Introduction to borrowing
Essential information to help you understand what's involved in borrowing records from our collections.
Borrowing from The National Archives offers a unique opportunity to share the nation's documentary heritage with your audiences. We welcome loan requests from museums, galleries, libraries, and other cultural organisations who wish to display original records as part of their public exhibitions.
This page provides an overview of what to expect when considering a loan, including key factors we assess and how to apply.
Our legal basis for lending
Section 2(4)(g) of the Public Records Act 1958 empowers The National Archives to lend records "for display at commemorative exhibitions and for other special purposes". All borrowers must be able to meet the full set of requirements or a loan, including those relating to timescales, costs, transport, and display, as outlined in our conditions for loans.
Factors to consider before applying
If you are interested in borrowing records from The National Archives, please review the following key points before submitting a formal request:
- Minimum notice period: From 1 June 2026, we require a minimum of twelve months' formal notice for all loan requests. We welcome earlier approaches wherever possible, and strongly encourage international borrowers to contact us early in their planning stages.
- Single-venue loans: Loans are approved for one venue only. If your exhibition is part of a tour, each venue will be assessed separately.
- Loan duration: The standard loan period is three to six months.
- Number of items: We do not usually lend more than ten records to a single exhibition.
- Costs and insurance: Borrowers are responsible for insurance and for all costs and fees associated with the loan. If a record requires complex conservation measures, The National Archives' reserves the right to charge preparation fees. Any fees will be communicated to the borrower early in the loan negotiation process.
- Purpose of loan: Loans are considered for public display purposes only.
- Acknowledgement: The National Archives must be clearly acknowledged in the exhibition display and in any accompanying catalogues or publications.
How to apply
We welcome enquiries from organisations interested in borrowing records for exhibitions. To make an initial enquiry, please contact the Registrar team via the Exhibitions Loans inbox in the first instance.
Prospective borrowers are encouraged to carry out preliminary research in advance of submitting an enquiry or formal request. A good starting point is out online catalogue, Discovery, and our staff research profiles, which highlight areas of expertise across the collections. The borrower can also make use of The National Archives’ research service in order to identify a suitable folio.
The sections below explain how to make a formal request, what your letter should include, and how requests are considered by the Loans Panel.
Making a formal request
All formal requests must be submitted as a letter addressed to Chief Executive and Keeper of The National Archives, Saul Nassé.
The letter can be emailed to exhibitionloans@nationalarchives.gov.uk copied into the email.
You can also send a hard copy to
Saul Nassé, Chief Executive and Keeper of The National Archives
The National Archives
Kew, Richmond
TW9 4DU
What to include in your letter
The request letter should outline the details of the proposed loan and include the following information:
- Dates of the proposed exhibition
- Venue details for the proposed loan
- A concise curatorial rationale explaining the record's relevance to the exhibition themes and its importance within the display
- Catalogue reference numbers and descriptions of the records, including display sides
- A statement of the intended insurance or indemnity
- A statement on the suitability of the display space (security and environment)
- An undertaking to meet all direct costs for the loan
- Contact details for further enquiries
- Signed at an appropriate level in the organisation
The Loans Panel
Formal loan requests are reviewed by our Loans Panel, which meets monthly to assess the suitability of each proposed loan. In reaching its recommendations, the Panel considers:
- The relevance of the requested records to the exhibition
- Availability of the records
- The technical work required to support the loan
- The condition and care needs of record
The Loans Panel can only review requests that include a finalised list of records and if relevant, folio numbers.
Post panel
Once the loan request has been considered by the Loans Panel, applicants will be informed whether approval in principle has been granted, subject to certain conditions.
Approval in principle is conditional on the borrower being able to meet all requirements of the loan, including those relating to security, transport, and environmental standards.
Following approval in principle, prospective borrowers will be asked to submit a completed UKRG Facilities Report and Security Supplement for the borrowing venue. These should be sent to the Registrar team and will form part of the assessment prior to final approval.
Get in touch
Contact the Registrar team
To make a general enquiry or if you have any questions on the borrowing processes, please email our Registrar team.