After you have applied

Once we receive your correctly completed application, we aim to issue your disclosure certificate within 14 days. If you want to check on the status of your Standard or Enhanced application, you should contact the person who countersigned your application.  You can contact us:

We will need your full name and date of birth to deal with your enquiry. We will also ask you for your application number. This number appears at the top right hand corner of the form, below the barcode. You should take a note of this number before submitting the form.

Submitting further information

If we ask you for further information or documentation, you can send this to us:

Issue of disclosure certificates

If you have applied for a Basic Disclosure, we will send the certificate to the address you supplied on the form.

If you have applied for a Standard or Enhanced Disclosure, we will send a copy of the certificate to you at your home address and a copy to the registered body - such as your employer - or umbrella body the application was sent through.

Apostille, Authentification of Certificates

Customers of Disclosure Scotland frequently seek our advice in relation to obtaining an 'Apostille' for a Basic disclosure certificate in order to satisfy the requirements of the authorities in the country where they are/will be working/living (an 'Apostille' is the legal term for a legalisation certificate).

Disclosure Scotland cannot provide an Apostille. This can only be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), once a signature, seal or stamp on a document is checked against their database, which confirms that the document is authentic and genuine.

However, Disclosure Scotland can only form part of the Apostille process for the Basic disclosure. Disclosure Scotland can provide a Basic disclosure certificate, signed and stamped by an authorised signatory who is recognised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. There are currently 2 registered signatories at Disclosure Scotland.