A security pass is required by everyone working on the parliamentary estate, requiring access to the parliamentary network or being given access to sensitive parliamentary information.

Applicants for National Security Vetting are expected to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to allow meaningful security clearance to be carried out.  For Parliament, there is an expectation that applicants will have lived in the UK for at least three out of the last five years before becoming eligible for Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) clearance.  CTC clearance is mandatory for all Members’ staff accessing the Parliamentary Estate or the Parliamentary Network or who are IPSA-funded.

You must not appointment a prospective staff member until they have been granted security clearance.

Security clearance must be completed before a contract of employment can be offered, so applicants are advised not to hand in their notice with their current employer until confirmation of security clearance has been received.  From 1 April 2025, all Members’ staff funded by IPSA must be security cleared.

It is not possible for any prospective members of staff to start work or have any access to the parliamentary estate or IT networks, until this process is completed.  This change also applies to any volunteers that Members wish to have in their team if they plan for them to receive any money from IPSA for travel or subsistence. 

The security clearance process is undertaken by the Security Vetting and Pass Office, which also deals with renewals.

You can find further details on the Parliamentary Security Department on the Parliament website. Those with a Parliamentary login can find further information about security vetting on ParliNet.