Police Certificates for Australian Visa Applications

Look, if you are applying for an Australian visa or citizenship, there is a good chance you will need police certificates. And not just from Australia. From every country where you have spent 12 months or more in the last decade.

This catches people off guard. They focus on the main application, then scramble at the last minute when they realise they need clearances from three different countries, each with its own process, its own timeline, and its own way of making things difficult.

Let me break down exactly what you need and how to get it right the first time.

What Is a Police Certificate?

A police certificate, sometimes called a penal clearance certificate, is an official document confirming whether you have a criminal record in a particular country. The Department of Home Affairs uses these to assess whether you meet Australia's character requirements.

No police certificate, no visa. That is how seriously they take this.

Who Needs to Provide Police Certificates?

You will need police certificates if you meet both of these conditions:

• You are 17 years old or over

• You have lived in any country (including Australia) for 12 months or more in the past 10 years

The certificate must cover the period from when you turned 16 up to the issue date. Not from when you arrived in that country. From age 16.

This means if you lived in the UK for two years when you were 20, but had also visited briefly at 17, you need coverage from 16 onwards for your entire time there.

Validity and Timing

Police certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. After that, you need a fresh one.

Here is where timing gets tricky. If your visa application takes longer than expected, or if you return to a country where you previously got a certificate, you may need to obtain a new one. I have seen applicants go through this process two or three times for the same country because of processing delays.

Get your certificates as close to your application date as practical, but not so early that they expire before a decision is made.

Australian Police Certificates: The AFP Code 33 Rule

For Australian police certificates, there is one rule that matters: you must get an Australian Federal Police National Police Check with Code 33 (Immigration/Citizenship).

State and territory police certificates are not accepted. It does not matter if you only lived in Victoria or only worked in Queensland. The Department wants the AFP check with Code 33. Nothing else.

When you apply:

• Complete the AFP National Police Check application form

• Select Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship

• List every name you have ever been known by, including maiden names and aliases

• No fingerprints required for this type of check

You can access the AFP application form on the Australian Federal Police website.

Overseas Police Certificates

This is where things get complicated. Every country has its own process, its own authority, and its own timeline.

Some countries make it straightforward. Others require you to engage a lawyer in that country, have documents notarised, or wait months for processing.

The general approach:

• Identify the relevant police authority or government agency in each country

• Follow their specific application process

• Allow plenty of time, especially for countries with slower bureaucracies

If you cannot obtain a certificate from a particular country, or if the country is not listed on the Department's requirements, contact your nearest Australian immigration office. There are alternative processes for countries where certificates are genuinely unobtainable.

What If You Have a Criminal Record?

Having a criminal record does not automatically mean your visa will be refused. But it does mean your application requires more careful handling.

Character requirements involve a detailed assessment of the nature of any offences, how long ago they occurred, and what has happened since. Some offences are more serious than others in the eyes of immigration law. If you are concerned about how your history might affect your application, get proper legal advice before you submit anything. We handle visa refusals and appeals regularly, and many of those cases involve character issues that could have been managed better from the start.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

After years of working on citizenship applications and visa matters, these are the errors I see most often:

• Forgetting countries where you lived briefly but accumulated 12 months total over multiple trips

• Not including all names you have used on the AFP application

• Getting state police checks instead of AFP Code 33

• Letting certificates expire before the visa decision is made

• Assuming a clear record means you do not need the certificate at all

What Should You Do Now?

Make a list of every country where you have spent time since you turned 16. Calculate the total days in each. If any country hits 12 months or more in the past 10 years, you need a certificate from there.

Start the process early. Some countries take weeks. Others take months. Do not let a missing police certificate hold up your entire application.

If your situation is complex, if you have lived in multiple countries, if you have any criminal history, or if you are unsure whether certain matters need to be disclosed, book a consultation and let us review your specific circumstances. Getting this wrong can cost you the visa.