Understanding Re-vetting: A Straightforward Overview
Re-vetting: What is it and why does it matter?
In September 2023, Tusla issued a regulatory notice introducing an important requirement for Early Years and School Age Care settings that all staff carrying out relevant work must hold a vetting disclosure dated within the previous three years.
This requirement is to support best practice in safeguarding and to ensure that vetting information remains current and reliable. While it may feel like an added administrative task, re-vetting plays a key role in maintaining safe, trusted environments for children, families, and staff alike.
First-time vetting vs Re-vetting: Is there a difference?
In short — no. The process for first-time vetting and re-vetting is exactly the same from process, documentation, to timelines.
- First-time vetting applies when an individual is being vetted for your setting for the first time
- Re-vetting applies when the individual has already been vetted by your setting and has now reached the three-year renewal point
Re‑vetting is not prioritised or processed faster. In both cases, the same steps, documentation, and procedures must be followed. To begin the re-vetting process, obtain updated copies of all the required documents from your applicant:
- Photo ID
Must include their full name and date of birth
- Proof of address
The name and address must match what is written on the NVB1 Vetting Invitation form exactly and dated within six months of the application date
- NVB1 Vetting Invitation Form
Ensure the signature, date and consent box are completed with a ballpoint pen (electronic signatures are not accepted)
- Identity document validation form
Proof of who/how this ID was verified
Once you have received the required documents from the applicant, log in to your Early Childhood Ireland account via the website and submit the application as normal, ensuring you receive confirmation via email or your tracking dashboard 24 hours post submission.
Key takeaway
Re-vetting does not introduce a new or simplified process — it simply ensures ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements. Understanding this distinction can help services plan ahead, avoid delays, and keep vetting records fully up to date.
Re‑vetting timelines: When to begin
It is a common misconception that re‑vetting applications are processed more quickly by the National Vetting Bureau (NVB) than first‑time vetting applications. In reality, re‑vetting is not a fast‑track process. The NVB applies the same checks, standards, and processing timelines to re‑vetting as it does to all vetting applications, regardless of whether the individual has previously been vetted.
With this in mind, services are strongly advised to monitor vetting disclosures carefully as they approach the three‑year renewal point. To minimise the risk of delays and to ensure continuity of service, it is recommended to begin the re‑vetting process three to four months in advance of the disclosure expiry date.
It is important to note that if a staff member continues to work in the service with an expired vetting disclosure, the service will be deemed non‑compliant both by the NVB and Tusla. The length of time the disclosure has been expired — whether one day or several months — is irrelevant. Once a disclosure is out of date, the individual is classified as unvetted, and this presents a significant compliance and safeguarding risk for your service.
Helpful Information
Practical Tools and Resources to Guide Affiliates:
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International Students – Everything you need to know
Key Requirements for International Students
International students play an increasingly important role in Early Years and School Age Care settings. Ensuring that robust Garda Vetting processes are followed is essential to safeguarding children, supporting services, and protecting students themselves.
Why Garda Vetting Matters
Garda Vetting is a key safeguarding measure and a legal requirement for anyone who will have access to children or vulnerable persons. For international students, vetting requirements are more detailed due to time spent living outside Ireland.
International students aged 16 years and over, cannot begin placement until all vetting requirements have been fully completed and cleared.
Garda Vetting Requirements for International Students
Identity validation is a critical step to ensure compliance and the safeguarding of children. As international students are abroad, the requirements of the identity validation process differ, so it’s important to understand what applies to you as the validator before you start. To make things easier, we’ve created a Tip Sheet with everything you need to know for validating your applicant’s identity.
The Tip Sheet has two different pathways explaining the Identity Validation process:
- For applicants living in Ireland
- For applicants living outside of Ireland
Each pathway is designed to guide validators through every step of the identity validation process, ensuring clarity and compliance. To make this even easier, you can download and print our Tip Sheet, which you can display in your service for quick reference whenever needed.
Download our Tip Sheet here.
Important: Police clearance certificates are still required in addition to Garda Vetting — one does not replace the other.
Timing: Plan Ahead
Due to ECRIS additional checks, any applicant who has previously lived or living in another EU Member State (other than Ireland) or the UK will experience longer Garda Vetting application processing times. Please keep in mind the following current processing timelines:
Standard applications (Irish addresses only):
- 18–20 working days (previously shorter)
Note: Around 20% may take longer, especially if an applicant’s details are entered incorrectly
Applications with EU address history:
- Add up to 10 extra working days
Total: approx. 28–30 working days
Applications with UK address history:
- Add up to 20 extra working days
Total: approx. 38–40 working days
Best practice: Begin the vetting process as soon as placement is being considered.
Students Aged 16 but Under 18 Years of Age
International students aged between 16 and 18 will be subject to the same application processing timelines outlined above. Garda Vetting for students aged 16–17 is referred to as Under 18s vetting and to begin, validators will need to obtain the following documents:
- The parent/guardian must complete this form
- The parent/guardian must sign and date their consent
- Must be completed in full and be legible
- Parent/guardian must provide their own email address and phone number (not the student’s) on the Vetting Invitation NVB1 Form
- Consent box ticked (digital tick not accepted)
- Signed and dated by the applicant using a handwritten signature (digital signatures not accepted)
- Proof of Identity and Written Reference from the Accepted Document Table
- Students must provide either of the following as proof of identity:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Students need to provide a written statement by their school principal confirming attendance
- Letter must be on school letterhead paper
The Most Common Issue that causes Delays
The most common cause of delays in the vetting process is a lack of follow-up with applicants. It is your responsibility as an Early Years and School Age Care setting to follow up with your applicants to ensure that they have:
- Received the link sent by the NVB to complete their application
- Completed and submitted the link correctly sent by the NVB
If the applicant cannot access or has not received the link from the NVB, the vetting process cannot begin.
Common reasons for applicant’s not receiving links from the NVB include:
- Incorrect email address (e.g., spelling mistakes)
- Incorrect date of birth entered
To prevent this, it is vital that all information entered online matches the hard-copy documents (NVB1 form and the Identity Document Validation Form) identically.
Avoiding delays is essential, but is particularly important for international student applications, as placement timelines are often time sensitive. Given current processing times, delays must be avoided, so please ensure you follow up with applicants to confirm their applications are completed promptly
Key Takeaways
- Garda Vetting and Police Clearance are both mandatory
- Police clearance is required from each country of residence (6+ months)
- Plan ahead: Keep in mind current application processing times
- Follow up with your applicants to ensure link has been received and completed
- No placement may begin until garda vetting is complete
Helpful Information
Practical Tools and Resources to Guide Affiliates:
Early Years provision based on children’s needs in England
Early Years and School Age Care Staffing Issues Need Urgent Action
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More to explore
International Students – Everything you need to know
Key Requirements for International Students
International students play an increasingly important role in Early Years and School Age Care settings. Ensuring that robust Garda Vetting processes are followed is essential to safeguarding children, supporting services, and protecting students themselves.
Why Garda Vetting Matters
Garda Vetting is a key safeguarding measure and a legal requirement for anyone who will have access to children or vulnerable persons. For international students, vetting requirements are more detailed due to time spent living outside Ireland.
International students aged 16 years and over, cannot begin placement until all vetting requirements have been fully completed and cleared.
Garda Vetting Requirements for International Students
Identity validation is a critical step to ensure compliance and the safeguarding of children. As international students are abroad, the requirements of the identity validation process differ, so it’s important to understand what applies to you as the validator before you start. To make things easier, we’ve created a Tip Sheet with everything you need to know for validating your applicant’s identity.
The Tip Sheet has two different pathways explaining the Identity Validation process:
- For applicants living in Ireland
- For applicants living outside of Ireland
Each pathway is designed to guide validators through every step of the identity validation process, ensuring clarity and compliance. To make this even easier, you can download and print our Tip Sheet, which you can display in your service for quick reference whenever needed.
Download our Tip Sheet here.
Important: Police clearance certificates are still required in addition to Garda Vetting — one does not replace the other.
Timing: Plan Ahead
Due to ECRIS additional checks, any applicant who has previously lived or living in another EU Member State (other than Ireland) or the UK will experience longer Garda Vetting application processing times. Please keep in mind the following current processing timelines:
Standard applications (Irish addresses only):
- 18–20 working days (previously shorter)
Note: Around 20% may take longer, especially if an applicant’s details are entered incorrectly
Applications with EU address history:
- Add up to 10 extra working days
Total: approx. 28–30 working days
Applications with UK address history:
- Add up to 20 extra working days
Total: approx. 38–40 working days
Best practice: Begin the vetting process as soon as placement is being considered.
Students Aged 16 but Under 18 Years of Age
International students aged between 16 and 18 will be subject to the same application processing timelines outlined above. Garda Vetting for students aged 16–17 is referred to as Under 18s vetting and to begin, validators will need to obtain the following documents:
- The parent/guardian must complete this form
- The parent/guardian must sign and date their consent
- Must be completed in full and be legible
- Parent/guardian must provide their own email address and phone number (not the student’s) on the Vetting Invitation NVB1 Form
- Consent box ticked (digital tick not accepted)
- Signed and dated by the applicant using a handwritten signature (digital signatures not accepted)
- Proof of Identity and Written Reference from the Accepted Document Table
- Students must provide either of the following as proof of identity:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Students need to provide a written statement by their school principal confirming attendance
- Letter must be on school letterhead paper
The Most Common Issue that causes Delays
The most common cause of delays in the vetting process is a lack of follow-up with applicants. It is your responsibility as an Early Years and School Age Care setting to follow up with your applicants to ensure that they have:
- Received the link sent by the NVB to complete their application
- Completed and submitted the link correctly sent by the NVB
If the applicant cannot access or has not received the link from the NVB, the vetting process cannot begin.
Common reasons for applicant’s not receiving links from the NVB include:
- Incorrect email address (e.g., spelling mistakes)
- Incorrect date of birth entered
To prevent this, it is vital that all information entered online matches the hard-copy documents (NVB1 form and the Identity Document Validation Form) identically.
Avoiding delays is essential, but is particularly important for international student applications, as placement timelines are often time sensitive. Given current processing times, delays must be avoided, so please ensure you follow up with applicants to confirm their applications are completed promptly
Key Takeaways
- Garda Vetting and Police Clearance are both mandatory
- Police clearance is required from each country of residence (6+ months)
- Plan ahead: Keep in mind current application processing times
- Follow up with your applicants to ensure link has been received and completed
- No placement may begin until garda vetting is complete
Helpful Information
Practical Tools and Resources to Guide Affiliates:
Early Years provision based on children’s needs in England
