Get Your AFP National Police Check Online

An AFP National Police Check produces a National Police Certificate (NPC), issued by the Australian Federal Police. It summarises your disclosable criminal history across all Australian states and territories. You will need to order an AFP National Police Check if you need a police check for a Commonwealth or ACT purpose, such as an Australian visa, citizenship, Commonwealth employment or working in the ACT.

Both checks search across all Australian states and territories. However, they’re issued by different bodies and accepted for different purposes. An AFP National Police Check is issued by the Australian Federal Police. It’s required for Australian visas and immigration, Commonwealth roles, ACT purposes, and many overseas applications. If you’re applying for an Australian visa, Home Affairs only accepts an AFP National Police Check

A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) is processed through the National Police Checking Service (NPCS) by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC). It’s the check most Australian employers, volunteer organisations and licensing bodies ask for. If you need a check for work or volunteering in Australia, you most likely need an NCCHC.

You can find out more about NCCHC’s here.

An AFP purpose code is the number you select on your AFP National Police Check application to tell the Australian Federal Police why you need the check. The code determines what information can be released on your National Police Certificate, and you can only use your certificate for that purpose. Always confirm the code with the organisation asking for your police check before you apply.

AFP purpose codes are divided into three categories. See the categories and purpose codes below.

Working in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

• 8 – Hospital Employment – in the ACT
• 9 – Security Licence (Security Guard) – in the ACT
• 10 – Aged Care Provider/Worker – in the ACT
• 11 – Brothel or Escort Agency Owner/Operator/Interested party – in the ACT
• 12 – Child Care Provider/Worker – in the ACT
• 13 – Disabled Care Provider/Worker or Hospital Employment – in the ACT
• 14 – Explosives/Fireworks Permit (ASIO check is required)
• 15 – Fire Fighting/Prevention – in the ACT
• 16 – Firearms Licence/Permit – in the ACT
• 17 – Interactive Gambling Licence/Casino Employee – in the ACT
• 18 – Prison Officer – in the ACT
• 19 – Child/Aged/Disabled Care Provider/Worker – in the ACT
• 20 – Working in a School – in the ACT
• 21 – Teacher/Teacher’s Aide – in the ACT
• 30 – Pre Employment/Standard Disclosure – in the ACT

Commonwealth Purpose

• 22 – Aged Care Staff/Volunteers
• 23 – Aged Care Key Personnel
• 24 – Australian Securities and Investments Commission – ASIC Employee
• 25 – Australian Securities and Investments Commission – Financial Licensing
• 26 – AUSTRAC Employee/Consultant
• 27 – Care of Intellectually Disabled Persons
• 28 – Care, Instruction or Supervision of Children
• 29 – Civil Aviation Safety Authority – ASSC
• 31 – Employee with Access to Secret or Top Secret Information
• 32 – Immigration Detention Centre Employment
• 33 – Immigration/Citizenship – Australia
• 34 – Law Enforcement/Intelligence or Security Agency Employee/Consultant
• 35 – Overseas Visa – Supply to a Country other than Australia
• 36 – Superannuation Trustee/Custodian/Investment manager
• 37 – Care, Instruction or Supervision of Children/ Care of Disabled Persons/Aged Care Staff/Volunteers
• 40 – Other Commonwealth Purpose ONLY
• 41 – Overseas Employment – General Employment
• 42 – Overseas Employment – Aged/Disabled care
• 43 – Overseas Employment – Teaching
• 44 – Overseas Employment – Working with Children
• 45 – Overseas Employment – Nursing, Hospital Employment

General Employment / Purpose

• 39 – General Purpose/Standard Disclosure

The right code depends on why you need the check. Most people need one of these:

• Australian visa or citizenship (Department of Home Affairs): Code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship – Australia.
• Visa for another country: Code 35 – Overseas Visa – Supply to a Country other than Australia.
• Working overseas: Codes 41 to 45 – Overseas Employment.
• Working or volunteering in the ACT (not covered by a specific code): Code 30 – Pre. Employment/Standard Disclosure – in the ACT.
• Commonwealth role not covered by a specific code: Code 40 – Other Commonwealth Purpose ONLY.
• General purposes, where no ACT or Commonwealth law applies: Code 39 – General Purpose/Standard Disclosure.

If Home Affairs asks for a police certificate, you’ll need an AFP National Police Check if you’ve spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16. The 12 months are counted cumulatively, not consecutively.

Home Affairs only accepts AFP National Police Checks (Code 33) as Australian police certificates. State and territory police certificates are not accepted.

Police certificates are commonly requested for:

• Partner and family visas: Partner (subclass 820/801 and 309/100), Prospective Marriage (300), Parent (103, 143, 173, 804, 864, 884), Child (101, 802)
• Skilled visas: Skilled Independent (189), Skilled Nominated (190), Skilled Work Regional (491)
• Employer-sponsored visas: Employer Nomination Scheme (186), Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (494), Skills in Demand (482)
• Other permanent visas: National Innovation (858)
• Temporary visas: some Student (500) and Temporary Graduate (485) applications

Check your visa’s document checklist, or any request from Home Affairs, to see when you need to provide a certificate. Home Affairs accepts police certificates for 12 months from the issue date.

For visa or citizenship purposes, you should select code 33 – Immigration/Citizenship (for supply to the Department of Home Affairs). This produces a certificate covering all Commonwealth offences, plus state and territory offences as legislation permits. A certificate issued under any other purpose will not be accepted by Home Affairs, and you’ll need to apply and pay again.

Only if Home Affairs asks you for one. When applying for citizenship, Home Affairs usually runs its own Australian police checks with your consent, and asks for overseas police certificates separately. Check your citizenship application instructions before ordering.

Usually, yes. Overseas immigration authorities and employers generally ask for an AFP National Police Certificate rather than a state check or an NCCHC. Requirements vary by country, so confirm which purpose code you need with the entity that asked for the check before you apply.

If you will be working overseas, make sure to choose the purpose code that matches your role:

• Code 41 – Overseas Employment – General Employment
• Code 42 – Overseas Employment – Aged/Disabled care
• Code 43 – Overseas Employment – Teaching
• Code 44 – Overseas Employment – Working with Children
• Code 45 – Overseas Employment – Nursing, Hospital Employment

Most AFP National Police Checks are processed within a few days of being lodged. Some take longer when records must be confirmed with several states or territories. We’ll let you know as soon as your certificate is ready.

The certificate reflects your record on the date you applied. It is a point-in-time check that won’t show any court outcomes after that date. The organisation requesting the check decides how recent it must be.

For Australian visas, Home Affairs accepts police certificates for 12 months from the issue date.
You can reuse a certificate for the same purpose, but not for a different one. For example, a certificate issued for aged care work can’t be used for a visa.

Once your AFP result is available, we’ll upload your National Police Certificate to your account and let you know it’s ready.

You will need to provide at least 100 points of ID, following the AFP’s proof-of-identity checklist.
See examples and learn more about the document types.

Your certificate will list “disclosable court outcomes” that are determined releasable under federal, state and territory laws, including the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) and the Spent Convictions Act 2000 (ACT). It can include:

• criminal and traffic court outcomes from any Australian state or territory
• outstanding warrants
• pending charges (matters that haven’t yet been to court)

Depending on the purpose of your check and the relevant legislation, some information may not be released, such as spent convictions or findings of guilt without a conviction.

If your personal information is incorrect (such as your name or date of birth) this likely cannot be amended. It is important that when submitting your check, you provide full and accurate personal information.

If your certificate includes a court outcome or charge you believe is inaccurate, contact our support team who will be able to assist you in lodging a dispute with the AFP.

No. Your National Police Certificate can only be used for the purpose code you selected. You can reuse it for the same purpose, but for a different purpose you’ll need a new AFP police check.