Find out whether to supply a certificate now
Home Affairs considers character for visa applications and may request police certificates. A Visitor 600 applicant can be asked for one; that does not make it a document every visitor must upload. Skilled and family visa instructions often set out which certificates to provide with an application. Read the current document list for your exact subclass and stream, then check your own ImmiAccount request and deadline.
Answer character questions truthfully, including relevant charges and convictions. A police certificate is evidence for an assessment, not a promise of a visa result.
Official character requirement · Skilled visa document advice · Family visa document advice
Use your residence history, not just your passport
For skilled and family applications, Home Affairs gives a common rule covering applicants and family members over 16: certificates for countries where they spent a total of 12 months or more in the past 10 years since turning 16. The general character page describes a different usual age threshold. Follow your own visa's instructions rather than applying either age rule to every case.
List each country where you lived or spent substantial time, including a former residence country that differs from your citizenship. Count separate stays where the visa instructions use a cumulative period. Do not check only the people travelling with you. The family application guidance includes both migrating and non-migrating family members aged over 16 in its character requirements. Check the family-member definition for your exact subclass and which certificates its instructions or your own request require for each person; do not assume every relative needs the same documents. Check whether Home Affairs asks for an additional country or period. Family-scope note checked 9 October 2026.
Request the correct AFP check
For an Australian police certificate, Home Affairs directs applicants to an Australian Federal Police (AFP) National Police Check. Its instructions specify “Commonwealth employment / purpose” and Code 33 as the reason for the check. Include all names you have used. Home Affairs says it does not accept a state or territory police certificate for this purpose; an Australian fingerprint check is not needed for the usual AFP request described there.
Use the official instructions to reach the AFP application process and keep the issued certificate for upload to your visa application. Check any different instruction in your own request letter before ordering.
Find the issuing authority for each country
There is no single worldwide police certificate. Home Affairs publishes country-specific instructions for obtaining overseas police clearances. Open the official Services outside Australia page and use Select a country under Find a service outside Australia. Wait for the selected country details, then expand Police check and open View more if provided. The glossary may still refer to a list view; these are the controls observed in the current directory. Choose each country that must issue a record, including former residence countries when your visa requires them, then read its authority and process. Check its identity documents, fees and delivery method. If details do not load, retry the official page rather than assuming no certificate is needed. Directory-navigation check: 15 October 2026. A certificate from your passport country may not cover years lived elsewhere.
Some authorities take time or require fingerprints or a local representative. Start early when the visa's instructions call for a certificate, but check timing rules before ordering a record that could become too old.
Overseas police certificate guidance · Open the official country service selector
Find an issuer example
Start with the countries and periods in your actual visa instructions or request, including former residence where relevant. These twelve examples are not a worldwide list or a decision that you need a certificate. Open the details to check the source and limits.
Australian certificate? Read the AFP starting checks above →
| Country | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Four citizenship/residence routes and overseas passport-attestation checks. |
| Canada | RCMP certified name-and-fingerprint check; inside and outside Canada processes. |
| France | Bulletin nº 3, birthplace and identity checks, and the issuer confirmation step. |
| Germany | Certificate of Conduct: local registration office, electronic ID or certified postal application. |
| India | Different routes for citizens, non-citizens and people living abroad. |
| Ireland, Republic of | Garda certificate, distinct from vetting; confirm the current submission channel. |
| Nepal | Citizen, overseas and non-citizen evidence starting checks. |
| Pakistan | Residence and citizenship routes; clarify certificate availability for your documents. |
| Philippines | NBI Clearance, resident/overseas routes and conditional renewal. |
| South Africa | SAPS PCC and the additional evidence listed for non-citizens. |
| United States | FBI and separately requested state records; direct applications and channeler restrictions. |
| United Kingdom | NPCC certificate through ACRO; separate from a personal subject-access request. |
Another country? Open the official directory and select the issuing country . Expand Police check and View more where provided. A missing example here does not mean no check is required.
Requesting an Indian police certificate?
First check whether your visa instructions or individual request require this record. In the official services directory, select India, expand Police check and open View more. Its entry distinguishes:
- Indian citizens resident in India: the Regional Passport Office and its Passport Seva appointment process.
- Non-citizens resident in India: the Foreigners Registration Office for the state of residence, or the linked e-FRRO portal.
- Citizens and non-citizens no longer resident in India: the directory points people in Australia to its linked VFS India service, and people elsewhere to their nearest Indian diplomatic mission.
Check the current issuing service's document, appointment, fee and coverage instructions before applying. Your present residence and citizenship can change the process; an Indian passport alone does not establish which route fits. We do not collect police records or determine whether a certificate meets your visa requirements.
Home Affairs country directory: select India · Passport Seva · e-FRRO
Choose the Bangladesh route for your status
Home Affairs names a Police Clearance Certificate and separates these routes. Start only if your visa instructions or individual request require this country’s record.
| Applicant | Route distinction to check |
|---|---|
| Citizen in Bangladesh | Online or local police station; NID details; passport pages attested by a class-one gazetted officer. |
| Citizen abroad | Bangladesh High Commission passport attestation; authorisation naming a collector and their NID. |
| Non-citizen in Bangladesh | Online or local police station; Bangladesh address history. |
| Non-citizen abroad | Justice of the Peace where you live: attested passport bio/address, Bangladesh visa and entry/exit pages; collector authorisation. |
On narrow screens, scroll the table sideways to read both columns.
These are route differences, not complete evidence lists. Open the full current entry and issuing service before applying. Keep completed records in the official channel.
Home Affairs directory: select Bangladesh, Police check, View more · Bangladesh Police service linked by Home Affairs
If France is requested, check the Bulletin nº 3 route
Home Affairs names the Extrait du Casier Judiciaire Bulletin nº 3 for resident and non-resident applicants. Its France entry lists an application form and passport or ID copy for people born outside France. Follow your own visa instructions to decide whether a French certificate is needed; living in France does not by itself require one for every visa.
The French Ministry of Justice offers an online request with or without FranceConnect. Its current portal asks applicants born outside France who do not use FranceConnect to provide identity evidence. Prepare the documents in the Home Affairs entry and check the issuer's instructions for your chosen route; do not infer an Australian evidence exemption from the sign-in method. If your identity document omits your overseas birthplace, the portal directs you to apply without FranceConnect. People born in New Caledonia use the relevant court registry route.
After preregistration, follow the issuer's confirmation email and keep its reference privately. The service is free. The record is personal: normally request your own, with the official exceptions for a legal representative. Do not enter identities or upload certificates to MyAusVisa. Receipt of a record is not a visa decision; check any separate translation and upload instructions.
Home Affairs: select France, Police check, View more · French Justice: official Bulletin nº 3 request · Service Public: nationality and birthplace routes · Translations and uploads →
Check the Führungszeugnis route for where you live
If your visa instructions or individual request require a German record, Home Affairs names the Führungszeugnis (Certificate of Conduct). Its Germany entry covers citizens and non-citizens. Residents can apply at their local registration office (Einwohnermeldebehörde), or use an eligible online route.
People living outside Germany can check the postal or online route. Home Affairs lists an electronically readable German ID card or residence permit for online applications. Germany's federal service portal also describes the activated PIN, suitable phone or card reader and identity-app requirements. A passport, internet connection or German nationality alone does not establish access to that online identification method.
For a postal application from abroad, Home Affairs says the form's personal details and signature must be officially certified by a German diplomatic or consular mission, foreign authority or notary. Obtain the current application form through the Federal Office of Justice instructions and check the certification, fee, delivery and certificate-type requirements before dispatch. This starting help does not verify a complete current issuer checklist or guarantee acceptance or timing. Keep completed identity records in the official process; MyAusVisa does not collect them.
Home Affairs: select Germany, Police check, View more · Federal Office of Justice: current instructions and application form · German federal service portal: routes and online identification
Check the Nepal evidence for your applicant category
Home Affairs names a Police Headquarters Police Clearance Certificate and an online application route. Its Nepal entry distinguishes:
- Citizens in Nepal: citizenship and passport records.
- Citizens abroad: specified passport pages and the last Nepal Immigration departure stamp, alongside citizenship evidence.
- Non-citizens: valid passport, Nepal arrival and relevant departure stamps, and an organisation recommendation letter.
Check the full entry for the application, photo and any applicable marriage evidence. If a requested item does not fit your circumstances, ask the issuer how to proceed; do not assume an exemption. Follow your own visa request to establish whether you need the certificate.
Home Affairs directory: select Nepal, Police check, View more · Nepal Police online clearance service
A requested Garda police certificate is different from vetting
Home Affairs’ Republic of Ireland entry names a Police Certificate of Character. It directs residents to their local Garda station and non-residents to apply by post to the Superintendent covering their former Irish residence. Its evidence list includes an application, a certified identity-document copy and current or previous address evidence. Start with your actual visa instructions or request; Irish citizenship alone does not make this certificate necessary.
Confirm the current submission channel. Garda’s page says an online option is available, while its FAQ still describes postal applications. Ask the relevant Garda division which process to use before sending identity records. Its official page links the application form and station directory.
Garda says this certificate is not Garda vetting, a security clearance or a character reference. Northern Ireland has a separate police process; for the Australian visa certificate, read the UK ACRO example and official sources rather than treating the Republic of Ireland route as interchangeable. No processing deadline or visa outcome is promised here.
Home Affairs directory: select Ireland, Republic of (Eire) · Garda: certificate instructions, form and station directory
Check the NBI Clearance route for where you live
If your visa instructions or individual request require a Philippine record, Home Affairs names the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance. Its country entry covers citizens and non-citizens:
- Residents: create an NBI account, complete the application and book a main or satellite-office appointment. The entry lists two valid government-issued IDs.
- People abroad: the entry points to the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate, or an online route. Contact the mission for procedures and forms; it lists an application, valid passport and a 2-by-2 photo with a white background.
- Renewal: the directory describes online renewal when a clearance was obtained from 2014 onwards and details have not changed. Confirm the current process rather than assuming every old clearance can be renewed this way.
For results marked No Criminal Record or No Pending Case, the entry asks for an NBI explanation and relevant court documents detailing the offences. Read that instruction against your actual record and request; this website cannot interpret your criminal history or decide a visa outcome. Confirm current issuer requirements, fees and delivery before applying.
Home Affairs directory: select Philippines · NBI website linked by Home Affairs
Check whether your request asks for FBI and state records
The Australian Embassy says applicants living in the US may be asked for both state-wide police clearances and an FBI clearance. Follow your actual request for the states, periods and all names to cover; a federal record is not automatically a substitute for a separately requested state record. The Embassy directs temporary residents and visitors to apply directly to the FBI for an Identity History Summary Check.
The FBI offers direct online and mail routes. For an online request made from abroad, its instructions say to mail the completed fingerprint card with the confirmation-email printout to the address in that confirmation. Read the current fingerprint and evidence instructions before dispatch.
Official fingerprint form: FBI FD-1164 form page · Open the official two-page PDF . This is a fingerprint form, not a completed clearance or an Australian visa form. Use it with the current FBI submission instructions. Keep completed identity and fingerprint records in the official process; do not send them to MyAusVisa.
Check channeler eligibility before paying. The FBI limits approved-channeler requests to US citizens or lawful permanent residents located in the US or its territories. The Australian Embassy also lists its accepted channelers. Check both sources rather than assuming every commercial provider or overseas applicant qualifies. Fees, delivery and current timing should be checked with the official service; no certificate is universally required by this note.
Australian Embassy: FBI, state records and accepted channelers · FBI: current direct and channeler instructions
Use the ACRO visa-certificate service for a requested UK check
Check your visa instructions and individual request first. Home Affairs’ UK entry names the NPCC Police Certificate issued through ACRO. It covers people who live or previously lived in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. The entry directs applicants to complete the application and upload the relevant evidence through ACRO’s website.
GOV.UK distinguishes a police certificate for a visa application from a personal subject-access request for police records. Follow its police-certificate link, then confirm ACRO’s current identity, address-history, evidence, fee and delivery instructions. Do not assume a different background-check product meets your request. We have not verified a complete ACRO application checklist or current processing time, and this note does not make a certificate necessary for every UK resident or passport holder.
Home Affairs directory: select United Kingdom · GOV.UK: visa certificates and personal records · Police.uk: official ACRO application link
If your request calls for a fingerprint-based Canadian check
First check whether your visa instructions or individual request require a Canadian certificate. Home Affairs’ Canada entry specifies the RCMP Certified Criminal Record Check based on name and fingerprints; it says provincial, regional and municipal police certificates are not accepted. It directs applicants to select Visa/Border Crossing/Foreign Travel/Work as the application type. Match that instruction with the current issuing form before ordering. This does not establish that every applicant needs a Canadian certificate.
- Inside Canada: ask the local police service or an RCMP-accredited fingerprint company about the certified-check process.
- Outside Canada: arrange paper fingerprints through an authorised local agency, then use an accredited company in Canada to digitise and submit them electronically. The RCMP says not to mail the application or fingerprints directly to CCRTIS.
Check the current RCMP agency and paper-fingerprint requirements before booking or dispatch. Its accredited-company list says no private fingerprint company outside Canada holds RCMP accreditation. An overseas service’s relationship with a Canadian company is a separate matter; verify the actual submission route. We do not recommend a commercial provider or promise acceptance, fees or timing.
Home Affairs directory: select Canada · RCMP: inside and outside Canada instructions · Current RCMP-accredited company list
Preparing a South African police-certificate request?
Check your Australian visa instructions first; this is not a requirement for every applicant. South Africa’s government directs people in the country to their nearest police station. Prepare your full name, surname, date of birth and identity document or passport for fingerprinting. For people abroad, its guidance points to a local police station or South African embassy.
Home Affairs’ South Africa entry names the SAPS Police Clearance Certificate (PCC). It lists an application form, identity document and full fingerprints on SAPS 91(a), with payment evidence for courier applications. For non-citizens it additionally lists a passport copy and valid visa or permit evidence. Read the resident or non-resident instructions against your actual circumstances; if a listed document is unavailable, seek official instructions rather than assuming an exemption.
Use the linked SAPS instructions to confirm the current fingerprint form, submission destination, payment and return arrangements before sending originals. Ask the service you will use what it can actually handle. Police-certificate fingerprinting is a separate task from any Australian visa biometrics request. This starting point does not verify a complete issuing checklist, fee or processing time.
Home Affairs directory: select South Africa · South African government: police clearance starting instructions · SAPS issuing instructions — confirm current details
Which Pakistan police-certificate route fits?
First check whether your visa instructions or an individual request require this record. In the Home Affairs services directory, select Pakistan, expand Police check and open View more. Its entry distinguishes:
- Pakistani citizens living in Pakistan: it points to the Senior Superintendent of Police at the current or former place of residence, with in-person or mail options.
- Pakistani citizens living abroad: it points to the nearest Pakistan Embassy or Consulate and also describes a blood-relative route at the former place of residence.
- Non-citizens: use the separate resident or non-resident instructions. The entry distinguishes formal residence permission from a Proof of Registration card; do not assume every residence document establishes certificate availability.
Read the directory’s city-coverage wording against the addresses and periods in your actual request. Confirm the issuing authority’s current evidence, authority-letter, fee and submission requirements. If you cannot obtain a requested record, seek instructions from Home Affairs rather than assuming an exemption. Keep identity documents and completed police records in your own secure files.
Worked on a ship, yacht or oil rig?
Home Affairs has separate character-document instructions for ship workers. Its current guidance requires a police certificate when you spent more than 12 months in the last 10 years working on one or more merchant ships, cruise ships, private yachts or oil rigs. It identifies the vessel’s flag country as the country from which to request the certificate. Do not replace this check with your current residence country alone.
It also asks for a good-conduct letter from the captain or company of each vessel, covering the vessel name, your job, employment start and end dates, and a statement about your character. For less than 12 months of vessel work for one particular country, Home Affairs says it may accept a good-conduct letter instead of a police certificate; that is conditional, not an automatic exemption. Check the current official section and your own application instructions if your work history spans vessels or flags. Ship-worker note checked 9 October 2026.
Upload the right issue date and translation
The general Home Affairs character page says police certificates are valid for 12 months from issue and may request a new certificate if you return to the country after the old one expires. Your visa page can specify when a certificate must be issued relative to lodgement. Check the actual instructions and any individual request. Check the issue date, every name covered and the required country before attaching the file. Also check the period covered: the general character guidance says the certificate must cover the time from turning 16 to its issue date, or the whole period you were in that country. Compare the certificate with your residence history and the instructions for your own visa or request. Coverage-period note checked 9 October 2026. If a document is not in English, follow Home Affairs translation rules and upload both the original and its English translation.
Skilled-visa police certificates: Home Affairs’ skilled-visa preparation page specifically asks for a certified copy of the translation when the police certificate is not in English. Check that instruction alongside your exact subclass document list and any individual request. Translation note checked 9 October 2026. Read the skilled-visa police certificate instructions
Upload through the channel specified for your application and confirm the file appears in ImmiAccount. Keep your own secure copy; MyAusVisa does not collect police records.
Respond to the request with the facts
If a country cannot issue the certificate or you cannot obtain it by a stated deadline, explain the steps you have taken through the official channel in your request. Do not assume a missing certificate will be waived. If your history raises a complex character issue, seek advice from a registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner.
Character guidance · Who can provide immigration assistance · Responding after application →
Form 1399 or Form 1563 requested?
Home Affairs may ask for a military certificate and/or Form 1399, Declaration of Service, or for Form 1563, Statement of Character. These are separate documents from a police certificate and Form 80. Use the document named in your own visa instructions or request; this is not a list every applicant must submit.
If Form 1399 is requested, read its current questions and supporting-document instructions. Its introduction requires supporting service or exemption papers and translations where the questions indicate them. Its history questions use their own periods, including an entire employment history with unemployment and military service; do not copy a ten-year limit from a different form. Use its additional-details section where needed, keep records privately and follow the official response channel and deadline. For complex character or service-history questions, seek qualified case-specific help.
Official Form 1399 PDF · Official Form 1563 PDF · Home Affairs character document requests
Preparing Form 80 or Form 1221
Read your visa's document list and any Home Affairs request to identify the form needed. Home Affairs' character guidance says it may request Form 80 after lodgement. The form's introduction is for applicants aged 16 or older completing it in English as requested by the processing office. Form 1221 is a separate supplementary personal-particulars form.
Download the current official PDF and read its instructions, including declarations and extra-information sections. The versions linked by Home Affairs today show design date 03/21; the older design date alone does not mean the current official download is invalid.
| Section to check | Current form instruction | Preparation step |
|---|---|---|
| Form 80, question 17: addresses | Generally ten years; refugee/humanitarian applicants have a thirty-year instruction. Month/year fields and chronological order; explain gaps in Part T. | Compare moves against your existing records and mark dates to verify. |
| Form 80, question 18: travel outside Australia | Generally ten years, with a thirty-year refugee/humanitarian instruction. Day/month/year fields. | Keep this timeline separate from Australian visa history. |
| Form 80, question 19: employment | All employment and unemployment, including time from birth to first employment; explain gaps in Part T. | Include periods between jobs and education, using the question's own instructions. |
| Form 1221, question 25: employment | Entire employment history, including internships, self-employment and unemployment; extra space is in Part O. | Check this form's fields instead of copying a ten-year cutoff. |
This table covers selected history questions, not the full forms. Follow the actual PDF for names, identity, associated people, character questions, signatures and other sections. A police certificate and a personal-history form answer different document requests.
Our preparation record lets you map a period to a source filename and an unresolved question. Reconcile differences before transferring answers into the official form. If records are missing, explain the situation through the requested channel rather than inventing dates or facts.
Official Form 80 PDF · Official Form 1221 PDF · Current character document requests · Private history preparation record .txt ↓
Plan the checks you may need
Save a printable PDF or editable text worksheet for country history, names, issuer checks, appointments, originals and return arrangements, dispatch tracking and your actual request deadlines. Complete it privately on your device; no email or document upload is needed. Use only the fields relevant to your visa instructions and request.