Skip to main content
Guidance

United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels

List of national security vetting clearance levels with guidance on who requires clearance and what checks are completed.

Updates to this page

From:
United Kingdom Security Vetting
Published:
12 February 2020
Last updated:
23 September 2024
Show all updates

  1. This guidance has been updated as part of UK Security Vetting’s ongoing review of all our gov.uk content, in consultation with subject matter experts and relevant stakeholders, to ensure that it accurately represents current vetting policy, processes and terminology. We are working to remove duplicate, redundant, and outdated documents where possible, as well as those which do not meet accessibility standards. Where this has happened, users may find that URLs have been redirected to take you to the current guidance.

  2. Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) guidance updated (a new version of BPSS was published on gov.uk in June 2024)

  3. Applicant guidance packs attached for SC, DV and EDV clearance levels

  4. Wellbeing support information for vetting applicants added

  5. Updated to include Level 1B clearance

  6. Guidance updated to reflect introduction of the Accreditation Check (AC) as a national security clearance in Jan 2022.

  7. First published.

Documents

National security vetting: clearance levels

HTML

SC - Guidance Pack for Applicants

HTML

DV - Guidance Pack for Applicants

HTML

EDV - Guidance Pack for Applicants

HTML

Wellbeing support for national security vetting applicants

HTML

Details

There are 5 main levels of national security vetting;

  • Accreditation Check (AC)
  • Counter Terrorist Check (CTC)
  • Level 1B
  • Security Check (SC)
  • Developed Vetting (DV)

CTC and above will also require the successful completion of the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS).The guidance on this page provides further information on the levels of clearance, who needs clearance and what checks are carried out. 

If you are a vetting applicant, sponsor or existing clearance holder, further information and guidance is available from the United Kingdom Security Vetting homepage. 

A step-by-step guide to the application process for a national security clearance can be found at United Kingdom Security Vetting: Applicant. 

Support for applicants, sponsors or existing clearance holders is available from the UKSV Helpdesk United Kingdom Security Vetting: Contact Us.

A guide is also available on this page to organisations which can offer wellbeing support if you have been affected by going through the vetting process.

Sign up for emails or print this page