Police registration

On 4 August 2022, the UK Government announced it has abolished the requirement to register with the police, with immediate effect. This means that new students, studying from September 2022, will not be required to register.

The information on this page was last updated in November 2022.

What is the Police Registration Scheme?

The now abolished Police Registration Scheme required foreign nationals aged 16 or over, of certain nationalities coming to the UK for more than six months (including on the Student route), to register with the police and get a Police Registration Certificate (PRC). They also had to keep the certificate up-to-date.

I already hold a police registration certificate what do I do?

You are no longer required to update your certificate or produce it for a police officer. It will also not be required as part of a future visa application. However, we recommend you keep your existing certificate to prove that you did register when you were required to.

You are still required to notify the Home Office of changes.

I have lost or don’t have my registration certificate. What do I need to do?

If you no longer have your certificate, you will not be able to replace it. It is no longer essential to have your certificate.

Will my fee for the registration be refunded?

No. The fee you paid to the police is to cover the cost of administering and processing your application to register when the requirement to register was still applicable.

If you have any questions or concerns about Police Registration please contact us.