Our mission
Established over a century ago, our responsibility for overseas intelligence collection was placed on a statutory basis in the Intelligence Services Act 1994. MI6 now conducts operations with a range of objectives, some of which the original officers would likely never have imagined, and some they would have been familiar with.
Our mission is to collect foreign intelligence in support of the UK’s national security and economic well-being, and to prevent serious crime. We are accountable to the government under the responsibility of the Foreign Secretary, and our goal is to provide intelligence and effects that meet government requirements and deliver impact for His Majesty’s Government.
Our people are what make us
Integrity, courage, creativity and respect are central to what we do. We are curious about cultures and international politics, people and relationships, and are motivated by our mission.
Although our work is secret, everything we do is legal and underpinned by the values that define the UK. Ethics are woven into everything we do. We empower people to get things done and we encourage them to innovate and learn from failure. We support each other, ensuring we all work in a safe, inclusive environment, managing risk collectively.
Learn more about MI6
Our history
From 1909, and through the war, the Service had a variety of names including the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Secret Service, MI1(c), the Special Intelligence Service and even C's organisation.
Our Chief (C)
Our current chief, Sir Richard Moore, became the 17th Chief of SIS in October 2020. He first joined SIS in 1987, later serving as British Ambassador to Turkey before returning to SIS as C.
Our partnerships
MI6 teams work together alongside UK government colleagues and international partners to get vital intelligence back to Whitehall.
News
Read our key stories to hear from our Chief and find out about the latest on important subjects including the Gender & Ethnicity Pay Gap Reports.
Oversight and law
Everything we do in MI6 is closely monitored and approved to make sure we aren’t breaking the law. Learn more about the legislation that governs our work and the bodies that have oversight of MI6.
