What is an international background check?

In short: An international background check is the standard set of checks (identity, criminal record, qualifications, employment, references), run across every country where the candidate has lived, studied, or worked. We cover 195+ countries through accredited local agents.

When you need one

You need an international check when the candidate:

• Has lived outside your country in the relevant lookback period
• Earned a degree or qualification abroad
• Worked for a foreign employer
• Currently lives abroad and will be hired remotely

Skipping the international portion misses material parts of their record. A clean Dutch criminal record check tells you nothing about a conviction in another country.

How it works

Mechanically the same as a domestic check, with some additions:

1. The candidate provides their address history across all relevant countries
2. We coordinate with accredited local agents in each country
3. Each country’s checks run in parallel where possible
4. Results are consolidated into a single report

How long it takes

International checks usually take longer than domestic ones because they involve local agents and government registries in each country. Some jurisdictions are faster than others, mostly EU and EEA registries are quick because they are digitised. Some countries take longer due to manual government processes. We will tell you upfront which countries will be slower.

What it does not cover

International checks have inherent limitations:

• Some countries do not have public criminal registries. In those cases we use the best available equivalent (e.g. police clearance certificates) and explain the limitation in the report.
• Some countries restrict cross-border data flows. We comply with each country’s data export rules, which sometimes means certain checks have to be performed locally and only the result is shared.
• Reference checks abroad take longer because of timezone and language differences.

We always explain the scope and any limitations in the screening setup, so you can decide whether the result is sufficient for the role.

Cost

International checks cost more than domestic, because of the local agent involvement. You see the total cost before authorising the screening. See pricing for indicative numbers.