# UK Police clearanc while in SA



## BJ100 (Jun 6, 2011)

Hi all, 

I have a friend who is preparing to apply for SA PR and needs to get police clearance from the UK. She lived in the UK a long time ago and has since lived in South Africa for 10+ years. 

I seem to have read a thread somewhere about an option to request UK Police clearance online but can't find it. Does anyone know if one can get UK Police clearance online from SA? Not sure if it makes any difference but my friend is a US citizen.

Many thanks!

-BJ


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## LegalMan (Dec 26, 2012)

I'm sure that would be on the UK forum?

For any country that you have stayed in for 12 months or longer since the age of 18, no matter how old you are, Home Affairs requires a police clearance.


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

BJ100 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have a friend who is preparing to apply for SA PR and needs to get police clearance from the UK. She lived in the UK a long time ago and has since lived in South Africa for 10+ years.
> 
> ...


She needs to apply to ACRO (Association of Chief Police Officers) their website is as follows 

http://www.acro.police.uk/police_certificates.aspx

You cannot do online applications. Application form must be downloaded of the website and sent to the UK. There is also problem with making payments as you cannot pay with a card but must pay with either a cheque, bankers draft or postal order (in Pound Sterling) but you can ask someone else in the UK to make the payment for you.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Saartjie


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## Brissygez (Apr 24, 2013)

You can´t apply online for a UK police certificate as far as I know (please correct me if I´m wrong) but you can apply easily via paper and send the application form together with the required documentation to the UK. You pay via bankers draft which can be done from any country in the world.


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## BJ100 (Jun 6, 2011)

Saartjie said:


> She needs to apply to ACRO (Association of Chief Police Officers) their website is as follows
> 
> http://www.acro.police.uk/police_certificates.aspx
> 
> ...


Thanks Saartjie! I'll forward the details to my friend


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## BJ100 (Jun 6, 2011)

Brissygez said:


> You can´t apply online for a UK police certificate as far as I know (please correct me if I´m wrong) but you can apply easily via paper and send the application form together with the required documentation to the UK. You pay via bankers draft which can be done from any country in the world.


Thanks for the clarification, Brissygez! Will suggest bankers draft as easiest option to pay for clearance in sterling while outside the UK.


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## Brissygez (Apr 24, 2013)

BJ100 said:


> Thanks for the clarification, Brissygez! Will suggest bankers draft as easiest option to pay for clearance in sterling while outside the UK.


A bankers draft is basically a "pre paid cheque" onto your account, so they withdraw it from your account when your are requesting the draft onto then name of the receiver. But the whole transaction takes 1 to 2 weeks to complete because it goes via the Central Bank that has to approve any transaction in a foreign currency.


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