All students on courses who will be involved in relevant work with children and/or vulnerable adults are legally required to be vetted by the National Vetting Bureau. The Academic Registry administers vetting for incoming students to Trinity.
If you are on a programme in TCD which require Garda Vetting, you won't be able to commence your student registration until our Garda Vetting team has received your Garda Vetting application and documents. You can only start your Garda Vetting when you have accepted your offer to study.
If you are a student returning from ‘Off-Books’, you must be vetted again.
Until your Garda Vetting has been completed and you have received your Garda Vetting clearance, you will not be able to attend any programme placements or carry out research in hospitals, schools, clinics, home visits etc. Any relevant Police certificate must also be submitted by you.
Documents must be submitted in person to our Service Desk in the Watts Building. When submitting documents in person, you must present an original hard copy ID document. Please do not post in your original ID.
If you have any queries or issues, you can email the team at ARGardavetting@tcd.ie.
Courses that require Garda Vetting
Students enrolled in the following undergraduate courses must undergo Garda Vetting:
- Clinical Speech & Language Studies
- Deaf Studies
- Dental Hygiene
- Dental Nursing
- Dental Science
- Dental Technology
- Human Nutrition & Dietetics
- Medicine
- Midwifery
- Music Education
- Nursing (All Strands)
- Occupational Therapy
- Pharmacy - Integrated Pharmacy
- Pharmacy - Graduate Entry to Pharmacy
- Physiotherapy
- Psychology
- Radiation Therapy
- Social Studies (Social Work)
Students enrolled in the following postgraduate courses must undergo Garda Vetting:
- Ageing Health and Wellbeing in Intellectual Disability
- Applied Behaviour Analysis
- Applied Social Research
- Clinical Dental Technology
- Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy
- Conscious Sedation in Dentistry
- Clinical Psychology
- Clinical Speech & Language Studies (Dysphagia)
- Clinical Speech & Language Studies
- Cognitive Psychotherapy
- Dental Surgery - All Strands
- Dementia
- Diagnostic Radiography
- Disability Studies
- Nursing (All Strands)
- Professional Masters in Education – All Strands
- Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
- Social Work
- Special Care Dentistry
Starting Garda Vetting
When accepted your offer in a course that requires Garda Vetting, you must complete the following steps:
- Complete the online NVB0 Form
- Print out your NVB1 Form, TCDV_1 Form and NVB3 Parent/Guardian Form (where applicable)
- Supply Two forms of Identification (ID) -
- Photo ID and Date of Birth (must be passport or Driving Licence)
- Proof of Address showing your name and current address and must have been issued within the last 6 months.
Proof of Address document (dated within the last 6 months) examples:
- Bank/Building Society/Credit Union statement or correspondence
- Utility Bill e.g. gas, electricity, television, broadband (Printed online bills are acceptable/ Mobile phone bills are not acceptable)
- Postal correspondence from SUSI/CAO/educational institution (external to TCD)
- P60, P45 or Payslip with current home address
- Correspondence from an insurance company regarding an active policy
- Postal correspondence from a government body or state agency
The name on your proof of identification must match the name on your proof of address. This must also match the name on your application forms.
Documents can be stamped and signed by any of the following:
- Trinity College Dublin Academic Registry Service Desk
- An Garda Síochána/ Police Officer
- Practicing Chartered and Certified Public Accountants
- Notaries Public/Practising Solicitors
- Embassy/Consular Staff
- Regulated Financial or Credit Institute
- Justice of the Peace
- Commissioner of Oaths
- Medical doctor
If you have lived outside Ireland (including Northern Ireland) for more than 6 months since the age of 18, you must also provide Police Clearance Certificate(s) for each of country.
A hardcopy of this must be submitted in person.
Once we receive all required documents above, we will upload your details to the National Vetting Bureau (NVB) system and you will receive an email from evetting.donotreply@garda.ie with a link to complete the online Garda Vetting application form.
Please complete this carefully, listing all addresses in full including overseas addresses. You can check the progress of your application by tracking it on the NVB system.
Once your vetting application has been processed by the National Vetting Bureau, a disclosure will be issued to Trinity which will be sent to you by the Academic Registry.
International Vetting/ Residence outside of Ireland
International students are required to submit a police clearance certificate from their home country.
If you have lived outside Ireland for more than 6 months since the age of 18, you must provide Police clearance certificate(s) for each country.
You are advised to start seeking the clearance as early as possible as this process can take some time.
The Police clearance can be dated any time after you have left the country but not more than six (6) months prior to leaving. This document should be submitted to the Academic Registry Service Desk when submitting your application.
To get a police certificate, you will need to contact the policing body in the relevant country.
A-Z list of countries and how to get Police Certificates – find out more information here.
Canada
Canadian students can find out more information here.
United Kingdom
If you are from/have lived in England or Wales, you can apply for your criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
If you are from/have lived in Scotland, you can apply for your disclosure from Disclosure Scotland.
North America
US students must submit State or Federal Police certificates.
Canadian students must submit Province or RCMP certificates.
You could also contact the Embassy of your country in Ireland.
Their contact details can be found here.
Trinity College Dublin has no affiliation with or connections to any information on these websites and is not responsible for the content of links provided.
Your application cannot be finalised until we receive your Police clearance certificate(s).
If you are experiencing difficulties with obtaining police clearance for a particular country, please email ARGardavetting@tcd.ie.
Completing Garda Vetting
After you have completed your forms and submitted them in person to our Garda Vetting team, an e-vetting invitation will be issued to your email address.
This will be sent as soon as our team uploads your data in the NVB system and after verifying your identity.
Following completion of the evetting invitation by you, vetting takes 2-4 weeks*. You can track your progress through the NVB system.
*Please note that this time can vary due to the volume of applications received.
FAQs
What documents do I require for Garda Vetting?
Each Garda Vetting applicant is required to submit:
- Vetting Invitation form
- Student Declaration form
- Parent/Guardian consent form (if under 18)
- Certified copy of ID
- Certified copy of evidence of address
- Police Clearance certificates from each relevant country (where you have resided outside of Ireland for more than 6 months past the age of 18)
Can I start my Garda Vetting before I accept my offer to study?
No. Students can only start their Garda Vetting once they have accepted their offer to study in Trinity.
What ID do I require for Garda Vetting?
- Passport
- National ID card
- Driver's Licence/Learner's Permit
Who can certify my documents?
Your ID and proof of address can be certified by one of the following:
- An Garda Siochána/ Police Officer
- Practicing Chartered and Certified Public Accountants
- Notaries Public/Practising Solicitors
- Embassy/Consular Staff
- Regulated Financial or Credit Institute
- Justice of the Peace
- Commissioner of Oaths
- Medical doctor
- Academic Registry Service Desk
How long does the Garda Vetting process take?
From the time your application is received, it takes up to 2 - 4weeks for the disclosure to be issued.
This time may increase at peak periods.
I have received the e-vetting link but noticed my name or address is wrong, what should I do?
Please do not complete your online vetting application if your details are wrong, get in touch with us immediately by emailing ARGardavetting@tcd.ie.
Can I email in my Garda Vetting forms/documents?
A hard copy of your Garda Vetting application must be submitted in person at the Academic Registry Service Desk.
Your application cannot proceed until we have received these hard copies.
Our Service Desk is located on the first floor of the Watts Building and is open between Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm (except Bank Holidays).
Where do I submit my Garda Vetting application?
All Garda Vetting applications are to be submitted in person to Academic Registry Service Desk. A hardcopy of all documents (application forms and other documents) must be submitted.
Can I send in original copies of my documents?
Please do not send in copies of your documents. You can come to the Academic Registry Service Desk with the original and we can take a copy and hand you back the original immediately.
Alternatively, you can get a copy certified and hand the certified copy to us at the Service Desk.
I need a letter to request a Police Clearance Certificate from my home country.
Please email ARGardavetting@tcd.ie and we will be able to provide you this letter.
Do I need to be Garda Vetted?
All students on courses who may come into contact with children and / or vulnerable adults must complete the Garda Vetting process before they can register.
This is a requirement by the National Vetting Bureau for persons that will carry out relevant work with children and/or vulnerable adults.
Please see list of courses that require Garda Vetting.
Do I need to present a Police certificate?
If you have resided outside of Ireland for over 6 months since you turned 18, then you must provide a Police certificate from the country you have resided in.
If you have not lived up to 6 months outside of Ireland since you turned 18, then you do not have to present a Police clearance certificate.
Can I register for my course before I apply to be Garda Vetted?
No. You must submit your application and supporting documents to our team before you can start your registration.
Once our team have received your documents then your student record will be updated and you can start registration.
What happens if I have applied to be Garda Vetted, but my course doesn’t require it?
As Garda Vetting is not required for your course, your application forms will not be processed.
Your forms will be confidentially shredded.
My documents are not in English. Do I need a translation?
Yes. Any documents not in English must be translated by an official translation company.
A copy of your translated documents and a copy of your documents in their original language must be submitted.
I recently completed Garda Vetting at my current place of employment. Do I need to submit a new application?
Yes. Every organisation you join where you are working with children and / or vulnerable adults, a new application is required.
Do my documents need to be signed or stamped to be certified?
Your documents need a signature and a stamp from the authorities to be accepted for certification.
What address can be used for my documents?
You can use your permanent address on your supporting documents. If you are a student from abroad and do not have an Irish address yet then you can use your home address from your country.
Make sure the proof address used on your application and documents matches your student profile.
Can I use an out of term address for my documents?
Yes. If you have moved to college for a term/year then you can use your permanent home address for your documents.
Who can certify my documents?
You can have your documents certified in-person at our Service Desk on the first floor of the Watts Building.
Our office is open between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays).
How recent does a Police Certificate need to be?
A Police Certificate can be dated any time after you have left your home country, but not more than six months prior to leaving.
How can I contact the Academic Registry?
Please email ARGardavetting@tcd.ie or can talk to our team at our Service Desk in the Watts Building.
Learn more about Garda Vetting
National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012
Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosures) Act 2016
How to appeal specified information
Health Screening
Some students may also be required to complete the health screening application.
Please remember that this is a different process and it is not managed by our Garda Vetting team.
For more information visit our health screening page.