diff --git a/lib/classes/user.php b/lib/classes/user.php
index 4e5de0f6855..774d5a807f0 100644
--- a/lib/classes/user.php
+++ b/lib/classes/user.php
@@ -1134,4 +1134,39 @@ class core_user {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Is the user expected to perform an action to start using Moodle properly?
+     *
+     * This covers cases such as filling the profile, changing password or agreeing to the site policy.
+     *
+     * @param stdClass $user User object, defaults to the current user.
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public static function awaiting_action(stdClass $user = null): bool {
+        global $USER;
+
+        if ($user === null) {
+            $user = $USER;
+        }
+
+        if (user_not_fully_set_up($user)) {
+            // Awaiting the user to fill all fields in the profile.
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        if (get_user_preferences('auth_forcepasswordchange', false, $user)) {
+            // Awaiting the user to change their password.
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        if (empty($user->policyagreed) && !is_siteadmin($user)) {
+            $manager = new \core_privacy\local\sitepolicy\manager();
+
+            if ($manager->is_defined(isguestuser($user))) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/tests/user_test.php b/lib/tests/user_test.php
index e93eac3b6af..0b9f1d91aa2 100644
--- a/lib/tests/user_test.php
+++ b/lib/tests/user_test.php
@@ -770,4 +770,53 @@ class core_user_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertFalse(\core_user::is_real_user(core_user::get_support_user()->id, true));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Tests for the {@see \core_user::awaiting_action()} method.
+     */
+    public function test_awaiting_action() {
+        global $CFG, $DB, $USER;
+
+        $guest = \core_user::get_user($CFG->siteguest);
+        $student = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_user();
+        $teacher = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_user();
+        $manager = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_user();
+        $admin = get_admin();
+
+        $this->getDataGenerator()->role_assign($DB->get_field('role', 'id', ['shortname' => 'manager']),
+            $manager->id, \context_system::instance()->id);
+
+        // Scenario: Guests required to agree to site policy.
+        $this->assertFalse(\core_user::awaiting_action($guest));
+
+        $CFG->sitepolicyguest = 'https://example.com';
+        $this->assertTrue(\core_user::awaiting_action($guest));
+
+        $guest->policyagreed = 1;
+        $this->assertFalse(\core_user::awaiting_action($guest));
+
+        // Scenario: Student required to fill their profile.
+        $this->assertFalse(\core_user::awaiting_action($student));
+
+        $student->firstname = '';
+        $this->assertTrue(\core_user::awaiting_action($student));
+
+        $student->firstname = 'Alice';
+        $this->assertFalse(\core_user::awaiting_action($student));
+
+        // Scenario: Teacher force to change their password.
+        $this->assertFalse(\core_user::awaiting_action($teacher));
+
+        set_user_preference('auth_forcepasswordchange', 1, $teacher);
+        $this->assertTrue(\core_user::awaiting_action($teacher));
+
+        unset_user_preference('auth_forcepasswordchange', $teacher);
+        $this->assertFalse(\core_user::awaiting_action($teacher));
+
+        // Scenario: Admins do not need to agree to the policy but others do.
+        $this->assertFalse(\core_user::awaiting_action($admin));
+        $this->assertFalse(\core_user::awaiting_action($manager));
+        $CFG->sitepolicy = 'https://example.com';
+        $this->assertFalse(\core_user::awaiting_action($admin));
+        $this->assertTrue(\core_user::awaiting_action($manager));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/upgrade.txt b/lib/upgrade.txt
index 2ba9d7d7497..77f88aad2f0 100644
--- a/lib/upgrade.txt
+++ b/lib/upgrade.txt
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ information provided here is intended especially for developers.
   completion_info::internal_set_data() to reaggregate completions that have been marked for instant course completion.
 * The following functions have been finally deprecated and can not be used anymore:
   - generate_uuid
+* New method \core_user::awaiting_action() has been introduced to check if the user is fully ready to use the site or
+  whether there is an action (such as filling the missing profile field, changing password or agreeing to the site
+  policy) needed.
 
 === 3.11.2 ===
 * For security reasons, filelib has been updated so all requests now use emulated redirects.