National Police Certificate (criminal history check) and statutory declaration
Some placement providers (particularly Queensland Health and aged care facilities) require students to obtain a National Police Certificate (NPC) to identify if you have any history of criminal offences that may be relevant to your placement.
Students are strongly advised to apply for an NPC promptly, as processing can take up to three months.
Some placement providers will require an NPC that is more recent (we will let you know if this is the case). It is your responsibility to ensure that you have obtained an NPC that meets your placement provider’s requirements.
If you have been a citizen or permanent resident of a country other than Australia after turning 16, you must also complete a statutory declaration prior to commencing your placement.
Student requirements
The type of criminal history check required varies based on your student category. Please refer to the information below to identify the requirements specific to medicine students.
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What is a National Police Certificate?
A National Police Certificate (NPC) provides a student with ‘clearance’, or in some cases, a notification of a student's 'disclosable history'. A police certificate discloses whether a person:
- has been convicted of an offence
- has been charged with and found guilty of an offence but discharged without conviction; or
- is the subject of any criminal charge still pending before a Court.
As part of the NPC application process, a police check is conducted based on a search of a person's name against the criminal history records held by police services Australia-wide.
In most instances NPCs are valid for 3 years. Please ensure you have at least 6 months validity on your certificate at the time of submission to InPlace.
Queensland Police NPC's
We will no longer be accepting the Queensland Police NPC's as we are unable to verify them securely and protect student privacy.
If you are convicted of any offence during the 3 year NPC expiry period, you must notify the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences Placement Ready team immediately.
If your background check includes evidence of prior criminal activity, please submit your form(s) via email.
Please follow the steps below to submit your required documentation:
Step 1
Complete an Australian National Police Certificate application through the Australian Federal Police.
You should select the purpose: '37 (Care, instruction or supervision of children/ Care of intellectually disabled persons / Aged Care staff/volunteers)’.
Step 2
Upload a copy of your National Police Certificate to your InPlace as shown below by the due date.
If you have been a citizen or permanent resident of a country other than Australia after turning 16, you must also complete a statutory declaration prior to commencing your placement.
What is a criminal history statutory declaration?
If you have been a citizen or permanent resident of a country other than Australia after turning 16, you must also complete a statutory declaration prior to commencing placement stating that you have never, in Australia or another country, been convicted of murder or sexual assault, or convicted of, and sentenced to imprisonment for, any other form of assault.
You must use this statutory declaration template (PDF, 154.2 KB) (no other versions will be accepted).
How to complete a criminal history statutory declaration
If you have been a citizen or permanent resident of a country other than Australia after turning 16, you must also complete a statutory declaration. Follow the steps below to submit your statutory declaration:
- Download a blank PDF version of the Commonwealth statutory declaration form.
- In Section 1, please enter your address as "home suburb, State" e.g. St Lucia, Queensland. Please do not enter your full home address in this section. Please note that your statutory declaration will be rejected if you enter your full home address.
- You must state that you have never, in Australia or another country, been convicted of murder or sexual assault, or convicted of, and sentenced to imprisonment for, any other form of assault. You will also be required to state that you have never been convicted of any other offences in a country outside Australia. If there is any reason why you are unable to sign this statutory declaration, you need to discuss this with your Placement Coordinator immediately. Refer to the Fitness to Practise Policy for further information about your obligations.
- The document must be signed by an approved witness who has a connection to Australia meaning the person is either licensed or registered to practise in Australia, holds Australian membership in a relevant professional organisation, or is appointed in Australia. Our verification process includes checking that your witness is a verified person as per the list on page 2 of the form. The Attorney General's Department provides some helpful information share with someone you have asked to be a witness.
- Upload a copy of your 'Stat Dec' to your InPlace as shown below by the due date.
Need help?
Contact the HMBS Placement Ready team for help understanding and completing your requirements before you go on placement.