What are your nationality requirements?

To be eligible for appointment, a candidate must be a British citizen or a citizen of a country that is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. Commonwealth citizens and foreign nationals are also eligible but only if they are resident in the UK free of restrictions. If you are a Commonwealth citizen or other foreign national, you must provide proof that you have no restrictions on your stay in the UK.

After 30 June 2021, nationals of the EEA or Switzerland will also need to provide evidence that their stay is free from restrictions. The police need to ensure that adequate and satisfactory vetting is undertaken for all applicants and require at least a three-year checkable history in order to do this. Therefore, it is a requirement to have been a resident of the UK for at least three years, to allow for the necessary vetting enquiries to take place.