In the UK, security clearance is employer-sponsored and essential for roles involving classified data. Individuals can’t apply independently – it requires a job offer and a sponsor. Learn what it costs, who pays, and how the process works.
If you want to work in some of the UK’s most sensitive sectors or will be expected to handle classified data on a regular basis, you’ll need a security clearance before you start your role.
There are many positions where this will be necessary, but it most commonly applies to individuals who are either working directly for a UK government department or are applying for a job with a private business that holds government contracts.
The chances are you’ll have a few questions about this if you’ve not required security clearance before. One of the most common relates to the costs involved in the application and what, if any, expenses applicants can expect to encounter during the process.
The most important point is that in the UK, it is the employer, not the applicant, that pays for the costs of security clearance. Generally, these expenses are absorbed by the organisation and factored in as part of the hiring process. However, there may be some exceptions, such as if you’ll be an independent contractor, in which case costs may be passed on.
For most people, however, there is no direct cost to getting security cleared in the UK. For organisations, most security clearance levels, such as Counter Terrorist Check and Security Check, will cost around £60 to process. The exception is Developed Vetting (DV) which, due to its intensive and time-consuming nature, is significantly more expensive, at £2,850 for an initial application as of 2024.
The first step in any security clearance process is the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). This is an essential initial checklist that verifies your identity, employment history, right to work in the UK and any criminal record.
Passing all four points is required for any security clearance, so employers must complete this before paying for any further applications.
Unlike other vetting processes conducted by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV), this can be done in-house or outsourced to specialist providers of BPSS services. This means costs can vary for employers, but typically range from £80 to £150, depending on the service used and extras such as expedited processing.
Individuals who have already passed security clearance screening may often be looked upon more favourably by recruiters. However, any preexisting clearance will need to have been obtained in a previous role and verified before it can be transferred to a new position.
This means it is not possible in the UK for an individual to apply for a security clearance on their own or self-fund an application in anticipation of applying for security cleared jobs. This is because in order to proceed, UKSV requires all applicants to have a sponsor.
A sponsor will be the organisation you are set to work for, and the individual sponsor will usually be a human resources or security officer. It is tied to a specific role – not to the business generally – to show what the position will involve and why you’ll need access to classified data or sensitive locations.
If you want to learn more about the process of getting security cleared, read our full guide.
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