one too?
The guidance says the requirement covers any adult partners, whether they apply with you or make a separate application to join you in the UK.
Can an agent get a certificate for me?
A certificate must come from the issuing authority, directly or via its embassy. A document sold by a third party is a false document, and Home Office guidance says a deception refusal means a 10-year bar on future applications.