Owing to the sensitive nature of our work we must be satisfied as to the honesty and integrity of our staff. We must also be satisfied that there are no significant vulnerabilities to the people who work here or to the organisation itself. We look at candidates very carefully before making a decision to hold DV status.
Candidates are required to obtain the highest government security clearance, Developed Vetting (DV). Vetting ensures the individual can be trusted with sensitive government information. Information provided and obtained during the vetting process will be treated in strict confidence and is held separately from recruitment information.
We do not publicly disclose the identities of our staff. Discretion is vital. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member, providing they are British. You should inform them of the importance of discretion. You should not post on social media about your application or discuss it with anyone else at this stage. You will receive guidance during the recruitment process.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application.
Your Information
Questionnaires
You will complete detailed questionnaires, discussing these with a vetting officer and agreeing references for interview. To avoid delays to your application please provide full and accurate information.
Our Experts
Vetting Officer
Vetting officers are not employed to make moral judgements, they expect people will have had varied life experiences and will take a realistic view of modern life and its pressures.
Second Opinion
References
Providing character referees is an important part of the vetting process. Your referees should be people who have known you well over a significant period of your life.Later on in the process you will be asked to provide details about yourself, family, partner and friends and associates. You have to provide financial information and there will be a check with a credit reference agency. You will also have to provide information relating to your health and lifestyle.
Yes. Your vetting will be reviewed at regular intervals during your career.
The information you provide is carefully considered in deciding whether you should proceed through the process. We will ensure that all information collected during the process is accurate and treated in strictest confidence.
Vetting officers are not employed to make moral judgements – they expect that people will have had varied life experiences and they will take a realistic view of modern life and its pressures. They are aware that life can be complicated and any difficulties that you have experienced will be carefully considered.
Vetting officers deal with hundreds of cases each year and are trained to deal with any issues arising during the process. Each case is treated individually and great care is taken in coming to each decision.
Candidates undergoing security vetting are treated impartially and consistently irrespective of any disability they may have, or of their gender, marital status, age, ethnicity, religious affiliation or sexual orientation.
Successful candidates will be given an unconditional offer of employment when their DV has been granted. Where it is necessary for national security reasons, we will be unable to provide feedback on your application.
Candidates who already hold DV clearance from their current employment may not need to have certain parts of the vetting process repeated. This will be assessed on a case by case basis.
We do not discriminate against applicants who may have entries on social networking sites. Discretion is an important part of working for the organisation, however, and we encourage candidates to use such sites sensibly and apply privacy settings as appropriate.
A criminal record would not necessarily preclude an applicant from gaining a job here. Each case is considered on an individual basis and all relevant convictions are taken into account.
Our staff and contractors are subject to a no drugs policy to reflect the adverse impact of illegal drug use and the misuse and abuse of other substances on behaviour, judgement, physical and mental health.
The policy prohibits use, possession or supply of illegal drugs, including use of drugs that are illegal in the UK, but are legal in some other countries. Misuse or abuse of prescribed medication or any other substance is also incompatible with holding security clearance which can be refused or withdrawn if this policy is not observed.
You must adhere to our policy from the point of application onwards. The point of application is the date you submit your application form. During the recruitment process, you will be asked for your consent to provide a sample which will be tested for drugs should your application proceed.
We realise some of our candidates will have used drugs in the past, and this may not be a bar to a successful application, but it is important to be open and honest about your drug/substance use.
Providing character referees is an important part of the vetting process. Your referees should be people who have known you well over a significant period of your life.
During the process you will be given advice on what to tell your referees and how to manage the relationship with them during this period and going forwards.
You will have to provide a range of documents during the process. Examples, but not an exhaustive list, include:
We will need to contact your current employer at an appropriate stage during the process and we will seek your permission to contact them. You will be asked to provide details of past employers.
A career at MI5 is like no other. Not only is it rewarding and unique but the variety here is like no-where else. It is this variety that means most people stay at MI5 as they are able to fulfil all their career ambitions here without ever having to leave. We are also committed to rewarding the people who work for us and demonstrating our appreciation for their vital contribution by offering an excellent range of benefits.
MI5 has joined Instagram with the aim of lifting the lid on what it's really like to work at the Security Service.
The documentary showing what life is like for those who work at MI5 was first shown on Thursday 27 February on ITV1.
We are saddened to announce that Sir Patrick Walker, Director General of MI5 between 1988-1992, died on 13 October...
