Border Force officer

Border Force officers are on the frontline for protecting the UK's borders, carrying out crucial immigration and customs checks

As a Border Force officer, you're tasked with the responsibility of making sure the UK's borders are safe and secure. This involves protecting from a range of threats including:

• terrorism
• smuggling
• fraud
• organised crime
• human trafficking
• illegal trade of items such as narcotics, weapons, tobacco and alcohol.

It's likely you'll work in a frontline role within airports and seaports where you'll enforce customs and immigration regulations.

Your work can involve carrying out intelligence-led searches on passengers and freight, conducting interviews with passengers and alerting security services to people of interest.

You may work in one port or across several locations in a specific region.

Responsibilities

As a Border Force officer, you'll need to:

• check passports and travel documents of all passengers arriving by sea/air/rail for immigration control purposes and to detect and intercept prohibited goods
• question passengers about their reasons for visiting the UK and plans while they're in the country
• search people, luggage, cars, coaches and freight vehicles for prohibited items (such as drugs, counterfeit goods, cash, tobacco, firearms or endangered plants or animals) being taken in or out of the country
• enforce rules and regulations, sometimes by removing goods or arranging for illegal immigrants to be detained
• report concerns to other organisations such as the police, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the National Crime Agency (NCA) and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

You might also:

• work with sniffer dogs to uncover concealed items
• patrol the coastline by boat
• give evidence in court
• specialise in areas such as counter terrorism, organised crime, modern slavery and human trafficking
• have line management responsibility for Border Force assistant officers.

Salary

• Starting salaries are between £28,000 and £32,000 depending on your location, with apprentices earning from £24,800.
• With experience, your salary will rise to around £34,000.
• Border Force higher officers can earn between £37,300 and £39,911.

Additional allowances are paid, such as for shift work, and these can significantly boost your earnings - sometimes by as much as 50% of the base salary. Salaries vary depending on your role, location (with higher pay in places like London), and experience. Always check individual job adverts for the most up-to-date details.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

The Border Force operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so shift work is a feature of the role. This will include early mornings, nights, weekends and public holidays on a rotating basis.

A working work is generally between 38 to 42 hours a week, with shifts of up to 12 hours long.

There are some opportunities for part-time work or job shares.

What to expect

• You're most likely to be based at one of the ports or airports across the UK but it's also possible to work across several locations within one region. The UK also operates border controls in France, Belgium and the Netherlands and so there may be opportunities there.
• You'll usually wear a uniform, which must be worn correctly and must be clean and well presented.
• The job can be physically demanding, and you may be working outdoors.
• Due to the nature of the work, the role can be challenging and pressurised at times.
• The Home Office actively encourages diversity within its workforce and has been named a Disability Confident Employer. It runs staff support networks for gender, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ and disabilities with the aim to raise awareness and build an inclusive culture.

Qualifications

You don't need a degree to become a Border Force officer. Instead, the Home Office asks for five GCSEs at grades 9-4 (A-C, or equivalent) including English and maths. Some roles may also ask for two A-levels at grade E or equivalent.

Experience that shows relevant skills, such as in security, regulatory or investigatory work may also be taken into consideration alongside qualifications.  

It's also possible to join as a Border Force assistant officer and progress into an officer role.

Alternatively, you could join as a Border Force Apprentice, working, learning and earning on the job. It typically lasts for 18 months and upon successful completion you'll be offered a permanent role at an administrative officer grade.

Although a degree is not an essential requirement to become a Border Force officer, the following subjects may be helpful:

• criminology
• psychology
• public services
• law.

It may be possible to enter a role within the Home Office via the Civil Service Fast Stream if you have a degree.

You will also need to meet the following requirements to be eligible for the Border Officer role:

• Be a UK national and at least 18 years old.
• Be able to provide the required ID documents for pre-employment screening and security clearance.
• Complete a health declaration and, if necessary, attend a medical examination.
• For some roles you may need to have a full UK manual driving licence.

Entry requirements can vary depending on a range of factors including the nature of the role, the location and any specialist work involved. It's important that you read the job advert and candidate pack carefully for full details before applying.

Skills

You'll need:

• strong observational skills, to spot suspicious or unusual behaviours
• excellent communication and interpersonal skills for gathering information, engaging with the public and dealing confidently with people who may be deliberately deceitful
• the ability to remain calm and respectful to manage and diffuse stressful situations, particularly where people are distressed or antagonistic
• adaptability and flexibility as priorities can change rapidly
• a detailed and thorough approach
• the ability to analyse information, solve problems and make decisions
• a strong sense of personal ethics and integrity
• experience as a team player, supporting colleagues and team members to deliver key outcomes
• the ability to plan, collaborate and deliver to short deadlines
• decision making skills and good judgement
• good IT and written skills for maintaining accurate records, carrying out basic data entry and using software or devices.

Work experience

Pre-entry work experience isn't essential, but it can be useful to show that you have the required skills for the role.

Any work within security, protection or implementing regulations is useful. This can include voluntary roles, perhaps within the Army, Navy or RAF Cadets or work as a special constable.

Work experience within central or local government departments will help develop your understanding of how they are run and the importance of the regulations they control.

Experience at ports or airports can also be useful to give you an insight to the environment and various activities there.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

As a Border Force officer, you'll be employed by the Border Force, which is part of the Home Office.

Locations include 140 sea and air ports across the UK and overseas. You can also work at general aviation ports, postal depots and international rail networks. This includes the Eurostar from Brussels and Paris to St Pancras International, and the Eurotunnel from Coquelles to Cheriton. Find out more about the Border Force.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Civil Service Job search
• Home Office Careers

Professional development

As a trainee Border Force officer, you'll begin with a structured training programme featuring:

• Classroom learning - covering immigration and customs legislation, operational procedures, personal safety and induction.
• Safety training - you'll complete the Level 3 Personal Safety Training (PST), which includes practical training in restraint, arrest, de‑escalation, baton use, and defensive tactics involving physical contact with others
• On-the-job mentoring - providing formal support until you are confident in your tasks.
• Practical exercises - initially in a controlled setting (with trainers), then shifting to operational environments.
• Modular training - pre-course study, followed by classroom sessions, and then mentoring in the field.

You'll focus on immigration and customs law specific to your role and location. Throughout the programme, you'll be tested regularly and supported by managers, mentors, buddies and colleagues.

Once you've passed the training and probation period, you'll take on the full responsibilities of a Border Force Officer.

Training continues throughout your career, and as you advance, you may undertake specialist training - such as forgery detection, safeguarding vulnerable individuals or operations with commodity search teams.

Career prospects

With experience and ability, you can progress into the role of a Border Force higher officer. At this level, you’ll typically have responsibility for the management of other Border Force officers and/or specific projects. You may also have budget management and recruitment responsibilities.

There is also the opportunity to move into a training role, in which you would teach new Border Force officers how to do the job.

Promotion can be easier to gain if you're willing to relocate around the country. It's also possible to specialise in a particular area of work.

It may also be possible for you to move to other departments within the Home Office and wider Civil Service, although some jobs may require further qualifications. There is also a connection with other similar roles in the Police, Ministry of Defence (MoD), Armed Forces, MI5, United Nations (UN) and other roles that involve national security.