There is no such thing as a ‘police clearance certificate’ in New Zealand. If you are convicted of a crime, a criminal record is created and held in a database by the Ministry of Justice. If you are asked for a ‘police clearance certificate’, ‘police record’, ‘police file’, ‘police check’, or ‘criminal check’, a copy of your criminal record from the Ministry of Justice should meet the requirements. If you have no convictions, you will receive a letter stating that is the case.

To apply, visit the Ministry of Justice website’s section on .

Police Vetting is only available to approved organisations who meet the Vetting Service’s approval criteria. A ‘Police vet’ is sometimes incorrectly called a ‘police clearance’ or a ‘police check’. Find out more about Police vetting.