Updated 3 August 2026 · 6 min read
What a Green Notice is
A Green Notice is a warning about a person whom the requesting country assesses as having committed offences and being likely to repeat them in other countries. It circulates among member states as information.
A Green Notice contains no request for detention and is not a basis for arrest. Its purpose is to warn, not to secure surrender. Formally that makes it a milder instrument than a Red Notice.
Why it is underestimated
'No arrest' sounds reassuring, and that is the main trap. The practical consequences of a Green Notice can match a Red one and are sometimes more noticeable.
An assessment that someone is 'likely to offend' is inherently speculative: it requires neither a conviction nor even charges in another country. Yet for immigration authorities such a characterisation is weighty grounds to refuse entry, a visa or residence. Banking compliance reacts the same way.
The result is an instrument with a low issuance threshold and high consequences — a combination that makes Green Notices a convenient pressure tool in politically motivated prosecution.
How to check and challenge it
Green Notices are not published in INTERPOL's public list, so they cannot be seen from outside. The only way to learn of one is an official access request to the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF).
A challenge proceeds on the same grounds as for a Red Notice: incompatibility with INTERPOL's Constitution, the political character of the prosecution, inaccurate or irrelevant data. Green Notices add an argument of their own — that the prediction of future offending is unfounded where it rests on nothing verifiable.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I be detained on a Green Notice?
No — it contains no request for detention and is not a basis for arrest. Entry can, however, be refused on its basis.
How does a Green Notice differ from a Red one?
A Red Notice is a request to locate and provisionally arrest with a view to extradition. A Green Notice is a warning about a person's potential danger, with no demand for detention. The consequences for entry and banking are comparable.
Can a Green Notice be deleted?
Yes, through a CCF request. Alongside the standard grounds, an argument that the underlying prediction is unfounded works here where it rests on nothing verifiable.