There is no such thing as a ‘police clearance certificate’ in New Zealand. If you are convicted of a crime, a criminal record is created and held in a database by the Ministry of Justice. If you are asked for a ‘police clearance certificate’, ‘police record’, ‘police file’, ‘police check’, or ‘criminal check’, a copy of your criminal record from the Ministry of Justice should meet the requirements. If you have no convictions, you will receive a letter stating that is the case.

To apply, visit the Ministry of Justice website’s section on criminal records.

Police Vetting is only available to approved organisations who meet the Vetting Service’s approval criteria. A ‘Police vet’ is sometimes incorrectly called a ‘police clearance’ or a ‘police check’. Find out more about Police vetting.