ACRO police certificate apostille for visas
Get your ACRO Police Certificate apostilled by the FCDO for visa and digital nomad applications abroad — checklist, process, and typical pitfalls explained.
If you are a UK citizen applying for a digital nomad visa, golden visa, or long-stay residence permit abroad, chances are the immigration authority will ask for a clean criminal record. For UK applicants that means the ACRO Police Certificate, issued specifically for visa and immigration purposes. On its own, however, the certificate is just a piece of paper with a signature and a stamp. To make it valid abroad, most countries want it apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office.
That second step is where applications stall. This page explains what the apostille does, when you need it, and how we handle the paperwork for you.
What an apostille actually does
An apostille is a certificate issued under the 1961 Hague Convention. It confirms that the signature, capacity, and stamp on a UK public document are genuine, so another member country can accept the document without further checks. Criminal record certificates, birth and marriage certificates, and university degrees are all typical candidates.
The catch: apostilles only work between Hague Convention member countries. If your destination is not a member, you will need legalization or attestation instead, usually through the destination country’s embassy. You can check membership in the HCCH status table. General background on FCDO legalisation is on GOV.UK.
Why the ACRO certificate specifically
Each country issues its own criminal record document: the FBI Identity History Summary in the US, the RCMP certified check in Canada, the AFP National Police Check in Australia, and PCCs apostilled via the MEA in India. If you are a UK resident or citizen, consulates will normally expect the ACRO Police Certificate, because it is the format designed for immigration purposes.
Two things matter here:
- Timing. As a rule, consulates and immigration authorities accept criminal record certificates only within 90 days to 6 months of issue. Ordering your ACRO certificate too early is one of the most common ways applications get rejected.
- Apostille placement. The apostille must be attached by the UK FCDO Legalisation Office. For some documents an e-apostille is available, but acceptance of digital apostilles varies by destination, so it is worth confirming before you commit.
Visas like the Spain DNV and Croatia routinely require an apostilled police certificate, so it pays to plan this document alongside the rest of your file. You can see how it fits among other paperwork in Documents by type.
Translation: after the apostille, not before
Once the apostille is on your certificate, a sworn or certified translation into the destination language is usually required. Some countries accept translations from any certified professional; others insist on locally accredited translators only.
The order matters. If you translate the document first and the apostille is added later, you will need a second translation covering the apostille itself. Getting the sequence right saves you both time and money.
How we help
We are a private documents service. We are not the FCDO and we do not decide visa outcomes. What we do is remove the friction: we advise on the checklist for your specific destination, arrange the apostille and any required translations, and return everything by courier delivery, wherever you happen to be based.
Your case manager confirms all fees and timelines before you order, so there are no surprises halfway through. We also flag issues early, such as a certificate that is close to expiring or a destination country that needs embassy legalization rather than an apostille.
Keep in mind that requirements change and the consulate or immigration authority always makes the final decision. That is exactly why we build a small buffer into every plan rather than working right up against your appointment date.
If your ACRO certificate is on your visa checklist, the sensible sequence is simple: order the certificate, apostille it while it is fresh, translate it correctly, and file the whole set together. We handle the middle steps so you can focus on the move itself.
FAQ
It is an FCDO apostille certificate attached to your ACRO Police Certificate, confirming the UK signature and stamp are authentic so the document is accepted in another Hague Convention country.
Yes, but a different one. Non-member countries usually require full legalization or attestation through embassies instead of a single apostille stamp.
The apostille itself does not expire, but most consulates and immigration authorities accept criminal record certificates only within 90 days to 6 months of the issue date.
The FCDO offers e-apostilles for some documents. Whether your destination country accepts a digital apostille depends on its own rules, so confirm with your case manager first.
As a rule, yes. A sworn or certified translation into the destination language is usually required, and some countries accept only locally accredited translators.
No. We are a private documents service that prepares your paperwork correctly. The consulate or immigration authority always makes the final decision.
Typically 1-3 weeks including the FCDO Legalisation Office, though exact timelines are confirmed by your case manager before you order.
Common mistakes that get applications rejected
- Ordering the ACRO certificate too early, so it falls outside the 90-day to 6-month acceptance window at the consulate
- Apostilling the certificate for a non-Hague country that actually needs embassy legalization or attestation
- Translating the document before the apostille is attached, forcing a second translation
- Using a regular translation instead of a sworn or locally accredited one where the destination requires it
- Assuming an e-apostille is accepted everywhere without checking the destination country's rules
- Waiting until the visa deadline to start, leaving no buffer for FCDO processing and courier time
We review your documents before submission to catch these errors first.
How the process works
- Send us your ACRO certificate
Share a scan of your original ACRO Police Certificate so we can check it meets FCDO requirements before anything is submitted.
- Confirm the checklist and fees
Your case manager confirms the exact requirements of your destination country, the timeline, and all fees before you order.
- FCDO apostille
We submit your certificate to the FCDO Legalisation Office, which attaches the apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention.
- Translation if needed
Where your destination requires it, we arrange a sworn or certified translation into the local language by an accredited translator.
- Courier delivery
Your apostilled (and translated) documents are returned to you by tracked courier, wherever you are in the world.
What to bring
- Original ACRO Police Certificate issued for visa or immigration purposes
- A scan or clear photo of the certificate for the pre-check
- The destination country and the exact visa or residence permit you are applying for
- Confirmation of whether the authority wants a sworn translation and into which language
- Your delivery address and contact details for courier return
Compare criminal record, income, insurance and apostille requirements for digital nomad and remote work visas in Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Mexico, Estonia and the UAE.
View service →Compare online certified translation services by acceptance, speed, pricing and guarantees. What USCIS, IRCC, WES and ECFMG expect before you order.
View service →A working certificate of translation template, a filled sample for USCIS, wording rules for the certification statement, and a self-check list before you file.
View service →Official sources
Rules are checked against official sources.
How it works
We handle your documents in a few steps
Send your visa type and document list
We check the consulate requirements and validity windows.
We arrange apostilles and translations
Federal and state apostilles, FCDO, MEA; sworn translators.
Receive your file
PDF scans by email, originals by courier worldwide.
Need help with your documents?
Describe your case — we will name the documents, timeline and price.