Where to get a police certificate

In most cases, you must contact the police or government to ask for a certificate.

You may have to:

  • provide information or documents, such as photographs, fingerprints, or your addresses and dates that you lived in the country or territory
  • pay a fee

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.

Find out how and where to get a police certificate from different countries and territories by using our online tool.

How to get a police certificate

If you can’t find contact information for your country or territory

If contact information is unavailable, contact the national police agency, or your country or territory’s embassy or consulate in Canada.

If your country or territory has a new name

If you lived in a country that has changed its name or status, the police certificate should come from the current national authorities of that country.

If you can’t get a police certificate from your country or territory

If you’re unable to get a police certificate from a country, you’re responsible to show why you can’t get one.
To prove that you can’t get a police certificate, you must:

  • show proof that you requested a police certificate from the correct authorities and
  • write a letter explaining all the efforts you have taken to get one

Even if you send us the above items, this is not a guarantee of acceptance.

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