ACRO Police Certificate Application Support and FCDO Apostille: Passport-Style Photograph Upload Guidance

If you need an ACRO Police Certificate and then a UK FCDO apostille, Ginkgo Advisory can assist in two practical ways.

You can either apply for the certificate yourself and ask ACRO to send the original certificate directly to our London office, or you can ask Ginkgo Advisory to apply for the certificate on your behalf and then arrange the apostille.

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Option 1: You Apply for the ACRO Police Certificate Yourself

You can complete the ACRO Police Certificate application yourself.

During the application, you can ask ACRO to send the original certificate directly to our London office.

Once we receive the original certificate, Ginkgo Advisory can arrange the UK FCDO apostille in 2 working days, where the document is suitable for our express apostille route.

This option may suit applicants who prefer to manage the ACRO application themselves, but want professional support with the apostille stage.

The process is:

You submit the ACRO application → ACRO sends the original certificate to our London office → Ginkgo Advisory arranges the UK FCDO apostille → We return the apostilled certificate to you

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Option 2: Ginkgo Advisory Applies for the ACRO Police Certificate for You

If you prefer a managed process, Ginkgo Advisory can apply for the ACRO Police Certificate on your behalf.

After ACRO issues the certificate, we can arrange the UK FCDO apostille for you.

This option may suit applicants who want support with the ACRO application, photograph upload and apostille process.

The process is:

Ginkgo Advisory prepares the ACRO application → ACRO issues the certificate → Ginkgo Advisory arranges the UK FCDO apostille → We return the apostilled certificate to you

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Passport-Style Photograph for ACRO Police Certificate Applications

For Police Certificates and International Child Protection Certificates, also known as ICPCs, ACRO requires a digital passport-style photograph of the applicant.

After you upload the photograph, the online form may give you the option to adjust the photograph’s position.

This step is important because the final photograph you submit at this stage will appear on the certificate exactly as accepted.

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How the Photograph Cropping Tool Works

After you upload the photograph, a cropping frame will appear around the image.

You can adjust the frame by clicking and dragging one of the small blue squares around it.

You should position the frame so that the applicant’s face remains central.

You can also use the zoom controls:

• Click the “+” magnifying glass button to zoom in
• Click the “-” magnifying glass button to zoom out
• Use the arrow buttons to move the photograph left, right, up or down

The aim is to make sure the applicant’s face sits clearly and centrally within the frame.

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Cropping and Accepting the Photograph

Once you are happy with the positioning of the photograph, click Crop.

If the cropped photograph looks correct, click Accept.

If the photograph does not look right, click Undo. This will take you back to the photograph editing screen so that you can adjust it again.

When you click Accept, the photograph file name should appear under the image. This confirms that the photograph has been uploaded successfully.

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Using Keyboard Controls for Photograph Editing

ACRO’s form also allows keyboard-based controls.

You can tab to the “+” magnifying glass button and press Enter to zoom in.

You can tab to the “-” magnifying glass button and press Enter to zoom out.

To move the photograph up, down, left or right, you can tab to the relevant magnifying glass or arrow button and use the arrow keys.

Once the photograph is positioned correctly, tab to Crop and press Enter.

If you are happy with the result, tab to Accept and press Enter.

If you are not happy with it, tab to Undo and press Enter to return to the photograph editing screen.

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What If You Upload the Wrong Photograph?

If you upload the wrong photograph, or if you want to change the photograph after uploading it, you can repeat the upload process.

The new photograph will replace the one uploaded previously.

Before submitting the application, you should check that the final accepted photograph is the correct one and that the applicant’s face appears clearly and centrally.

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Why the Photograph Stage Matters

The photograph is not just an upload requirement.

It will appear on the ACRO Police Certificate or ICPC. Therefore, a poorly positioned or incorrect photograph may cause problems later.

Before submitting the form, you should check:

• The correct applicant’s photograph has been uploaded
• The face is central
• The image is clear
• The photograph has been cropped correctly
• The final accepted version is suitable for the certificate

If Ginkgo Advisory applies for the ACRO Police Certificate on your behalf, we can assist with the photograph upload and review before submission.

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Sending the ACRO Certificate Directly to Our London Office

If you apply yourself, you can ask ACRO to send the original ACRO Police Certificate directly to our London office.

This can help the apostille stage proceed more smoothly because the original certificate can move directly from ACRO to Ginkgo Advisory.

Once we receive the original certificate, we can arrange the UK FCDO apostille in 2 working days, where suitable.

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How Ginkgo Advisory Can Help

Ginkgo Advisory can assist with:

• ACRO Police Certificate application support
• Passport-style photograph upload guidance
• Photograph positioning and cropping review
• Application on behalf of an eligible applicant
• ACRO Police Certificate delivery to our London office
• UK FCDO apostille after ACRO issues the certificate
• 2 working day UK FCDO apostille, where suitable
• Return delivery of the apostilled certificate

Whether you apply yourself or ask us to apply on your behalf, we can help create a clear route from ACRO application to FCDO apostille.