How to find out whether INTERPOL holds data about you
The public list on the organisation's website shows only the small share of notices that the requesting country agreed to publish. Not finding yourself there proves nothing at all.
Warning signs
The signs that something is recorded
People rarely receive notice of a record. They notice its effects. These five come up again and again.
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01
A visa refused without a reason
Especially a refusal that repeats, from different consulates, with no explanation.
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02
Refused boarding
Pre-departure checks run by border authorities can stop a passenger at the gate. It is rarely random.
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03
Questioning at passport control
A long wait, a call to a supervisor, a "technical" delay. Officers often see a hit before they explain anything.
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04
A closed bank account
Banks screen clients against compliance databases. A sudden closure with no reason given is a common sign.
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05
A residence permit or licence refused
Immigration and licensing authorities run background checks that can reach police cooperation channels.
The reliable way
The only reliable instrument: a data access request
A request to the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL's Files asking whether, and what, data about you is processed.
Who can file it
You, or a lawyer acting for you under a power of attorney. The Commission does not charge for it.
What it requires
- A signed request stating what you are asking for.
- A copy of an identity document.
- A power of attorney, if a lawyer files it.
- One of the Commission's working languages: Arabic, English, French or Spanish.
What the answer shows
Whether data about you is held and, where the country that provided it agrees, what it contains. The answer can therefore be partial.
If data exists, the Commission usually consults that country — so it learns that you have asked. This is weighed before filing, not after.
How long it takes
The Commission's rules set four months for an access request, counted from the date it is found admissible.
What a negative answer means
It reflects the files on the day of the reply. It does not stop a country from requesting a notice or sending a diffusion later.
Before you know
What not to do before you know
Three mistakes are common and all three are expensive.
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01
Testing the theory by travelling
A border is the worst place to find out. An arrest on a Red Notice can mean months in extradition custody.
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02
Contacting the requesting country
A letter to the investigator or a visit to a consulate can bring the arrest forward and reveal where you are.
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03
Waiting
On the assumption that silence means safety. Records stay until someone acts, and an information request can become an arrest request.
Next step
If the answer confirms a record
Then the question becomes which ground for deletion fits your case, and how strong the evidence behind it is.
The grounds and the procedure are set out in grounds for deleting a Red Notice. The same rules apply to other records, with a different emphasis:
Your attorney
Who handles your case
Dmytro Konovalenko
- Status
- Attorney-at-law
- Bar Certificate
- No. 001156
- Membership
- International Bar Association
- Focus
- Requests from post-Soviet states
More than five years defending against Red Notices and extradition requests. You work with me directly, from the first assessment to the decision.
Full professional backgroundNext step
Tell me what has happened so far. I will tell you whether an access request is the right first step.
Is the public list of Red Notices a reliable check?
No. It shows only the notices whose publication the requesting country agreed to. Most records are never published, and diffusions never appear there at all.
Does an access request cost anything?
The Commission does not charge for it. If I prepare and file it for you, that is a fixed fee. What representation costs.
Will the country know I asked?
If data exists, the Commission usually consults the country that provided it before disclosing anything. The timing of the request is planned with that in mind.
Can I check on behalf of a relative?
Only with their written authorisation. A lawyer files with a power of attorney signed by the person concerned.
I need to travel soon. What should I do?
Do not travel before you know. Tell me the dates — when there is a deadline, the order of the steps changes.