About the Author
Kwok is a practising solicitor based in London, admitted in England & Wales and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. He is registered with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Kwok has worked as legal counsel and in-house solicitor across leading firms and corporations. He personally oversees every apostille and legalisation case at Ginkgo Advisory, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and end-to-end quality control.
Kwok Lam
Legal Consultant of Ginkgo Advisory
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.
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
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, communication route 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
When Should You Contact ACRO Customer Services?
For questions about Police Certificates, International Child Protection Certificates and Subject Access Requests, ACRO asks applicants to check the relevant Frequently Asked Questions before contacting Customer Services.
If you still need support, you can contact ACRO Customer Services by email or telephone.
ACRO Customer Services phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm UK time.
They are closed during bank holidays in England and Wales.
ACRO also states that it cannot take calls using WeQ4U.
ACRO Customer Services Contact Details
For ACRO Customer Services enquiries, you can contact:
Email: customer.services@acro.police.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)23 8045 1477
You may need these contact details if you have a question about your application, certificate, delivery, correction, cancellation or other ACRO service matter.
If Ginkgo Advisory applies for the ACRO Police Certificate on your behalf, we can help manage the application route and then arrange the UK FCDO apostille after ACRO issues the certificate.
DBS, Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI Enquiries
ACRO states that if your enquiry relates to disclosure services such as DBS, Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI, you should contact those services directly.
ACRO is a national police unit and states that it has no affiliation with those services.
This distinction matters because ACRO Police Certificates and UK disclosure checks are different processes.
Record Deletion Enquiries
If you have an initial enquiry about making a record deletion application, ACRO directs applicants to its Record Deletion page.
If the Record Deletion page does not answer your question, ACRO provides the following email address:
ACRO states that a member of the team will contact you within 72 hours.
Police Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies
If you work for a police force or other law enforcement agency, ACRO provides a separate contact route for International Request enquiries.
Email: ukca@acro.police.uk
This route is for police forces and other agencies, rather than ordinary applicant enquiries.
Media Enquiries
Members of the media should contact ACRO’s Communications team.
ACRO states that its Communications team is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm UK time, excluding bank holidays in England and Wales.
Email: communications@acro.police.uk
This contact route covers media enquiries relating to the work of ACRO Criminal Records Office.
ACRO Postal Address
For general post, ACRO lists the following address:
ACRO
PO Box 481
Fareham
Hampshire
PO14 9FS
United Kingdom
For Subject Access Request post, ACRO lists:
ACRO (SAR)
PO Box 623
Fareham
Hampshire
PO14 9FS
United Kingdom
These postal addresses are ACRO’s own addresses. If you want ACRO to send your ACRO Police Certificate to Ginkgo Advisory for apostille handling, you should use our London office address when arranging delivery.
ACRO Data Protection Officer
ACRO provides a separate contact route for its Data Protection Officer.
Email: DataProtectionOfficer@acro.police.uk
Postal address:
ACRO Data Protection Officer
PO Box 481
Fareham
PO14 9FS
United Kingdom
This contact route is for data protection matters.
ACRO Court Orders
ACRO receives, reviews and processes court orders for family court proceedings involving international conviction data.
Court orders that direct international convictions to be obtained from a specified country for specified data subjects can be submitted to:
Email: acrocourtorders@acro.police.uk
ACRO states that court orders are dealt with as a priority. The team will review orders and provide guidance if processing cannot be completed.
ACRO Information Management
ACRO also provides an Information Management contact route.
Email: information.management@acro.police.uk
This is separate from the Customer Services route for Police Certificate application queries.
Complaints or Concerns About ACRO
If you are dissatisfied with the level of service received from ACRO and wish to raise a concern, ACRO directs applicants to the “Raising a concern or complaint with ACRO” guidance on its Publications page.
For general service questions, applicants should contact ACRO Customer Services first.
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 make the apostille stage smoother 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.
How Ginkgo Advisory Can Help
Ginkgo Advisory can assist with:
- ACRO Police Certificate application support
- Application on behalf of an eligible applicant
- Guidance on the correct ACRO contact route
- 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.
Contact Us
Address
Suite 161, 30 Red Lion Street, Richmond, London
English 
Chinese