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, disclosure-related questions 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
What Is the ACRO Step-Down Model?
The ACRO Step-down Model is used to decide what offence information should appear on an ACRO Police Certificate.
ACRO explains that criminal conviction records are retained on the Law Enforcement Data Service, known as LEDS, until the person is treated as having reached 100 years of age. However, the Step-down Model is applied to Police Certificates so that disclosure is proportionate and necessary for the intended purpose, in line with data protection legislation.
Does Step-Down Mean the Record Is Deleted?
No. Step-down does not mean the record has been deleted from police systems.
ACRO explains that when an offence is stepped down, it is not removed from LEDS. It means that the offence may not be disclosed through the ACRO Police Certificate process after the relevant step-down rules apply.
This distinction matters because an applicant may still need to answer questions from an overseas authority carefully, depending on the wording of that authority’s form.
What Factors Affect Step-Down?
ACRO considers several factors when applying the Step-down Model.
These include:
- The seriousness of the offence
- The applicant’s age at the time of the offence
- The outcome of the case
- The sentence imposed
- Whether there has been a clear period without further offending
The ACRO guidance divides offences into categories A, B and C, with category A being the most serious and category C being the least serious.
Adult and Young Person Categories
For step-down purposes, ACRO defines an adult as someone who was 18 or older at the time of conviction.
A young person means someone who was under 18 at the time of conviction.
This distinction can affect the relevant step-down period.
Clear Periods and Re-Offending
The Step-down Model uses “clear periods” from offending.
If the person re-offends during the clear period, the time clock may reset and a new clear period may begin.
This means the timing of later offences can affect whether earlier offence history is disclosed on the certificate.
Impending Prosecutions and Current Investigations
ACRO states that step-down is not applied to impending prosecutions.
An impending prosecution means the person has been charged, but the outcome is not yet known or has not yet been recorded on LEDS.
ACRO also states that step-down is not applied to matters under investigation. Once the outcome has been recorded, the relevant step-down rules can then be applied.
Why the Step-Down Model Matters for Applicants
The Step-down Model can affect what appears on the ACRO Police Certificate.
However, if a conviction is not shown on the certificate, an embassy, organisation or overseas authority may still ask the applicant for further information.
ACRO states that where convictions are not included, organisations or embassies may request supplementary details, and the obligation to supply this information lies with the applicant.
Therefore, applicants should read overseas application forms carefully and answer disclosure questions according to the wording of the receiving authority.
Step-Down Periods: General Overview
ACRO’s guidance includes a detailed step-down table.
The periods vary depending on whether the applicant was an adult or young person, whether the sentence was custodial or non-custodial, and whether the offence falls within category A, B or C.
For example, some category A custodial convictions do not step down. Other offences may step down after a clear period, depending on the sentence and offence category.
Because these rules can be detailed, applicants should avoid assuming that an old matter will or will not appear. The certificate outcome depends on ACRO’s assessment under the Step-down Model.
If You Need the Certificate Apostilled
The Step-down Model affects the content of the ACRO Police Certificate.
The apostille process is separate.
Once ACRO issues the original certificate, Ginkgo Advisory can arrange the UK FCDO apostille in 2 working days, where suitable.
If you apply yourself, you can ask ACRO to send the original certificate directly to our London office so that we can proceed with the apostille stage.
How Ginkgo Advisory Can Help
Ginkgo Advisory can assist with:
ACRO Police Certificate application support
Step-down model and disclosure route awareness
ACRO Police Certificate application on behalf of eligible applicants
Arranging 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