SIA licenses: What are they? anyone working in private security in the UK is legally required to hold a SIA (Security Industry Authority) licence. For instance, obtaining one is necessary if you wish to work as a door supervisor at events and at licensed establishments or as a security officer (security guard). The Private Security Industry Act of 2001 makes working without one illegal.

SIA licenses serve as official documentation attesting to the fact that the holder of the position is “fit and proper,” has completed a license-linked training course approved by the government, and is qualified to perform all duties related to the security role.

Prepare for our application review process

We will verify your information when we receive your application for a SIA license. These are done to verify your identity and determine your eligibility to possess a license.

Prior to beginning your application, please ensure that:

You have all the data required to complete our checks.
You have a good chance of passing the examinations because, for instance, you meet the requirements.

During the application process of SIA licenses, being organized might help you save time and possibly money. There is no reimbursement for the license price. This implies that in the event that your application is denied, you will not receive your money back.

The ability to work in the UK

Most of the time, obtaining a front line or non-front line license requires that you be able to work in the United Kingdom. It is legal for all citizens of the UK to work there. We verify your right to work against Home Office records if you are not a citizen of the United Kingdom. The SIA personnel is doing this check, so please do not call the Home Office over it since they are unable to assist you.

Your permit to work in the UK has expired, and you are now awaiting reauthorization. If so, we kindly request that you provide us with proof of your legal ability to work in the UK. Within 21 days, if we don’t receive this, your application will be cancelled. Until we specifically request it, please do not send us any documentation, including your biometric residency permit or your permission to work “share code.” We may permit you to have a non-front line licence if you are a director of a company registered in the UK or one of its parent firms but do not have the legal authority to work in the UK.

Verify that you have the proper documentation to support your identification

You will be required to present identification documentation during the application process. Before beginning your application, it is advised that you make sure you have the necessary identity documentation.

All of the following must be displayed:

Paper from the A group.
Recordings from the B group.

The following actions may be required of you, depending on the particulars of your application:

• Present the actual, hard copies of the documents at the post office.
• Present the employer with the actual, hard copies of the paperwork.
• Give us the documents; ideally, this will be a scan or picture of the actual, physical document, but if necessary, we might ask you to mail us the original copy.

If any of your documents are not in English, you must provide both:

• the original document
• an English-language translation from an approved translator

You need to arrange the translation of your document into English and pay any costs.

Group A documents

We accept:

• A passport that is signed, current, and valid
• A driving licence photocard issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in the UK
• A driving licence photocard and its paper counterpart issued by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Northern Ireland
• A UK original birth certificate issued within 12 months of birth
• A UK adoption certificate
• A UK biometric residence permit card

Group B documents

Each of SIA licenses documents must show your current address.

Unless we say otherwise, we will not accept 2 of the same type of document. For example, we will not accept 2 council tax statements. we will only accept 1 council tax statement and 1 document of a different type.

We cannot accept:

• Photocopies or documents printed from the internet (such as an online bank statement you have printed out)
• bank or building society statements printed in your local branch, even if they have been dated and stamped by the bank staff
• Documents or images downloaded from the internet and sent to us as digital files

We will accept:

• A bank or building society statement from the last 3 months (we will accept 2 statements, but only if they are from different banks or building societies)
• A utility bill from the last 3 months (we will accept gas, electric, telephone landline, water, satellite TV or cable TV bills but not mobile phone bills)
• A credit card statement from the last 3 months (we will accept 2 statements, but only if they are from different credit-card providers)
• A council tax statement from the last 12 months
• A mortgage statement from the last 12 months
• A letter from the last 3 months from any of the following:
  • HM Revenue and Customs
  • The Department of Work and Pensions
  • A Job Centre Plus – or any other employment service
  • A local authority
• A P45 or P60 tax statement from the last 12 months
• A paper version of a current UK driving license (not the paper counterpart to a photocard)
• A driving license photocard issued by the DVA in Northern Ireland (not the paper counterpart)
• A pension, endowment or ISA statement from the last 12 months
• A valid UK firearms license with photo.

If you don’t reside in the UK

The notice requesting the following steps normally asks you to upload if you are not a resident of the UK.

Records attesting to your identity.

A picture of yourself and a UK passport holder’s signature.

A document containing information about the owner of the UK passport who signed your picture.

Proof of an international criminal history check for the nation in which you currently reside If you are covering the cost of your own license, we will instruct you on how to do so online using a credit or debit card.