How to get a police certificate – Canada
If you need to give your fingerprints for a police certificate, this isn’t the same as giving your biometrics (fingerprints and photo) for an application.
Name of the document you need
Criminal record check
Police certificate and IRCC requirements
You don’t need to provide a police certificate when you apply for permanent residence in Canada. We’ll tell you if you need a Canadian criminal record check while your application is being processed.
How to apply
Visit the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) website for instructions.
Special considerations
Fingerprints must be submitted electronically to Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS).
Electronic fingerprint submissions to the RCMP are not currently available from outside of Canada. You must contact accredited companies within Canada who will digitize ink fingerprints and submit them electronically to the RCMP.
Paper submissions will not be processed and will be sent back to you.
RCMP service delays
Your request for an RCMP police clearance certificate may be delayed because of a large increase in demand. If this delay has affected you, we’ll automatically extend the deadline to provide the certificate by 30 days.
Contact information
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) website (available in English and French)
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