In order to join the Royal Army Chaplains Department you must be a citizen of the United Kingdom or of a Commonwealth country. You must also be an ordained minister recognised by one of the Sending Churches (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist/URC/Congregational, Church of Scotland/Presbyterian, Elim or Assemblies of God) and normally have at least 3 years experience in full-time ministry.  You must be medically and physically fit and  normally have resided continuously in the United Kingdom for the 5 years immediately prior to your application and be within the age requirements.  The upper age limit on joining is currently 52, but likely to be lowered to 49 in the next couple of years.

Should you meet these initial requirements, there follows a selection process.  This involves endorsement by your respective Sending Church and an Acquaint Visit to an Army unit with serving chaplains.  There are mandatory security and medical checks and clearances and it is only when these are completed that a candidate may be put forward for the Army Officers Selection Board (AOSB), based at Westbury and managed by the Chaplain-General. 

If you are sucessful you will undergo training at the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre (AFCC) at Amport House and will attend the Professionally Qualified Course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. (The course runs for 4 weeks with doctors, dentists, vets, nurses and lawyers also training.) You will then be posted to your first unit.