What Documents Will I Need to Complete my DBS Check?
If you have applied for a new job, you will likely have to complete a DBS check as part of the recruitment procedure. If you have been offered the job, you will be keen to start and want your DBS check to go through as swiftly as possible. In order for this to happen, you need certain documents to provide information and verification. Read below to find out more:
The documents you require are dependent upon the type of DBS necessary for your job role. Some jobs want Basic DBS Checks, others need Standard Checks and finally some jobs want a more detailed Enhanced DBS Check with barred list. If your job needs a Basic DBS Check you can apply for this yourself. But, if your job needs a Standard or Enhanced Check with barred list, then it is your employer who needs to request this on your behalf.
Documents You Need for a Basic DBS Check
You can apply for this check yourself, it is advisable for quickness, better tracking and less errors to complete this online, rather than a paper version. Any mistakes will cause delays. The documents you require include:
- A passport OR driving license
- A document that proves your address (from last 3 months) – this could be a utility bill, a bank statement or credit card statement. If you didn’t use your driving license as a form of ID for number one, you could use that.
Documents You Need for a Standard or Enhanced DBS Check
If you require a Standard or Enhanced DBS check with barred list, this is something that your employer will have to request for you on your behalf.
In order to apply for these types of DBS check, you require:
- One document from Table 1 (listed below)
- Two documents from Table 1, 2a, or 2b, one of which must show your address from the last 3 months.
If you don’t have a document from Table 1, then you must provide instead:
- One document from Table 2a
- Two documents from Table 2a or 2b
Table 1 – ID Documents
- Passport (this must be valid and current)
- Biometric residence permit
- Current driving license – this includes the photocard and counterpart – this can be a provisional or full license
- Original Birth Certificate – issued when you were born
It is best for these documents to be original documents, if any are copies, then HR or your Manager must sign them, before they are submitted as part of your application.
Table 2a – Government and Trusted Documents
- Current driving license – paper version
- Current photo card driving license
- Original birth certificate
- Marriage or Civil Partner certificate
- Adoption Certificate
- HM Forces ID card
- Firearms license
Table 2b – Financial and Social History Documents
- Mortgage statement
- Bank or building society statement
- Letter that confirms you have opened a bank or building society account
- Credit card statement
- Pension or Endowment statement
- P45 or P60
- Council Tax bill
- Work permit or Visa
- Sponsorship letter from prospective employer
- Utility bill (gas, electric or water)
- Letter from government or council – DWP, Employment Services, HMRC
- EU National ID card
- Card that contains the PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) accreditation logo
- Letter from Head teacher or College Principal for people aged 16-19 in full time education, which can only be used in the absence of other documents, in exceptional circumstances.
Knowing the correct documents you need for your DBS check, and having these prepared ready, will make your DBS application run much more smoothly. You can see from above, that having a passport is not crucial to having a DBS check, providing you can supply other documents. If you are an employer and the prospective employee cannot provide these documents for a DBS check you should not continue with the DBS check.
