Guidance

Visitors and visiting procedures for detained individuals

Detention services order 04/2012 about visiting procedures for detainees.

• From: Home Office and Immigration Enforcement
• Published: 6 March 2012
• Last updated: 26 June 2026 — See all updates

Documents

Visitors and visiting procedures (accessible)

HTML

Visitors and visiting procedures

PDF, 302 KB, 21 pages

Visits and visitors form: annex A

ODT, 10.5 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

Visits and visitors: annex B

PDF, 158 KB, 1 page

Details

Home Office detention services order for detention staff when checking the identity of visitors at detention centres.

Published 6 March 2012

Last updated 26 June 2026 — Show all updates

1. 26 June 2026

   Updated to the correct Home Office audit requirements.

2. 5 March 2026

   Updated 'Visitors and visiting procedures' guidance to clarify the retention period for cancelled visits.

3. 19 September 2025

   Guidance updated.

4. 17 August 2022

   Visitors and visiting procedures updated: MLR standards requirements updated.

5. 27 May 2021

   Updated DSO guidance.

6. 21 March 2019

   Revised documents.

7. 17 March 2015

   Updated guidance.

8. 6 March 2012

   First published.