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ACRO Apostille

An ACRO Police Certificate apostille confirms the authenticity of the signature on a UK ACRO certificate. ACRO Police Certificates show an applicant’s criminal history in the UK. So, an ACRO Police Certificate will disclose details of any convictions, reprimands, cautions, absolute discharges, conditional discharges, warnings, impending prosecutions, ongoing Court proceedings, or ongoing current investigations. ACRO Police Certificates will also show foreign criminal records if they have been disclosed to UK authorities. ACRO certificates are often required for immigration or visa applications, or when an embassy or consulate requests one. To be recognised overseas, an ACRO Police Certificate requires legalisation. For most countries this means obtaining an ACRO apostille.

Why use Fatchett Legalisation to Apostille your ACRO Certificate

Also, unlike many of our competitors, we are a firm of notaries. This means:

  • We have more in-house expertise than most of our competitors, and can offer fast and expert advise without having to refer you to third parties.
  • Our industry regulator holds us to a higher standard than most of our competitors.

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ACRO Certificate Document Formats for Apostille

You can get an ACRO Police Certificate apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office for the following document formats:

    • Your original ACRO police certificate signed by an official of the issuing authority
    • Your original ACRO police certificate without a signature from an official of the issuing authority
    • A printout of your electronic ACRO police certificate produced from the original PDF or other electronic document

However, there are significant considerations for anything but an ACRO certificate signed by an official of the issuing authority. So, please contact us or use our free apostille document review service if you wish to legalise any other format.

Even then, some countries may require that, for certain purposes, your ACRO Police Certificate is notarised prior to obtaining the apostille. Fortunately, as we are a firm of notaries, this is something that Fatchett Legalisation can handle for you in house.

Apostille FAQ - ACRO Police Certificate

Do I need an ACRO Police certificate notarised?

Certain countries, such as Cyprus and Portugal, require the ACRO certificate to be notarised for some applications. One of our notaries can notarise your original ACRO Police certificate before applying for the apostille.

What types of ACRO Police certificate can be apostilled?

We can obtain an apostille for all UK ACRO certificates, including:

  • No Trace – there are no convictions, cautions, reprimands/warnings or conditional discharge.
  • No Live Trace – there is a criminal record but this information does not appear on the certificate because it has been stepped down or deleted by the Court
  • Trace – there is a criminal record and all the information has been disclosed publicly
  • Further Information Stepped Down – there are records of criminal activity, but only relevant criminal record information appears on the certificate as some information has been stepped down from National DNA Database (NDNAD), National Fingerprint Database (IDENT1) and/or the Police National Computer (PNC).

Is solicitor certification recommended for ACRO certificate apostilles?

You should not have a solicitor certify your ACRO certificate, as any apostille will then be issued based on the solicitor’s signature and not that of the original official signee. Some countries don’t accept this as a legalised document, and those that do only take a solicitor-certified apostille in a certain range of cases.

Do I need to get my ACRO certificate apostille notarised?

Unfortunately, there is not a yes or no answer to the necessity of ACRO apostille notarisation. Some countries may require notary for some purposes, even though they are members of the Hague Apostille Convention. For example. Portugal requires a notary to

Can I get an e-apostille for a UK ACRO Police Certificate?

No, UK Police certificates are never issued electronically, only in hard copy, so electronic apostille is not available for this type of document.

What does an ACRO Police certificate look like?

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Where can I get a copy of an ACRO Police certificate?
Can you apply for my ACRO Certificate for me?

No. Unfortunately, we cannot apply for an ACRO certificate on your behalf.

Will my ACRO Police Certificate require translation?

Some countries require ACRO certificates to be translated. Translation requirements can depend not only on the country but also on the purpose at hand. So, you need to check what the requesting authority needs. Sometimes, the translation must be made by an authorised translator overseas. Spain is a prime example. This can add days and perhaps weeks to the process.

Is an ACRO Police Certificate the same as a DBS Check?

No, although both documents include criminal record details, an enhanced DBS check includes ongoing investigations and pending cases, whereas the ACRO only details criminal records and spent convictions. Most foreign countries only require the less-detailed ACRO with an apostille.

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