Met Police
Requirements
Who can apply to be a constable with the Metropolitan Police, requirement by requirement: what the Met's own careers pages say, where that goes beyond the national rules and what nobody publishes.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
You can apply at 17 and join at 18; the Met's upper age limit is typically 57. You need three years' continuous UK residence and, if you are not a UK national, indefinite leave to remain. For the PCEP and degree apprenticeship the Met asks for GCSE English at grade 4 or C plus two A levels or another level 3 qualification (or equivalent experience); detective entry needs a degree. You must pass the bleep test at level 5.4, the medical and vetting and have no tattoos on your face or the front or sides of your neck.
This page is about who can apply to the Met as a police constable and what you need to have. The stages themselves (the application, the national sift, the online assessment, the Met's own assessment, the medical and vetting) are set out step by step in our guide to how to join the Met Police. Where the Met's pages say more than the national rules, we quote the Met; where they say nothing, we say so.
The Met's requirements at a glance
The Met's careers site (careersmetpolice.co.uk), read on 21 October 2026, sets out the criteria below for police constables. Its main site (met.police.uk) now blocks automated reading, so details from it come from our reading on 1 October 2026 and are marked.
| Requirement | What the Met says | The national position |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Apply from 17, join from 18; upper limit "typically" 57 | Apply from 17, appointed from 18; no upper limit in the regulations |
| Nationality | Non-UK applicants need indefinite leave to remain | Regulation 10(1)(a): British, EEA (with conditions) or no restrictions on your stay |
| Residence | Lived continuously in the UK for the past three years; British Armed Forces service abroad is an exception | Usually three years, a College and force expectation rather than a regulation |
| London residence | Not listed on the current careers pages | No national rule |
| Qualifications (PCEP, PCDA) | GCSE English grade 4/C or level 2 equivalent, plus two A levels at E or a level 3 qualification, or equivalent training or experience | Level 3 or accepted experience; forces may add English and maths |
| Qualifications (detective) | A degree (level 6) | Degree routes need a degree |
| Driving licence | Not listed as an entry requirement on the pages we read | Essential or desirable, decided by each force |
| Tattoos | None on the face or the sides or front of the neck; none offensive or discriminatory; declare all tattoos | Assessed by each force against national guidance |
| Fitness | The bleep test as part of the process | 15m multi-stage fitness test to level 5.4 |
| Medical | Some conditions can prevent you joining; refers to the national medical standards | Home Office medical and eyesight standards |
| Vetting | Everyone who joins the Met must pass vetting | Recruitment vetting; automatic disqualification and reg 4D since 13 July 2026 |
| Shift work | You must accept shifts including nights and weekends | Same for every force |
Met Police age limit: 17 to apply, 18 to join, typically up to 57
The Met's careers site says: you must be 18 or older to join, but you can apply when you are 17. Its constable pages say the upper age limit is typically 57. That matches regulation 10 of the Police Regulations 2003, which lets you apply at 17 and be appointed at 18 and which sets no upper age limit at all.
So where does 57 come from? The Met does not explain the number on the pages we read. A common reading is that it leaves time to complete two years of probation and a reasonable period of service before the normal pension age in the 2015 police pension scheme, but that is our reading, not the Met's. The word "typically" matters: it signals a normal cut-off rather than an absolute bar written into law.
- If you are 17: you can go through recruitment, but appointment waits until your 18th birthday. With a process that can take up to 12 months, applying at 17 often lines up well.
- If you are 55 to 57: apply early in the year you are thinking about and ask the Met's recruitment team how it applies the limit to you before you invest months in the process.
- If you are over 57: the Met's pages suggest it will not normally appoint you. Other forces set different expectations; our police age limit guide covers them and the career change guide covers the pay and pension side of joining later.
Nationality and indefinite leave to remain
The Met's careers site says applicants from outside the UK must have indefinite leave to remain as well as three years' continuous residence. That follows regulation 10(1)(a) of the Police Regulations 2003, which requires a constable to be a British citizen, a national of a relevant European state with the right status, or someone with no restrictions on their stay in the UK. A time-limited visa (Skilled Worker, Student, Graduate, a partner or spouse visa, BN(O) before settlement) is a restriction, so it does not meet the rule however long you have held it.
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals: an undated Met entry-routes document we found says EU applicants need indefinite leave to remain or EU Settled Status. Pre-settled status is limited leave and forces differ on whether they accept it; the Met's current pages do not mention it, so ask before applying. Our page on joining the police on a visa goes through each visa type and the nationality and residency guide covers the legal detail.
If you are a British citizen as well as another nationality, you meet the nationality rule as a British citizen. The three-year residence expectation still applies.
The three-year UK residence rule
The Met says you must have lived continuously in the UK for the past three years. Residence abroad while serving in the British Armed Forces does not break it. This is not written into regulation 10; it exists because vetting needs to check your recent history and checks are much harder for time spent abroad. That is why every force asks a version of it.
What counts as a break is not spelled out on the Met's pages we read. National guidance and other forces treat shorter trips, study abroad and a gap year differently; the details, with sources, are on our overseas travel and residency vetting page. Our free residency clock (on the visa page) works out when you reach three years from the date you started living in the UK.
Time abroad also affects references: forces may want referees who can cover the period. Our police references guide explains what that means in practice.
Do you have to live in London to join the Met?
Not according to the Met's current careers pages: neither the constable page nor the degree apprenticeship page lists a London residency requirement. The only residence rule is three years in the UK.
You may read otherwise on older pages. The Met has switched a London residency criterion on and off: Police Professional reported that it was introduced in 2014 (three of the previous six years living in London), dropped in 2018, reinstated in November 2020 and suspended again in February 2022 to help recruitment. If the Met brought it back, it would say so on its careers pages and in the advert, so check those when you apply.
Living outside London is common for Met officers, but think about travel to shifts that start and finish at unsocial hours. Training is at Met centres in Colindale (north London), Sidcup (south London) or Hendon for the apprenticeship, according to the Met's careers pages, before you are posted to a borough.
Qualifications by Met entry route
The Met publishes different requirements for each route. As read on 21 October 2026:
| Route | What it is | Qualifications the Met asks for |
|---|---|---|
| PCEP | Two years; 16 weeks in the classroom at Colindale or Sidcup, then street duties and on-the-job learning; no qualification awarded | GCSE English Language grade 4/C (or level 2 equivalent) and two A levels at E or above or another level 3 qualification |
| PCDA | Three years; a fully funded BSc (Hons) in Professional Policing Practice with Middlesex University; 17 weeks at Hendon first | The same as the PCEP |
| Detective (DCEP) | Four years, uniform first, 17 weeks' classroom training, the National Investigators' Exam in year 2 | A degree at level 6 |
The Met's constable page also says equivalent training or work experience, relevant police service, time in the Met Volunteer Police Cadets or Armed Forces service may count instead and that you can apply while still working towards your qualifications. That reflects the national rules, which let chief officers accept relevant experience in place of a level 3 qualification; see police qualifications needed.
Detective entry: our guide to the Detective Constable Entry Programme compares the Met's degree-based DCEP with forces that run non-degree versions.
Do you need a driving licence for the Met?
The Met's careers pages we read on 21 October 2026 do not list a driving licence among the entry requirements for constables. The College of Policing treats a licence as a local decision for each force and some forces make it essential. Our guide to driving licences and joining the police explains how forces differ and how penalty points are treated at vetting.
Even where a licence is not required to join, police driving courses later in your career need one and points or disqualifications are declared at vetting. If you are learning, keep going.
Met Police tattoo policy
The Met's careers site says:
- you cannot join with tattoos on your face or on the sides or front of your neck;
- tattoos considered offensive or discriminatory also rule you out;
- you must declare all your tattoos.
The Met's constable eligibility page (read 1 October 2026) added that hand, ear and back-of-neck tattoos can be accepted at the Met's discretion. In practice that means photographs and a description of each tattoo go with your application and the Met decides. If you are thinking about a new tattoo, wait until you are through recruitment.
How forces judge tattoos more generally, including the questions about content and placement, is on our tattoos and appearance page.
Fitness: the bleep test at level 5.4
The Met uses the national job-related fitness test: the 15 metre multi-stage fitness test, or bleep test, to level 5.4. Its careers site says you complete it as part of the application process. Its recruitment process page (read 1 October 2026) placed it after the in-person Met assessment, together with the medical.
Level 5.4 is about three and a half minutes of running between lines 15 metres apart at a rising pace. Most people can reach it with a few weeks of steady training. Try our free 15m bleep test simulator and read the fitness test guides if it worries you.
Medical, eyesight, height and weight
The Met's careers site says some medical conditions can prevent you coping with the physical and mental demands of the job and points to the national medical standards. Those are the Home Office standards, applied by occupational health case by case. Highlights:
- Eyesight: corrected 6/12 in either eye and 6/6 with both eyes, plus near vision, contrast, field and colour rules (Home Office Circular 007/2019). Glasses and contact lenses are allowed.
- Height: there is no minimum height for police officers in England and Wales.
- Weight: body mass index is screened as part of the medical, not used as an automatic bar.
- Conditions: asthma, diabetes, hearing loss, past mental health conditions and many others are assessed individually; see joining with a medical condition.
Biometrics (fingerprints and DNA) are taken at the Met assessment stage, according to the Met's recruitment page as read on 1 October 2026. What happens to them is explained in our guide to biometric vetting and drug tests.
Vetting, your record and your finances
The Met says everyone who joins must pass vetting. For new constables that is Recruitment Vetting under the national rules, which became statutory in 2025. Two changes from 13 July 2026 matter most:
- Automatic disqualification (regulation 10(2A)): a custodial sentence, being or having been subject to sex offender notification, or a conviction or caution for a listed offence or a domestic abuse offence.
- Any other conviction or caution makes you unsuitable for vetting clearance unless there are particular circumstances (Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 reg 4D, inserted by SI 2026/653).
Vetting also looks at your finances (for example county court judgments or unmanaged debt), your family and associates and your online presence. Being honest and complete matters more than anything you declare. Start with police vetting for applicants and, if you are worried, joining with a caution or joining with debt. How long Met vetting takes is covered on how long police vetting takes.
After the interview come references, the medical, the fitness test and vetting; our guide to pre-employment checks sets out what each involves.
Applying to the Met and another force
The Met's careers site says you can only start the online assessment with one force. You can have applications open with more than one force, but the College of Policing limits the national sift and online assessment to one force at a time and to no more than two attempts in 12 months. Plan which force you sit them with first. The full rules, including transferring a pass, are in can you apply to more than one police force.
The Met assessment: an in-person interview on the Met's values
Since 17 March 2026 every constable candidate except transferees must pass an in-person force interview after the online assessment. The Met calls its version "Your Met assessment": an interview at its recruitment centre in south London focused on the Met's values, followed by the medical and fitness test, with biometrics taken (Met recruitment page, read 1 October 2026). Choose the Met below to see what its page says, free.
Force interview: free format check, paid pack
What does your force say about its interview?
Since 17 March 2026 every constable applicant in England and Wales (except transferees) must pass an in-person interview with the force after the online assessment. Pick your force to see what its own recruitment page said about it.
Not listed: City of London Police, Greater Manchester Police, Hampshire Constabulary. Their pages did not describe the stage when we checked, so there is no pack for them yet.
Free: what Metropolitan Police's page says
After the online assessment, candidates go to the Met's recruitment centre in south London for an interview focused on the Met's values. Those who pass then do the medical and the job-related fitness test, and biometrics are taken.
- Stage name
- Your Met assessment
- Setting
- In person
- Length
- Not stated on the page
- Panel
- Not stated on the page
Our paraphrase of the force's own page, read on 1 October 2026. Processes change: check your invitation.
Force Interview Pack: £14.99, 90 days
Your Metropolitan Police interview pack
- 10 original practice questions shaped to what Metropolitan Police's page says about its interview, each with what it is testing and how to plan your answer
- The follow-up questions a panel could use to probe each answer
- What to focus on for this force and a 48-hour plan for the days before
- What the page does not say, so you know what to ask the recruitment team
- Every force we cover for 90 days, if you are applying to more than one
One payment, nothing renews. Original PolicePay practice material, not the force's real questions: nobody outside the force knows those.
Met Police starting salary from 1 September 2026
The Met says new constables earn £43,689 including allowances from the day they join, rising to a maximum of £62,094 once qualified. In a news release on 12 October 2026 it described this as a starting salary of more than £43,000. The figure only adds up on pay point 2, which chief officers have been able to use for new constables since April 2025:
| Part | Point 2 (Met start) | Point 1 (national default) | Point 7 (top) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic pay | £33,609 | £32,255 | £52,015 |
| London Weighting | £3,260 | £3,260 | £3,260 |
| London Allowance | £6,819 | £6,819 | £6,819 |
| Total a year | £43,688 | £42,334 | £62,094 |
| Estimated take-home a month | £2,598 | £2,528 | £3,497 |
Our figures: 2025/26 scales plus the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026, rounded to the pound, so they can differ from the Met's by £1. Take-home assumes 2026/27 England and Wales tax and National Insurance and the police pension on basic pay plus London Weighting (the London Allowance is not pensionable); no student loan, overtime or unsocial hours. The point 7 total matches the Met's £62,094.
National figures and other forces are on police starting salary 2026 and starting salary by force.
How long it takes to join the Met
The Met gives different figures in different places. Its careers site says the constable process typically takes up to 12 months and the detective constable process up to six months. Its recruitment page said on 1 October 2026 that the whole process takes around six months, with assessment results in four to eight weeks, pre-employment and vetting checks taking around two months, intakes every five weeks and a start within three months of an offer. The degree apprenticeship has one intake a month, according to its page. Plan for the longer figure and be pleasantly surprised.
From application to start date: the Met's own timings
Put together, the timings the Met published on its recruitment page (read 1 October 2026) and its careers site (read 21 October 2026) look like this. They are the Met's figures, not guarantees; your own dates depend on intakes and your checks.
| Stage | What the Met says about timing |
|---|---|
| Whole process (constable) | Typically up to 12 months (careers site); around six months (recruitment page, 1 October 2026) |
| Whole process (detective constable) | Up to six months (careers site) |
| Assessment results | Four to eight weeks (recruitment page, 1 October 2026) |
| Pre-employment and vetting checks | Typically around two months (recruitment page, 1 October 2026) |
| Intakes | Every five weeks (recruitment page); one a month for the apprenticeship (PCDA page) |
| Start after an offer | Within three months (recruitment page, 1 October 2026) |
Vetting clearance must be granted within the six months before you are appointed (Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 reg 4B, from 13 July 2026), so a long gap between clearance and a start date can mean checks are refreshed. Keep the Met informed of any change in your circumstances while you wait.
Preparing for each Met requirement that is tested
Some requirements you either meet or not (age, status, residence). Others are tested and preparation makes a difference:
| Tested requirement | Who runs it | Free practice |
|---|---|---|
| National Sift (SJT and behavioural questionnaire) | College of Policing, online | SJT practice |
| Online assessment (interview, written and briefing exercises) | College of Policing, online | OAC readiness check |
| The Met assessment (values interview) | The Met, in person in south London | One free in-person mock answer |
| Bleep test to level 5.4 | The Met | 15m bleep test simulator |
| Vetting | The Met's vetting unit | Vetting evidence builder |
Questions to ask the Met before you apply
- Which routes are open now and when is the next intake for the route I want?
- I am close to 57: how do you apply the typical upper age limit to me?
- Do you accept my qualification (or my experience) as meeting the level 3 and English requirements?
- I have EU pre-settled status: can I apply, or do I need settled status first?
- I spent time abroad in the last three years: does it break the residence rule and what references will you need?
- I have a tattoo on my hand or behind my ear: what do you need from me to decide?
- Do I need a driving licence for this route?
- Will the bleep test and medical be on the same day as the Met assessment?
Write down the answer, who gave it and when. If the answer later matters at vetting or the medical, you will be glad you did.
Self-check: do you meet the Met's requirements?
- Will you be 18 by the time you could start and are you 57 or under (or have you asked the Met about your age)?
- Are you a British citizen, or do you have indefinite leave to remain or EU Settled Status?
- Have you lived in the UK continuously for the last three years, or were you abroad with the British Armed Forces?
- Do you have GCSE English at grade 4 or C (or a level 2 equivalent) and two A levels or another level 3 qualification, or relevant experience? A degree for detective entry?
- Are any tattoos away from your face and the front and sides of your neck and inoffensive?
- Could you run the bleep test to level 5.4 within a few weeks of training?
- Is there anything on your record, in your finances or among your associates you need to declare? Read the vetting guides first.
- Can you work shifts including nights and weekends and travel to a London borough?
If you answered yes to all of them, the next step is the National Sift. Practise the situational judgement test free:
Recruitment alerts
Get told when forces open applications
Recruitment windows open and close without much notice, and the entry rules change from time to time. Leave your email and we will tell you when forces open applications and when the entry rules change. Occasional emails, written by hand. Unsubscribe any time.
Sent by a person when there is news, not on a schedule. Unsubscribe any time. See our privacy policy.
After you meet the requirements: Met training by route
The requirements decide whether you can start; the route decides what the first years look like. From the Met's careers pages, read on 21 October 2026:
| Stage | PCEP | PCDA | Detective (DCEP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Two years | Three years | Four years |
| First block | A one-week introduction, then 16 weeks of classroom learning at Colindale or Sidcup | 17 weeks at the apprenticeship training centre in Hendon | 17 weeks of classroom learning at a training centre |
| Next | Two months of street duty, then short classroom blocks | 10 weeks of street duty in a London borough | Street duties in a Basic Command Unit, then a frontline team for the rest of year one |
| Study | No qualification awarded | BSc (Hons) in Professional Policing Practice with Middlesex University; two three-week blocks in year 2 | Specialist detective training; the National Investigators' Exam in year 2 |
| Intakes | The degree apprenticeship page says one intake a month; the Met's recruitment page (1 October 2026) said intakes every five weeks | ||
On pay progression, the Met's detective constable page says pay rises to £46,416 after two years, on satisfactory completion of probation. Whether you are better suited to two, three or four years of training is a personal choice; our entry routes comparison sets out the national picture.
If you do not meet a requirement yet
Most gaps can be closed. What to do for each one, in the order people most often ask about:
Not three years in the UK yet
Work out the date you reach three years and plan the application for shortly before it, allowing for the time recruitment takes. Ask the Met whether it counts from your application or your appointment.
On a time-limited visa
You cannot be appointed until your leave has no restrictions. Track your settlement date; the visa guide explains each route to settlement. Police staff roles can have different rules.
No level 3 qualification
The Met says equivalent training or experience can count and that you can apply while working towards a qualification. Ask how it treats your experience, or look at level 3 courses you could finish during recruitment.
No GCSE English at grade 4
The Met says an equivalent level 2 English qualification is accepted. It does not list which ones on the pages we read, so ask the recruitment team before you book a course.
A tattoo in a listed place
Face and front or side of neck tattoos are listed as a bar. Ask the Met before considering removal; removal takes time and its policy decides what is acceptable.
Not fit enough yet
Start training now: the bleep test comes after the interview, so you have months. Use the simulator to see where you are today.
Something on your record
Check first whether it is one of the automatic disqualifications. If not, declare it in full and read joining with a criminal record before you apply.
Debts or a county court judgment
Vetting looks at whether debts are managed. Get up to date and keep evidence; see joining with debt.
What to gather before you apply to the Met
Nothing here is unique to the Met, but having it ready saves weeks later:
- Proof of identity and status: your passport, or a share code if you hold settled status or indefinite leave in digital form.
- Qualification certificates: GCSE English, A levels or your level 3 qualification, or your degree for detective entry.
- Five years of history: every address and every employer or place of study with dates and an explanation for any gaps. Our references guide has a free gap finder.
- Referee contact details for the period your references need to cover, including any time abroad.
- Tattoo photographs and descriptions, if you have any, because the Met asks you to declare them all.
- Details of family members and associates for the vetting form and any convictions, cautions or court orders to declare.
- Your financial position: credit agreements, any judgments or arrangements and evidence that they are managed.
The free checklist on our pre-employment checks page tracks all of this in your own browser.
Met requirements by situation
| You are | The requirement to look at first | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| Still at school or college | Age (apply at 17) and finishing your level 3 qualification; the Met says you can apply while still working towards it | Qualifications needed |
| A graduate | Whether you want detective entry (a degree is required) or the PCEP or apprenticeship | DCEP explained |
| Leaving the armed forces | Residence (service abroad does not break it) and whether your service counts instead of a level 3 qualification | Joining from the armed forces |
| Changing career in your 40s or 50s | The typical upper age of 57 and the pay change | Career change into the police |
| From outside the UK | Indefinite leave to remain and three years' continuous residence | Joining on a visa |
| A special constable or PCSO | The same requirements; your service can be relevant experience | Officer vs PCSO vs special |
Myths about joining the Met
- "You have to live in London." Not on the Met's current careers pages; the London residency criterion was suspended in 2022.
- "Over 57 is illegal." No law sets an upper age. The Met's typical limit is 57; ask if you are near it.
- "You need a degree to join the Met." Only for detective entry. The PCEP and the apprenticeship ask for GCSE English and a level 3 qualification or equivalent experience.
- "The Met pays the same as everywhere else." Basic pay follows the national scale, but the Met starts on point 2 and adds London Weighting and the London Allowance.
- "Any tattoo rules you out." Only face, front and side of neck, or offensive tattoos are listed as a bar; others are judged.
Who to ask
The Met's careers site lists a recruitment team you can call on 01633 632500 or reach by live chat, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm and invites candidates to outreach events. For anything about your own circumstances (age, status, a past conviction, a medical condition, a tattoo), ask before you apply and keep a note of the answer.
What we could not verify
- The Met's main recruitment pages (met.police.uk) returned an access error to automated reading on 21 October 2026. Details marked as read on 1 October 2026 may have changed.
- Whether the Met accepts EU pre-settled status for constables; its current pages do not say.
- Whether a driving licence is required for any Met constable route; the pages we read do not mention it.
- The reason for the "typically 57" upper age limit; the Met does not explain it on the pages we read.
- "P58", a term some candidates search for in connection with the Met's medical: we found no Met or College source explaining it, so we do not describe it.
- The exact format of the Met's values interview (length, panel, number of questions); the Met's page did not give them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the age limit for the Met Police?
The Met says you can apply at 17 but must be 18 to join and that its upper age limit is typically 57. The Police Regulations 2003 set no upper age limit, so 57 is the Met's normal cut-off rather than a legal bar; if you are close to it, ask the Met's recruitment team before applying.
Do I need to live in London to join the Met?
The Met's current careers pages do not list a London residency requirement for constables. The Met had a London residency criterion at times between 2014 and 2022 and suspended it in February 2022. You do need three years' continuous residence in the UK.
What qualifications do I need for the Met Police?
For the PCEP and the degree apprenticeship the Met asks for GCSE English Language at grade 4 or C (or a level 2 equivalent) and two A levels at grade E or above or another level 3 qualification. It says equivalent training or experience can count. Its detective constable route needs a degree.
What is the Met Police tattoo policy?
The Met says you cannot join with tattoos on your face or on the sides or front of your neck, or with tattoos that are offensive or discriminatory and that you must declare all tattoos. Its constable page has said hand, ear and back-of-neck tattoos can be accepted at its discretion.
Can I join the Met Police without indefinite leave to remain?
Not as a constable if you are on a time-limited visa. The Met says applicants from outside the UK need indefinite leave to remain as well as three years' continuous UK residence, in line with regulation 10(1)(a) of the Police Regulations 2003.
Do you need a driving licence to join the Met?
The Met's careers pages we read on 21 October 2026 do not list a driving licence as an entry requirement for constables. Requirements can change and some roles need one later, so check the advert for the route you apply to.
What is the starting salary for the Met Police?
The Met says new constables earn £43,689 including allowances from the day they join. That is pay point 2 (£33,609) plus London Weighting (£3,260) and the London Allowance (£6,819) from 1 September 2026; our sum is £43,688 because of rounding.
What fitness level does the Met require?
The national standard: the 15 metre multi-stage fitness test (the bleep test) to level 5.4. The Met's careers site says you complete it as part of the application process and the Met's recruitment page puts it after the in-person Met assessment, with the medical.
Can I join the Met with a criminal record?
It depends on what it is. Since 13 July 2026 some outcomes disqualify automatically, including any custodial sentence, sex offender notification and convictions or cautions for listed or domestic abuse offences. Any other conviction or caution makes you unsuitable for vetting clearance unless there are particular circumstances. Declare everything.
How long does it take to join the Met?
The Met's careers site says the constable process typically takes up to 12 months and the detective constable process up to six months. Its recruitment page said on 1 October 2026 that the whole process takes around six months. Allow for either and ask about your intake.
Can I apply to the Met and another force at the same time?
Yes, but the Met says you can only start the online assessment with one force. College of Policing rules also limit the national sift and online assessment to one force at a time and twice in 12 months.
Is there a height or weight requirement for the Met?
There is no minimum height for police officers in England and Wales. The medical follows national Home Office standards, which screen body mass index alongside other health checks. The Met's careers site refers to those national standards rather than setting its own.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 21 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Metropolitan Police careers: Police constables : age, residency, ILR, qualifications, bleep test, tattoos, one force for the online assessment, vetting, shift work, starting salary £43,689 and £62,094, up to 12 months, PCEP training (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police careers: Detective constables : degree at level 6, four-year uniform-first programme, NIE in year 2, process up to six months (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police careers: Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship : three years, Middlesex University, Hendon then borough, one intake a month, same entry requirements (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police: Who are we looking for? (police constable, read 1 October 2026) : typically 57, residency and armed forces exception, ILR, tattoo detail (hand, ear and back of neck at discretion), one force at a time (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police: Recruitment process (police constable, read 1 October 2026) : the Met assessment in south London focused on values, medical and fitness after it, biometrics, around six months (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police news release, 12 October 2026 : a starting salary of more than £43,000 for new recruits (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/527), regulation 10 : nationality and leave to remain (10(1)(a)), minimum age, eyesight, drug test, automatic disqualification (10(2A)) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police (Amendment) (Recruitment Standards) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/154) : the four recruitment stages including an in-person force interview, from 17 March 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/653) : automatic disqualification and vetting suitability (reg 4D) from 13 July 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Home Office Circular 007/2019: eyesight standards for police recruitment : corrected 6/12 in either eye, 6/6 with both eyes, near, contrast, field and colour rules (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Job-related fitness standards : 15m multi-stage fitness test to level 5.4 for recruitment (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Professional: MPS recruits no longer need a knowledge and understanding of London (February 2022) : history and suspension of the Met's London residency criterion (accessed 21 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Free tools for applicants
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the College of Policing, the Home Office or any police force and it does not recruit, vet or assess applicants. Recruitment standards, assessment formats and vetting decisions are set by the College of Policing and each force and change from time to time: check the force you are applying to before relying on anything here. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 21 October 2026.