Police Scotland
Eligibility Requirements
Every published rule on who can join Police Scotland as a police officer, in one place: age, residence, nationality, driving licence, eyesight, medical, qualifications, the rejection list, finances, tattoos and business interests. Written only from Police Scotland's own pages and the Scottish regulations, with a clear note wherever Police Scotland does not publish a rule.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 22 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated
You can apply if you are 18 or over, physically fit, have lived in the UK for at least three years, hold indefinite leave to remain if you are not a UK or EEA national, hold a manual driving licence and meet the DVLA's group 2 medical standards and meet the national eyesight standard. You need no formal qualifications. You are rejected if you have more than 6 points, a listed conviction, a trust deed (or under 12 months since discharge), sequestration or bankruptcy under 3 years ago or defaulted accounts of £1,000 or more.
Every Police Scotland eligibility rule at a glance
Police Scotland recruits under the Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013, not the College of Policing rules used in England and Wales. Some requirements come straight from regulation 6 of those regulations (age, medical fitness, eyesight, the educational assessment and indefinite leave). Others are Police Scotland's own published rules (the manual licence, three years' residence, the points limit and the finance bars).
This table is the whole picture. Each row has its own section below with the detail and the exact wording.
| Requirement | Police Scotland's rule | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 18 or over. No upper age limit is published. | Officer page; regulation 6(1) |
| Residence | Have lived in the UK for at least three years | Officer page |
| Nationality and right to work | If you are not a UK or EEA national, indefinite leave to remain or equivalent at the point of application. Time-limited visas do not meet the rule. | Officer page; regulation 6(1)(i) |
| Driving licence | Hold a manual driving licence and meet the DVLA's group 2 medical driving licence standards | Officer page |
| Penalty points | Rejected with more than 6 points on your licence | Offences page |
| Eyesight | Meet the national eyesight standard (Annex 1) | Officer page; eyesight annex |
| Fitness | Be physically fit and pass the 15-metre bleep test to level 5.4 | Officer page; recruitment process page |
| Medical | Pass a medical with Police Scotland's healthcare provider, including an eyesight test and BMI check | Candidate portal |
| Qualifications | None needed. You must pass the Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET) instead. | Officer page; regulation 6 |
| Criminal record | Listed offences mean rejection; other convictions are considered case by case | Offences page; recruitment process page |
| Finances | Rejected if in a trust deed (or under 12 months since discharge), sequestrated or bankrupt under 3 years ago, or with defaulted accounts of £1,000 or more | Offences page |
| Tattoos | Declared, described and photographed; reviewed against the uniform and appearance standards | Application example; recruitment process page |
| Business interests | Must be notified; constables need consent to hold one | Regulation 5; application example |
Want to check your own answers against these rules quickly? Our free Police Scotland eligibility checker asks short questions and shows each rule you meet, need to check or do not meet yet. Nothing you enter is stored.
Some rules are screened at the very start, on part 1 of the application form (age, driving licence, residency, right to work, tattoos, previous applications and previous police service). Others are confirmed much later: the eyesight standard and BMI at the final medical, your record and finances in full vetting. Police Scotland says it is important to be accurate with everything you supply because it is all confirmed at the vetting stage.
Age: 18 or over, with no published upper limit
Police Scotland's officer page says you can apply if you "are 18 or over". The legal rule in regulation 6(1) of the 2013 Regulations is that a candidate must have "attained the age of 18 years".
- Minimum: 18. This differs from England and Wales, where you can apply at 17.
- Maximum: none published. Police Scotland's pages give no upper age limit.
- What older applicants should know: the 2015 pension scheme's normal pension age is 60, so the length of career you can build before that age depends on when you join.
Age is one of the first screening questions on the application form. If you are 17, use the time before your birthday to train for the bleep test and practise the entrance test. Our guide to age limits and mature applicants goes further.
Residence: at least three years in the UK
Police Scotland's officer page says you must "have lived in the UK for at least three years". This is one of the screening questions in part 1 of the form.
The officer page does not say the three years must be immediately before you apply. Police Scotland's rejoiner page does say "a minimum of three years immediately prior to application", but that page is for former Police Scotland officers. Many guides copy the England and Wales rule (three years immediately before applying) into Scotland. We do not, because the Police Scotland officer page does not say it. If you have spent time abroad recently, ask the recruitment team how it will be treated before you apply.
Residence also matters for vetting, which needs enough checkable history about you. Police Scotland does not publish how vetting handles time abroad, so if most of your recent years were outside the UK, raise it early.
Nationality, right to work and indefinite leave
Police Scotland's wording is direct: applicants who are not UK or EEA nationals "must hold indefinite leave to remain or equivalent status at the point of application: Time limited visas, even with current right to work, do not meet this legal requirement." The legal basis is regulation 6(1)(i) of the 2013 Regulations.
| Your status | What the rule means |
|---|---|
| British citizen | Meets the nationality rule. You still need three years in the UK. |
| Irish citizen or another EEA national | Regulation 6(1)(i) applies the indefinite leave rule only to people who are not UK or EEA nationals. You still need the right to work and three years in the UK. Check how your status is evidenced with the recruitment team. |
| Indefinite leave to remain | Meets the rule, with three years in the UK |
| Settled status or another "equivalent status" | Police Scotland says indefinite leave "or equivalent". Ask the recruitment team to confirm your status counts. |
| Skilled Worker, student, graduate, family or any other time-limited visa | Does not meet the rule, even with current right to work |
If you are on a route to indefinite leave, the date you are granted it is the earliest date you can apply. Plan your fitness and PSET preparation around that date.
Driving licence: manual, group 2 standards and no more than 6 points
Police Scotland asks you to "hold a manual driving license" and meet the "DVLA's group 2 medical driving licence standards", so you can drive police vehicles. Group 2 is the medical standard the DVLA applies to drivers of larger vehicles; it is stricter than the standard for an ordinary car licence.
- Automatic only: does not meet the requirement.
- Points: Police Scotland rejects applicants who "have more than 6 points on your driving licence". Six points or fewer is not an automatic bar.
- Drink or drug driving: an automatic rejection, including failing to provide a specimen.
- Special constables: no driving licence is needed for the specials route.
Full detail, including worked examples of points totals, is in our driving licence and penalty points guide.
Eyesight: the national standard in full
You must meet the national eyesight standard. In Scotland it is a determination by the Scottish Ministers under regulation 6, published by Police Scotland as Annex 1. It is tested at the final medical, but you can get an optician to check the main figures long before then.
| Measure | Standard in Annex 1 |
|---|---|
| Corrected distance vision | 6/12 or better in either eye and 6/6 or better with both eyes together |
| Corrected near vision | 6/9 or better with both eyes together |
| Uncorrected vision | 6/36 or better with both eyes together |
| Low contrast | 6/12 or better for a 10% contrast target |
| Visual field | At least 120 degrees horizontally by 100 degrees vertically |
| Colour vision | Monochromats are rejected. Other colour vision deficiencies are acceptable; severe anomalous trichromats and dichromats are instructed in coping strategies. |
| Glasses and contact lenses | Acceptable |
| PRK, LASIK, LASEK, ICRS and cataract surgery | Acceptable after at least 6 weeks |
| RK, AK and corneal grafts | Rejected |
Practical points that follow from the annex:
- You can wear glasses or contact lenses to meet the corrected standards, but your unaided vision with both eyes must still be 6/36 or better.
- If you are planning laser surgery, allow at least 6 weeks before the standard can be met.
- If you have had radial keratotomy, arcuate keratotomy or a corneal graft, the annex says rejection.
- Colour vision is rarely a bar: only monochromats (people who see no colour at all) are rejected.
Read the annex itself if anything here applies to you. An optician can tell you your acuity figures in the same 6/x notation the annex uses.
Medical, hearing, height and BMI
Regulation 6 requires every candidate to be certified as fit, physically and mentally, to perform the duties of a constable. Police Scotland checks this at a final-stage medical with its healthcare provider, Optima Health. The candidate portal says you complete a confidential health questionnaire and attend an examination that checks:
- hearing;
- eyesight;
- urine;
- blood pressure;
- height and weight;
- breathing efficiency.
| Measure | What Police Scotland publishes |
|---|---|
| Height | No minimum height. Height is measured for BMI. |
| BMI | The officer pages say the medical "includes an eyesight test and BMI check" with no range. The rejoiner page says BMI should be between 18 and 30. That range is published for rejoiners only. |
| Hearing | Checked at the medical. No numeric hearing standard is published on the recruitment pages. |
| Substance misuse | A hair-sample test at the final stage, with alternative testing for cultural, religious or medical reasons. Random testing may happen at any stage. |
If you have a health condition, the published process is individual assessment by the healthcare provider. Our medical and substance test guide covers each check.
Fitness: physically fit and level 5.4
Police Scotland lists being "physically fit" as an eligibility requirement and tests it with a multi-stage fitness test (bleep test) on a 15-metre track. The standard is "level 5.4, which means running at least in time with the bleeps for four lengths at level 5".
Two rules are easy to miss. The test must have been completed within 6 months of being given a start date, otherwise you take another test before any formal offer. And Police Scotland may ask for an extra test at any point. Police Scotland's transferee and rejoiner pages say "more people fail the fitness test compared with any other stage in the recruiting process". See our fitness test guide.
Qualifications: none needed, but everyone sits the PSET
Police Scotland says "you don't need any formal qualifications". The application form still asks you to list your qualifications, but there is no minimum. What replaces a qualification rule is regulation 6: a candidate for appointment as constable must pass an assessment of English (written and spoken) and numeracy approved by the chief constable and the Scottish Ministers. That assessment is the Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET).
- One handwritten paper, 49 questions in 60 minutes, covering numeracy, literacy and information handling.
- You must pass all three elements.
- A calculator is provided.
- No exemption for degrees, Highers or any other qualification is published.
There are no degree entry routes in Scotland (no PCDA, DHEP or Police Now style routes) and no direct entry scheme for any rank. See the PSET guide for how the paper works.
The rejection list: convictions, orders and points
Police Scotland publishes a list of offences and circumstances that mean you will be rejected. It applies if you have been convicted of, or are under investigation for, any listed offence.
| Category | What Police Scotland lists |
|---|---|
| Offences causing death or serious injury | Murder, culpable homicide, manslaughter, causing death by driving, attempted murder, assault to severe injury and its variants, GBH and wounding with intent |
| Offences against the state | Treason and espionage |
| Offences against liberty | Kidnapping, human trafficking, abduction and torture |
| Sexual offences | Rape, sexual assault, indecent images offences, lewd and libidinous practices and other sexually coercive conduct |
| Weapons | Firearms or explosives offences |
| Domestic abuse and stalking | Any domestic violence, controlling or coercive behaviour or stalking offence |
| Serious or fraudulent dishonesty | Armed robbery, burglary, theft by housebreaking, perverting the course of justice, perjury and corruption |
| Prison | Any offence as an adult resulting in a prison sentence |
| Drink or drug driving | Including failing to provide a specimen |
| Orders and registers | Being a registered sex offender, or subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) or Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) |
| Driving licence points | More than 6 points |
| Trust deed | Currently in a trust deed, or less than 12 months since discharge |
| Sequestration or bankruptcy | Previously sequestrated or declared bankrupt and less than 3 years have passed |
| Defaulted accounts | Defaulted accounts totalling £1,000 or more |
Anything not on the list is judged case by case. Police Scotland asks you to declare criminal convictions and says "Each case will be considered on its own merits and checks will be made by the vetting unit at the pre-appointment stage." The Force Vetting Unit "may on occasion make an early assessment of vetting suitability", case by case.
The list applies to being under investigation for a listed offence, not only to convictions. If something is outstanding, the honest course is to declare it and ask the recruitment team how it affects your timing.
Finances: trust deeds, sequestration and defaults
Scotland's finance rules are unusually specific. Police Scotland rejects applicants who:
- are "currently in a Trust Deed, or less than 12 months have passed since discharge";
- "have previously been sequestrated, or declared bankrupt and less than 3 years have passed";
- "have defaulted accounts totalling £1,000 or more".
A trust deed is the Scottish form of voluntary debt arrangement. Sequestration is Scottish bankruptcy. Ordinary debt that you manage (a mortgage, a car loan, a credit card you pay) is not on the list. Here is how the dates work in some invented examples:
| Your situation | Earliest date the published rule stops applying |
|---|---|
| Trust deed discharged on 1 March 2026 | 1 March 2027 (12 months after discharge) |
| Trust deed still active | Not until 12 months after it is discharged |
| Sequestration awarded on 15 June 2024 | 15 June 2027 (3 years after it was awarded, on our reading of "less than 3 years have passed") |
| Bankruptcy in England in January 2022 | Already more than 3 years ago: not a published bar |
| Two defaulted accounts of £700 each | £1,400 in total, above the £1,000 bar. Clear or settle them and keep proof. |
Police Scotland does not say exactly which date the 3 years run from for sequestration or bankruptcy. If you are close to the line, ask before you apply. Our finance and debt rules guide explains how to get your credit file and evidence ready for vetting.
Tattoos: declare, describe and photograph
Tattoos are asked about twice: on part 1 of the form and in the main form, where you describe each tattoo, say where it is and upload photos of every one. Police Scotland says each case is considered on its own merits.
- A Recruitment Officer reviews the tattoos, with a supervisor and candidate case review if needed.
- If a tattoo does not align with policy, you may be asked to have it altered before an offer.
- There is no specific appeal, but you can reapply.
- The rules sit in Police Scotland's "Uniform and Appearance Standards (Police Officers) SOP v3.00".
| Year | Applications rejected for tattoos |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 23 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 (to 28 August) | 24 |
We have not read the SOP, so we do not state any rule about specific placements such as the face, neck or hands. More in our tattoos and appearance guide.
Business interests and second jobs
Regulation 5 of the 2013 Regulations requires applicants to notify the chief constable of any business interest they have or are likely to acquire. Constables need consent to hold one. A business interest includes:
- any other employment for gain;
- living at premises where a family member keeps a shop in Scotland;
- holding, or a family member holding, a liquor, betting and gaming or public entertainment licence in Scotland.
The application form has a business interests section for exactly this. Declaring one is not the same as being rejected: it lets Police Scotland decide whether it is compatible with the job.
Gaelic, previous applications and previous service
Gaelic
Gaelic is not mentioned in any eligibility list Police Scotland publishes. You do not need to speak it.
Previous applications
The eligibility form asks whether you have applied before. Reapplying is possible. If you have, the main form asks: "As you have made a previous application to us, please explain what you have done to prepare for this new application. Please include details of how you have used the feedback provided." (maximum 200 words). See reapplying after failing a stage.
Previous police service
Former Police Scotland officers who completed probation apply through the rejoiner route. Serving officers in a recognised Home Office force in England or Wales, the PSNI or BTP with at least three years' service use the transferee route. Officers from the MoD Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the Royal Parks and port police are treated as new candidates. See transferees and rejoiners.
Can I apply if...? Every common situation
Answered only from what Police Scotland and the regulations publish. "Check with Police Scotland" means the published rules do not settle it for your situation. None of these verdicts is a decision: Police Scotland decides.
| Your situation | What the published rules say | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| I am 17 | Police Scotland's page says you can apply if you are 18 or over and regulation 6(1) requires a candidate to have reached 18. | Not yet |
| I will turn 18 in a few months | The rule is about your age when you apply. Use the time to train for the 5.4 bleep test and practise the PSET. | Wait until 18 |
| I am 45, 50 or older | No upper age limit is published. You pass the same fitness test and medical as everyone else. | Can apply |
| I have no Highers, no National 5s and no degree | Police Scotland says you don't need any formal qualifications. You must pass the PSET. | Can apply |
| I have a degree; do I skip the PSET? | No exemption is published anywhere. The regulation requires the approved assessment. | Sit the PSET |
| I am British and moved back to the UK 18 months ago | The officer page says you must have lived in the UK for at least three years. It does not say the three years must be immediately before you apply, so ask the recruitment team how your earlier UK years count. | Check with Police Scotland |
| I moved to the UK two years ago | Less than three years in the UK. | Not yet |
| I hold indefinite leave to remain | Meets the nationality rule for people who are not UK or EEA nationals. | Meets this rule |
| I am on a Skilled Worker or other time-limited visa | Time-limited visas, even with current right to work, do not meet this legal requirement. | Not yet |
| I am an EEA national | Regulation 6(1)(i) applies the indefinite leave rule only to people who are not UK or EEA nationals. You still need the right to work and three years in the UK. | Check your status with Police Scotland |
| I only hold an automatic licence | Police Scotland lists a manual driving licence as a requirement. | Not yet |
| I have a provisional licence and a test booked | The requirement is to hold a manual licence. Police Scotland does not publish an exception for a booked test. | Check with Police Scotland |
| I have exactly 6 points | The rejection rule is more than 6 points. | Not an automatic bar |
| I have 9 points | More than 6 points means rejection. | Not while the points count |
| I have a drink driving conviction | Drink or drug driving, including failing to provide a specimen, is on the rejection list. | Rejected |
| I had a caution or minor conviction as a teenager | If it is not on the list, declare it. Each case is considered on its own merits and checked by the vetting unit. | Declare it |
| I am in a trust deed | Rejected while it is active and for 12 months after discharge. | Not yet |
| I was sequestrated four years ago | The rule is less than 3 years since sequestration or bankruptcy. | Not a published bar |
| I have £600 of defaulted accounts | The published bar is defaulted accounts totalling £1,000 or more. | Not a published bar; declare it |
| I have £1,400 of defaulted accounts | Defaulted accounts totalling £1,000 or more. | Rejected until resolved |
| I wear glasses or contact lenses | Acceptable if you reach the corrected standard. | Can apply |
| I had LASIK five weeks ago | Acceptable after at least 6 weeks. | Wait one more week |
| I am colour blind | Only monochromats are rejected. Other deficiencies are acceptable. | Usually can apply |
| I have tattoos | Declare, describe and photograph every one. A Recruitment Officer reviews them. | Declare them |
| I run a small business or have a second job | Declare it. Constables need consent to hold a business interest. | Declare it |
| I don't speak Gaelic | No Gaelic requirement is published. | Can apply |
| I applied before and failed | The form asks previous applicants what they have done to prepare since and how they used feedback. | Can reapply |
| I have dyslexia, ADHD or autism | Ask for reasonable adjustments on the eligibility form. These conditions are named on the adjustments page. | Can apply with adjustments |
| I am on pre-settled status | Police Scotland's wording is indefinite leave to remain "or equivalent status". Time-limited visas do not qualify. If you are an EEA national, regulation 6(1)(i) does not apply the indefinite leave rule to you; if you are not, pre-settled status is not indefinite leave. | Check with Police Scotland |
| I am a Commonwealth citizen on a visa | The special constable route lists Commonwealth citizens, but the regular officer rule is indefinite leave or equivalent if you are not a UK or EEA national. | Not yet for regulars on a visa |
| I had a full licence but lost it through a ban | You must hold a manual licence. Check whether the ban related to drink or drug driving, which is an automatic rejection. | Not while banned |
| I failed to provide a specimen when stopped | Police Scotland lists drink or drug driving including failing to provide a specimen as an automatic rejection. | Rejected |
| I have a speeding fine with no points | Not on the rejection list. Declare it if the form asks. | Not a published bar |
| I am under investigation for an offence | The rejection list applies to being under investigation for any listed offence as well as conviction. | Depends on the offence; ask |
| I received a prison sentence as a youth | The published bar is any offence as an adult resulting in a prison sentence. Declare youth matters; each case is considered on its merits. | Declare it |
| I was given a suspended sentence or community order as an adult | The rejection list names offences resulting in a prison sentence. Police Scotland does not publish how other disposals are treated beyond case by case. | Declare it; check with Police Scotland |
| I have a domestic abuse conviction | Any domestic violence, controlling or coercive behaviour or stalking offence is on the rejection list. | Rejected |
| I am in a debt management plan (not a trust deed) | Only trust deeds, sequestration, bankruptcy and defaults of £1,000 or more are on the published list. Declare it and be ready to show it is managed. | Not a published bar |
| My trust deed was discharged 14 months ago | The rule is less than 12 months since discharge. | Not a published bar |
| I have a county court judgment or decree | Not named on the published list. Defaulted accounts of £1,000 or more are. Declare it. | Check with Police Scotland |
| My partner has debts | The published rules refer to your own position. Vetting is described as full vetting without published detail on family members. | Check with Police Scotland |
| I am overweight | BMI is checked at the medical. No range is published for new officers; the rejoiner page gives 18 to 30. | Check before the medical |
| I am short | No minimum height. | Can apply |
| I have a hearing aid | Hearing is checked at the medical. No numeric standard is published. | Check with Police Scotland |
| I have a health condition | The medical with Optima Health assesses fitness for the role; regulation 6 requires certification as fit physically and mentally. | Declare on the health questionnaire |
| I am a serving special constable | Previous service as a special constable is asked about on the main form. No separate route for specials becoming regulars is published. | Can apply |
| I am a serving officer in England | With at least three years' service and no outstanding complaints, the transferee route applies. | See transferees |
| I am in the MoD Police or Civil Nuclear Constabulary | Not eligible to transfer; you apply as a new candidate. | Apply as a new officer |
| I left Police Scotland after probation | The rejoiner route is for former Police Scotland officers who completed probation. | See rejoiners |
| I left Police Scotland during probation | Rejoining is only for those who completed probation; others apply as new officers. | Apply as a new officer |
| I am serving in the armed forces | Police Scotland describes itself as Armed Forces friendly. Declare military service on the form. | Can apply |
| I have a business or a family member runs a shop or licensed premises | Regulation 5: notify it. Constables need consent to hold a business interest. | Declare it |
Prefer to answer questions one at a time? The eligibility checker does the same thing for your own circumstances, in about 2 minutes.
How special constable eligibility differs
Special constables are volunteer officers with the same powers. Their eligibility rules overlap with regular officers but are not identical:
| Rule | Regular police officer | Special constable |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 18 or over | 18 or over |
| UK residence | At least three years | At least three years |
| Nationality | Not UK or EEA: indefinite leave to remain or equivalent | British, EU or EEA, Commonwealth or a foreign national with no restrictions on your stay in the UK |
| Driving licence | Manual licence and DVLA group 2 medical standards | Not needed |
| Eyesight | National eyesight standard | National eyesight standard |
| Entrance test and fitness | PSET and 5.4 bleep test | Same PSET and 5.4 bleep test, per the specials recruitment page |
| Barred jobs | Business interests need consent | Fire services, security, private investigation, licensed premises or betting shops and serving HM forces are barred |
| Commitment | Full-time or flexible employment | Minimum 96 hours a year, unpaid |
More in our special constable guide.
When each rule is checked in the process
Meeting a rule on paper at the start is not the end of it. Each requirement is confirmed at a particular stage, which tells you what evidence you will need and when:
| Rule | First asked | Confirmed | Evidence to have ready |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Part 1 screening | About you; vetting | Passport or birth certificate |
| Three years in the UK | Part 1 screening | About you; vetting | Your own address history with dates |
| Right to work and indefinite leave | Part 1 screening | About you; vetting | Passport or status evidence |
| Manual licence and points | Part 1 screening | Vetting | Your licence and points record |
| DVLA group 2 medical standards | Officer page requirement | Final medical | Any medical history relevant to driving |
| Fitness to 5.4 | Fitness assessment after the PSET | Retest before any formal offer if over 6 months; extra tests at any point | Training log |
| Eyesight standard | Officer page requirement | Final medical | A recent optician's test |
| Medical and BMI | Health questionnaire | Final medical with Optima Health | GP or specialist details if you have a condition |
| Substance misuse | Final stage | Hair sample; random tests may happen at any stage | Tell them if you need alternative testing for cultural, religious or medical reasons |
| Criminal record | Declarations on the form | Full vetting | An honest list with dates |
| Finances | Rejection list | Full vetting | Your credit file and discharge or settlement letters |
| Tattoos | Part 1 and the main form | Recruitment Officer review | Photos of every tattoo |
| Business interests | Main form | Consent decision under regulation 5 | Details of the interest |
| Character and employment | 5 years' employment on the form | Employer references at the final stage | Referee contact details |
Police Scotland's process puts the full vetting check after you have successfully completed the application process, although the Force Vetting Unit "may on occasion make an early assessment of vetting suitability" case by case. If something in your history is borderline, ask about an early assessment rather than investing months in preparation first.
If a rule stops you today
Most of the bars are time-limited. Work out the date each one stops applying and plan backwards from it. The current Police Officer vacancy closes on 31 March 2027; if you will not meet the rules by then, Police Scotland's pages say you can reapply when you meet the criteria.
- Age: apply from your 18th birthday.
- Residence: count your three years in the UK and ask about any gaps.
- Visa: apply from the date indefinite leave is granted.
- Licence: pass a manual test; keep points at 6 or fewer.
- Trust deed: 12 months after discharge. Sequestration or bankruptcy: 3 years.
- Defaults: bring the total below £1,000 and keep proof of settlement.
- Eye surgery: 6 weeks after PRK, LASIK, LASEK, ICRS or cataract surgery.
Meanwhile, the stages that take the longest to prepare for are the ones you can start now: fitness to 5.4 and the PSET. Our timeline planner helps you lay out the months.
What we could not verify
- Whether time abroad inside your three years affects new officer applicants (the officer page does not say "immediately prior").
- The BMI range for new officers (published only on the rejoiner page, as 18 to 30).
- The hearing standard figures.
- Specific tattoo placement rules, which sit in an SOP we have not read.
- Which date the 3-year sequestration or bankruptcy period runs from.
- Whether a booked manual driving test is accepted at application.
- Any exemption from the PSET (none is published).
Ask the recruitment team or a Police Scotland recruitment event about anything on this list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements to join Police Scotland?
Police Scotland's officer page says you can apply if you are 18 or over, physically fit, have lived in the UK for at least three years, meet the right to work requirements (indefinite leave to remain or equivalent if you are not a UK or EEA national), hold a manual driving licence and meet the DVLA's group 2 medical standards and meet the national eyesight standard. You also need to avoid the rejection list, which covers serious offences, more than 6 points and certain debt situations.
Is there an upper age limit for Police Scotland?
No upper age limit is published. Police Scotland says you must be 18 or over. Older applicants pass the same PSET, 5.4 fitness test and medical as everyone else. The 2015 scheme's normal pension age is 60.
Do the three years in the UK have to be immediately before I apply?
Police Scotland's officer page says you must have lived in the UK for at least three years and does not add "immediately prior". Its rejoiner page does say three years immediately before applying, but that is a different route. If you have time abroad in the last three years, ask the recruitment team how it will be treated.
Can I join Police Scotland on a visa?
Not on a time-limited visa. Police Scotland says applicants who are not UK or EEA nationals must hold indefinite leave to remain or equivalent status at the point of application and that time-limited visas, even with current right to work, do not meet this legal requirement.
Do I need a driving licence to join Police Scotland?
Yes, a manual licence. Police Scotland also asks you to meet the DVLA's group 2 medical driving licence standards. Special constables do not need a driving licence.
How many points can I have on my licence for Police Scotland?
You are rejected if you have more than 6 points. Drink or drug driving, including failing to provide a specimen, is an automatic rejection whatever the points.
Do I need qualifications to join Police Scotland?
No. Police Scotland says you don't need any formal qualifications. Every new officer applicant sits the Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET) instead, which tests numeracy, literacy and information handling. No exemption for degrees or Highers is published.
Can I join Police Scotland with debt?
Ordinary manageable debt is not on the rejection list. You are rejected if you are currently in a trust deed or less than 12 months have passed since discharge, if you have been sequestrated or declared bankrupt and less than 3 years have passed, or if you have defaulted accounts totalling £1,000 or more.
Can I join Police Scotland if I am colour blind?
Usually. The eyesight annex rejects monochromats only. Other colour vision deficiencies are acceptable, with severe anomalous trichromats and dichromats instructed in coping strategies.
Can I join Police Scotland after laser eye surgery?
Yes, after at least 6 weeks for PRK, LASIK, LASEK, ICRS or cataract surgery. Radial keratotomy (RK), arcuate keratotomy (AK) and corneal grafts mean rejection.
Is there a minimum height for Police Scotland?
No. There is no minimum height. Height and weight are measured at the medical to work out your BMI.
What BMI do I need for Police Scotland?
Police Scotland's officer pages say the medical includes a BMI check but do not give a range. Its rejoiner page gives 18 to 30. We do not state that range as the rule for new officers because Police Scotland does not publish it for them.
Do I need to speak Gaelic to join Police Scotland?
No. Gaelic is not mentioned in any eligibility list Police Scotland publishes.
Can I join Police Scotland with tattoos?
Tattoos are not a bar in themselves. You must declare, describe and photograph every tattoo. A Recruitment Officer reviews them and you may be asked to have a tattoo altered before an offer if it does not align with policy. FOI figures show 23 rejections for tattoos in 2022, 13 in 2023 and 24 in 2024 up to 28 August.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 22 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.
- Police Scotland: Apply to become a police officer : who can apply: 18 or over, physically fit, three years in the UK, indefinite leave wording, manual licence, DVLA group 2, eyesight standard, no formal qualifications (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Offences that mean you'll be rejected : the full rejection list, more than 6 points, drink or drug driving, trust deed, sequestration and £1,000 defaulted accounts (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Our recruitment process (police officer) : declare convictions and tattoos; each case considered on its own merits; reapply when you meet the criteria; 5.4 fitness standard (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer application example : eligibility screening questions, tattoo photos, business interests, previous applications (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer reasonable adjustments and support : medical content (hearing, eyesight, urine, blood pressure, height and weight, breathing), no minimum height, named neurodivergent conditions for adjustments (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer selection process : medical includes an eyesight test and BMI check (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Annex 1, eyesight standards for police recruitment (PDF) : acuity, low contrast, visual field, colour vision and eye surgery rules (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Rejoiners : BMI 18 to 30 and three years immediately prior, for rejoiners only (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Special Constable : special constable eligibility, barred jobs and 96 hours (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013, regulation 6 (qualifications for appointment) : age 18, medical, eyesight, educational assessment, indefinite leave for people who are not UK or EEA nationals (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013 (SSI 2013/35), legislation.gov.uk : regulation 5: business interests (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland FOI 24-2094 (tattoos, September 2024) : tattoo review process and rejection figures for 2022 to 2024 (accessed 22 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority or the College of Policing. It does not recruit, test or assess applicants. Our practice questions are original PolicePay material, not official Police Scotland questions. Police Scotland sets and changes its own selection process, so check its recruitment pages and your candidate account before relying on anything here. Details are as checked on 22 October 2026.