How Apply for an SIA licence

Embarking on a career in security is an empowering journey, and obtaining your Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence is a pivotal step in this process.

In this guide, we’ll navigate the comprehensive process of applying for an SIA licence, providing you with the insights and steps needed to successfully obtain this crucial credential.

Check you have the right documents required

During the application process, you need to show documents to prove your identity.

We suggest that you check you have the right identity documents before you start your application.

Candidates will need to show all of the following:

• 1 document from group A
• 2 documents from group B

Depending on the specific circumstances of your application Candidates may need to do 1 or more of the following:

• show the original, physical documents at the post office
• show the original, physical documents to your employer
• provide the documents to us – this will usually be as a scan or photograph of the original, physical document, but we can ask you to post us the original, physical document if we need to.

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

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

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

Group A documents

Documents accepted:

• 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 these documents must show the Candidate’s current address.

Just 1 document of the same type of document is accepted. 2 council tax statements are not accepted. Only accept 1 council tax statement and 1 document of a different type is accepted.

Are not accepted:

• 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

Are accepted:

• 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 Jobcentre 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 licence (not the paper counterpart to a photocard)
• a driving licence 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 licence with photo

Photo of the candidate

You need to provide a passport-style photograph of yourself for your SIA license card and identity checks.

If requested to display identity documents at a UK post office or by your employer, they will capture this photograph on your behalf.

Alternatively, in certain instances, we may request you to provide the photo yourself. In such cases, the photograph must adhere to the following criteria:

• Coloured (not black and white)
• Clearly focused
• A genuine representation of you
• A close-up featuring your entire head and upper shoulders
• Taken against a white or cream background
• Unaltered using computer software.

If we require you to submit identity documents,

However, in certain situations, we may ask for the physical document. If we request a physical document, we will promptly return it to you.