What are notices and diffusions?
Notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts that police in member countries use to share crime-related information. A diffusion is a request circulated directly by a country's National Central Bureau to some or all other members.
Most notices are for police use only. A requesting country may ask that an extract be published to alert the public.
Is a Red Notice a warrant?
No. A Red Notice is a request to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar action. It is based on a national warrant or court order, and each member country decides what legal value to give it.
In the UAE, any arrest and any extradition then follow the UAE law, including Article 15 of Federal Law No. 39 of 2006 on urgent detention.
What can be challenged?
A notice must comply with INTERPOL's Constitution and its Rules on the Processing of Data. Notices that no longer comply are cancelled.
The independent Commission for the Control of INTERPOL's Files (CCF) receives applications from individuals.
What should I do first?
Establish whether a notice or diffusion exists
Do not rely on rumour or a bank's hint. Use the proper route to find out.
Separate the notice from the national case
A notice rests on a warrant or court order in another country. Get both sets of papers.
Avoid travel until advised
Each country decides how to act on a notice, and some act at the border.
Keep your own records
Passport stamps, bank letters, visa refusals and dates help show when the problem started.
Call us on +971 50 653 1334 or message us on WhatsApp. We answer at any hour.
Frequently asked questions
How can I find out whether a Red Notice exists?
INTERPOL says you can contact the CCF, an independent body, and that applications are free of charge and treated confidentially.
Are all notices public?
No. INTERPOL says most notices are for police use only.
Guides in this section
INTERPOL Red Notice Removal
How a Red Notice can be challenged and removed, and the grounds that matter.
Read the guideINTERPOL Red Notice Checks
How to find out whether a notice or diffusion exists in your name, and what to do with the answer.
Read the guideINTERPOL Diffusion Challenges
What a diffusion is, how it differs from a notice and how it can be challenged.
Read the guideCCF Applications
What the CCF is, who can apply and how an application is prepared.
Read the guidePolitically Motivated INTERPOL Notices
How Article 3 of INTERPOL's Constitution and the UAE refusal grounds apply where a case is political in character.
Read the guideRelated guides
Extradition & INTERPOL Cases overview
The main points, the process and your first steps.
Read the overviewExtradition Cases
How a foreign request to surrender a person is received, tested before the court and appealed in the UAE.
Read the guideSources
Source: Federal Law No. 39 of 2006 (International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters), official English text on the UAE Legislation portal, checked 15 October 2026. The portal lists the law as active and last updated on 28 September 2023. The Arabic text prevails over translations. Source for INTERPOL statements: About Red Notices and About Notices on interpol.int, checked 15 October 2026. INTERPOL can change its rules, so confirm the current text before relying on it.
This page is general information, not legal advice.