AFP National Police Check: when it is required and whether it needs translating
In short
A National Police Check issued by the Australian Federal Police records criminal-history information held in Australia. Australian authorities commonly ask applicants who have lived in Australia for a qualifying period to obtain one. The AFP check is issued in English, so no translation is needed for an Australian authority. Translation becomes relevant only when the same check is filed with an authority in Thailand or another country that requires its own language.
Who this applies to
- • Applicants for an Australian visa who have lived in Australia for the period stated in the checklist.
- • People applying for employment, registration or a licence in Australia where the body requires a national check.
- • Australians and former Australian residents who must file an Australian police check with an authority in Thailand or elsewhere.
Documents to prepare
- • Identity documents that satisfy the AFP's identity verification requirements.
- • The purpose or code of the check as required by the receiving body, which determines what is disclosed.
- • Full residential address history for the period the AFP asks about.
Step by step
1. Confirm the check type with the receiving body
The purpose code determines what the check discloses. Ask the receiving body which type it needs before lodging, because a check of the wrong type may not be accepted.
2. Lodge with the AFP through its published channel
Apply through the Australian Federal Police's own service or an accredited body, following its identity verification requirements.
3. Check the issued result
Verify the name, date of birth and reference number, and keep the original file intact; many receiving systems verify the document electronically.
4. Translate only where a non-English authority receives it
For a Thai authority or another country's authority, the check is translated in full into the required language, in the form that authority sets.
Points to watch
- • Obtaining a check of the wrong purpose code and having to lodge again.
- • Paying for a translation of an AFP check that the Australian authority never asked to be translated.
- • Assuming an AFP check covers time lived outside Australia — it does not; each country's own check is separate.
- • Letting the check age past the validity window the receiving body allows.
Frequently asked questions
Does an AFP check need a NAATI translation?
Not for an Australian authority, because it is already in English. A translation is only needed when the check is filed with an authority that requires another language.
Does an AFP check replace a Thai police clearance certificate?
No. Each covers only the records held in that country. Where the checklist asks for both countries of residence, both certificates are required.
How long is an AFP check valid?
There is no single fixed period; each receiving body states how recent a check it will accept. Follow the wording in the checklist you were given.
Can you translate an AFP check into Thai?
Yes. Send a colour scan by LINE or email and our staff will confirm the format the Thai receiving authority requires before work starts.
Related pages
Official source
Content last reviewed: August 2026