Countries you canwith a criminal record

Visiting countries like the USA or Australia will usually mean applying for a visa. However, don’t be put off by this. We know of many people with a criminal record who’ve successfully been granted visas. If you are unable to apply for a criminal record certificate online, you may submit your application by post. If you live abroa the application must be sent to the Police unit for background.

Do you need a criminal record to travel to the USA? Will I get into the USA with a criminal record? How to apply for a criminal record in another country?

Can I visit another country with a felony charg? A criminal record can limit the number of opportunities in life for a felon, and this is also often true when it comes to international travel. Countries such as the United States and Canada have incredibly strict policies: travelers can be rejected entry even if they have a minor criminal conviction from as far back as years prior. Police certificate: these are issued by the Criminal Records Office (ACRO) for those wishing to emigrate to Australia , Canada , New Zealand , South Africa and the United States of America. US citizens generally don’t require a visa to enter Canada, but those Americans with criminal records are routinely turned back at the border.

You should contact the embassy of the country you wish to visit to find out what their rules are, and ideally determine if you will be admissible before you actually travel and attempt entry. Can you move to another country with a criminal. If you travel to a country that inquires about criminal history during the visa or customs process, you must answer truthfully. Any false statements could result in a lengthy or permanent bar to that country , particularly the USA or Canada.

You can usually obtain a U. The State Department can deny or revoke your passport under certain circumstances. These include having an outstanding federal arrest warrant, a court order forbidding you to leave the U. All Tier (General) visa applicants who want to work in specified health, education or social care sectors must provide a criminal record certificate. This must be from any country (except the UK). For most jobs (and insurance) you don’t need to disclose your criminal record once it’s ‘spent’.

Most convictions will become spent at some point. Our disclosure calculator tool can help work this out. Once your conviction is spent it won’t be disclosed on a basic DBS check. Having a criminal record can prohibit a person from doing many things in life, including traveling to certain counties. But while entry restrictions against criminal offenders are incredibly strict in countries like the USA and Canada, the rules in most European countries are far more relaxed.

European criminal conviction checks are uncommon, and most EU borders have employed other security measures, including the introduction of the ETIAS visa waiver program. Each country has different rules and policies about allowing entry to travellers with criminal records. When planning a trip, it is important to check with the embassy or consulate of the country you wish to visit. It depends on many things. Every country has its own legal barriers to entry.

Without specifics, this question is difficult. Some countries , for example (cough cough Canada) won’t even let you in for a visit if you ’ve committed a crime that could. Canada’s entry policy is similar to the US and anyone with a criminal record no matter how minor, even a drink-driving conviction, may be excluded from Canada. It may be possible to enter Canada if you have been charged with an offence but have not yet been convicted.

Will my criminal record be a problem? If you are a UK (or EU) citizen and you wish to travel to Australia for business or leisure, you can apply for an eVisitor visa. This allows you to visit Australia for up to three months at a time. If a particular country requires a Visa for you to travel, you need to look at whether there are any questions about criminal convictions, or whether having a criminal record makes you ineligible to apply for a visa.

We have more details of some of the more common countries we receive enquiries about here. Otherwise, it will be a case of making. If you are from a country, such as the United Kingdom, where the law allows to avoid full disclosure of some criminal convictions, note that making a visa or an ESTA application for the United States waves all such rights.