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 for an overseas application, the key question is often simple:
Should you choose ACRO standard service or ACRO premium service?
The answer depends on your deadline, delivery address and whether you also need a UK FCDO apostille after ACRO issues the certificate.
Many applicants focus only on ACRO’s processing time. However, the real timeline may include several separate parts:
ACRO processing time → postal delivery time → FCDO apostille time → courier delivery time
Therefore, you should plan the full document route before choosing standard or premium service.
ACRO Standard Service: How Long Does It Take?
ACRO states that the standard service can take up to 20 working days to process the certificate.
This processing time does not include:
- The day you submit the application
- The day ACRO posts the certificate
- Postal delivery time
So, if you submit your application on a Monday, ACRO starts counting from the next working day. If ACRO uses the full standard processing period, it will post the certificate only after that processing period ends.
As a result, the full timeline may be longer than 20 working days.
This matters if you have a visa appointment, relocation deadline, employment start date or document submission deadline.
ACRO Premium Service: How Long Does It Take?
ACRO states that the premium service takes two working days to process the certificate.
Again, this does not include:
- The day you submit the application
- The day ACRO posts the certificate
- Postal delivery time
For example, if you submit the application on a Monday, ACRO starts processing from the next working day. If there are no issues, ACRO may complete the premium processing stage within two working days and then post the certificate.
The premium service can shorten the ACRO processing stage. However, it does not remove postal delivery time or any later apostille stage.
Therefore, even with premium service, you should still allow enough time for the original certificate to reach the correct address.
ACRO Standard vs Premium: Cost Comparison
ACRO currently lists the following fees:
| ACRO service | ACRO processing time | ACRO fee |
|---|---|---|
| Standard application | Up to 20 working days | £70 |
| Premium application | Up to two working days | £125 |
These processing times do not include the date of submission or the date of posting.
Therefore, the practical difference is not only the fee. It is also the number of working days you can save at the ACRO processing stage.
Extra Copies: When Should You Order Them?
The ACRO fee includes one copy of the certificate.
If you request extra copies when you submit the application, each additional copy costs £7.75.
You can also order extra copies up to six months after receiving the certificate. In that case, each additional copy costs £15.
If you expect to submit the certificate to more than one authority, it may be worth considering extra copies at the application stage.
However, you should also check whether each authority accepts a copy, requires an original, or requires a separately apostilled document.
Postal Delivery: Why It Matters
ACRO’s standard fee includes standard first class post within the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
For overseas addresses, it includes standard international post.
However, standard post does not provide a tracking number.
This matters because the apostille stage normally starts only after the original certificate has arrived at the correct address. Therefore, if the certificate needs to be apostilled quickly, delivery planning can be just as important as choosing standard or premium service.
Can ACRO Send the Certificate Directly to Ginkgo Advisory?
Yes. If you apply yourself, you can ask ACRO to send the original certificate directly to our London office.
This can help reduce delay between the ACRO stage and the apostille stage.
The practical route is:
You submit the ACRO application → ACRO sends the original certificate to our London office → Ginkgo Advisory arranges the UK FCDO apostille
Once we receive the original certificate, we can arrange the UK FCDO apostille in 2 working days, where the document is suitable for our express apostille route.
Can Ginkgo Advisory Apply for the ACRO Certificate for You?
Yes. 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.
This route may suit applicants who want support with the ACRO application, delivery handling and apostille process in one workflow.
Practical Timeline Examples
Example 1: Standard ACRO + Apostille
A practical standard route may look like this:
ACRO standard processing: up to 20 working days
→ postal delivery to our London office
→ UK FCDO apostille: 2 working days, where suitable
→ return courier
This route may suit applicants who do not have an urgent deadline.
Example 2: Premium ACRO + Apostille
A practical premium route may look like this:
ACRO premium processing: two working days
→ postal delivery to our London office
→ UK FCDO apostille: 2 working days, where suitable
→ return courier
This route may suit applicants who have a closer deadline and need to reduce the ACRO processing stage.
Which Route Should You Choose?
Choose ACRO standard service if your deadline is flexible and you can wait for the longer processing period.
Choose ACRO premium service if timing matters and you want to reduce the ACRO processing stage.
Ask ACRO to deliver the certificate directly to our London office if you want to move quickly from ACRO issuance to FCDO apostille.
Use a managed route through Ginkgo Advisory if you prefer support from ACRO application to apostille completion.
Need Help Planning the ACRO Timeline?
Ginkgo Advisory can help you plan the document route based on your deadline.
You can either:
- Apply for the ACRO Police Certificate yourself and ask ACRO to send it to our London office; or
- Ask Ginkgo Advisory to apply for the ACRO Police Certificate on your behalf.
Once the original certificate is ready, we can arrange the UK FCDO apostille in 2 working days, where suitable.
This helps you avoid a common problem: choosing the right ACRO service, but forgetting to allow time for delivery and apostille.
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