AFP Police Check Apostilles and Notary Requirements

Usually not. DFAT lists Australian National Police Checks and fingerprint reports among government documents it can legalise directly. First confirm the issuing body, purpose code, certificate format and destination requirements. A notary may be relevant if an accepted notarised copy is requested or DFAT cannot directly accept the document presented.

Key takeaways

• An AFP-issued National Police Check may generally go directly to DFAT for an apostille or authentication, subject to DFAT assessment.
• A certificate from a commercial accredited body is not the same as an AFP-issued government original; verify both acceptance and legalisation route before ordering.
• Use the exact purpose code required by the receiving authority. Code 33 is specifically for supply to Australia's Department of Home Affairs, not a universal overseas code.
• Foreign bodies often want a recent check. Ask how recent before you apply.
• DFAT assesses electronic documents and may request the original email or portal access; a scanned copy is not an electronic original.

Why doesn't an AFP check need a notary?

Legalisation verifies a signature, stamp or seal; it does not certify the accuracy of the criminal-history result. DFAT expressly includes National Police Checks and fingerprint reports in its list of Australian government documents that may be legalised. An eligible AFP original therefore does not ordinarily need notarisation first.

A notary may instead certify a copy where the receiving authority accepts one, or act if DFAT advises that the document presented cannot be accepted directly. DFAT would then assess the notarial certificate rather than treating the copy as the AFP original. Confirm that a notarised copy is acceptable before choosing it merely to retain the original. Our guide to which documents can be apostilled explains the distinction.

AFP check or commercial police check: does it matter?

Yes. The National Police Checking Service can be accessed through police agencies and ACIC-accredited bodies, but the resulting certificates do not all have the same issuer or purpose. An accredited-body certificate should not be described as an AFP-issued original merely because the underlying national system was used.

The receiving authority decides which police certificate it accepts, while DFAT decides whether the document presented is eligible for Australian legalisation. If the authority specifies an AFP National Police Check, order from the AFP rather than assuming another national check is interchangeable. If it does not specify, obtain written confirmation of issuer, disclosure level, purpose and legalisation requirements.

Which AFP check should you order?

When you apply, the purpose code affects what information may be released. Do not choose by a broad label alone. Code 33 is for immigration or citizenship information supplied to Australia's Department of Home Affairs. A foreign visa authority may specify a different AFP purpose, such as an overseas-visa code, and some recipients require a particular disclosure or fingerprint check. Follow the requesting authority's exact written instruction.

Some countries want more than a name-based check. They ask for a check based on fingerprints, which the AFP also offers, usually with fingerprints taken by a police service or an approved provider. Read the foreign body's instructions carefully: a name-only check sent where a fingerprint check was required will be refused, however well it is apostilled. Our guide to document eligibility for an Australian apostille explains why the issuer and document form matter.

Foreign body asks for	What to order	Notary needed?
"Police clearance, apostilled"	Ask which issuer, purpose code and disclosure the recipient requires	Usually not for an eligible AFP original
"Fingerprint-based police check"	The fingerprint check specified by the recipient	Usually not for an eligible AFP original
"Legalised police certificate"	Confirm apostille or authentication and every later step	Not ordinarily for an eligible AFP original
"Notarised copy of police check"	Confirm a copy is accepted, then ask a notary to certify it	Yes, for the accepted copy
State police record	The relevant state police certificate	Check with DFAT and the foreign body
Check for an Australian employer	AFP or commercial check	No

How does the apostille step work?

Once you have the required certificate, confirm whether the recipient wants an apostille or authentication. Hague Apostille Convention membership alone is not the complete test; territorial application, document type and the recipient's instructions matter. An authentication may be followed by a foreign embassy or consulate step, but that later process is destination-specific.

DFAT assesses electronic documents when lodged and may ask you to forward the original email or log in to a portal to prove authenticity. It accepts only a limited range of unsigned or unsealed electronic documents and may require notarisation first. A scanned copy is not an electronic document for DFAT's purposes. Our apostille and authentication service guide explains the Australian legalisation options.

How recent does the check need to be?

Many foreign bodies want a police check issued within a recent period, because a check only reflects records up to the date it was issued. The required period varies by country and purpose, and the clock may run from the issue date of the check rather than the date of the apostille. Ask the foreign body how recent the check must be before you apply, and time the application, the apostille and the courier so the check is still within that period when it arrives.

If your check is too old by the time it arrives, you will usually need a new one, and the apostille on the old one will not help. Our guide to apostille validity and document-age rules explains why the recipient may still reject an older underlying document.

What if the name on the check does not match your passport?

The AFP check is issued in the names you provide, usually including former names. If the foreign body sees a different name on the check from your passport, or the check omits a former name that appears on your other documents, it may ask for an explanation. Include all names you have been known by when you apply, and keep evidence of changes, such as a marriage certificate or change of name certificate. Provide the name-change evidence and explanation the receiving authority specifies; the apostille itself does not reconcile identity differences.

What about state police certificates?

Each Australian state and territory police service also keeps records, and some foreign bodies ask specifically for a certificate from the state police where you lived, in addition to or instead of the national check. Others, such as some countries' immigration authorities, list exactly which Australian certificate they want. Read the list carefully: a national AFP check and a state police certificate are different documents, issued by different agencies.

Whether DFAT can legalise a particular state police certificate depends on the document presented and current eligibility rules. Check before ordering. Notarising a copy is not an automatic workaround: DFAT must be able to legalise the notarial act, and the receiving authority must accept the copy. Obtain both answers before paying.

Do you need a translation?

Possibly. The receiving authority decides whether the police check, apostille or authentication must be translated, who may translate it, and whether the translation itself needs certification or legalisation. Ask about the sequence before ordering; translating after legalisation is common when the certificate must also be translated, but it is not a universal rule. Our document translation service guide explains the Australian side.

How do you get it done without a notary?

1. Read the foreign body's instructions: name or fingerprint check, how recent, apostille or legalisation, translation.
2. Apply to the required issuer, using the recipient's exact purpose code and listing all required names.
3. Check DFAT eligibility for the original or electronic certificate you will receive.
4. Lodge it with DFAT for an apostille or authentication.
5. Arrange any translation or embassy legalisation, then send it before it goes out of date.

What does this look like in practice?

Here is an illustration, not a real case. Tom is applying for residence overseas. The consulate confirms in writing that it requires an AFP-issued name check under a specified purpose code, an apostille and a translation by a translator it accepts.

Tom's existing employment check came from a different issuer and does not meet that instruction. He orders the specified AFP certificate, confirms DFAT can assess its digital format, and lodges it for the apostille. He then follows the consulate's translation sequence. Because DFAT accepts the AFP original and the consulate wants the original, no notary is needed.

What does the process cost?

Budget separately for the police check, fingerprints if the requested check requires them, DFAT legalisation, translation, any foreign-post fee and tracked delivery. Notarial fees arise only if a notarial act is actually required. Fees and processing times can change, so use the current official schedules rather than an old total quoted online.

Before paying, obtain an itemised plan showing the issuer, purpose code, certificate format, apostille or authentication, any embassy step, translation and deadline. That prevents a low-cost but unusable check from making the complete process more expensive.

In short

An eligible AFP National Police Check can ordinarily be legalised directly by DFAT. Use the issuer, purpose code, disclosure and fingerprint method specified by the recipient, and let DFAT assess the certificate format. A notary is not normally part of the original-document route but may be required for an accepted copy or when DFAT directs.

Official guidance

• DFAT: documents that can be legalised, including police checks
• DFAT: how to lodge a document for legalisation
• Department of Home Affairs: Australian police certificates and Code 33

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Need the legalisation route checked? Send the recipient's complete instructions, including country, issuer, purpose code, certificate format, fingerprint requirement and deadline, so the steps can be identified before you order.