A Basic Disclosure form is the simplest form of police check available from Disclosure Scotland, for those people intending to apply for certain jobs in Scotland, or applying to the Home Office for an immigration visa and who are living at an address in Scotland. The form is the starting point in the process of having your police record officially checked, and to make things easier, this type of form can be completed and submitted online.

Online Application

A basic disclosure can easily be completed online. Before jumping in and starting the application, read through all of the guidance notes and gather together any of the supporting documents you will need to complete the application. Check that you have a note of basic information such as your full address including postcode for the past five years, your National Insurance number, passport, utility bills, bank statements, rent agreements and so on. Some of these supporting documents will have to be scanned or photographed and then uploaded with your application in order for it to be processed, so make sure that your files are high resolution and can be easily read, and that they meet the maximum size required for upload.

The Form

Once you have gathered together your supporting documentation, completing the actual basic disclosure form should be relatively simple. It is a one page form, which all needs to be completed in one sitting; you cannot complete parts and save it to return to later. The form asks for basic details such as your current and all previous names, date of birth, place of birth, nationality and all previous addresses covering the past five years. Take care to type details correctly, as any mistakes and discrepancies can lead to delays in the certificates being issued if the authorities have to double check basic information. Always read through the form again before hitting the submit button to take you to the payment page. Supporting documents can be uploaded and attached to the application form, or emailed to Disclosure Scotland using the reference number given when you submit the application.

Waiting for the Certificate

Assuming you have completed the form correctly, and there are no problems or discrepancies with the information given, the aim of Disclosure Scotland is to issue basic disclosure forms within 14 days. This is a relatively quick turnaround, and can only be achieved if the information given by the applicant is accurate. Once the certificate has been issued, it can be given as supporting documentation when applying to the Home Office for a visa extension or permanent leave to remain in the UK, or shown to an employer when looking for a job. Duplicates of certificates cannot be issued, so keep documents safe. Employers will always ask to see the original certificate, but may ask to keep a copy for their own records. This sort of certificate does not have an expiry date on it, and all employers and organisations will have their own policies about how often checks have to be redone.