HomeInterpol Green Notice: Meaning, Risks and Removal in the UK
Legal guidance on INTERPOL Green Notices in the United Kingdom. We explain what an Interpol Green Notice is and what it contains, whether there is a public green notice list, its purpose for UK authorities, how it differs from other INTERPOL notices, and how our solicitors can help challenge or remove a notice and engage with INTERPOL and national authorities.
Red NoticeLocate and arrest a person with a view to extraditionLearn more →
Blue NoticeCollect information about a personLearn more →
Green NoticeWarn about a person considered a dangerYou are here
Yellow NoticeLocate a missing personLearn more →
Orange NoticeWarn of a serious and imminent threatLearn more →
Purple NoticeShare criminal modus operandiLearn more →
Black NoticeIdentify unidentified bodiesLearn more →
Silver NoticeLocate assets of criminal originLearn more →
INTERPOL–UN Special NoticeIndividuals and entities subject to UN Security Council sanctionsLearn more →
DiffusionRequest sent directly by a member countryLearn more →
What is an INTERPOL Green Notice?
An Interpol Green Notice is issued to warn about a person’s criminal activities where that person is considered a possible threat to public safety. Unlike an INTERPOL Red Notice — which seeks a person’s location and provisional arrest — a Green Notice does not request arrest; it is used to share information and help prevent crime in member countries.
Green Notices may relate, for example, to organised crime, human trafficking or repeated serious offending. The requesting country must explain why the person is considered a threat — typically on the basis of previous offending — and INTERPOL’s General Secretariat checks the request for compliance with INTERPOL’s rules before the notice is circulated to the National Central Bureaus (NCBs) of member countries, including the UK.
There is no public Interpol green notice list or search: Green Notices are not published on INTERPOL’s website and are available only to law enforcement authorities. A typical Green Notice includes:
- Identifying information (name, nationality, date of birth, photographs);
- Details of alleged crimes, criminal past, or a person’s criminal activities;
- Physical identifiers such as scars, tattoos, or distinguishing features;
- Context suggesting a possible threat or potential threats to public safety.
In the UK, the National Crime Agency (NCA), which hosts INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau, and other law enforcement bodies use this data for criminal investigation, monitoring and preventive purposes.
Purpose of Green Notices in the UK
The principal objective of a Green Notice is prevention. It supports international cooperation by enabling law enforcement agencies and member states to exchange intelligence efficiently under INTERPOL’s rules and INTERPOL’s Constitution.
In practice, Green Notices allow authorities to:
- Monitor individuals involved in cross-border criminal activities;
- Coordinate investigative and preventive measures;
- Enhance public safety without initiating immediate arrest proceedings.
- Support the integrity of criminal justice systems in multiple countries.
For affected individuals, the notice may result in additional information requests, delays at borders, heightened visa scrutiny or reputational harm. A Green Notice is not marked in your passport, but border officers in member countries may check INTERPOL’s databases when a passport is scanned.
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Your situation requires immediate action. Contact our lawyers for a free consultation at [email protected] and learn what legal tools can help you challenge an INTERPOL Green Notice and protect your rights.
Green Notices vs Other INTERPOL Notices
INTERPOL issues several types of notices, each serving different functions under international criminal law:
- Green Notice – warns of individuals who may pose a threat to public safety.
- Red Notice / INTERPOL Red Notice – seeks location and provisional arrest pending extradition.
- Blue Notice – used to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.
- Silver Notice / INTERPOL Silver Notice – used, in a pilot phase launched in January 2025, to locate and monitor assets linked to criminal activity.
Understanding these distinctions is critical, as the legal consequences vary significantly.
Challenging or Removing an Interpol Green Notice
A Green Notice is not immune from challenge. Individuals have the right to seek legal action where such notifications are politically motivated, unsupported by sufficient evidence, or violate human rights protections.
Experienced solicitors can:
- Conduct a detailed legal review to identify legal grounds for challenge.
- Engage with INTERPOL, national central bureaus, and UK authorities;
- Apply to the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF)—an independent body—to correct, delete, or potentially remove the notice;
- Argue violations of INTERPOL’s Constitution, including political neutrality;
- Ensure compliance with the principles of Non Bis in Idem (no one should be tried or punished twice for the same offence) and the presumption of innocence.
Where allegations relate to past investigations, acquittals, or cases already resolved, legal counsel can argue that the alleged acts no longer justify continued inclusion in INTERPOL’s databases.
Related services: How to Remove an INTERPOL Red Notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Interpol Green Notice?
A Green Notice is a preventive alert that warns member countries about a person who may pose a threat to public safety, for example because of suspected involvement in organised crime or repeated offences. It is used to share intelligence and monitor behaviour rather than to seek arrest.
How is a Green Notice different from a Red Notice?
A Red Notice asks member countries to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. A Green Notice is not an arrest warrant and does not seek detention; it is a warning used for monitoring and preventive purposes.
Will a Green Notice show on my passport or at UK borders?
It is not marked in your passport and does not lead to automatic arrest, but it may result in increased scrutiny at borders, additional information requests, delays, heightened visa or immigration scrutiny and reputational harm. UK law enforcement bodies, including the National Crime Agency, can access the data.
How can I challenge a Green Notice?
A Green Notice can be challenged where it is politically motivated, unsupported by sufficient evidence or contrary to human rights protections. An application can be made to the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL's Files, an independent body, to correct or delete the data; under the CCF Statute, a decision on a deletion request is due within nine months of the request being declared admissible.
Can a past acquittal or closed case help remove a Green Notice?
It may be relevant. Where the allegations relate to past investigations, acquittals or cases already resolved, lawyers can argue that the information no longer justifies inclusion in INTERPOL's databases, relying on principles such as non bis in idem and the presumption of innocence.
Is there a public Interpol green notice list I can search?
No. INTERPOL publishes extracts of some Red Notices, Yellow Notices and INTERPOL–United Nations Security Council Special Notices on its website, but Green Notices are not published and are available only to law enforcement authorities. To find out whether INTERPOL holds data about you, you can make an access request to the CCF; under its Statute, the CCF decides on access requests within four months of the request being declared admissible.
