ACS approval: Guidance on transferring between ACS assessment schemes
Updated 5 October 2023
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maintaining-your-acs-approval/acs-approval-guidance-on-transferring-between-acs-assessment-schemes
There are 2 routes to ACS approval: standard and passport. We explain these 2 routes in detail on the ‘Apply for ACS approval’ page of our website. It is up to you which one you choose.
You do not have to use the same route every time you apply for approval. If you wish, you can:
- move from the standard route to the passport route
- move from the passport route to the standard route
- move from one passport scheme to another passport scheme
In all cases you must send us a completed ACS Change of Circumstance form, available from the ‘Maintaining Your ACS approval’ page of our website.
When you are filling in the form, you should:
- tick box A6 (‘Other’)
- tell us in section F (‘Other Change of Circumstance’) what you want to do (for example: “I want to transfer from the standard route to the passport route”)
1. Moving from standard to passport
You must:
- have had an ACS assessment within the last 12 months
- be recently certified through one of our accredited passport schemes
You must send us proof of your certification as well as the ACS Change of Circumstance form.
2. Moving from passport to standard
You must undergo an ACS assessment, meeting or exceeding all 78 indicators whilst your certification under the passport scheme is still valid.
In addition to the ACS Change of Circumstance form, you must send us the report from your latest audit under the passport scheme. We may, at our discretion, request other reports as well. If we do, we will explain why.
The report(s) must show that you are meeting all ACS requirements. We will withdraw your ACS approval if you are not.
3. Moving from one passport scheme to another passport scheme
In addition to the ACS Change of Circumstance form, you must send us proof of your certification under the new passport scheme (the scheme to which you are moving). Your new assessing body must issue this before your earlier certification ends.
Passport schemes may vary between providers, but we approve all of them against identical criteria.
4. If your assessing body stops offering passport scheme services
We will work with your assessing body to move you to an alternative passport scheme, or the standard route to approval if you prefer.
If you move to the standard route, we will agree with you the date by which you must have your ACS assessment. We will withdraw your ACS approval if you do not have an assessment by this date.