How to Get a Canadian Criminal Record Check from Outside Canada

A lot of applicants assume they have to be in Canada to get a Canadian criminal record check. In reality, the process works from anywhere, but only if you know the correct sequence. People all over the world apply for a Canadian criminal record check every day for jobs, immigration licenses, and other purposes. Most of them are under a deadline and confused about where to even start. If that sounds familiar, you are in the right place. We’ll walk you through the process to help you get your result without flying back to Canada.

A Canadian criminal record check is an official document that shows whether you have a criminal history in Canada. Employers, immigration authorities, licensing bodies, and foreign governments use it to verify your background.

There are four main types of criminal record checks in Canada:

What’s Your Best Option from Outside Canada

You can get an RCMP criminal record check from outside Canada. Name-based checks (like the CPIC check) mostly require you to be physically present in Canada as they are processed through local Canadian police services. For applicants overseas, the fingerprint-based RCMP criminal record check is the standard and accepted document in many cases.

Important: The Vulnerable Sector Check (for working with children, the elderly, or people with disabilities) cannot be completed from abroad. It requires a local police agency search and must be done while you’re physically in Canada.

Fingerprints offer a way to link a criminal record to a specific person with complete certainty. While name-based searches are quick, they are not always reliable. People may change their legal names, use nicknames, or share common birth dates with others who have a criminal history. Two things can go wrong: a person with a record can be missed, or a person without one can be flagged (also known as false positives).

A fingerprint-based check solves both problems. When the RCMP runs your fingerprints against Canada’s National Repository of Criminal Records, it’s not relying on a name or date of birth. It’s matching the unique ridge patterns on your fingers to biometric data attached to any existing criminal file.

There is no scope for confusion and no room for a record to hide behind a different name. That’s why foreign embassies, immigration authorities, and international employers usually ask for a fingerprint-based check.

Step 1: Get Fingerprinted in Your Country

The first thing you need is a set of ink fingerprints taken on an RCMP-compliant form (C-216C or equivalent). Using non-compliant forms will result in rejection even if your fingerprints are perfect.

You can get this done at a local police station, a notary public, or a reputable fingerprinting provider in your country.

The quality of the prints matters more than you think. Smudged, faint, or incomplete impressions are one of the most common reasons submissions get rejected and have to be redone. Make sure whoever takes your prints is experienced with ink and roll fingerprinting technique.

Step 2: Send Your Form to an RCMP-Accredited Entity in Canada

This is the step most overseas applicants are not aware of. The RCMP does not accept fingerprint submissions directly from individuals. All submissions must go through an RCMP-accredited entity located inside Canada.

Once the agency receives your ink form, they convert your prints into a digital format that meets RCMP technical standards and submit them electronically.

Step 3: The RCMP Reviews Your Submission

Once the accredited agency submits your fingerprints, the file goes to the RCMP for processing. The RCMP searches their national criminal records database and checks your fingerprints against any records on file.

Step 4: Receive Your Criminal Record Check

When the RCMP finds no records, they issue the result and send it back to the accredited entity, which then mails the original document to your overseas address. If you need the document apostilled or authenticated for use in another country, that is an additional step you can arrange.

Check RCMP’s guidance on where to go

Most overseas applicants have one common question: "How many weeks until I have my Canadian criminal record check in hand?" The honest answer is that it depends on which stage of the process you're in, so here's a stage-by-stage breakdown.

For many applicants, walking into a police station is not always feasible. Mobile fingerprinting services bring a trained professional directly to your home, office, or anywhere you are located. They carry the right ink, the correct forms, and the experience to capture clear prints on the spot.

This option is helpful if you live far from a police station, have mobility constraints, or simply want to avoid the uncertainty of explaining the process to a local officer unfamiliar with Canadian requirements. A mobile fingerprinting appointment usually takes 15-20 minutes, and the impressions are clear as the prints are taken carefully, without rush.

If you’re in a major city, a quick search for “mobile fingerprinting near me” will point you to local options.

When you are applying for an RCMP criminal record check from outside Canada, you are entirely reliant on the third-party intermediary you choose to handle your data. Because you cannot walk into an office to verify their legitimacy, you have to be very careful. Here are a few things no one tells you about:

Promises of "Guaranteed Fast-Track" Processing

• The Situation: A provider claims they have a special partnership, exclusive government access, or an expedited "VIP service tier" that can push your background check to the front of the line for an extra fee.
• The Reality: The internal processing timeline at the federal level is entirely controlled by the RCMP. No private company can buy a faster government queue. Any promise to speed up the RCMP processing itself is a possible scam.

Missing RCMP Accreditation Details

• The Situation: The provider’s website looks professional and uses phrases like "RCMP-accredited company" but they fail to show their clear proof of standing.
• The Reality: Unaccredited providers have to mail your files to someone else to do the actual submission, adding massive security risks and weeks of delays. Before spending your money, ensure the company is an explicitly accredited partner.

Globeia Incorporated in Canada is an RCMP-accredited entity that coordinates fingerprint submission for the RCMP criminal record checks. You don’t need to visit our Canada office to get fingerprinted. Our structured process is designed to take the stress out of your application requirements.

Mobile Fingerprinting at Your Door

We have a global network of trained associates who collect fingerprints from overseas applicants. Once you book an appointment through our SmartForm online, we will visit you at a time and location that fits your schedule. You don’t need to leave your home or office to get this done.

Digitization and submission

Our associates mail the completed fingerprint cards along with photocopies of your government-issued IDs and any other required documents in a secure package to Globeia Incorporated in Toronto.

When your ink fingerprint form arrives at Globeia Incorporated, we digitize it and submit it to the RCMP. We aim to get your file in the queue as soon as possible so the processing can begin at the earliest.

Letter of identity verification (issued by Globeia)

Globeia issues a letter of identity verification after every fingerprinting session. The Letter of Identity Verification is issued to you following your fingerprinting appointment as confirmation that your identity was verified and fingerprints were collected by a trained Globeia associate following Globeia's protocols.

Note: The letter of identity verification is not a government document and doesn’t guarantee a result. It is issued by Globeia to add a layer of assurance.

Transparent pricing, no surprise fees

Globeia's service fee covers fingerprint collection, digitization, and submission coordination. The federal processing fee payable to the Receiver General of Canada is a separate government charge and is disclosed clearly before submission. There are no hidden charges, and we are clear about what happens if a fingerprint retake is required.

Global document delivery

Once the result is ready, we courier the original document to any address you provide your home, your employer, or your immigration representative. We use trackable shipping so you know exactly when it leaves and when it arrives.

Guidance on authentication and apostille

If your destination country requires the result to be authenticated or apostilled, we can coordinate those services for you on your behalf. Since Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2024, the process has become simpler for other member countries, but requirements still vary. The RCMP criminal record check is a federal document so it goes to Global Affairs Canada for apostille and we coordinate this step for you.

Read What Is an Apostille in Canada and When Do You Need One?

Real-time Tracking with SmartPortal

After your submission is underway, we don’t leave you guessing. Globeia’s SmartPortal gives you a personal dashboard where you can follow the progress of your file. You will see key milestones, like when your fingerprint package reaches our Canada office, when the digitized prints are submitted to the RCMP, and when the result is dispatched to your address. 

No. Wherever you're applying from, the process itself doesn't change. You still need ink fingerprints on an RCMP-compliant form, submitted through an accredited entity in Canada.

The RCMP criminal record check is one of the few Canadian documents that's possible to obtain from almost anywhere. The reasons people need it differ by region.

Gulf and Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar)

Employment visa sponsors in these countries commonly require a background check from every country you've lived in for a prolonged time, including Canada.

United Kingdom and Europe (UK, Spain, Germany, France, Italy)

Most often requested for UK visa sponsorship, EU residence permits, or professional licensing bodies that require background checks from all countries of prior residence.

South Asia (India, Pakistan)

Mostly needed for Canadian immigration sponsorship, study permit extensions, or employment with multinational companies that run global background checks.

United States

Frequently required as part of US green card or naturalization applications for anyone who previously lived in Canada, as well as cross-border employment with regulated industries.

Asia-Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong)

Common for skilled migration visa applications and professional registration where applicants must disclose criminal history from every country of residence.

The only thing that changes here is mailing time to and from Canada, so it's worth budgeting a few extra days on either end if you're in a region with slower international postal service.

For most people applying from outside Canada, the challenge is not the RCMP process itself. It is understanding the sequence, choosing the right provider, and leaving enough time for fingerprinting, international shipping, and processing. The applicants who run into problems are usually the ones who discover these requirements after a visa deadline, job offer, or licensing application is already approaching.

If you know you will need a Canadian criminal record check, start early. A properly submitted RCMP fingerprint check can be completed from virtually anywhere in the world without returning to Canada.