The short answer
Police vetting can take weeks or months depending on complexity, disclosures, and checks required. Delays are common and do not usually indicate failure. The standard timeline for Recruitment Vetting (RV) is between 4 and 12 weeks, though this varies by force.
Understanding the Timeline
Vetting is not a single linear check but a series of overlapping investigations. The duration depends largely on how quickly external agencies—such as the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), financial institutions, and other police forces—respond to information searches.
Target Timeline
Most forces aim to complete standard recruitment vetting within 3 months of a completed form submission.
Extending Factors
International residency, complex financial histories, or high-volume recruitment intakes.
Why Delays Occur
It is important to distinguish between a "delay" and an "issue." Most delays are purely administrative. Common reasons include:
- Inter-force coordination: If you have lived in multiple police force areas, each force must be contacted to check local records.
- Address Gaps: Any period where an applicant's residency history is unclear requires manual verification.
- Financial Complexity: Disclosures regarding historical financial issues may require the Vetting Unit to seek further documentation from the applicant.
Common Myths
A common myth is that "no news is bad news." In reality, vetting units rarely provide incremental status updates. A lack of communication usually indicates that your file is in a queue or awaiting a response from an external database.
Vetting Stage Checker
If you are currently waiting for a decision, use our stage checker to understand which institutional checks are likely occurring at this point in your application journey.
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