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The short answer
Since 21 January 2026, self-employed people in England and Wales, including private tutors, can apply for an Enhanced DBS check themselves through a registered umbrella body if their role qualifies, rather than needing an employer. Eligibility depends on what the work involves, not the job title, and barred list checks are added where the role qualifies. Parents usually expect to see a recent certificate and a written safeguarding policy.
Tutoring is a common side business among Nigerian graduates, teachers and professionals in the UK: maths, English, science, 11+ and GCSE preparation, and Yoruba or Igbo lessons for children born here. Parents' first question is usually whether you have a DBS check. Until 2026, a self-employed tutor often could not get the enhanced check parents wanted. That changed this year.
What changed in January 2026
Before 21 January 2026, Enhanced DBS checks could only be obtained through a DBS registered body or umbrella body acting for an organisation. From that date, self-employed people and personal employees whose paid work qualifies for an Enhanced check can apply themselves, through a registered umbrella body. Private tutors and music teachers are among the roles reported as covered. Volunteers are not covered by this route.
Which check you can get
| Check | What it shows | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Unspent criminal record information | Any role; many parents will not accept it alone for regular tutoring of children |
| Enhanced | A fuller record check, which can include relevant police information | Roles that meet the eligibility rules, assessed on what the work involves |
| Enhanced with barred list | As enhanced, plus whether you are barred from working with children and/or adults | Roles that qualify for barred list checks |
Eligibility depends on what you actually do: how often you teach children, whether you are unsupervised, and where the teaching happens. The umbrella body will assess your role against the eligibility rules before submitting. Parents and carers cannot apply on your behalf.
How to apply as a self-employed tutor
- Choose a registered umbrella body that accepts self-employed applicants.
- Describe your role accurately: ages taught, frequency, one-to-one or group, in person or online.
- Provide personal details and five years of address history.
- Verify your identity, digitally or with documents.
- Pay the DBS fee plus the umbrella body's own admin fee. DBS fees were due to fall from 5 October 2026; compare total prices.
- When the certificate arrives, register with the DBS Update Service within 30 days of issue so new clients can check it is current online, with your permission.
If you lived in Nigeria recently
A DBS check covers UK records. Parents, agencies and schools may also ask for an overseas criminal record certificate if you lived abroad recently. For Nigeria, that is a Police Character Certificate; see our guide to getting a Nigeria police character certificate from the UK.
Safeguarding policies parents and platforms expect
- A written safeguarding policy naming who you would contact about a concern (the local authority children's services and, in an emergency, the police).
- Lone working rules: a parent or adult at home during in-person lessons, door open where practical.
- Online lessons: lessons on a platform the parent can see, no private messaging with children, parental consent before any recording.
- Data: how you store children's names, school reports and contact details. If you keep digital records about children, check whether you must pay the ICO data protection fee; GOV.UK's childminder guidance lists it at £40.
- Group classes in halls or churches: check the venue's own safeguarding requirements.
Tutoring through agencies and platforms
Many tutors find their first pupils through tutoring agencies, online platforms or schools buying in catch-up sessions. Each sets its own vetting rules. An agency that employs or places you may run the check itself; a platform may ask you to upload a certificate it can verify; a school will usually want an enhanced check with barred list and will follow its own safeguarding procedures. Holding your own current certificate on the Update Service saves repeating the process for each one, which matters when each new check carries both the DBS fee and an umbrella body fee.
Teaching Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa to diaspora children
Heritage language classes are often run in church halls, community centres or on Saturday mornings in homes. The same principles apply: the check you can get depends on what the role involves, and a group class in a hall brings the venue's safeguarding rules too. If several tutors teach under one name, decide early whether you are running a business that engages tutors, in which case you will be the one checking them, or a loose group of self-employed teachers, each responsible for their own check.
Setting up the business
Register as a sole trader with HMRC once you start earning (see registering as a sole trader), check your visa allows self-employment, and keep a record of lessons and payments. Set clear terms: price per session, block bookings, cancellation notice and how you handle missed lessons.
Worked pricing example
Example only: a tutor charges £35 for a one-hour GCSE maths lesson and teaches 12 lessons a week for 38 weeks. Income is £35 × 12 × 38 = £15,960 a year, before travel, materials, the DBS and Update Service costs, and tax.
Where Pryme fits
Tutors who teach children of Nigerian families abroad, or online pupils in Nigeria, can receive pounds, naira, dollars and euros into one Pryme account and send simple invoices.
Questions people ask
Can a self-employed tutor get an Enhanced DBS check?
Yes. Since 21 January 2026, self-employed people whose paid role qualifies can apply through a registered umbrella body.
Is a basic DBS check enough for tutoring?
It is legal to tutor with a basic check, and no law requires a private tutor to hold an enhanced one, but many parents and agencies expect enhanced with barred list where the role qualifies.
How long is a DBS check valid?
A certificate reflects records on the day it was issued, and each client decides how recent it must be. Joining the Update Service within 30 days of issue lets clients check online, with your permission, that it is still current.
Can parents apply for a DBS check on their tutor?
No. Parents and carers cannot apply on the worker's behalf.
Sources
- ByteStart: self-employed can now get Enhanced DBS checks without an employer (22 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Become a childminder or nanny (England), archived copy of 14 Aug 2026 · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.