You must be a citizen of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, a holder of dual UK/other nationality or have been a Commonwealth citizen (with indefinite leave to remain immigration status) since birth.
Whether or not you were born in the United Kingdom, you should have resided there for the 5 years immediately preceding your application. However, candidates with a minimum of 3 years may be considered. If you have resided abroad for a period due to work or study, you may still be eligible on a case by case basis. This will be established during the selection process.
Commonwealth citizens require a minimum of 5 years residency in the UK prior to application.
The Nationality and Residency requirements are the foundation of obtaining the necessary security clearance. The nationalities of your spouse or partner, and parents, are also taken into account among other factors.
There will be further pre-employment checks and you will be expected to achieve the security clearance of Security Check (SC).
Employment restrictions may be imposed in the future if you are unable to achieve an increased security clearance requirement for selected placements.