Transferring to the
Civil Nuclear Constabulary
Serving officers can join the CNC through a shorter transferee route: no National Sift, no online assessment centre, a Values Based Interview, the AFO medical and a course of 4 or 19 weeks depending on your firearms record. This guide covers who can apply, every stage, pay, leave and the pension change, written from the CNC's transferee page and its live adverts, read on 23 October 2026.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 23 October 2026 · Civil Nuclear Constabulary (England and Scotland)
You must be a serving officer in a Home Office force, Police Scotland, the PSNI, BTP or the MOD Police, past probation, with no outstanding complaints, discipline or criminal cases. Apply to a transferee advert, pass shortlisting and a Values Based Interview at a recruitment day, then the medical, the 7.6 bleep test and a firearms assessment (waived if you are a current AFO or ARV), then vetting. Training is 4 or 19 weeks residential and probation is six months. Pay and leave are usually honoured. You leave the police pension for the UKAEA scheme at 8.2%.
Who can transfer to the CNC
The CNC's transferee page accepts officers from:
- Home Office police forces in England and Wales
- Police Scotland
- The Police Service of Northern Ireland
- British Transport Police
- The MOD Police
To be considered you must:
- Be serving (or within the break rules in the next section).
- Have passed your probation.
- Have no outstanding complaints, disciplinary matters or criminal cases.
Shortlisting then uses the nationally approved eligibility criteria, which the CNC lists as including nationality and right to work, extremist group membership, substance misuse, criminal convictions, financial checks and tattoos. Being a serving officer does not exempt you from these.
Transferee or rejoiner?
The CNC uses your break in service to decide which you are. Any break must be under five years at the point of conditional offer.
| Your situation | How the CNC treats you |
|---|---|
| Serving officer | Transferee |
| Left policing less than 12 months ago | Transferee |
| Left 12 months to 5 years ago | Rejoiner |
| Left 5 years ago or more (at conditional offer) | Outside both the transferee and rejoiner routes |
The CNC's police officers page puts it more narrowly, welcoming those who have left policing in the last 12 months as long as they completed their two-year probation. The transferee page's five-year rejoiner window is the fuller rule.
For rejoiners the CNC says it does not have reciprocal agreements with Home Office forces, Police Scotland, the PSNI, BTP or the MOD Police, but it "may take previous relevant service into account" for pay and leave. Rejoiners do residential training of 4 to 19 weeks.
The CNC transferee process, step by step
| Step | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Online application | Apply to a named transferee advert on the CNC job portal. |
| 2 | Shortlisting | Against the nationally approved eligibility criteria. |
| 3 | Recruitment day | A Values Based Interview. |
| 4 | Medical and fitness | The AFO medical and the Multi-Stage Fitness Test to level 7.6. |
| 5 | Firearms assessment | A practical test of manual dexterity and listening to and following instructions. Waived for current AFO and ARV officers with valid qualifications. |
| 6 | Vetting | Includes a complaints and misconduct check with your current force's Professional Standards Department. |
| 7 | Training | A 4-week or 19-week residential Initial Foundation Programme, depending on your qualifications. |
| 8 | Probation | Six months. |
The CNC does not publish how long the transferee process takes. For new recruits GOV.UK says five to eight months from first application, but that includes the national online stages transferees skip.
How the transferee route differs from a new recruit's
| New recruit | Transferee | |
|---|---|---|
| National Sift (SJT and behavioural questionnaire) | Yes | Not listed |
| Online Assessment Centre | Yes | Not listed |
| Recruitment day | Insights presentation, firearms briefing, weapons handling assessment and Values Based Interview | Values Based Interview |
| Firearms or weapons handling assessment | Yes | Yes, unless you are a current AFO or ARV |
| MSFT level 7.6 | Yes | Yes |
| AFO medical | Yes | Yes |
| Vetting | Police and National Security Vetting | Includes a PSD check with your force |
| Initial Foundation Programme | 19 weeks residential | 4 or 19 weeks residential |
| Probation | Two years | Six months |
| Pay | £32,256 for the whole probation | Usually your current pay honoured |
For the new recruit route in full, see the CNC recruitment process.
The CNC Values Based Interview
The transferee page says the Values Based Interview assesses your suitability for appointment against the Competency and Values Framework and the CNC's AFO role profile, the policing Code of Ethics, policing principles and College of Policing standards on respect for race and diversity.
The CNC does not publish the number of questions, how long the interview lasts or how it is scored. What it does tell you is the material it is marked against, so prepare from that:
- The Competency and Values Framework: the CNC's AFO role profile sets all six competencies at Level 1 for a constable.
- The AFO role profile: read it. It describes an armed protection role, which is different from response or neighbourhood work.
- The Code of Ethics and your own examples of applying it.
- Why the CNC: a serving officer will be asked, in some form, why they want to leave their force for an armed protection role on a nuclear site. Have a clear, honest answer.
Our CNC Values Based Interview guide has original practice questions.
Try one out loud. Answer a practice question free and get a scored result in about a minute. No account. Practise in the free police mock interview
Medical, fitness and the firearms assessment
Transferees take the same AFO medical as new recruits. Being a serving officer does not mean you meet it: the CNC's standards are set for armed officers carrying heavy kit on licensed nuclear sites. Three rules catch serving officers out:
- Glasses: the CNC's medical guidance says glasses are not acceptable to meet the eyesight standard. Contact lenses can be used.
- Hearing: hearing aids, including implanted devices, are not compatible with the AFO role.
- BMI: 18.5 to 30. Above 30, body fat must be no more than 25% for men or 32% for women.
Fitness: the Multi-Stage Fitness Test to level 7.6, the same as new recruits, then every year in service. That is well above the 5.4 entry standard most Home Office forces use. If you have not run a bleep test above 5.4 for a while, train for it before you apply.
Firearms assessment: the CNC describes it as "a practical assessment designed to test manual dexterity and the ability to listen and follow instructions". If you are a current AFO or ARV with valid qualifications, it is waived.
Full medical detail is in our CNC medical and eyesight standards guide.
Vetting and your PSD check
The CNC runs police vetting and National Security Vetting for everyone it appoints. For transferees it adds a complaints and misconduct check with your current force's Professional Standards Department.
- Outstanding matters stop a transfer. You must have no outstanding complaints, disciplinary or criminal cases.
- Existing police vetting is not enough on its own. The CNC's officers page says applicants must achieve both police and National Security Vetting. It expects up to 10 years' UK residence depending on the level required.
- Timing: for new recruits the CNC says vetting can take up to three months. It does not publish a separate figure for transferees.
Training: 4 weeks or 19 weeks
| Your firearms record | Course |
|---|---|
| Currently AFO or ARV trained | Condensed 4-week residential programme |
| Firearms qualification current, or expired no more than 12 months ago | Assessed against the CNC role profile to decide the course; bring your training records |
| No firearms qualification | The full 19-week residential Initial Foundation Programme |
The 19-week course covers policing skills (including the Energy Act 2023 and CNC powers) and firearms training to the National Police Firearms Training Curriculum, with a qualification on each CNC weapon. Accommodation, travel, food and refreshments are provided during residential training. See CNC training and the End Point Assessment for what the full course involves.
The course you are given depends on evidence. Gather your firearms qualification certificates, dates of your last qualification shoots and your training record before the recruitment day, so the CNC can assess you against its role profile without delay.
Six-month probation
Transferees serve a six-month probation. New recruits serve two years. In England they also complete the Level 4 apprenticeship with its End Point Assessment. The CNC does not say that transferees take the apprenticeship.
The CNC reviews conduct throughout training alongside the pass or fail assessments, so the usual standards apply from day one.
Pay and leave
The CNC says transferees, "in the majority of cases, have the salary and annual leave entitlements they had at their last force honoured". Its transferee adverts give pay of £32,256 to £52,014 depending on experience.
| Point | 2026/27 salary |
|---|---|
| 0 and 1 | £32,256 |
| 2 | £33,609 |
| 3 | £34,971 |
| 4 | £36,336 |
| 5 | £39,057 |
| 6 | £44,544 |
| 7 | £52,014 |
The CNC's figures are within £1 of the England and Wales constable points we hold (our internal cross-check), so a Home Office officer's point should map across. Officers from forces outside England and Wales, such as Police Scotland, are paid on a different scale; ask the CNC which point you would be placed on.
- Leave: the CNC's standard leave is 200 hours a year, rising to 240 hours after 10 years, plus eight public holidays. If your current leave is higher, check it will be honoured.
- Shifts: normally four 12-hour days or nights on, then four off.
- Overtime: available, but the CNC says you will start and finish at your allotted times. Rates are not published.
- Location allowance: the Garlogie and St Fergus new-recruit adverts offer £5,000 a year. The Garlogie transferee advert does not repeat it, so ask.
Full figures are on our CNC pay scales page.
The pension switch
This is the biggest change for most transferees. CNC officers are not in a police pension scheme. They are in the UKAEA Combined Pension Scheme, where you pay 8.2% of pensionable pay and the CNC pays 20.7%.
- The scheme is changing: the CNC scheme is due to close and move to alpha; the date has been delayed and is expected to be confirmed in 2027.
- Pension age: the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 gives members of a police force a normal pension age of 60 in the reformed schemes. In 2016 the High Court ruled that CNC officers are not members of a police force for that purpose.
- Your existing police pension: the CNC does not publish how a transferring officer's police pension is treated. Before you apply, ask your current administrator what happens to it if you leave and whether any transfer is possible.
A transfer to the CNC means leaving your police pension scheme. Ask for a benefit statement and written answers on deferred benefits and pension age from your current scheme first. Read our CNC pension scheme guide and transferring a police pension.
Open transferee adverts
On 23 October 2026 the CNC's police officer portal showed four transferee adverts, all in Scotland and none with a closing date. Treat them as open until removed and check the portal before applying.
| Advert | Title | Posted | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 690 | Police Constable AFO Transferee Dounreay 2026 | 12 Jan 2026 | No closing date |
| 691 | Police Constable AFO Relocate to Dounreay Transferee 2026 | 12 Jan 2026 | No closing date |
| 737 | Police Constable AFO Garlogie Transferee 2026 | 10 Jul 2026 | No closing date |
| 738 | Police Constable AFO St Fergus Transferee 2026 | 10 Jul 2026 | No closing date |
No transferee advert for an English site was open on that date. The portal also listed two National Firearms Instructor posts (Dounreay and FTU North at Griffin Park, Cumbria) closing on 16 November 2026 at 23:59, for serving or recent firearms instructors. See CNC jobs by site for every site and its status.
Relocating to Dounreay
Dounreay is in Caithness, in the north of Scotland. The CNC runs separate relocation adverts for it, including one for transferees (advert 691).
- Buyers: the CNC's relocation advert offers up to £5,000 towards survey, estate agent and removal costs.
- Renters: up to £2,500 to move your belongings.
- Each case is assessed individually, so these are maximums.
These amounts are from the new-recruit relocation advert. Check the transferee relocation advert for the terms that apply to you.
If you later want to leave the CNC
Think about your exit routes before you join. Two forces publish clear rules:
| Force | Accepts CNC officers as transferees? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| British Transport Police | No: BTP says MDP and CNC officers are not accepted as transferees | BTP careers and transferee adverts |
| MOD Police | Yes: CNC is named among the forces whose constables can apply through the NEOF route, after completing probation | MOD Police NEOF entry criteria |
Home Office forces each set their own transferee rules, so check the force you have in mind. If you might want to move back into territorial policing, ask that force before you leave it.
Transferee checklist
Our own list, not CNC guidance:
- Check eligibility: past probation, nothing outstanding with PSD, any break under 12 months (or under five years as a rejoiner).
- Check the medical: eyesight without glasses, no hearing aids, BMI or body fat within limits.
- Train for 7.6 on the bleep test, with a margin, because it is retested every year.
- Gather firearms records if you have them. They decide your course length.
- Get pension figures from your current scheme before you resign.
- Prepare the Values Based Interview from the CVF, the AFO role profile and the Code of Ethics.
- Get your pay point and leave in writing before accepting an offer.
- Plan the move: every open transferee advert is in Scotland.
What the CNC does not publish
- How long the transferee process takes.
- The format of the Values Based Interview: number of questions, length or scoring.
- How a transferring officer's police pension is treated.
- Whether transferees at Garlogie get the £5,000 location allowance.
- Which pay point officers from forces outside England and Wales are placed on.
- Whether transferees can be posted to a different site later and on what terms.
- Overtime rates.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the National Sift is needed. The CNC does not list it for transferees.
- Assuming you will pass the medical because you passed your force's. The CNC uses an AFO standard: no glasses to meet the eyesight standard and no hearing aids.
- Training for 5.4. The CNC standard is 7.6, every year.
- Assuming you keep a police pension. You move to the UKAEA scheme at 8.2%, which is itself due to move to alpha.
- Assuming you can go to BTP later. BTP does not accept CNC officers as transferees.
- Leaving it too long after resigning. A break of 12 months or more makes you a rejoiner; five years or more ends both routes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer to the Civil Nuclear Constabulary from a Home Office force?
Yes. The CNC accepts transferees from Home Office forces, Police Scotland, the PSNI, British Transport Police and the MOD Police. You must be serving, have passed probation and have no outstanding complaints, disciplinary or criminal cases.
Do CNC transferees have to sit the National Sift or the online assessment centre?
The CNC's transferee page does not list either. The transferee process is an online application, shortlisting, a Values Based Interview at a recruitment day, then the medical, the 7.6 bleep test and a firearms assessment, then vetting. New recruits sit the National Sift and the online assessment centre; transferees, as described by the CNC, do not.
How long is CNC training for transferees?
Either 4 weeks or 19 weeks, residential, depending on your firearms qualifications. The CNC says officers who are currently AFO or ARV trained do a condensed 4-week programme. Officers with a current firearms qualification, or one that expired no more than 12 months ago, are assessed against the CNC's role profile, so bring your training records.
Do I need to be firearms trained to transfer to the CNC?
No. Every CNC officer becomes an Authorised Firearms Officer, but the CNC trains unarmed officers on the full 19-week course. Being AFO or ARV trained already gets you the shorter 4-week course and means the firearms assessment at selection is waived.
Will I keep my pay if I transfer to the CNC?
In most cases. The CNC says transferees, in the majority of cases, have the salary and annual leave they had at their last force honoured. Its transferee adverts give a salary of £32,256 to £52,014 depending on experience. Get your pay point confirmed in writing before you accept.
How long is probation for a CNC transferee?
Six months. New recruits serve a two-year probation.
What happens to my police pension if I join the CNC?
CNC officers are in the UKAEA Combined Pension Scheme, not a police pension scheme. You would pay 8.2% into it. That scheme is itself due to close and move to the civil service alpha scheme; the date has been delayed and is expected to be confirmed in 2027. The CNC does not publish how your existing police pension is treated when you leave, so ask your current pension administrator before you apply.
Can I rejoin the CNC or join it after leaving another force?
Yes, if your break is under five years at the point of conditional offer. A break of under 12 months counts as a transfer; 12 months to 5 years makes you a rejoiner. The CNC says it has no reciprocal agreements with other forces but may take previous relevant service into account for pay and leave.
Can I transfer from the CNC to British Transport Police later?
Not as a transferee on BTP's current terms. BTP's transferee pages and adverts say MDP and CNC officers are not accepted as transferees. The MOD Police, by contrast, lists the CNC among the forces whose constables can apply through its New Entrant from Other Forces route.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 23 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.
- CNC careers: Police officer transferees : eligible forces; serving, probation passed, no outstanding cases; break rules; process; Values Based Interview content; firearms assessment; MSFT 7.6; PSD check; 4-week or 19-week IFP; six-month probation; pay and leave honoured; overtime; nationally approved eligibility criteria (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC advert 737: Police Constable AFO Garlogie Transferee 2026 : salary £32,256 to £52,014 depending on experience; condensed 4-week programme for AFO/ARV trained officers; no location allowance stated (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC careers: Police officers : rejoiners welcomed; no reciprocal agreements; previous service may count; leavers within 12 months; annual leave; 4 on 4 off shifts (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC Policing Professional Role Profile, PC AFO (PDF) : all six CVF competencies set at Level 1 for a PC AFO (accessed 23 October 2026)
- An overview of apprenticeships in the CNC (PDF, February 2026) : IFP content; accommodation, travel, food and refreshments provided; apprenticeship for new recruits in England (accessed 23 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Working for CNC : five to eight months from first application for new recruits (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC police officer job portal : transferee adverts 690, 691, 737 and 738 open on 23 October 2026 with no closing date (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC advert 689: Relocate to Dounreay 2026 : relocation up to £5,000 for buyers and £2,500 for renters (new-recruit relocation advert) (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC careers: Relocate to Dounreay : up to £5,000 relocation support (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC advert 735: Police Constable AFO Garlogie 2026 : £5,000 location allowance on the new-recruit advert; 8.2% personal contribution (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC pre-employment medical guidance, version 8 (PDF) : AFO medical: glasses not acceptable to meet the eyesight standard; hearing aids not compatible; BMI 18.5 to 30 (accessed 23 October 2026)
- UKAEA pension scheme (Equiniti): About the Scheme : 8.2% member rate; 20.7% employer rate (accessed 23 October 2026)
- UKAEA pension scheme (Equiniti): Alpha delay FAQs : move to alpha delayed; date expected to be confirmed in early 2027 (accessed 23 October 2026)
- High Court: Civil Nuclear Police Federation v CNPA [2016] EWHC 2186 (Admin) : CNC officers not members of a police force for the 2013 Act pension age exception (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Public Service Pensions Act 2013, section 10 : normal pension age 60 for members of a police force (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP careers: Transferees : MDP and CNC officers are not accepted as BTP transferees (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP advert 793: Transferee and Re-Joiner Police Constable : BTP transferee eligibility (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MOD Police: NEOF entry criteria : CNC constables who have completed probation can apply through the NEOF route (accessed 23 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Free tools for MOD Police and CNC applicants
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the Ministry of Defence Police, the Ministry of Defence, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, the Defence Police Federation, the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, the College of Policing or any other force. It does not recruit, vet or assess applicants. Every fact here comes from the force's own pages, GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk or the other sources listed, read on the date shown. Each force sets and changes its own process and pay: check its current pages and your own invitation before relying on anything here. Our practice questions are original PolicePay material, not questions used by either force. Details are as checked on 23 October 2026.