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INTERPOL Green Notice
What is a Green Notice?
An INTERPOL Green Notice is issued to warn law enforcement authorities worldwide about a person’s criminal activities, where the individual is considered a potential threat to public safety.
The notice is used to share intelligence on individuals with a history of serious or repeat offences, helping countries monitor, prevent, and manage security risks across borders.
What is a Green Diffusion?
Green Diffusions are the same as Green Notices, with the only difference that they are circulated directly by a member country’s National Central Bureau (“NCB”) to all or selected INTERPOL member countries, without the need for prior publication as a formal Notice.
Who Can Be the Subject of a Green Notice?
The subject of a Green Notice can be an individual who is considered a possible threat to public safety, provided that specific legal conditions are met.
A Green Notice may only concern a person where:
a) A national law-enforcement authority or an international entity has carried out a formal assessment of the individual
b) That assessment concludes that the person poses a potential risk to public safety
c) The conclusion is based on previous criminal conviction(s), or other reasonable grounds, supported by evidence
d) Sufficient and relevant data are provided to justify issuing a warning
e) The person can be clearly identified through sufficient identifiers (such as personal, biometric, or photographic data)
Can someone without a criminal conviction be the subject of a Green Notice?
Yes. A person does not need to have a criminal conviction to be the subject of a Green Notice, as long as the public safety risk is supported by reasonable grounds and a competent authority has conducted a proper assessment.
Are Green Notices issued against Suspects or Wanted Persons?
No. A Green Notice is not an arrest request and does not target “wanted persons”. It is a preventive warning mechanism, used to share information about individuals whose past behaviour may indicate a future public safety risk.
Does a Green Notice lead to arrest?
No. A Green Notice does not lead to arrest.
An INTERPOL Green Notice is not an arrest warrant and does not authorise detention, arrest, or extradition. Its sole purpose is to warn law enforcement authorities about a person’s criminal activities when the individual is considered a possible threat to public safety.
What practical effects can a Green Notice have?
Although a Green Notice does not constitute an arrest warrant and does not impose automatic legal consequences, it may still have practical effects depending on a country’s national laws and immigration policies.
National Central Bureaus and national authorities receiving a Green Notice are required to take appropriate measures in accordance with their domestic legal framework. As a result, a Green Notice may lead to enhanced scrutiny, particularly at border control and airports.
Can a Green Notice lead to questioning at airports?
Yes. In some countries, a Green Notice may result in secondary screening or questioning at airports or border crossings or requests for additional information regarding the individual’s travel or purpose of entry. Such measures are administrative and preventive, not criminal in nature.
Can a Green Notice affect entry into a country?
Yes. Depending on the sovereign discretion of each state, a Green Notice may contribute to:
a) Refusal of entry at the border
b) Visa denial or cancellation
c) Temporary entry restrictions
These outcomes are based entirely on national immigration laws, not on INTERPOL rules.
Is a Green Notice public?
No. Green Notices are not publicly available and are only accessible to authorised law enforcement authorities within INTERPOL member countries. However, we can assist by submitting an Access Request to the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (“CCF”) in order to determine whether such data are being processed and, if so, on which basis.
How long does a Green Notice last?
A Green Notice remains active only as long as it meets INTERPOL’s data protection requirements, including relevance, proportionality, and accuracy. It may be reviewed, updated, or deleted over time.
Can a Green Notice be challenged or deleted?
Yes. A Green Notice can be challenged before the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files if it breaches INTERPOL’s Rules on the Processing of Data or results in a disproportionate interference with fundamental rights, such as freedom of movement or privacy (Deletion Request).
The CCF may order the correction or deletion of the notice where it lacks a sufficient factual basis, fails the public safety assessment, or no longer meets the principles of necessity and proportionality under INTERPOL’s Constitution.
An INTERPOL Green Notice does not authorise arrest, but it may lead to questioning at airports or entry restrictions, depending on each country’s national immigration laws and sovereign discretion.
To learn more about Green Notices, complete the form below.
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