Before submitting an ACRO police certificate for apostille, it is worth understanding exactly what conditions apply - because the route available to you depends entirely on the format of your document and where it needs to be used. Here is a clear assessment of each consideration.
Condition one: ACRO Certificates are not eligible for e-Apostille
All UK police certificates, including those issued by the ACRO Criminal Records Office, are produced as physical hard-copy documents. They are not issued electronically and do not carry a digital signature that the FCDO can verify through its e-Apostille system. The e-Apostille route is therefore not available for ACRO certificates under any circumstances. The paper-based apostille process is the only option.
Condition two: originals only - no copies accepted
The FCDO requires the original ACRO certificate for apostille. Photocopies, printed PDFs and scanned versions will be rejected without exception. If your original certificate has been lost or is otherwise unavailable, you must apply for a replacement through the ACRO Criminal Records Office before proceeding. There is no alternative document format that will be accepted.
Condition three: check whether the signature is registered
A key advantage of ACRO certificates over DBS certificates is that an original bearing a wet ink signature from an authorised ACRO official can generally be submitted directly to the FCDO - without requiring solicitor certification first. However, this only works if the signing official's signature is registered with the FCDO. If the certificate is very recent or very old, the signature may not yet be registered or may have expired from the register. In either case, the FCDO will reject the submission. If this happens, contacting ACRO to request signature registration, or applying for a new certificate, are the most reliable remedies.
Condition four: confirm whether embassy attestation is also required
For Hague Apostille Convention member countries, the apostille is the final step. For non-Hague destinations - including the UAE, Qatar, Thailand and others - embassy attestation is also required after the apostille has been obtained. This is an additional authentication step carried out by the relevant embassy in London and must be factored into your timeline and budget.
We can assess your document before submission
Our team reviews ACRO certificates before submission to identify any potential issues with signature registration or format. Call us on +44 (0) 204 646 9500 and we will confirm the correct approach for your certificate and destination, and manage the process from start to finish.