Police vetting is only available to approved agencies, not for individual or personal use.
An Approved Agency must provide a service that fits the purpose of the Vetting Service.
Please follow the steps below to submit an application to become an Approved Agency.
If you are unsure if your organisation is already registered for Police Vetting please check the list of Approved Agencies. If your organisation is on this list please contact queryme@police.govt.nz.
Note – if you already have a RealMe account skip to step 2.
Police Vetting Service purpose
The purpose of the New Zealand Police Vetting Service is to contribute to public safety (particularly the protection of vulnerable members of society) and national security in New Zealand (and, to a limited extent, abroad) by providing information held by New Zealand Police to assist agencies with assessing the suitability of persons in roles that meet the Police vetting criteria.
Police Vetting Service Approval Criteria
New Zealand Police has the discretion to approve, or otherwise reject, access to the Police Vetting Service for any agency that does not meet the required standards and criteria as outlined below. The Police Vetting Service is only to be used for vetting individuals for roles that meet the vetting criteria; and only to be done when expressed consent is given by the individual in the form of a signed Police Vetting Request & Consent Form.
New Zealand Agencies
To access the Police Vetting Service, an agency must employ, engage, or assess individuals for one or more of the following purposes:
- Providing care, protection, education, or training to vulnerable members of society such as children, young people, elderly and/or disabled.
- National security.
- Law enforcement.
- Legislative obligation - for example, 'fit and proper' checks required for NZ Immigration, NZ Citizenship, and the registration or licencing of Teachers, Taxi Drivers, and Security Guards.
Once approved, agencies must only access the Police Vetting Service to vet individuals in roles that meet the criteria desribed above. for any individuals in roles that do not fall under the above criteria, the agency may choose to obtain their Criminal Record from the Ministry of Justice instead.
Offshore Agencies
Offshore agencies who wish to access the Police Vetting Service must:
- meet the criteria described above in respect of New Zealand agencies, and
- have similar legislation to New Zealand which protects individuals' rights to privacy.
For more information, please see Information for Offshore Agencies.
Becoming an Approved Agency
Agencies wishing to access Police vetting should follow the steps outlined below:
Step 1: Register with RealMe
If you do not have a personal RealMe account you will be required to create one. Police use the New Zealand Government RealMe to authenticate users wishing to access the vetting system through an approved agency.
You must create your own individual RealMe account. A RealMe account must not be shared with other people, even those within your organisation.
If you need more information, or experience problems accessing the RealMe system please visit the Help page on the RealMe website.
Step 2: Register your agency
Once you have a personal RealMe account you can register your agency here: Register for New Zealand Police Vetting. During this registration you must electronically sign the Approved Agency Agreement or Offshore Approved Agency Arrangement (for agencies based overseas) - required for all Approved Agencies.
You will receive a response from our team within 5-10 days regarding the outcome of your request. If approved, each registered user will be sent a Police ID and Activation Code within 5 days of approval. During this step you may request access for additional users.
Step 3: Access the Vetting website
Once your agency is approved and your Police ID and Activation Codes have been received, each user will be able to login using their personal RealMe account and submit vetting requrests via the vetting website home page. Entering your RealMe details will direct you to the vetting portal.
Upon first login, you will be required to enter your unique Police ID and Activation Code – this step is only required the first time you login. Your Police ID and Activation Code will expire after about 5 days. Please email us at queryme@police.govt.nz if your code has expired and we will generate a new code for you.
Please refer to the Secure Vetting Website User Guide (PDF 3.4MB) for more information about the above steps and how to navigate the online vetting portal.
For a full overview of the vetting process, please see the flowchart and information on The Vetting Process page.