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 complete the ACRO online form 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 Complete the ACRO Online Form Yourself
You can create an ACRO account and complete the ACRO Police Certificate online form 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 are comfortable completing the ACRO online form themselves, but want professional support with the apostille stage.
The process is:
You complete the ACRO online form → 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 Completes the ACRO Application 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 help with the ACRO application form, document uploads 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
ACRO Online Form Help: Why It Matters
ACRO provides online form guidance for people completing a Police Certificate, International Child Protection Certificate, also known as an ICPC, or Subject Access Request.
This guidance helps applicants use the online form correctly, upload documents, complete mandatory fields and avoid common form errors.
If Ginkgo Advisory applies for the ACRO Police Certificate on your behalf, we can help manage these practical steps as part of the application process.
Autofill Warning When Applying for Someone Else
If you complete an ACRO online form on behalf of another person, ACRO recommends turning off browser autofill suggestions.
This helps prevent your own personal details from being inserted into the applicant’s form by mistake.
Before starting the form, you can search your browser name together with “turn off autofill” and follow the relevant browser guidance.
This is especially important where a parent, legal representative, organisation or authorised person completes the form for someone else.
Mandatory Fields on the ACRO Online Form
ACRO marks mandatory input fields with a red asterisk.
You must complete these fields before moving to the next page.
If you try to continue without completing a mandatory field, the form will not allow you to move forward. It will take you back to the relevant page so that you can complete the missing field.
Therefore, you should review each page carefully before clicking Next.
Checkboxes and Confirmations
ACRO online forms include confirmation checkboxes.
Each checkbox relates to a question shown before the checkbox. You can select the box by clicking it, or by using the keyboard.
This matters because confirmation checkboxes may affect whether the application can move forward.
If you miss a required confirmation, the form may stop you from continuing to the next page.
Dropdown Lists
ACRO online forms also use dropdown lists.
A dropdown field may show “None” until you choose another option from the list.
You should select the relevant option carefully. If the wrong option is selected, the form may contain incorrect information.
This is one reason to review the application before submission.
Date Format on the ACRO Form
ACRO uses the following date format on its forms:
D/MM/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY
For example:
3 June 1990 should be entered as 3/06/1990.
30 June 1990 should be entered as 30/06/1990.
For address history dates, if you cannot remember the exact date, ACRO allows you to provide an approximate date or enter the first day of the month.
This can help when completing long address histories.
Document Uploads
The ACRO online form may ask you to upload documents such as:
- Passport
- Identity document
- Power of attorney document
- Other supporting documents required for the application
To upload a document, you can use the Upload File button and select the file from your device.
If you are not using a mobile device, you may also be able to drag and drop the file into the upload box.
After upload, the form should display the file name as confirmation that the document has been uploaded.
This step is important because missing or incorrect uploads may delay the application.
Error Messages on the ACRO Form
ACRO may show error messages while you complete the form.
For example, when completing the passport, travel document or personal details pages, the form may prompt you if you enter a given name but leave the surname field empty.
If the applicant has no surname, the form may ask you to tick a box to confirm this.
If you click Next but have not completed all mandatory fields, the form will not move forward. Instead, it will return you to the page with the missing information.
You should complete the required field before moving on.
Technical Issues With the ACRO Online Form
If you have a technical problem with the ACRO online form, ACRO recommends that you exit the form, wait a few hours, restart your browser and try again.
If the issue continues, you should contact ACRO Customer Services.
If Ginkgo Advisory applies for the ACRO Police Certificate on your behalf, we can help manage the application workflow and reduce avoidable form-related issues.
Sending the Certificate Directly to Our London Office
If you apply yourself, you can ask ACRO to send the original certificate directly to our London office.
This allows the apostille stage to begin more smoothly after ACRO issues the certificate.
Once the original certificate arrives, Ginkgo Advisory 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
- ACRO Police Certificate online form support
- Application on behalf of an eligible applicant
- Document upload handling
- 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 complete the ACRO online form yourself or ask us to apply on your behalf, we can help create a clear route from ACRO application to FCDO apostille.
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