living in Andorra guide, residency, Andorra relocation personal advice

Police Reports.

In the United Kingdom the document required for Andorra to prove your criminal record is called a subject data access form under the Data Protection Act 1988. Any person may request this information from the police by completing the appropriate form and paying a ten pound fee. Normally the request will be sent through the Constabulary where the person lives, or used to live, but this is not obligatory. Any person can apply for example to the Metropolitan Police Force. This link provides useful information as to how to start the process. The required Form 3019 can be downloaded by clicking here.

Please also note that there is a different form (ACRO) for the purpose of obtaining a visa for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States of America, you do not require this new procedure from The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

Scotland police records differ from England and Wales. If you are Scottish you will need to apply to Scotland, please follow this link.

Applicants from other countries will need to contact their local police authorities to seek information. Some countries such as the USA also require fingerprint forms and each country may differ slightly in procedure.

Also please note that if you do have a criminal record in any country, your application for residency may well still be accepted. It seems that this is decided on a case by case basis, and anything minor will have no bearing on the application.

Legalisation - Apostille

This is a stamp and a signature on the back of the document which confirms that the signature on the document has been checked with the database at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at Milton Keynes (for UK applicants) and is correct and genuine. Not all countries have signed this convention, in which case you will need to identify the equivalent procedure for legalising the document in your country AND before arrival you may fax it to me to verify at Immigration that the stamp is acceptable. This website provides world-wide information on how to obtain appostille stamps.

Very occasionally, and a Police report from Fife in Scotland being the latest example, The Apostille Office in the UK cannot certify the document as the signatory is not on their database. They will however certify it if it also bears the certification of a Notary or (In Scotland) a Solicitor. Just another time and money waster but nevertheless the only way to fulfil the requirements !

The Hague Convention abolished the requirement of diplomatic and consular legalisation for public documents originating in one Convention country and intended for use in another. Documents that have been certified with an apostille will not need further legalisation to be used in another convention country. Andorra is a signatory to the Convention.

In the UK, the department responsible for issuing apostilles is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the current fee is £28 per document.

Applications can be made by post or in person at:

The Legalisation Office
Norfolk House (West)
437 Silbury Boulevard
Milton Keynes
MK9 2AH

The public counter is open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 3:30pm. No appointment is necessary. You do not need to bring identification documents and anyone can present the documents on your behalf.

Trains leave every 10-15 minutes from Euston Station. The trip takes 30-40 minutes depending on the train. More info can be found at:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/. A google map with the location of the Office can be seen by clicking here.

I have often been asked if there is another office that can issue this stamp in the UK and the answer is no ! Milton Keynes is the only place in the UK that can issue this stamp and without it Andorra will not accept it (Remember also that your marriage certificate, if your spouse is relocating with you, also requires this stamp )

Please note that postal applications can take up to three weeks for processing and additional delays can occur if they are particularly busy. I recommend you read the official website.

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/legal-services/legalisation/