We provide a service for British Nationals for obtaining certificates of good conduct.

A certificate of good conduct is a police records check.  For example, if you lived abroad for a period of time and now need to provide evidence that you have a clean criminal record for employment, this is what you will need to apply for.

Check list

If you wish to apply for a certificate of good conduct you will need to do the following:

• put your request in writing with details of your full name, residential, and if applicable, the work addresses with dates for your time spent overseas.
• please include a translation of your letter in the relevant language.  (Please note: If you are applying for a certificate of good conduct from the Spanish authorities, please make it clear on the letter that you are applying for a ‘Certificado de Antecedentes Penales’).
• provide your original full birth certificate and your British passport.
• ensure that the letter explains why you need the certificate of good conduct and that you authorise the British Consulate to obtain the certificate on your behalf.   
• If your name has changed between your birth certificate and passport, please provide the relevant document showing this transition e.g. marriage certificate or change of name deed poll

We can accept certified copies of your bio-data page of your passport.  This should be certified by a UK solicitor or a notary public registered with the Law Society.

Please note, if you are applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct from Italy, then you will need to fill in a 'Richiesta Certificata Penale Italiano'

Countries excluded from searching for certificates of good conduct

Please note we cannot search for Certificates of Good Conduct in the following countries.  This list is subject to change:

• Angola
• Australia
• Belgium
• Egypt
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hong Kong*
• India
• Ireland
• Japan 
• Kenya
• Netherlands
• Oman
• Saudi Arabia
• Tanzania
• Tunisia
• Uganda
• USA

 *For Hong Kong, you will need to contact the Hong Kong authorities directly, but they will require a ‘Letter of verification’ which can be applied for through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at the above address.  You will need to send a Bankers Draft or Postal Order for £34 made payable to “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office”; your original British passport (or a copy certified by a UK Solicitor or a notary public registered with the Law Society); a letter from your prospective employer/university etc; and a covering letter from yourself which includes your contact details. If sending original documentation, you are advised to enclose a self-addressed pre-paid “Special Delivery” envelope.

Fees and payment

The fee for this consular service is £121 for each document (one per country).  This includes any charges made by the local authorities if these amount to less than £5.00.  If they are more than that sum we are required to ask you to pay the excess charges when we know the result of the application. Payment methods are a Bankers Draft or Postal Order made payable to “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office”. Personal cheques are not accepted. If you wish to apply for this service, please forward your letter of authorisation, fee and documents to the following address:

Certificate of Good Conduct

Passport & Documentary Service Group
Consular Directorate
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Room G38
Old Admiralty Building
London, SW1A 2PA

You should also include two photocopies of the original documents that you send with your request. Original documents will be returned to you within 20 working days and to ensure that they are returned safely we recommend that you include a self-addressed pre-paid “Special Delivery” envelope. Please note we do not have facilities to accept callers into the office as a result ALL applications are dealt with by post.

Please note that we may contact you for additional information.

We cannot speed up the process of an application and we need to allow for the period of three months to give the local authorities the opportunity to respond to our request. Please refrain from contacting us about the progress of an application until a period of no less that three months has passed.