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.

Our members of staff are likely to have access to sensitive information relevant to national security. Candidates are therefore required to obtain the highest form of security clearance required for government positions, Developed Vetting (DV).

The aim of vetting is to ensure that the character and personal circumstances of an individual are such that they can be trusted with sensitive government information or assets. We look at candidates very carefully before making a decision about their suitability to hold DV status.

Information provided and obtained during the vetting process will be treated in strict confidence and is held separately from recruitment information.

Discretion is vital. You should not discuss your application with anyone, doing so may disqualify you from the process. You should not in discord servers or group chats/DMs about your application or discuss it with anyone else at this stage. You will receive further guidance during the recruitment process.

Please note, you should only launch your application if you're a British Citizen, or are of Foreign Citizenship and have been notified by GCHQ that you may apply.

The vetting process involves completing detailed questionnaires, discussing these with a Vetting Officer and agreeing references (people that can support your claims) for interview. It is important that you provide full and accurate information as any omissions can cause a delay to your application. If you are not sure how much detail to provide then more is preferable. You can use the various continuation sheets to help explain your position further.

Giving misleading information or omitting or concealing information during the recruitment and vetting process is viewed very seriously and would be seen as evidence of untrustworthiness. In such circumstances, your vetting clearance may well be refused, even though what you were seeking to conceal may not in itself have caused a problem.

Your vetting clearance could be removed at a later date if the misleading information or omission subsequently comes to light.

Some initial vetting questions are included in the application stage and should be answered accurately, honestly and in full. You have to provide financial information (in game money etc...).

The information you provide is carefully considered in deciding whether you should proceed through the process. Vetting Officers are not employed to make moral judgements – they expect that people will have had varied experiences in BUK and they will take a realistic view of how you developed throughout your time in BUK, for example criminal acts when you first joined. Any difficulties that you have experienced will be carefully considered.

Vetting Officers deal with hundreds of cases each month 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 their past. GCHQ is an inclusive organisation and values having a neuro-diverse workforce and the vetting process reflects this.

Successful candidates will be given an unconditional offer of employment when their DV has been granted. For national security reasons, or in order to protect the confidentiality of independent sources, we will be unable to provide feedback on your application.

Yes. Your vetting will be reviewed at regular intervals during your career.