Guidance
United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels
List of national security vetting clearance levels with guidance on who needs it and what checks are completed.
Documents
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 also requires 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.
Published 12 February 2020
Last updated 11 January 2024 + show all updates
Last updated 11 January 2024 + show all updates
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Applicant guidance packs attached for SC, DV and EDV clearance levels
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Wellbeing support information for vetting applicants added
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Updated to include Level 1B clearance
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Guidance updated to reflect introduction of the Accreditation Check (AC) as a national security clearance in Jan 2022.
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First published.