DBS Check or ACRO Certificate: Which One Do You Need?

ACRO Police Certificate vs DBS check: which document visas, employers and foreign authorities actually ask for, and the legalisation steps.

Published September 16, 2026

ACRO vs DBS: the short answer

If you need a document for a visa, residence permit or immigration process abroad, you need an ACRO Police Certificate issued by the ACRO Criminal Records Office. If you need a document for a job inside the UK, you need a DBS check issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service. These are two different certificates from two different bodies, and they are not interchangeable: an immigration officer will not accept a DBS certificate, and a UK employer in a regulated sector will not accept an ACRO certificate.

The confusion is understandable. Both documents describe your criminal record, both are official, and both come with similar-looking certificates. But they answer different questions. The ACRO Police Certificate answers “what does the UK know about this person’s record”, which is what foreign governments want to know. A DBS check answers “is this person suitable for this specific job in the UK”, which is what UK employers want to know.

What each certificate actually shows

The ACRO Police Certificate is a statement of your criminal record held on the Police National Computer (PNC). It is designed for foreign authorities, so it is written in a format they expect: it lists convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings recorded against you, and states whether you have no such record. What exactly appears depends on the disclosure rules ACRO applies, including the filtering rules that remove certain old or minor matters from disclosure.

A DBS Basic check shows only your unspent convictions and conditional cautions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Spent convictions stay off the certificate. This is the least invasive level and the only one you can request for yourself.

A DBS Standard check goes further: it includes both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings, subject to the filtering rules that protect old and minor offences from appearing forever. A DBS Enhanced check adds any information the police reasonably consider relevant to the role, and an Enhanced with Barred List(s) DBS check also confirms whether you are barred from working with children or vulnerable adults. These higher levels exist because the role involves regulated activity, such as teaching, healthcare or care work.

One practical difference people miss: the ACRO certificate is a standalone document you can hold, translate and legalise. DBS certificates above Basic level belong to the employment relationship, which matters when you try to use one abroad.

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When you need only ACRO: visas and immigration

For immigration purposes, foreign authorities ask for the ACRO Police Certificate, and nothing else. Immigration authorities want a certificate from a national police records body, and the ACRO Criminal Records Office is the body that issues police certificates for visa and emigration purposes.

The application path looks like this:

• Start the application on the official ACRO website and select the Police Certificate for visa and immigration purposes.

• Fill in your personal details, including every name you have ever used and your full address history.

• Upload proof of identity and pay online.

• Wait for the certificate and check every detail on it immediately.

• If the receiving country requires it, legalise the certificate (see the section below).

Before you start, prepare:

• Your passport or other identity document.

• A complete list of addresses you have lived at, with dates.

• Details of any previous names, including maiden or married names.

• The exact name of the document your destination country asks for, copied from its official checklist.

One detail causes the most rejections: a mismatch between the name on the certificate and the name on your visa application, which is why every previous name must be declared.

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When you need a DBS check: UK jobs and regulated activity

A DBS check is the right document when the question comes from a UK employer, a licensing body or a voluntary organisation inside the UK. The level depends on the role. A DBS Basic check suits most general employment and is the only level you can request yourself. A DBS Standard check applies to roles in finance, law and similar sectors, and a DBS Enhanced check applies to work in regulated activity: jobs with regular, unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults, such as teachers, care workers and healthcare staff.

The critical rule: you cannot order a Standard or Enhanced check on yourself. Only an employer or a registered body can request one, because the check is tied to a specific role and countersigned by that organisation. If you are self-employed and a client says they need an Enhanced check, the practical route is that the client or the agency holding the contract requests it, or you offer a DBS Basic check as the strongest document you can obtain personally. There is no legal way to buy an Enhanced check as an individual, however useful it would look on your file.

Case: when you need both documents

Situation. A teacher is moving to Canada for two years on a work visa, and her UK school has also asked her to keep a remote tutoring role with pupils when she returns. The Canadian visa requires a police certificate; the school requires a DBS check for anyone working with children.

Steps. She applies for the ACRO Police Certificate online first and arranges an apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office for it. In parallel, she orders a DBS Basic check herself, since the tutoring role does not reach the threshold for an Enhanced check. She confirms with the visa checklist whether an apostille under the Hague Apostille Convention is accepted, and orders a certified translation.

Result. Two certificates, two separate applications. The ACRO certificate goes to the visa office; the DBS Basic certificate goes to the school. Neither document substitutes for the other.

Legalising your certificate for use abroad

A UK certificate has no legal force abroad until it is legalised, and the chain depends on the destination country. For countries that joined the Hague Apostille Convention, one step is enough: the FCDO Legalisation Office attaches an apostille, a certificate that confirms the signature and seal on your document, and the receiving country accepts it.

For countries outside the convention, the chain is longer. The typical sequence is notarisation or solicitor certification, then the FCDO apostille, then embassy attestation by the destination country’s embassy in London. A Notary Public or a solicitor certifies the document as a true copy or verifies the signature, the FCDO legalises that certification, and the embassy adds the final attestation its government requires.

Three practical points that trip people up:

• E-apostille is not an option here. According to GOV.UK guidance, e-apostille is not available for ACRO police certificates or for DBS certificates in England and Wales, so the paper original must be posted to the FCDO Legalisation Office and posted back.

• Solicitor certification is not the same as notarisation. Some destinations accept a solicitor certification, others insist on a Notary Public. Ask the receiving authority which one it wants before you order.

• Translation comes last. Order the certified translation after legalisation, so the translator certifies the final, apostilled version of the document.

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How other countries run the same process

It helps to see that the UK split between “police certificate for abroad” and “disclosure for employers” is not unique, because it explains why foreign authorities are so strict about the exact document name. Austria, for example, issues its criminal record certificate through an online application via ID Austria or EU Login, while its special certificates cannot be requested online at all. If someone applies or collects on your behalf there, you must provide proof of legal authority, such as a power of attorney.

The same pattern of “one document per purpose” shows up elsewhere. In the Netherlands, the Certificate of Conduct (VOG) is issued by Justis, the COVOG department of the Ministry of Justice and Security, and a foreign applicant submits the application form plus a document from the embassy or consulate explaining why the VOG is needed, through the municipality. In Portugal, foreigners applying for a residence permit do not even need to order the certificate themselves: they can authorise SEF to access the criminal record register directly.

The takeaway for your own application: foreign systems are document-specific by design. When a checklist says “ACRO Police Certificate” or “police certificate issued by the applicant’s national authority”, it means that named document, not the closest equivalent you happen to be able to order.

ACRO vs Disclosure Scotland vs ICPC: when an alternative certificate works

The ACRO Police Certificate is not the only UK document that describes a criminal record, and knowing the alternatives saves wasted applications. Disclosure Scotland issues certificates based on records held in Scotland, and its basic disclosure is widely used for UK employment. Some foreign authorities accept a Disclosure Scotland certificate, particularly from applicants whose record is Scottish, but many visa authorities specifically name the ACRO certificate, so check the wording of the requirement before substituting one for the other.

The International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) is a different tool for a different job: it is issued by ACRO and designed for UK nationals and residents taking roles with children abroad, such as international schools, charities and sports programmes. If your destination asks specifically for an ICPC, an ACRO Police Certificate will not satisfy it, and vice versa.

The decision rule is simple. Read the exact document name in the official requirement of the country or organisation asking. If it says “police certificate” for immigration, order the ACRO Police Certificate. If it says “DBS check” for a UK role, order through the Disclosure and Barring Service at the level the role requires. If it names the ICPC or a Disclosure Scotland certificate, order that named document. Matching the name on your application to the name in the requirement is the way to avoid a rejected file.

This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Apostilles for UK public documents are issued exclusively by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Legalisation Office; this site is not affiliated with any government body. Please consult a qualified professional before making decisions.

FAQ

No. Visa and immigration authorities abroad ask for an ACRO Police Certificate, not a DBS check. A DBS Basic check is designed for employment inside the UK, and most immigration authorities will not accept it in place of a police certificate.

You apply online through the Disclosure and Barring Service or through a registered responsible organisation. You confirm your identity and provide your addresses for the last five years. Unlike Standard and Enhanced checks, you do not need an employer to apply for a Basic check for you.

In most cases yes, if a foreign authority asks for legalisation. Note that e-apostille is not available for DBS certificates in England and Wales, so the paper certificate must be sent to the FCDO Legalisation Office for a physical apostille.

For countries that joined the Hague Apostille Convention, an FCDO apostille is enough and notarisation is not required. For countries outside the convention, the certificate often passes through a Notary Public or solicitor certification first and then embassy attestation.

No. Standard and Enhanced checks can only be requested through an employer or a registered body, because they are tied to a specific role. If you are self-employed, your own option is a DBS Basic check, or the client organisation requests the higher-level check for the role.

Besides the ACRO Police Certificate and DBS checks, there is the International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) for people working with children abroad, and Disclosure Scotland certificates for records held in Scotland. Some countries also accept their own national police certificates instead.

Helpful guides

Which UK documents can be apostilled: certificates, degrees, company and court papers, e-Apostille rules, FCDO rejections and embassy attestation explained.

Which countries accept a UK apostille, which require embassy attestation, and country-by-country guides for UK documents used abroad.

Apostille meaning explained for UK documents: what the FCDO certificate looks like, which documents qualify, e-Apostille and when embassy legalisation.

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