International Background Checks
In today’s interconnected world, international background checks are a critical part of reducing risk, protecting reputation, and ensuring compliance. Whether you are hiring a new executive, onboarding a supplier, or entering a business partnership, knowing the true history of the individuals and companies you work with is essential.
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Who’s it beneficial for?
International Background Checks are essential across a wide range of functions and roles, supporting HR and talent acquisition, compliance and risk teams, legal counsel, procurement and supply chain management, boards and executive committees, as well as audit and internal controls. They are equally vital for C-suite leaders, investors, regulators, compliance officers, and legal advisors, helping organisations make informed decisions, reduce risk, and protect their reputation.
Why perform international background checks?
The Wider Benefits of International Background Checks.
Regulatory Compliance
In many industries, background checks are a legal or regulatory requirement. International checks ensure compliance across borders and reduce organisational liability.
Protecting Reputation
A single high-risk hire can damage client trust and corporate reputation. Thorough screening demonstrates due diligence to clients, investors, and stakeholders.
Workplace Safety & Integrity
Verifying a candidate’s history helps safeguard colleagues, clients, and sensitive information, creating a more secure and trustworthy environment.
Closing Global Gaps
Fraudsters often move between jurisdictions to escape scrutiny. International checks validate overseas qualifications, employment histories, sanctions, and directorships, ensuring consistent global standards.
Cost-Effective Risk Management
The cost of a background check is minimal compared to the financial and reputational damage caused by hiring the wrong person.
Beyond New Hires
Screening is not just for recruitment. It is equally valuable for promotions, senior appointments, board members, and third-party partners. Our international background checks into senior executives, managers and new hires, entails rigorous interrogation and analysis of information gathered from a range of open sources.
The Types of International Background Checks
Our International background check investigations include:
Pre-employment checks (also known as pre-employment screening) help organisations verify a candidate’s background before onboarding. These checks identify hidden risks, confirm professional claims, and ensure that individuals hired into sensitive roles are honest, qualified, and compliant.
Who is it valuable for?
HR & Talent Acquisition, Compliance & Risk, Legal teams, Audit & Internal Controls.
What We Cover
- Employment history & gap analysis (last 7 years)
- Education History & Qualification Verification
- Biographical profiling searches
- Professional Qualifications and Membership Verification
- CV and Application Consistency Checks
- Regulatory Membership and Financial Enforcement searches
- National & International Sanctions & PEP searches
- Address verification and property records
- Criminal litigation searches (jurisdiction dependent)
- Adverse National and International Media research (research in local language)
Management Due Diligence provides an independent, evidence-based assessment of an individual’s integrity, reputation, and professional suitability. It helps organisations evaluate senior executives, board members, and key decision-makers, ensuring they are fit to lead and aligned with regulatory expectations.
Who it’s valuable for
- Senior hires & board-level appointments
- Investors assessing opportunities involving key individuals
- Regulatory submissions requiring fitness and propriety evidence
- High-trust roles managing client assets, sensitive data, or strategy
What We Cover
Our Analysts combine open-source intelligence, discreet source enquiries, and regulatory reference verification to provide a balanced and independent view. This includes:
- Industry insight interviews with former colleagues, clients, and senior management
- independent, evidence-based assessment of an individual’s character, integrity, and professional suitability
- Verification of regulatory references and disclosures
- Cross-checking for reputation, leadership style, and professional track record.
- Reported Court Cases, Judgments, Litigation checks, Liens and CCJ filings
- Insolvency / Bankruptcy research
- Directorship / Executive filings / disclosed shareholdings and Affiliations
Fit & Proper Checks ensure compliance with regulatory standards such as the FCA’s Fit and Proper Test for Senior Personnel. They confirm that individuals in key roles are honest, competent, and financially sound, helping organisations avoid regulatory sanctions, reputational harm, and financial exposure.
Who it’s valuable for?
Financial services firms, boards, regulators, and organisations appointing senior staff to controlled or high-trust functions.
What We Cover
Our Analysts and Associates conduct multilingual, cross-jurisdictional research, interrogating CVs, application forms, regulatory filings, and corporate history. We assess for:
- Undisclosed red flags or adverse media
- Regulatory or disciplinary actions
- Sanctions or politically exposed person (PEP) status
- Conflicting findings between CV claims and verified records
- False or exaggerated education, experience, or qualifications
- Questionable directorships, bankruptcies, or financial misconduct
- Integrity or conduct concerns in litigation or enforcement records
We report our findings clearly and concisely, enabling clients to demonstrate regulatory compliance and make fully informed hiring and approval decisions. These checks provide reassurance to boards, regulators, and stakeholders that key personnel are suitably vetted and meet the FCA’s “fit and proper” requirements.
When dealing with individuals or companies established in high-risk jurisdictions, or exposed to other forms of elevated risk, organisations are required to apply Enhanced Due Diligence measures. EDD ensures risks are managed and mitigated appropriately by going beyond standard checks. Under anti-money-laundering directives, organisations must assess, as far as reasonably possible, the background and purpose of all complex or unusually large transactions, including those that show unusual patterns without lawful or economic rationale.
Who it’s valuable for
- Organisations operating in or with high-risk jurisdictions
- Financial institutions subject to AML directives
- Compliance & risk management teams assessing unusual transactions
- Multinationals managing high-value or complex partnerships
What We Cover
- engage trusted local sources and human enquiries to provide assurance that online data alone cannot.
- assess integrity, ability, reputation, and potential exposure to sanctions lists or litigation.
- examine independent sources to identify factors that may damage client reputation and confirm suitability for roles such as investor, director, or senior hire.
- determine if an individual falls into a higher-risk category, guiding the need for further industry insight or business intelligence.
- conduct industry insight interviews and regulatory references to evaluate professional character, source of wealth, and address any specific question you have.
- deliver accurate and detailed intelligence, enabling you to make confident and informed business decisions.
Insights & Case Studies
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M&S Cyber Attack Updates 2025: What Happened So Far?
Ransomware and cyberattacks are growing in both frequency and sophistication as the digital age develops. Having explored the UK Government’s approach to these new challenges previously, we have seen a recent explosion of ransomware attacks over the past few months, particularly targeting the British retail industry; most notably, the M&S cyber attack. Matt Hull, a…
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Toyota Bank Polska Fined for GDPR Failings
Why was Toyota Bank Fined and how much? In early 2025, Toyota Bank Polska S.A. was hit with a significant fine by the Polish Data Protection Authority (UODO) for breaches of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The bank was penalised to the tune of PLN 576,220 (approximately £115,000) for two major failings: Lack of…
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Is Shein breaking EU consumer laws?
Shein has rapidly grown into one of the world’s largest online fast fashion retailers, offering ultra-low prices and an ever-changing catalogue of trendy clothing. Its ability to produce and distribute garments at an unprecedented speed has made it a dominant force in the industry. However, this business model has come under scrutiny, particularly in the…
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London: Enhanced Due Diligence – AIM Listed Company
TenIntelligence were tasked by a Nominated Advisor to provide due diligence services on an individual being considered for a Board position. Our thorough desk-based research revealed that the Subject had misled the client regarding his previous experience, but otherwise had no adverse financial, regulatory, insolvency, sanction or media exposure.
Subsequent interviews with well-placed human sources revealed that the Subject had been accused of insider trading and defrauding their clients, and had behaved inappropriately towards colleagues.
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Security & Privacy Review – Breach
TenIntelligence recently performed a Cyber/Data security review of a client’s technology and security capabilities following a reported security breach. In order to provide assurance it met the extensive information security challenges for the digital age of business, our consultants performed penetration testing analysis, cyber security systems evaluation and an assessment of information security procedures. The incident itself was a targeted phishing campaign, followed up with social engineering of several team members over a period of months, resulting in the change of supplier bank accounts details, allowing the perpetrator the mechanism to obtain funds by way of fraud.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our investigations cover regulatory standing, sanctions, litigation, employment, education, financial records, and reputational checks across jurisdictions.
Typically, 5–15 business days depending on jurisdiction, complexity, and the availability of records.
Yes. All our checks are conducted in line with data protection regulations and local privacy laws.
Yes. We conduct independent interviews with industry peers and former colleagues, ensuring discretion while providing valuable insights.
Yes. Our team speaks multiple languages and works with trusted local partners to conduct research in native languages.