Overseas police certificate for employment: what to ask for, what it covers and when it goes stale
An overseas police certificate is an official record, issued by the police or justice authority of a country where the candidate lived, that you can ask for as part of a pre-employment check. Ask for it only where the role justifies it, get the candidate's consent, agree a cut-off date for how old it can be, and confirm it with the issuing office rather than trusting the paper alone.
What an overseas police certificate can and cannot tell you
A certificate from one country speaks for that country only. A candidate who lived in two countries before arriving in Australia needs one from each, and an Australian check will not fill the gap. The AFP describes its national police check as using information from all Australian police services, so it reflects Australian records.
Across the Tasman the picture is the same. The Ministry of Justice says a New Zealand criminal record covers criminal and traffic convictions but not overseas convictions. New Zealand Police says a police vet may include a summary of other relevant information, which can include overseas convictions.
It is also a snapshot. The ACIC says an Australian police check is a point-in-time check reflecting police records only on the date and time the result is released. Treat an overseas certificate the same way: it describes the day it was issued, not today.
For the wider picture of what to run and in what order, see our guide to background checks for overseas candidates. This post covers one document in that sequence.
When it makes sense to ask for one
Business.gov.au and the privacy regulator both point employers towards checks that are relevant to the job. The AFP lists recruitment and job applications, working with children or vulnerable groups, and licensing among the purposes a national police check may be needed for. An overseas certificate follows the same logic: a role with a real trust element, such as care work, working with children or handling client money, is a stronger case than a general labouring job.
Consent comes first. The AFP says no one can apply for a check on someone else without their consent, and the ACIC says a check is only conducted with the applicant's informed consent. A candidate collects an overseas certificate themselves, so ask rather than instruct, and explain why the role needs it.
Keep the request consistent. Decide which roles need it and ask every finalist for that role, so the request is never a judgement about where someone is from. Never screen by nationality; screen by the facts of the role and the countries lived in. Our national police check guide for employers shows how to handle the Australian side in the same way.
Where a candidate gets the certificate
There is no single worldwide office. Home Affairs' Services outside Australia page has a country dropdown that explains how to get a police certificate for each country. It is written for visa applicants, but it is a sensible official map for an employer too, because it points to the right issuing office instead of a third-party service.
Home Affairs also says it may ask for a police certificate from every country a visa applicant lived in, usually if they are over 17 and lived there for at least 12 months in the past 10 years. Those are visa rules, not employer rules.
| Situation | What to ask for | Where to point the candidate |
|---|---|---|
| Lived abroad for a year or more recently | A certificate from that country | The country entry on the Home Affairs country list |
| Lived in several countries | One certificate per country that matters for the role | Each country's own issuing office |
| Already holds an Australian check | Overseas certificates for the years before arrival | Country list, then the AFP or an accredited body for Australia |
| Worked on ships, yachts or rigs | A certificate from the vessel's flag country | Home Affairs says visa applicants in this position also give a letter of good conduct from the captain or company |
Translation and identity
If the certificate is not in English, you will need a translation you can rely on. Home Affairs tells visa applicants that all non-English documents must be translated into English, with both the original and the translation provided. It also says translators in Australia must be accredited by NAATI, while translators outside Australia do not need to be accredited but must include their full name, address, phone number and language qualifications and experience.
Check that the name matches the candidate's identity documents. Candidates often have a different spelling, a married name or a name order that differs between countries. An unexplained difference is a question to ask, not proof of anything. The ACIC notes that its accredited bodies must establish a verifiable link between identity documents and the individual, which is the principle to copy.
How to read the certificate you receive
- Confirm the certificate names the country and the issuing office, and that the name and date of birth match the candidate's identity documents.
- Check the issue date against your cut-off. The AFP says it is up to the organisation asking how long it will accept a certificate, so your policy decides.
- Look at what the certificate covers: which years, and whether it is a full record or a statement that nothing was found.
- Confirm authenticity through the issuing office, using contact details you found yourself.
- If something is recorded, talk to the candidate before deciding. Decide whether the matter relates to the duties of the job, and write down your reasoning.
What to look at on the page
| What you see | What it may mean | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No issue date | You cannot tell how old it is | Ask the candidate to request one that shows the date |
| Covers only some years | Gaps for places or periods that matter | Ask which other certificates exist |
| Name differs from the passport | Spelling, name order or a name change | Ask for the explanation and a supporting document |
| Looks edited or has mismatched fonts | It may have been altered | Confirm with the issuing office before going further |
| QR code or reference number | A way to verify, if the issuer offers one | Use the issuer's own channel, as the AFP QR code does for AFP certificates |
Home Affairs says visa applicants must provide genuine, verifiable and unaltered documents, and must not modify or create documents using digital editing tools or artificial intelligence. A certificate that looks altered is a reason to check with the issuer, never a reason to accuse. Our guide to checking a degree certificate uses the same approach.
Waiting times: plan around the unknown
I cannot give you a reliable waiting time for overseas certificates. Times vary by country and by office, and no official source quoted here sets one. For comparison, the AFP says it completes and posts most National Police Certificates within 48 hours of receiving the application, while name and fingerprint checks may take 15 to 30 business days. The ACIC aims to process 95 per cent of police checks within 10 business days.
Build the delay into the offer. Make the offer conditional on satisfactory checks and say what happens if a certificate is late. If the start date is fixed, tell the candidate early so they can apply on the same day they accept. Our six steps to finish before an offer goes out shows where this fits.
Combining it with an Australian check
Once the candidate is in Australia, an Australian check covers Australian records. The ACIC says its service does not accept applications directly from individuals; people get checks through accredited bodies or police agencies, and for infrequent checks it recommends an accredited body or the police agency in the state or territory where the employee lives. The ACIC also says a check is not suitable for reuse for multiple purposes, because the purpose on the application may decide what police information is released.
So the sequence is simple: the overseas certificate covers the years abroad, the Australian check covers the time here, and neither replaces the other. Record both in the file with the date you saw each. If you are building the whole process for a team, our candidate verification guide sets out what to check at each stage, and Talent Tabloid for employers explains how work history can be confirmed alongside it. Recruiters can see how it applies to placements on the recruitment agencies page, and candidates preparing their papers can start at global migrants.
Common mistakes
- Accepting a certificate from only one country when the candidate lived in several.
- Treating an Australian or New Zealand check as proof about years spent abroad.
- Asking only candidates from certain countries, which turns a check into a judgement about origin.
- Accepting a scan with no issue date, then finding it is years old.
- Verifying through contact details printed on the document itself.
- Rejecting a candidate for a missing certificate without asking why it could not be obtained.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change: check the official government website, or get advice for your situation, before you act.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask every candidate for an overseas police certificate?
Only ask where the job and the candidate's history give you a reason, and get their consent first. The ACIC says a check can only be conducted with the applicant's informed consent, and the same care applies to a certificate a candidate collects from another country.
How long is an overseas police certificate valid?
There is no single answer. Home Affairs says certificates for Australian visas are valid for 12 months from the issue date, but that is a visa rule. For a job, the AFP says it is up to the organisation asking how long it will accept one, so write your own cut-off into the offer conditions.
What if the candidate's old country will not issue a certificate?
Do not treat that as a confession. Ask the candidate which office refused and why, and look at the country's entry in the Home Affairs country list for the official route. If no certificate exists, decide in advance what you will accept instead, such as a written statement from the issuing office, and apply that rule to everyone.
Does an Australian police check cover overseas convictions?
Not necessarily. The AFP describes its check as based on information from Australian police services. For New Zealand, the Ministry of Justice says a criminal record does not include overseas convictions. An Australian or New Zealand check on its own tells you little about years spent in another country.
Who pays for the certificate?
The sheets I rely on do not state who pays, so there is no official rule to quote. Agree it before the candidate applies and put it in writing. Many candidates are already paying for visa costs, and Home Affairs lists police certificates among those other costs.
Can a certificate be checked for authenticity?
Sometimes. AFP certificates carry a QR code you can scan, and the ACIC says a check result is verified through the accredited body that submitted it. Overseas certificates vary by country, so ask the candidate for the issuing office's contact details and confirm through that office, not through details printed on the page.
Key takeaways
- An overseas certificate speaks only for the country that issued it, so ask for one per relevant country.
- Get consent, apply the same rule to everyone in the same role, and never screen by nationality.
- Use the Home Affairs country list to find the right issuing office, and confirm the document with that office.
- Set your own cut-off for how old a certificate can be, and build the wait into the offer conditions.
- Pair it with an Australian check after arrival: each covers different years.
