If you have spent a cumulative period of 12 months or more living outside of the Republic of Ireland after the age of 18, you must provide a copy of police clearance for each country where you lived.
The certificates must cover the entire period of residence in each country.
You can use our guiding information below to support you.
The process for getting police clearance differs from country to country. For example, you may need to be a citizen of the country or resident in the country at the time of making the request for police clearance.
Guidance information only
You should always check the website of the relevant country’s embassy or consulate office for up-to-date information.
If the relevant country is not listed, contact the embassy of the country for assistance.
The Teaching Council is not responsible for the content of the links provided.
Abu Dhabi
Organisation or Body: Abu Dhabi Police
Website: AbuDhabi Police (adpolice.gov.ae)
Albania
Organisation or Body: Republic of Albania Ministry of Justice
Applicants should apply for a Deshimi at the local Office of Juridical State or at:
Zyra e Gjendjes Gjyqësore
Buleavardi “Zogu I”
Tirana, Albania
Tel/fax: +355 4 228292
Argentina
Organisation or Body: Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos
Website: Registro Nacional de Reincidencia | Argentina.gob.ar
For information on how to apply, visit the website of the Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos as listed.
Australia
Organisation or Body: Australian Federal Police
Website: Australian Federal Police (afp.gov.au)
Complete the Australian Federal Police National Police Check (NPC) application form.
Australian Federal Police
Locked Bag 8550
Canberra City ACT 2601
Australia
Austria
Organisation or Body: Vienna Police Department – Criminal Records
Residents: An application for a Criminal Records Check may be filed in Austria at police departments in main cities or at the mayor’s office in smaller towns/villages.
Non-residents: Apply to an Austrian embassy or consulate or contact:
Information Services Vienna Police
Department – Criminal Records
(“Strafregisteramt”)
Wasagasse 22, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
The Bahamas
Organisation or Body: Royal Bahamas Police Force
Website: Forms – Government – Details (bahamas.gov.bs)
Applicants should apply with passport details, place of residence in The Bahamas, one photograph and a certified set of fingerprints, and pay the applicable fees. Requests can be made online to the local police station or to:
Officer in Charge, Criminal Records Office
P.O. Box N 458
Nassau, Bahamas
Belgium
Organisation or Body: Embassy of Belgium in Dublin
Website: Diplomatie.be
Federal Public Service Justice
Service du Casier Judiciaire Central
115 Waterloo Boulevard
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Email: cjc-csr@just.fgov.be
Email: tcorts@justicia.ad
You may need a letter from the Teaching Council stating why the clearance is being requested.
Bulgaria
Residents: Apply in person for a Police Clearance Certificate at the regional court where you are registered.
Non-residents: If you live outside Bulgaria, apply at the Bulgarian embassy.
Canada
Organisation or Body: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Website: Criminal record checks | Royal Canadian Mounted Police (rcmp-grc.gc.ca)
How you apply depends on whether or not you are resident in Canada.
For full information on how to apply visit the website.
Chile
Website: Servicio de Registro Civil
Apply for a Certificado de Antecedentes para Fines Especiales online at Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (available in Spanish only).
China PR
Organisation or Body: The Public Security Bureau (PSB) of China
Residents: Apply to your local Public Security Bureau.
Non-residents: Contact the Teaching Council.
Cyprus
Organisation or Body: Criminal Record Office of the Cyprus Police
Website: Cyprus Police | Crime Combating Department
Residents: Apply to your local police station.
Non-residents: Apply to:
Chief of Police
Police Headquarters
P.O. Box 2022
Nicosia, Cyprus
Denmark
Organisation or Body: Danish Police
Website: Fingerprint expert | Police Clearance Certificates | PCC – Service – Denmark
Residents: Apply in person at any police station.
Non-residents: Non-residents registered with the National Registry of Denmark, apply to:
Rigspolitichefen, Afdeling D
Kriminalregisteret
P.O. Box 93
Landlystvej 34-40
2650 Hvidovre
Denmark
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Organisation or Body: Dubai Police
Website: Police Clearance Certificate (dubaipolice.gov.ae)
Residents: Apply to your local police department.
Non-residents: Apply to:
Criminal Investigation Department
Dubai Police General Headquarters
P.O. Box 1493, Dubai, UAE
Finland
Organisation or Body: The Finnish Police
Website: Finnish Country Signing Certificate Authority (CSCA) – Police (poliisi.fi)
For information contact:
Oikeusrekisterikeskus
P.O. Box 157
FI–13101 Hämeenlinna, Finland
Email: oikeusrekisterikeskus@om.fi
France
Organisation or Body: Ministry of Justice
Online applications, which are free of charge, can be made through the website.
Germany
Organisation or Body: Federal Office of Justice
Website: BfJ – Startseite (bundesjustizamt.de)
Residents: Apply for a police clearance certificate from the Federal Central Register of the Public Prosecutor General at the Federal Court of Justice.
Non-residents: Non-residents can apply for a “Führungszeugnis” to:
Bundesamt für Justiz
Sachgebiet IV 21 / IR
53094 Bonn
Greece
Organisation or Body: Consular Section of the Embassy of Greece in Ireland
Website: Υπουργείο Δικαιοσύνης – Ministry of Justice
Residents: Apply for a Penal Certificate for General Purposes issued by:
Ministry of Justice
Division of Criminal
Records
Mesogion 96
11527 Athens
Greece
Non-residents: Non-residents must apply through the Greek embassy or consulate.
India
Organisation or Body: Embassy of India
Website: How to Apply for Passport | Steps for applying Passport Application (passportindia.gov.in)
Residents: Apply to the local Senior Superintendent/Superintendent/Commissioner/Deputy Commissioner/Additional Commissioner of Police, Station House Officer or the Regional Passport Office. See website.
Non-residents: Irish non-residents should apply to the Embassy of India – indcons@eircom.net
Italy
Organisation or Body: Ministry of Justice
Website: Ministero della giustizia
Contact the Office of the State Attorney, Judicial Records:
Procura della Repubblica, Casellario Giudiziale
Piazzale Clodio 1
00100 Roma (RM)
Italy
Further information and application forms can be found on the website.
Japan
Organisation or Body: Metropolitan Police Department Japan
Website: ページが見つかりません 警視庁 (tokyo.lg.jp)
Residents: Apply to:
The Police Certificate
Sub-section
1st Foreign Affairs
Section
Tokyo Metropolitan
Police Department
2-1-1, Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-Ku
Tokyo, Japan
Non-residents: Contact the embassy or consulate.
Kazakhstan
Organisation or Body: Department of Legal Statistics and Special Records of the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Apply to the Department of Legal Statistics and Special Records of the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Korea (South)
Organisation or Body: Korean National Police Agency
Website: 경찰청 (police.go.kr)
Residents: Request a Criminal (Investigation) Records Check Reply (범죄·수사경력 회보서) from a police station in the Republic of Korea.
Non-residents: Further information on applying from Ireland can be found at: http://irl.mofa.go.kr/english/eu/irl/visa/Police/index.jsp.
Kyrgyzstan
Organisation or Body: Ministry of Internal Affairs
Residents: Contact:
Ministry of Internal
Affairs of Kyrgyzstan
469 Frunze Street
Bishkek 720040
Non-residents: Contact the consular section of the nearest Embassy of Kyrgyzstan.
Lithuania
Organisation or Body: Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to Ireland
Contact the Embassy.
Luxembourg
Organisation or Body: Criminal Records Office
Apply to:
Service du Casier Judiciaire
Cité judiciaire – Plateau du Saint-Esprit
Bâtiment BC – 1er étage
L-2080 Luxembourg
Malaysia
Organisation or Body: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Website: Official Portal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia – Portal (kln.gov.my)
New Zealand
Organisation or Body: Ministry of Justice
Website: Ministry of Justice | New Zealand Ministry of Justice
Nigeria
Organisation or Body: Nigeria Police Force
Residents: Apply in person to:
Central Criminal
Registry
Force C.I.D. Annex
Alagbon Close Ikoyi
Lagos, Nigeria
Non-residents: Apply by courier to:
Commissioner of Police
Central Criminal Registry
Force C.I.D. Annex
Alagbon Close Ikoyi
Lagos, Nigeria
Philippines
Organisation or Body: National Bureau of Investigation
Residents: Apply at the local National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Non-residents: Apply to the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate, or directly to the National Bureau of Investigation Identification and Record Division
Room 109, NBI Complex
Taft Avenue, Manila
Philippines
Poland
Organisation or Body: The Ministry of Justice
Website: Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości – Portal Gov.pl (www.gov.pl)
Romania
Organisation or Body: Ministry of Administration and Home Affairs
Website: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mae.ro)
Residents: Apply for a Certificat de Cazier Judiciar to the county police inspectorate in your county of birth or residence.
Non-residents: Apply to the embassy at www.mae.ro or apply through the Inspectoratul General al Politiei in Romania.
Police certificates may also be obtained by giving notarised power of attorney to a representative in Romania to apply on your behalf.
Saudi Arabia
Organisation or Body: Apply to your nearest police station.
Residents: Apply to your nearest police station.
Non-residents: Contact the Teaching Council.
Slovakia
Organisation or Body: Crime Register of the Attorney General’s Office
Website: Generálna prokuratúra (gov.sk)
Residents: Apply for a Výpis z Registra Trestov at any office of the public prosecution.
Non-residents: Apply at the Slovak embassy or consulate.
South Africa
Organisation or Body: South African Police Service
Website: Services | SAPS (South African Police Service)
Residents: Apply at the local South African Police Service office.
Non-residents: Apply to:
South African Police Service
Criminal Investigation Department
Private Bag X308
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Spain
Organisation or Body: Ministry of Justice Madrid
Website: Formulario 790 – Trámites y gestiones personales (mjusticia.gob.es)
Complete a Model 790 Application available on the
website.
Central Office of Citizen Services, Ministry of Justice
Plaza de Jacinto Benavente, 3
28012, Madrid
Sweden
Organisation or Body: Swedish National Police Board
Website: Police Record Extracts | The Swedish Police Authority (polisen.se)
Full details are on the website.
Switzerland
Organisation or Body: Federal Office of Justice
Website: Order criminal records excerpt – Criminal records excerpts (admin.ch)
Thailand
Organisation or Body: Thai Embassy
The Netherlands
Organisation or Body: Ministerie van Justitie (Letter required from The Teaching Council)
Website: How do I apply for a certificate of conduct (VOG)? | Government.nl
UK
Organisation or Body: Association Of Chief Police Officers Criminal Records Office
Website: ACRO Criminal Records Office – Police Certificates
An International Child Protection Certificate is required for registration with the Teaching Council.
Full instructions on how to apply are available on the website.
Ukraine
Organisation or Body: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
Website: МВС України (mvs.gov.ua)
United Arab Emirates
Organisation or Body: Ministry of Interior
Website: Ministry of Interior United Arab Emirates (moi.gov.ae)
Residents: Apply to the local police department.
Non-residents: Apply to the relevant Emirate Police Directorate for which you need clearance.
United States of America
Organisation or Body: FBI background check
Website: Rap Sheets (Identity History Summary Checks) — FBI
Full details on the website or apply to:
FBI, Criminal Justice Information Services Division
Attention: SCU, Mod D-2
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306
USA
Zimbabwe
Organisation or Body: Criminal Records Office
Residents: Apply to:
Criminal Records Office
Criminal Investigations
Department
Headquarters
P.O. Box CY 683
Causeway, Harare
Zimbabwe
Non-residents: Contact the Teaching Council.