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Roles outside Scotland or remote work

Last updated
2 Mar 2026

This webpage is for organisations who employ people to do regulated roles outside Scotland or for remote work. These workers or volunteers may still need PVG scheme membership.

The PVG scheme helps ensure people who are unsuitable to work with children and protected adults cannot do regulated roles with these groups.

Working in England, Wales or Northern Ireland

For disclosure checks in England and Wales, go to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). For Northern Ireland, go to Access NI.

However, if an individual is doing a regulated role in Scotland, they must be in the PVG scheme, even if they’re already checked by DBS or Access NI for the same role. This includes organisations normally based elsewhere in the UK, but whose staff or volunteers work in Scotland some of the time. The work in Scotland must be a normal part of the role.

There are differences between the PVG scheme and DBS checks. For example, the PVG scheme has continuous monitoring of members. If information shows that someone is unsuitable for regulated roles, they can be removed from this work.

Working outside the UK

If an individual is doing a role outside the UK, they need PVG scheme membership if all of the following apply:

  • the individual normally lives in the UK (although they do not need to be a UK national)
  • the role would be considered as a regulated role if it was carried out in Scotland
  • the role is for an organisation or personnel supplier with a place of business in Scotland (it must be used as a principal place of business)

Example 1

David is a charity worker who lives in Scotland. He is employed by a Scottish based charity (whose principal place of business is in Dundee). David does aid work abroad that includes teaching children. He needs to be a PVG scheme member for the period that he’s doing the aid work and teaching children. 

Example 2

Katya is an aid worker who lives outside the UK. She is recruited by a Scottish organisation to educate children in her home country. Even though this is a regulated role, she cannot join the PVG scheme for it as she lives outside the UK. The organisation can ask her to provide criminal record checks from her home country.

Training or studying outside the UK

If an individual is training or studying outside the UK, they need PVG scheme membership if all of the following apply:

  • they normally live in the UK
  • the training or study includes a regulated role
  • the provider of the training or study is either:
    • an organisation with a place of business in Scotland
    • a personnel supplier with a place of business in Scotland

The activities of the organisation or personnel supplier in relation to the individual’s training or study must be mainly carried out in Scotland.

Example

Sam is a medical student who usually lives in Scotland and is on a course arranged by a Scottish university. Some of Sam’s studying will take place outside of the UK. Because Sam is a medical student and their training/study would be considered as a regulated role, they need to be a PVG scheme member.

It’s an offence to offer someone a regulated role unless you’ve received a PVG scheme disclosure confirming they’re a member for that type of regulated role. 

Remote work

If an individual is doing a role remotely, they need PVG scheme membership if all of the following apply:

  • they are based in Scotland (even if they’re normally resident elsewhere)
  • they are doing a regulated role

The individual must have PVG scheme membership if they’re based in Scotland, even if the children or protected adults are based outside of Scotland.

If the individual is based elsewhere in the UK, go to DBS or Access NI for disclosure checks. This applies even when the work involves customers in Scotland.

If the individual is delivering remote services from outside the UK, organisations can ask them to provide criminal record checks from their country of residence. There is guidance on the Home Office website.   

Help

You can use our tool to check if a role needs PVG scheme membership.

If you're unsure whether a role needs PVG membership, contact Disclosure Scotland:

The helpline is open Monday to Wednesday 9am to 4pm and Friday 9am to 3.30pm.

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