A DBS check is often requested when applying for work overseas, especially in education, healthcare, childcare, volunteering, social care and other regulated roles. Although the certificate may be valid in the UK, an overseas employer or authority may need it prepared in a specific format before they will accept it.
In many cases, this means the DBS certificate must be certified and legalised before it can be submitted abroad.
Why overseas employers ask for DBS checks
Foreign employers use criminal record checks to assess whether an applicant is suitable for a role, particularly where the job involves children, vulnerable adults, healthcare, finance or public trust.
A UK DBS certificate may provide the information they need, but the receiving authority still has to know that the document is genuine and has not been altered.
Legalisation helps provide that assurance for overseas use.
Why DBS certificates usually need certification first
A DBS certificate does not normally carry a wet-ink signature, official seal or stamp that can be directly verified for legalisation.
Because of this, the certificate usually needs to be certified by a UK solicitor or Notary Public before it can be submitted for legalisation.
The solicitor or notary confirms the document and applies their own signature, stamp or seal. The legalisation then verifies the signature of the certifying professional.
Original certificate or copy?
You should usually start with the original DBS certificate, even if the final submission is based on a certified copy.
A solicitor or Notary Public may need to see the original before certifying a copy or preparing the document for overseas use.
A scan, screenshot or downloaded image is unlikely to be enough unless the receiving authority has specifically confirmed that it will accept that format.
Standard, enhanced or basic DBS check
Different roles may require different levels of DBS check.
A basic DBS check may be enough for some overseas employers, while schools, hospitals, childcare providers and regulated organisations may request a standard or enhanced DBS certificate.
Before applying, ask the employer or authority exactly which type of DBS check they require. Submitting the wrong level of certificate can delay your application.
Check how recent the DBS must be
Many overseas employers and visa authorities only accept criminal record checks issued within a specific timeframe.
This may be three months, six months or another period depending on the country, employer or immigration process.
Even if your DBS certificate is genuine and correctly legalised, it may be rejected if it is considered too old.
Translation requirements
If the destination country does not accept documents in English, a certified or sworn translation may be needed.
The order matters. Some authorities want the DBS certificate legalised first and translated afterwards, so the translation includes the legalisation certificate.
Others may require the translation to be certified or legalised separately. Confirm this before arranging translation.
Embassy attestation for some countries
For countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention, UK legalisation is often the final authentication step.
For countries outside the Convention, embassy or consular attestation may also be required after UK legalisation.
This is common for some employment, visa and professional registration processes in countries with additional legalisation requirements.
Ask for the employer’s checklist
Before preparing a DBS certificate for overseas use, ask the employer or authority for a written checklist.
Confirm which DBS level is required, how recent the certificate must be, whether certification is needed, whether legalisation is required, and whether translation or embassy attestation applies.
If you need to use a DBS check for a job abroad, 12 Apostille can review the requirement, confirm the correct route and manage certification, legalisation or attestation where required.