IRELAND - How do I get a police certificate and how long does it take?

[Gatsborg 1]

For my K1 visa application, before I can be given an interview date, they require a host of forms including a police certificate. However I am confused about how to get one. I was planning on just going down to the local station and asking but I don't want to mess this up or be waiting weeks.

Any experiences with this? I feel stupid for not knowing this would be required as I could have got it weeks ago instead of waiting for the embassy to contact me.

[Cian and Brittany 0]

Don't know but please post results so I can have an idea on what is required please

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

Available. Police records will no longer be called "Police Certificates of Character." The title of the certificate will read "Police Certificate." Under this title appears a box, which states "This certificate is issued solely for the information of the U.S.A. Consular authorities.

Residents of the Republic of Ireland may apply for a "Police Certificate" through the local Garda Station in which they reside. Derogatory information is usually listed on the back of the form. To be valid, a district stamp (usually in the lower left hand corner), identifies the issuing Garda Station, signed by the District Superintendent, or his or her deputy.

Persons residing outside of Ireland can apply for the "Police Certificate" by writing the Garda Office in the district of their former residence. The applicant should furnish her or her full name, date and place of birth, and place and period of all residences in the Republic of Ireland, including full addresses. The request should be accompanied by a birth certificate.

Police Certificates will be issued directly to the applicant from the local Garda Station, not Garda Headquarters and the Guarda Headquarters stamp will no long appear on the Police Certificate.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_5455.html?cid=9219

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

Yep, you go to your local station- bring a bill or something with your name on, and your passport, especially if the local garda don't know you. Ask for a police cert for a US visa- you will be given a yellow form to fill out with address etc, hand that back in and a couple of weeks later your police cert will show up in the mail (make sure to check everything on it is correct- they made me two years older by birth year and I didn't notice until the CO at interview pointed it out!).

[Cian and Brittany 0]

Thank you for this information now I can work on getting my police report done while waiting on the visa process to proceed

Thank you thank you xxxx

[sabi 148]

I went to a local garda station, brought a copy of my passport (ID will do) and a letter to the superintendent saying what do I need it for with all my details like pps, date of birth, address, phone number etc also self addressed envelope with a stamp so they could send me my certificate. It took around 1,5 to get it. Good luck!

[aurokripa 1]

What if you are in other country and need a Police Certificate from Ireland ? I sent a request letter to the Garda Station in Ireland but i did not send them the paid stamp for the return service as I didn't get International return coupon or any other international stamps.

Do anyone know if they will still send me the Certificate without sending stamped self address envelope ?

any kind of ideas please !! ??

[mandyandprzemek 0]

What if you are in other country and need a Police Certificate from Ireland ? I sent a request letter to the Garda Station in Ireland but i did not send them the paid stamp for the return service as I didn't get International return coupon or any other international stamps.

Do anyone know if they will still send me the Certificate without sending stamped self address envelope ?

any kind of ideas please !! ??

Same story!

Anyone?

[aurokripa 1]

Same story!

Anyone?

I wrote an application letter and sent to the Ireland local garda station you can find in the internet to which you can apply. I wrote the reason why I was not able to send them the self stamped envelop. I just sent the envelope with my address without paid stamp .

the garda station in Ireland did very fast and send me the certificate. they do really fast . I am great full to them

http://www.garda.ie/Stations/Default.aspx

[sammamishexpat 2]

Two bits of information based upon our experience getting the Irish police certificate sent to us in Spain:

1. Our request letter, self-addressed envelope (with international postage stamps that we bought from the Spanish postal system) was lost in transit. I called the local Garda station and she just had me email scanned copies of the required information -- no envelope or postage was necessary, and they sent the certificate the day after they received my email (this was in Limerick).

2. A week later, our original request packet arrived in Ireland, so they processed the request and sent us another certificate. According to the note they included with our certificate, the international stamps we bought in Spain were invalid in Ireland so they sent them back to us too. Let's hope we can get a refund in Spain

Basically, the people I spoke with in Ireland were super-helpful and wanted to make the process as painless as possible. No postage required, and if you're in a time crunch you can probably get away with sending your request electronically -- just call the appropriate Garda office and ask.

[cartaverde 12]

If you're still in Ireland, find a local garda station - if there are multiples where you live, they can point you to the correct station.

And get the certificate asked early enough. I think it took about 2 weeks to get it (in Cork), and my first one had something wrong, so I had to walk to garda again to ask a new one, this time it was with all the correct details.

And don't worry - no reason you should have thought of getting the certificate earlier than asked. I think it's valid for 4 or 6 months like from the other locations.

[paddywex 0]

I'm a little confused ..I apply for a police cert and it came back .. I was not convicted of any crime while residing in Ireland.. But I have a Police record it happened about 30 years ago.. It was something small.. They find me some money and let Me go..I told my local Police station I had a record as I handed my Police cert form in.. It still came back saying that... The thing is should I go and ask for my police record r leave it...thank u for any help.