Security clearance can’t be applied for independently. It starts with a sponsor, moves through BPSS and a security questionnaire, and ends with a UKSV decision. Learn the step-by-step process, processing times by clearance level, and what each of the seven levels, from BPSS to DV, actually involves.
Security clearance, or National Security Vetting (NSV), provides a certain level of assurance at a point in time as to an individual’s suitability to have trusted access to sensitive information. It can also help you apply for ex-military jobs.
To gain a UK security clearance, an individual must undergo an examination and evaluation process, including a background check, before employment is offered. The system applies to people whose jobs involve access to sensitive government assets, information or personnel.
Security cleared personnel can include civil servants, members of the security and intelligence agencies, armed forces personnel, the police, employees of certain other non-government organisations that are obliged to comply with the government’s security procedures and contractors providing goods and services to the government.
UK security clearance is required to protect assets against threats from hostile intelligence services, cyber security threats, terrorists and other pressure groups. The results of the vetting process determine who can be given access to sensitive government information or property.
All candidates who apply for jobs that provide access to sensitive information or sites are asked to complete a security questionnaire. The personal details recorded on these enable the necessary checks to be carried out. Interviews will also be undertaken where necessary. The depth of checks varies according to the level of access to sensitive information that the job entails.
You can’t apply for a security clearance as an individual. It must be requested by an employer and carried out by UK Security Vetting (UKSV). The process itself follows the same basic structure, regardless of which level you’re applying for.
How long each stage takes depends heavily on the clearance level involved:
| Clearance level | Typical processing time |
| BPSS | Five to ten days |
| CTC | A few weeks |
| SC | Several weeks (around six weeks on average) |
| DV | Up to six months |
Whilst your sponsoring organisation will own the application, vetting is carried out by UKSV, a single vetting unit with set pricing and portable clearances across departments, meaning clearance granted for one government department is generally recognised by another without needing to be re-vetted from scratch.
Clearance is usually granted for a specific period tied to your employment term or project. It reflects an assessment of your suitability at that point in time rather than a permanent guarantee, which is why it stays under review throughout its validity. If anything comes to light that raises doubts about a clearance holder, this is reported to UKSV via the NSV portal as an Aftercare Incident Report (AIR), and can be submitted anonymously if preferred.
Security clearance can be verified and transferred to a new employer if required and in some cases a job can start on a lesser clearance, such as BPSS, while a higher level is processed with restricted site access in the meantime.
There are seven recognised levels of national security vetting in the UK:
To pass any of the higher levels, you’ll also need to complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). For more information, see government guidance here.
Developed Vetting (DV) is a highly comprehensive form of security clearance, required for:
A full DV clearance process involves these mandatory stages:
Once these steps are complete, UKSV assesses the information and decides whether to approve or refuse DV clearance. Any clearance granted is valid for a set period, after which a review is required if it’s still needed.
The process can take up to nine months and normally requires at least ten years of UK residency.
Existing DV holders must renew at intervals of no more than seven years or sooner if the risk owner sets a shorter validity period. Your sponsor initiates the renewal, which carries the same mandatory checks as the original application but may exclude the referee interview.
Enhanced Developed Vetting is reserved for a very small number of posts requiring an extra level of assurance above DV, and can only be requested by a limited number of sponsors with prior agreement from UKSV and the Cabinet Office.
A Security Check (SC or SC Cleared) is required for people with substantial access to secret assets or occasional controlled access to top secret assets. It confirms that their character and personal circumstances don’t pose a risk around such assets.
A full SC clearance process includes the following:
Once complete, the information gathered is assessed and a decision made to approve or refuse SC clearance.
Processing time varies, though Ministry of Justice guidance puts the average at six weeks from application completion for new checks, and applicants are typically expected to have lived in the UK for the past five years.
An Enhanced Security Check (eSC) allows regular uncontrolled access to secret assets and occasional, controlled access to top secret assets. It’s used for specific roles needing more assurance than SC, but not to DV level.
A Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) is required for people working in close proximity to public figures, those with access to material or information valuable to terrorists, or roles with unrestricted access to government or commercial establishments considered at risk of terrorist attack.
CTC clearance doesn’t itself grant access to protectively marked assets, though the Baseline Personnel Security Standard allows a degree of access.
The CTC process involves these mandatory stages:
Once complete, the information gathered is assessed and a decision made on approval or refusal.
An Accreditation Check is required for anyone needing an Airport Identification Card or UK air carrier Crew Identification Card, as well as those providing aviation security training or responsible for air cargo security standards.
AC clearance comprises:
AC clearance is normally valid for up to five years, provided the sponsoring organisation keeps supplying the required data or 12 months otherwise.
Unlike the levels above, NATO clearance sits outside the UK’s own National Security Vetting framework, covering access to NATO-classified material rather than UK government assets. It’s issued as a Personnel Security Clearance (PSC) certificate through the same UKSV sponsor process, but only based on an existing SC or DV clearance, so you can’t apply for it in isolation.
NATO has four levels of security classification:
NATO’s clearance levels function independently of any clearance levels for other nations. However, it is understood that for most NATO nations, granting a NATO Security Clearance is handled similarly to that of obtaining a national security clearance.
All personal information collected for NSV services is strictly controlled. Only the minimum amount of data needed for the provider to perform the check will be shared. Moreover, UKSV may share your personal information with certain parties, under specific circumstances, which include:
If a security risk has been identified, UKSV or the sponsoring organisation may consider it necessary to share relevant information with an appropriate person. In this case, the applicant will be notified first.
In exceptional circumstances, UKSV may share information with a third party such as the police. This could happen if the data indicates a criminal offence might have occurred or is about to be committed, or if there is evidence that an individual is at risk of harm and/or that action is required to safeguard national security. In this instance, no consent or notice is required to be given.
DBS checks are for positions involving certain activities and high levels of responsibility such as teaching children or dealing with vulnerable adults and can also be obtained for certain other professions such as judicial appointments or RSPCA officers.
In addition to the information provided on a Standard Certificate, the Enhanced Certificate also involves a police check to ascertain if any other information is held on file that may be relevant for consideration (for instance, information that has not led to a criminal conviction but may indicate a danger to vulnerable groups). The police decide what (if any) additional information will be added to the certificate using the Quality Assurance Framework.
The involvement of local police forces can mean an Enhanced Check may take significantly longer to be completed than a Standard check.
An Enhanced Check may only be applied for if the applicant’s job role is specified in both the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exception) order 1975 and the Police Act 1997.
BPSS and EPS (formerly Enhanced Basic Check or Basic Check +) are not formal security clearances but are a package of pre-employment checks that represent good recruitment and employment practice.
These aim to provide an appropriate level of assurance as to the trustworthiness, integrity and probable reliability of prospective employees. They should be applied to:
Baseline Security Clearance checks are normally conducted by the recruitment authorities or companies to the agreed standard. These checks underpin the national security vetting process. Therefore, they must be carried out properly and thoroughly before any further vetting is completed.
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) operates the compulsory licensing of individuals working in specific sectors of the private security industry within the UK. The activities licensed under the Private Security Industry 2001 regulation pertain to manned guarding, which include:
Can I start work before clearance is granted?
If your role requires clearance, you may not be able to start your employment until it has been obtained. Some employers offer the option to start on a lesser clearance, such as BPSS, while the higher level is processed, though you’ll usually have restricted site access until full clearance comes through.
Can I transfer my clearance to a new employer?
Yes, in most cases. Security clearance can be verified and transferred to a new employer if required, since it’s the sponsoring organisation that owns the clearance rather than the individual. Your new employer will need to confirm the transfer with UKSV and some departments may still require a fresh application if they don’t recognise clearance granted elsewhere.
How do I check the progress of my application?
You can’t get exact timescales directly from the UKSV Helpdesk, since every application is unique. Instead, contact your sponsor for an update, as they’re the ones UKSV will communicate with about your case.
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