How Do I Get an RCMP Criminal Record Check Outside Canada?

Are you applying for immigration, citizenship, employment, licensing, or residency procedures that require a Canadian criminal record check while living outside Canada?

Many Canadians abroad and foreign nationals who previously lived in Canada are asked to provide a fingerprint-based RCMP Criminal Record Check for international applications. Although the process may initially seem complicated, understanding how fingerprint collection, document preparation, and RCMP submission work makes the process much easier to manage.

This blog explains how to apply for an RCMP CRC outside Canada, what fingerprint forms are accepted, how submissions reach the RCMP, and how international document preparation works for overseas use.

When applying from outside Canada, authorities generally require a fingerprint-based RCMP Criminal Record Check rather than a name-based background check.

A name-based check only searches records using personal information such as your name and date of birth. While this may be sufficient for limited domestic screening purposes, it does not confirm identity through biometric verification and is not accepted for most immigration, citizenship, residency, or international legal procedures.

A fingerprint-based RCMP CRC verifies identity using fingerprints submitted to the RCMP’s Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS). The fingerprints are checked against Canada’s National Repository of Criminal Records before the RCMP issues the final result.

For applicants outside Canada, this fingerprint-based process is commonly required for:

• immigration and permanent residency applications.
• foreign work permits and overseas employment.
• citizenship procedures.
• professional licensing.
• adoption and legal documentation.
• International government clearance requests.

Before applying for an RCMP Criminal Record Check from outside Canada, applicants must prepare the documents required for fingerprint submission and identity verification.

These include:

• two valid government-issued IDs.
• at least one photo ID showing your full name, date of birth, signature, and photograph.
• a recent passport-size photograph.
• the required RCMP consent form.
• The completed fingerprint card containing your ink fingerprints.

Personal details on all supporting documents should match exactly. Inconsistencies involving names, dates of birth, or signatures can affect processing and may require additional verification before the RCMP completes the application.

Applicants using the RCMP CRC internationally may also need to confirm whether apostille certification, authentication, legalization, or certified translation requirements apply before starting the process.

Applicants outside Canada can have their fingerprints collected locally before the records are submitted for RCMP processing in Canada.

Fingerprint collection is commonly available through:

• local police stations.
• government-authorized fingerprint agencies.
• private fingerprinting centres.
• forensic laboratories.
• selected Canadian embassies or consulates in certain countries.

The fingerprints must be collected in black ink on an accepted fingerprint card and include both rolled and flat impressions for all ten fingers.

Once completed, the original fingerprint forms are mailed to an RCMP-accredited company in Canada for digital conversion and electronic submission to the RCMP.

Because fingerprint quality directly affects RCMP processing, applicants are encouraged to ensure the prints are clear, complete, and properly captured before mailing the documents.

The RCMP accepts several fingerprint card formats from applicants applying outside Canada, provided the forms contain complete rolled and flat fingerprint impressions.

Accepted fingerprint forms generally include:

• The official C-216C fingerprint form.
• Equivalent fingerprint cards accepted by the RCMP.

All fingerprints must be collected in black ink and signed and stamped by the person or agency that performed the fingerprint collection.

For RCMP processing, the original fingerprint card is required. Scans, photocopies, or digitally altered copies are not accepted for submission.

Applicants residing outside Canada do not usually submit fingerprints directly to the RCMP themselves.

After fingerprints are collected locally, the original ink fingerprint forms are mailed to an RCMP-accredited company in Canada. The fingerprints are then converted into digital format and electronically submitted to the RCMP’s Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS).

CCRTIS compares the fingerprints against Canada’s National Repository of Criminal Records before the RCMP independently issues the final criminal record result.

Because the RCMP requires original fingerprint forms for international submissions, applicants should avoid sending scans or photocopies unless specifically instructed otherwise by the receiving agency.

Applicants outside Canada often need to coordinate fingerprint collection, submission preparation, document review, apostille procedures, and international delivery requirements at the same time.

Globeia helps applicants manage these stages through a single workflow for RCMP Criminal Record Check applications from abroad.

Step 1 - Fingerprint Collection on the Official C-216C Form

Trained Globeia associates collect ink fingerprints on the official C-216C fingerprint form required for fingerprint submission to the RCMP.

Step 2 - Document and Consent Form Review

Identification documents, consent forms, and supporting records are reviewed before submission preparation begins.

Step 3 - Mailing Coordination to Canada

Original fingerprint forms are mailed to Globeia Incorporated in Toronto for processing.

Step 4 - Electronic Submission to the RCMP

Globeia Incorporated in Toronto converts the fingerprints into a digital format and submits them electronically to the RCMP’s CCRTIS system as the accredited Canadian entity.

Step 5 - Application Tracking Support

Applicants can monitor the progress of their Criminal Record Check while the application moves through RCMP processing.

Step 6 - Apostille, Authentication, and Translation Coordination

Globeia also helps coordinate apostille requests, authentication procedures, and certified translations on your behalf when additional document preparation is required for international use.

Globeia Incorporated in Toronto, Canada, is accredited by the RCMP to take and submit civil fingerprint verification requests to the RCMP for civil purposes.

Please note:

• RCMP Criminal Record Checks are issued directly by the RCMP.
• Processing times are determined entirely by the RCMP.
• Globeia does not directly apostille official government documents. Apostille and authentication requests are coordinated through the designated competent government authority, where applicable.

If your RCMP Criminal Record Check will be used outside Canada, additional document preparation may be required depending on the destination country.

Apostille for Hague Convention Countries

Since Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention on January 11, 2024, the RCMP CRC can now be apostilled for use in Hague Convention member countries.

An apostille confirms the authenticity of the document for international recognition.

Authentication and Legalization for Non-Hague Countries

Countries that are not part of the Hague Convention may still require:

• authentication through Global Affairs Canada.
• legalization through the destination country’s embassy or consulate.

This commonly applies to countries such as:

• UAE
• Qatar
• China

Certified Translation Requirements

Some countries or foreign authorities may also require certified translations before accepting the RCMP CRC for immigration, employment, or residency procedures.

Once processing is completed, the RCMP issues the Criminal Record Check directly.

Applicants may request:

• direct delivery to themselves.
• delivery to an employer.
• delivery to an immigration representative.
• delivery to a visa office or government authority.

If the result must be sent to a third party, a signed waiver or consent form is generally required before processing begins.

RCMP processing times generally range from 3 to 120 days after the application is received by the RCMP. Mailing time is additional.

Applying for an RCMP Criminal Record Check outside Canada involves more than simply taking fingerprints locally. Fingerprint format requirements, identity verification, international submission procedures, and document preparation standards all affect how the application moves through RCMP processing.

Understanding these requirements early can help applicants complete the process more efficiently for immigration, employment, licensing, residency, and international legal applications requiring Canadian federal background verification.