police check

[featherB 1]

Just looked on the Norfolk Constabulary site and this (go to the page and click the link - it's Data Protection Form A220, apparently - they have a different numbering system to the Met!) is the form you need - it even says on there that it's the form to fill in in connection with visa applications etc. It's basically exactly the same as the one Mags linked to, only this one has 'Norfolk Constabulary' on it instead of 'Metropolitan Police', and has the relevant address you can send it to. So you can print this one out and use it or just make sure this is the one they give you!

I just rang norfolk police about a police cert for a visa and got put thru to the data protection act switch board, she told me i have to ask for a data protection act form at the station and not an SA1 form, anyone know if this is right? I dont want to send the wrong form in.

Edited November 21, 2006 by featherB

[Mags 112]

The form is 301B. Don't know if that is the same one. Sorry, not much help am I?

Edited November 21, 2006 by mags

[featherB 1]

I *think* it's because the Metropolitan Police (and every police force) numbers their forms differently... it does say it's the one to use for Visa applications, and asks for all the same info. Mine was 3019B, but I think that it'll have a different number depending on which police force it is...

The form is 301B. Don't know if that is the same one.

[Bill and Hayley 0]

Thanks for the fast replys, im sendin someone into the station as im a few miles from it, so if thats not the form they give them ill have to get bill to print it out and send it to me. Thanx for the link, yea i noticed the one mags gave me was for the london area only, but then she didnt know i wasnt from around there. Just glad ive got ppl on here to help out with this stuff thanks again.

[Mags 112]

Just an additional point, all of these police checks go through the Metropolitan Police regardless of the area you live in. They have the super duper mega computer up there which holds information about all of us.

I live in London at the moment, but up until I was 26 I lived in Essex. I only used the Met form, just listed my Essex addresses on it too. It was fine. No problems at all. I didn't need to use an additional Essex police form (I did ask them to verify this, didn't want to make a mistake!).

[featherB 1]

Yup, I *think* that so long as you have a form requesting info from the Police National Computer (rather than from one local police force's own records), it doesn't matter which one you use... it just needs to be sent/taken to the relevant local police force so that they do whatever it is they do with it and then send it on to Scotland Yard. Oh, and I noticed as well that the Met's site says you can apply through them if you 'have lived' in their area - doesn't say you have to live there at the time you apply, even! But yeah, I wondered to start with if I'd need a separate form for everywhere I've ever lived... was very relieved to discover that that's not the case!

Don't know about anyone else, but I had a nightmare trying to remember all my addresses for the last 10 years - old addresses I lived in when I was at University, I could remember the street, but not the house numbers, and definitely not the postcode! I'm still not 100% sure that one of the addresses I put down is right, and I have no way of checking...

Just an additional point, all of these police checks go through the Metropolitan Police regardless of the area you live in. They have the super duper mega computer up there which holds information about all of us.

I live in London at the moment, but up until I was 26 I lived in Essex. I only used the Met form, just listed my Essex addresses on it too. It was fine. No problems at all. I didn't need to use an additional Essex police form (I did ask them to verify this, didn't want to make a mistake!).

[rebeccajo 14]

And just to add to all this....

The certificate, once you do get it, is indeed valid for one year.