Apply for screening

If you:

• have lived outside the UK continuously for at least 12 months during the past five years; and
• have not lived in the UK continuously for at least 12 months during the past five years,
• you will not need a UK Disclosure and Barring Service check. Instead, we will assess your name, current address and criminal record using documentary evidence.

How to apply:

• log in to your mySRA account
• click on 'Start a new application' and select 'Apply for screening'
• answer No to: 'Have you lived in the UK (or Channel Islands or Isle of Man) continuously for at least 12 months in the last five years?'
• answer Yes to: 'Have you lived in a country outside the UK (or Channel Islands or Isle of Man) continuously for at least 12 months in the last five years?'
• enter the dates of all the countries outside of the UK you have lived in for at least 12 months continuously during the past five years. If there are any discrepancies, you will be asked to confirm your full five-year residence history.
• upload:
  • proof of your name and current address
  • an overseas criminal record check(s) for all countries you have lived in for at least 12 months continuously during the past five years.
• tick the declaration and submit your application

Fees

There is no fee for overseas-only screening applications. However, you may need to pay for your overseas criminal record check(s). Any fees are set by the relevant country or jurisdiction.

Documents for identity and address

We can accept the following documents:

Proof of name	Proof of address
Passport	Utility bill
Driving licence	Driving licence
Birth certificate	Bank statement
Marriage certificate	Council tax bill
ID card	NHS medical card

Apart from driving licences, proof of current address documents must be no more than three months old.

Please note, for the purposes of our own checks, utility bills can include gas, electric, satellite television, landline phone, internet/broadband and water bills. Mobile phone bills are not accepted.

If any document is not written in English, you must provide an official English translation. 

Translation requirements

An official translation must meet the following requirements:

• the translation cannot be made by you or your friends or family
• the translator must sign and date the translation and state their qualification as a translator.

Criminal record checks outside the UK

You must provide a criminal record check for every country outside the UK that you have lived in continuously for at least 12 months during the past five years.

You still need to do this even if the whole 12 months does not fall within the five years. If you are unsure whether you need to provide a criminal record check for a certain country, please contact us.

You should follow the relevant country's instructions on how to get a criminal record check. You may find the UK government guidance on criminal record checks for overseas applicants helpful.

The criminal record check must be no more than three months old on the date you submit your screening application.

If the criminal record check is not written in English, you must provide an official English translation that meets the requirements set out above.

Countries that do not provide criminal record checks

For countries or jurisdictions that do not issue criminal record checks, we will accept a completed copy of our statutory declaration in place of a criminal check (PDF, 2 pages, 56KB). This includes the following locations:

• Hong Kong
• Kazakhstan
• Myanmar (Burma) – Non-resident
• Republic of Ireland
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore – Non-national
• South Korea

Please contact us if you are having any difficulties getting a criminal check.

Screening process

A member of staff will review the documents you have provided and carry out any other necessary checks.

If the documents meet our requirements, they will approve your screening application and record the screening results on your account.

Validity of screening results

Screening results are valid for six months. They must be in date when you apply for admission to the roll, meaning they must be no more than six months old on the date you apply.

If your screening results expire before you are ready to apply for admission, you will need to reapply for screening.

Application withdrawal

Your application may be withdrawn if a member of staff contacts you to request further information and you do not respond.

To avoid this, please make sure that the email address on your mySRA account is correct and that you check the junk folder of your mailbox regularly while your screening application is being processed.

If your application is withdrawn, you can reapply for screening through your mySRA account and provide the information that was requested.

Apply for screening

Log in to mySRA to apply, go to start a new application

If you have lived in the UK continuously for 12 months or more during the past five years, you must complete our UK background checks/screening.

If you have also lived outside of the UK continuously for 12 months or more during the past five years, you must provide an overseas criminal record check too.

How to apply:

• log in to mySRA
• click on 'Start a new application' and select 'Apply for screening'
• answer Yes to: 'Have you lived in the UK (or Channel Islands or Isle of Man) continuously for at least 12 months in the last five years?'
• answer Yes to: 'Have you lived in a country outside the UK (or Channel Islands or Isle of Man) continuously for at least 12 months in the last five years?'
• enter the dates of all the countries outside the UK that you have lived in continuously for at least 12 months during the past five years. If there are any discrepancies, you will be asked to confirm your full five-year residence history.
• upload overseas criminal record check(s) for countries you have lived in continuously for at least 12 months during the past five years.
• tick the declaration and submit your application
• pay the £34 fee (by credit or debit card).

Criminal record checks outside the UK

You must provide a criminal record check for every country outside the UK that you have lived in continuously for at least 12 months during the past five years.

You still need to do this even if the whole 12 months does not fall within the five years. If you are unsure whether you need to provide a criminal record check for a certain country, please contact us.

You should follow the relevant country’s instructions on how to get a criminal record check. You may find the UK government guidance on criminal record checks for overseas applicants helpful.

A criminal record check must be no more than three months old on the date you submit your screening application.

If the criminal record check is not written in English, you must provide an official English translation.

Translation requirements

An official translation must meet the following requirements:

• the translation cannot be made by you or your friends or family
• the translator must sign and date the translation and state their qualification as a translator.

Screening process

A member of staff will review the overseas criminal record check(s) provided and carry out any other necessary checks. If the criminal record check meets our requirements, they will approve the overseas screening.

Then, within five working days of the overseas screening being approved, you will receive an email from Atlantic Data with a link to complete your UK screening.

You will need to:

• upload your identity documents directly to Atlantic Data
• nominate a solicitor currently on the roll of solicitors to verify your documents.

You may wish to use the Find a solicitor service to find a solicitor in your area who can verify your documents.

Atlantic Data will then submit your completed application to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Once your UK screening is complete, you will receive an email stating your DBS certificate is being sent to you by post. Your DBS results will be recorded on your mySRA account within five working days of that email.

Validity of screening results

Screening results are valid for six months. They must be in date when you apply for admission to the roll, meaning they must be no more than six months old on the date you apply.

If your screening results expire before you are ready to apply for admission, you will need to reapply for screening.

Apply for screening

Log in to mySRA to apply, go to start a new application