Working in Australia – What is a National Police Clearance?

In Australia, a police clearance is called a “National Police Certificate”, and some employers will ask for one before they agree to hire you. This certificate lists an individual’s criminal and traffic charges (past as well as pending).

To obtain a National Police Certificate, you will need to apply to the state or territory police department that you reside in, and they will carry out the search across all the available national databases. The form for this certificate is available either online or at Australia Post outlets, and once completed, will need to be taken to an Australia Post outlet with 100 points of identification. There is a fee of approximately $60, although this may vary from state to state.

There is a turnaround of approximately 15 business days for the National Police Certificate to be completed and returned to you once it has been submitted at Australia Post.