Access NI is Northern Ireland’s official criminal record checking service, offering Basic, Standard, and Enhanced checks tailored to different roles and legal requirements.
Depending on the level, Access NI checks can show unspent convictions, spent convictions, cautions, informed warnings, and relevant non-conviction information held by police. Enhanced checks may also include local police intelligence, especially for roles involving children or vulnerable adults.
Used by employers, licensing bodies, and voluntary organisations, AccessNI helps ensure safe, informed hiring across Northern Ireland.
How to apply through Access NI
To apply for an Access NI check, head to the nidirect website to create an account, and register for an enhanced check.
We have provided a list of FAQs below to help you with this process.
Access NI – Frequently Asked Questions
When making any application to AccessNI whether it is in relation to registration, signatory status or to complete an AccessNI disclosure at any level, the user will be prompted to create or log into a nidirect account.
Many citizens in Northern Ireland will already have a nidirect account as they are used for a number of other government services. If you already have a nidirect account use it, do not create a new one.
When creating the account, you must ensure you provide your own email address which you have access to, which will allow you to:
• activate your account,
• reset your password (if required),
• track status of your application (if applying for a disclosure check)
• view your digital disclosure certificate (if applying for a disclosure check).
See the guidance document below:-
Guidance document to Create a NIDirect account
The Signatory is responsible for keeping personal details on the nidirect account up to date. To change name, contact number or email address log into your nidirect account and at the section entitled ‘Edit personal details’ update the relevant information
When completing or processing an application, if you receive an error message, please confirm what stage of the process you have reached and provide a screenshot of the error to enable AccessNI to investigate.
Please send details of the error, the error message screenshot and the nidirect email address of your account to AccessNI to investigate at
accessni-compliance@accessni.gov.uk
Please use this link to log into your account.
If you are still getting account locked, please reset your password by selecting ‘I’ve forgotten my password’.
After resetting your password, if you are still locked out please email nidirect at nida@nidirect.gov.uk requesting them to unlock your account.
You should log into your nidirect account to view your disclosure certificate. You will have the screen option to share your digital disclosure certificate by entering the relevant email address of the employer or voluntary organisation. If you need to share the disclosure certificate with multiple email addresses, you must enter each email address individually.
Where a paper disclosure certificate was issued to an applicant before 1 September 2025 but it:
• does not get delivered by Royal Mail,
• is misplaced/lost by the applicant, or
• gets damaged
a certificate reprint cannot be provided by AccessNI but AccessNI will re-issue a digital certificate if:
• an email request is sent to the AccessNI mailbox ani@accessni.gov.uk by the applicant providing details of their name and the AccessNI reference number.
• the reprint request is within 90 days of the original certificate being issued.
The date of the digital certificate will be the new issue date and the necessary searches will have been completed by AccessNI.
There is no fee for a reprinted certificate.
The reprint service will only be available until 30 November as no paper certificates were issued after 31 August 2025.
As part of the AccessNI application, identity documentation will have to be uploaded to the application before it can be submitted to AccessNI for processing.
Details of acceptable identity documents is available here: Guidance for signatories approving AccessNI applications | nidirect
With effect from 18 March 2025, nidirect conduct a digital identity check on each applicant when they create their nidirect account. Nidirect will verify the applicant’s name, date of birth and current address. An on-line bank statement can be provided as an identity document from this date.
To be eligible for the AccessNI enhanced disclosure with a barred list check an applicant must be working/volunteering in a position of Regulated Activity.
Regulated Activity can be categorised into two areas:
1. Regulated activity with children which includes:
Teaching, training, supervising, coaching children on a frequent* basis (*once per week on a weekly basis or four times per month); overnight supervision (this only needs to occur on one occasion); providing healthcare; providing personal care; driving a vehicle for children.
2. Regulated activity with adults which includes:
Providing healthcare; providing personal care; social work; assistance with general household duties (which requires the role holder to have access to an individual money to do their shopping or pay their bills); power of attorney responsibilities; conveying to/from medical or social care appointments due to age or disability issues.
For further information on regulated activity please see the links provided below:
Regulated Activity in relation to Children | Department of Health
Regulated Activity in relation to Adults | Department of Health
The disclosure certificate required for a position will be determined by the location in which the role takes place. For example, if the teaching role is in Northern Ireland an AccessNI disclosure is required or if the nursing position is in England, a DBS disclosure is required.
When completing the disclosure application form, if an applicant does not have a national insurance number they should leave this section blank. The applicant will be offered two options to explain why they have no national insurance number –
• under 16 years of age or
• a non-UK citizen.
If an applicant has lost their national insurance number and do not know it, they should enter XXXXXXXXX at this section of the form.
Anyone who logs into their nidirect account from 18 March 2025 will be asked to upgrade their nidirect account to LOA2 level, if not already upgraded. You will need to upload the required identity documentation and a selfie for your nidirect account to be upgraded.
NOTE: You will also be required to upload two identity documents to the AccessNI online application before submitting to the Registered Body/Employer
You should check that the information on your account is up-to-date. If you have recently married or changed your name, your identity document may not match the name details on your account.
When you go to the log in page for your nidirect account there is an option at the bottom to “Manage my account details” select this option and update your personal details. A guidance document is also available on the DoJ website.
You need to update the details on your nidirect account. When you go to the log in page for your nidirect account there is an option at the bottom to “Manage my account details” select this option and update your personal details. A guidance document is also available on the DoJ website.
Yes, you need to provide your share code on the AccessNI online application. The AccessNI Signatory can view your eVisa document by accessing the government site weblink and your share code. A link to the government site weblink will be provided on the online application for AccessNI Signatories to view the document.
Yes, if your identity documents meet the nidirect and AccessNI requirements they can be used for both.