Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check vs. Australian Federal Police Check – what’s the difference?

Both a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) and an Australian Federal Police (AFP) Check report on an individual’s criminal history in Australia — but they’re issued by different authorities and used for different purposes. Many people comparing these checks are deciding whether to order a national police check for employment, licensing or onboarding.

Knowing which check you need ensures your application meets the correct compliance standard.

Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) #

Also known as a national police check, this is the most commonly requested background check in Australia. It’s processed by ACIC-accredited bodies such as Worker Checks and accesses police records from all Australian jurisdictions.

When to use an NCCHC #

• Employment, licensing, or volunteer purposes
• NDIS and Aged Care workforce screening
• Rideshare and transport checks (e.g. Uber, Ola, DiDi)
• Corporate onboarding and compliance
• Tenancy, rental, and personal background screening

Worker Checks NCCHC features #

• ACIC-accredited and accepted nationwide
• 100% online — no paper forms
• Digital certificate securely delivered via your Worker Checks portal
• Fast results — 80% of checks are returned within 1–3 minutes
• Cost: $52.00

Apply for a national police check ›

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Check #

An AFP Check is issued directly by the Australian Federal Police and is required only in specific cases, such as Commonwealth employment or visa and immigration purposes.

When to use an AFP Check #

• Commonwealth Government employment
• Visa or immigration applications (Home Affairs requirement)
• Overseas adoption or citizenship requests
• Aviation or maritime security clearances

AFP Check details #

• Processed only by the AFP
• Typical turnaround ≈ 7 business days
• Cost ≈ $80 AUD

Quick comparison #