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Your DBS process has now been started by King's College Admissions Office, or by your Faculty.

Prior to enrolment you will need to complete a DBS check as clearance is required in order for you to be able to undertake your programme. DBS checks can take several months, so it is important that you start the process as soon as possible even if your placement is not due to start at the beginning of your programme. Offer holders will receive reminders if their DBS clearance has not been completed. Therefore, please ensure that you check any messages from us to ensure that you do not have any outstanding actions to take.

The process will vary depending on if you are currently resident in the UK or overseas.

UK Residents: Please follow the UK Resident Instructions below.

Overseas Residents: Please follow the Non-UK Residents Instructions below.

Please read the below instructions carefully before you start the process to ensure you understand the process and to avoid delays in your DBS check being completed.

Should you have any questions regarding the DBS process prior to the start of your programme, please contact the Admissions Office by sending a message via your King’s Apply account using the DBS Check message category. After this date, please contact your faculty directly using the contacts list below.

If you are required to submit an overseas police check, Certificate of Good Conduct, or existing DBS certificate in support of your DBS application, please send this to dbs.clearance@kcl.ac.uk prior to the start of your programme. If providing this document after this date please email your faculty directly.

Important update: As of October 2021, the ID guidelines for DBS have been updated for non-UK nationals. For any non-UK applicants whose application started after this point, please note that you will need to provide ID documents in accordance with the new requirements. Our instruction guides and ID document list on this site have been updated to reflect this.

 

Faculty sponsored programmes

The following information applies if you are currently holding an offer for:

  • BSc Physiotherapy 
  • MPharm Pharmacy
  • Any pre-registration Nursing or Midwifery programmes (BSc or MSc)
  • MSc Dietetics (Home fee status only)
  • MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) (Home fee status only)

If you are holding an offer for any other programme, including PGCE, or are an Overseas student for the MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) programme, please read the 'All other programmes' information below.

Instructions on how to complete the DBS process for Faculty Sponsored Programme students:

As a faculty sponsored student you will not be charged for your DBS check, however there will be a charge for the Post Office verification.

Non-faculty sponsored programmes

The following information applies to students who are currently holding an offer for any non-Faculty sponsored programmes. This includes PGCE applicants (Teacher training).

Your DBS check will cost £46.55 and there will be an additional charge for the Post Office verification.

To order your DBS check you will need to use the King's E-Store.

Once you have completed your purchase you will be sent a receipt, and the King's Admissions Office will be notified to proceed with the next stage of the DBS clearance process.

Instructions on how to complete the DBS process for non-Faculty Sponsored Programme students:


Faculty of Life Science & Medicine postgraduate research students

Postgraduate research students in the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine (FoLSM) should read the DBS clearance guidance document on the FoLSM PGR KEATS page. The guidance outlines instructions specific to FoLSM PGR students.

FAQs: General

Q: Which instructions should I use?

A: The set of instructions you follow will depend on whether you are currently living in the UK or whether you are overseas. If your contact address on your application is not correct please update it as soon as possible and send a message on King’s Apply to confirm that this has been updated. If you submitted your application via UCAS please update your application on your UCAS account, otherwise this can be updated on King’s Apply. If you applied via DfE Apply please update your application on your DfE Apply account, and send us a message through your King's Apply account to ensure we have the correct details.

Q: Can I use a DBS certificate I have recently obtained from another job/voluntary position/course (including a course at King's College London)?

A: Yes, if the previous DBS check was at an Enhanced level, covering the workforce required for your programme, and you are registered with the DBS Update Service - www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service we can use this instead of a new check. You will need to email a copy of your previous DBS certificate (further details are provided within the instructions).

Q: I have lived overseas at some point during the last 5 years - do I need to provide anything additional to prove DBS clearance during this time?

A: Yes. If you have lived outside of the United Kingdom for a period of 12 months or more at any time during the last 5 years you will need to provide an Overseas Disclosure (also known as a good conduct certification) from the relevant country. Exception: If you are applying to a PGCE programme you will need to provide certification for any country that you've lived in for periods of 6 months or more over the last 5 years.

Q: If I am resident overseas and have provided a police check or certificate of good conduct from my country of residence, do I still need to complete a DBS check?

A: Yes, as you are required to complete both an Overseas Disclosure and DBS check.

Q: I have been on a gap year/working holiday – do I need to provide a certificate of good conduct?

A: No, you are only required to provide a certificate of good conduct if you have lived outside the UK as your permanent residence.

FAQs: Completing the application

Q: Can I use photocopies or screenshots of my documents as evidence of ID?

A: No. All documents must be originals, meaning you must show the original hard copy document itself as part of your ID verification.

Q: How will I be contacted about my DBS application?

A: You should receive an email from dbs.clearance@kcl.ac.uk to let you know that you will need a DBS check, and provide you with a link to more information on the process. Once your DBS check has been initiated you will receive an email from Atlantic Data (dbs@kcl.disclosures.co.uk) to confirm this. After this point, we advise any questions regarding your DBS check pre-enrolment are directed to the Admissions Office. After enrolment, please contact your Faculty directly.

Q: I don’t remember the postcode for one of my previous UK addresses, is this required for my DBS check?

A: You will need to include the post code for all your previous addresses, but you can use the following website to find address details: www.royalmail.com/find-a-postcode

Q: What shall I enter for my address history if I have been in university accommodation at any point in the last five years?

A: You should enter your university addresses and home address, ensuring that there are no gaps.

Q. What should I enter for the ‘Sequence Number’?

A: Please leave this field blank as you do not need to enter anything in this field.

Q: What do I do if I don’t have any of these forms of ID?

A: Most utility providers and banks are able to provide paper statements if requested. If you don’t think you have any proof of address, please contact us for further advice on what you could provide.

Q: I have been on a gap year/working holiday – what address should I enter?

A: If you have not permanently lived outside the UK please enter your UK address only.

Q: My programme information is not correct on Atlantic Data – what should I do?

A: Please send a message via your King’s Apply account as soon as possible and do not complete your check until this information has been corrected.

Q. Is there a specific way I should detail my name on my application?

A: You should enter your name in the same format as you did on King’s Apply. Please note that the DBS system does not accept special characters so if your name contains a letter with an accent or other character, you should enter it without this when you submit your DBS application so that the name matches the name on your passport as closely as possible.

FAQs: DBS system

Q: Why haven’t I received an email from the online DBS system?

A: Only applicants who have listed on their application that they are currently living in the UK will receive the email from Atlantic Data to initiate their DBS check. Applicants who listed that they are resident outside of the UK will not receive this email until closer to enrolment. If you are a UK resident but haven't received your DBS email please check your junk folder. If you still haven't received it and are concerned, please contact the Admissions team via your King's Apply account and we will look into this for you.

FAQs: Clearance

Q: Can I track my application after submission?

A: Yes, if you log into the Atlantic Data website using the username from your email and the password you set up, you will be able to see the current status of your check. However, once your DBS certificate has been produced you will no longer be able to log into the Atlantic Data system.

Q: How will I know I have clearance?

A: You will be sent your DBS certificate in the post to the address you registered as your home address on your DBS application.

Q: Will the fact that I have a conviction, caution or warning be a problem?

A: If you have a conviction, caution, or warning and declared this as part of your application to King’s, please be assured that this will already have been carefully considered before an offer was made to you. Please note that failure to declare a conviction that later appears on your DBS check may result in your offer being withdrawn.

FAQs: Where is my certificate?

DBS certificates are issued by the UK government and are posted directly to the address specified in your DBS Check. King's College London are informed of the outcome of your DBS Check, however we do not receive a copy of your certificate.

If it has been 14 days since your DBS certificate was issued and you have not received it please refer to the gov.uk guidance on the steps needed to receive this.

Faculty contacts

Once you have started your course, the DBS process will be managed by your faculty. Therefore, if you have not completed your DBS prior to this date, please contact your faculty directly with any queries: