RCMP Criminal Record Check from Singapore: Complete Guide to Fingerprinting, Application Process & Costs

If you are in Singapore and applying for an RCMP Criminal Record check, you should know that a critical part of the process must be completed through an RCMP-accredited company in Canada.

You should not assume that a local fingerprinting provider can submit your RCMP application directly to the RCMP. The final electronic submission must be handled through an RCMP-accredited company in Canada.

Also, be cautious of coordinators or service providers that claim to submit RCMP fingerprint applications directly to the RCMP from outside Canada. RCMP-accreditation applies to companies operating in Canada. 

Wondering how to process your RCMP Criminal Record Check from Singapore? This guide covers everything you need to know to complete the application correctly, including when you need it, how the overseas process works, what are the challenges, and the most efficient way to complete the RCMP application without managing all the international paperwork across multiple time zones on your own.

So, whether you are in the CBD, Orchard, Jurong, Tampines, Woodlands or anywhere else in Singapore, the process would be the same. All you have to do is follow the steps correctly. 

• What Is an RCMP Criminal Record Check?

An RCMP Criminal Record Check is a federally issued certificate from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Canada. It searches the National Repository of Criminal Records and confirms whether a person has a criminal record in Canada. The result is issued by the RCMP's Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS).

• Why Do People in Singapore Need an RCMP Criminal Record Check Certificate?

Certain authorities, including immigration bodies, employers, licensing boards, or adoption agencies, may ask people who have lived or worked in Canada at any point to submit a fingerprint-based criminal record check that specifically covers their Canadian history.

Let’s see who needs an RCMP Criminal Record Check.

Does everyone need this certificate? No. You only need to apply for it when an authority specifically requests it. The most common situations where Singapore-based applicants are asked for an RCMP Criminal Record Check are:

Important: The RCMP Criminal Record Check is not automatically required whenever Canada is mentioned in your history. It should only be obtained when a specific authority explicitly requests it. Always confirm the document requirement before starting the process.

This is one of the most common misconceptions among RCMP applicants.

Know the Difference: Singapore Certificate of Clearance is issued by the Singapore Police Force. This certificate reflects your criminal record in Singapore. On the other hand, your RCMP Criminal Record Check reports your criminal record in Canada.

An authority asking about your Canadian history will not accept a Singapore Certificate of Clearance as a substitute, regardless of whether you have a clean record in Singapore. The two documents answer different questions.

Important: One critical distinction between these two certificates is the RCMP Criminal Record Check is fingerprint-based, which makes it a stronger identity verification. Fingerprints confirm identity in a way a name-based check like Singapore Certificate of Clearance cannot.

Only an RCMP-accredited company operating in Canada can electronically submit fingerprints to the RCMP through its accredited electronic submission channel. There is no direct electronic submission portal or email service that allows international applicants to submit scanned fingerprints to the RCMP. Individual applicants and non-accredited companies outside Canada cannot access the RCMP's accredited electronic submission channel to transmit fingerprints directly to the Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS).

Therefore, every application from Singapore must pass through an RCMP-accredited company in Canada. These companies digitize your ink fingerprint form and submit it electronically through the approved channel.

Can I send my fingerprints directly to the RCMP in Ottawa from Singapore? 

No. Mailing an ink fingerprint form directly from Singapore may not meet the RCMP's submission requirements for electronic processing and could lead to delays or the need to restart the application.

Although the application can begin in Singapore, it cannot be completed here. Your fingerprints, documents, and final submission all move through different stages in Singapore and Canada before the RCMP processes your Criminal Record Check. Understanding this process beforehand can help you avoid unnecessary delays and repeated paperwork:

Stage 1: Ink Fingerprinting in Singapore

The process begins with collecting your fingerprints in Singapore. Your fingerprints must first be taken using the correct rolled ink fingerprinting technique before they can be converted into an electronic submission by an RCMP-accredited company in Canada. International applicants cannot submit digital fingerprint files directly to the RCMP.

Thus, for applicants who are applying from Singapore, RCMP does not accept direct mail from individuals overseas. So, you cannot send the physical fingerprinted cards directly to Canada yourself. Here are the available options:

Fingerprinting in Singapore for RCMP Criminal Record Check

As we mentioned above, you need to follow the ink-and-roll method to take fingerprints on the paper card. Either the C-216C card or the equivalent card is used to take the fingerprints. The card should include:

• Rolled and flat impressions of all ten fingers, taken with black ink.
• Your full name, date of birth, and gender.
• The name and address of the agency that took your prints.
• The signature of the official who took them, plus the agency’s stamp or seal.

Where Can You Get Fingerprinted in Singapore?

Singapore Police Force (SPF)

Applicants should check the latest Singapore Police Force guidance because fingerprinting availability, appointment requirements, and locations may change. You should confirm whether fingerprinting services are available, which locations provide them, and whether an appointment is required.

Also confirm in advance whether the fingerprinting authority will complete any signatures, stamps, or agency details required for your RCMP application.

Private Fingerprinting Service Providers in Singapore

This option might be more suitable for applicants who are unfamiliar with the RCMP application process, have tight deadlines or prefer guided support. Private fingerprinting providers in Singapore offer more flexible appointments along with faster turnaround than SPF stations. You can find several private coordinators across Singapore either for in-office locations across the CBD, Orchard, Raffles Place, or mobile fingerprinting if you prefer to complete this step at home, work, or any preferred location.

One such reliable provider coordinating mobile fingerprinting collection for RCMP applications is  Globeia, working with Globeia Incorporated in Toronto for RCMP-accredited submission. This is an RCMP-accredited international background check coordinator based in Canada having years of experience coordinating RCMP applications. All you need to do is, fill your details in Globeia's SmartForm, including your preferred time and location. A trained associate can visit you at your chosen location and time with the official fingerprinting card. Your prints are collected following all the RCMP guidelines to reduce the risk of delays or rejection caused by poor-quality fingerprints.

Here are the most important questions you must ask any Singapore fingerprinting provider before booking:

• Do you supply the C-216C, or do I need to bring my own form?
• Do they check the print quality on the spot and offer retakes immediately?
• Which RCMP-accredited company in Canada will receive my completed form?

Private Fingerprinting Provider Appointment vs. Globeia Mobile Fingerprinting

Here is how Globeia's coordination differs from arranging the process independently.

Stage 2: Sending Your Form to an RCMP-Accredited Company in Canada

For applicants in Singapore, collecting your fingerprints is only one part of the RCMP Criminal Record Check process. How those fingerprints are submitted to the RCMP also influences the chances of success of your application. Unlike many other international background checks, you cannot simply mail your fingerprint card directly from Singapore to the RCMP for processing.

Instead, once your fingerprints are collected on the official C-216C or another RCMP-accepted fingerprint form, they must be sent to an RCMP-accredited company in Canada.

You need to prepare your documentation package required by the company and courier the package internationally with a trackable international courier service, like DHL or FedEx.

The documents usually include:

• Your original fingerprint form, signed and stamped. Photocopies or scans might be rejected.
• Clear copies of two valid government-issued photo IDs
• A signed third-party consent form, if results are going to anyone other than you
• The company's own intake form and payment
• The CAD 25 processing fee is payable to the Receiver General of Canada (not the RCMP), plus the company's own service fee.

Stage 3: RCMP Processing and Delivery After Your Fingerprints Reach Canada

Once your form reaches the RCMP-accredited company in Canada, your role in the process is complete. This is what happens next:

1. The Role of Your Selected RCMP-Accredited Company in Canada:

• The accredited company scans your form
• Converts it into a digital file
• Assigns a control number
• Transmits it electronically to CCRTIS.

2. The Role of the RCMP Itself

• RCMP then searches the National Repository of Criminal Records
• If there is no match, your Criminal Record Check is issued
• Files that need additional verification go to manual review

Processing times run from 3 to 120 days from the date of electronic submission, determined entirely by the RCMP. Courier time is additional. No company, agency, or applicant can shorten this time. However, you can control the first two stages.

Make sure you choose the right card and a reliable RCMP-accredited company like Globeia Incorporated for high-quality fingerprints and properly coordinated application submission.

Once the process is complete, your result is then delivered directly to your Singapore address by international mail, or through your accredited company by tracked courier, depending on the option you selected.

Note: The CAD 25 federal processing fee for Criminal Record Checks is payable to the Receiver General for Canada. RCMP fees and processing times are subject to change. Applicants should confirm the latest information through the RCMP or their accredited service provider before applying.

Note: Apostille, certified translation, repeat fingerprinting due to quality rejection, and express international delivery are not included in these figures. SGD/CAD exchange rate movements will affect your final cost. Also, the cost is subject to change, please confirm with your coordinator. 

Most delays in RCMP applications from Singapore are not caused by the RCMP processing window. They are caused by errors in the stages you can control. Here are the most common mistakes that you must know to avoid any delays or re-submissions:

1. Booking a Singapore fingerprint provider who doesn't supply the C-216C

You should know that many notaries, commissioners for oaths, and general "fingerprinting services" in Singapore may advertise fingerprinting broadly but they may not provide the RCMP C-216C card. Some of them would expect you to source it yourself, or will fingerprint you on a generic blank card that is not the correct form. So before booking anywhere in Singapore, you should confirm that they provide the official C-216C card itself.

2. Trying to mail the form to Ottawa yourself from Singapore

It's a common assumption in Singapore. Some applicants think that because SingPost or a courier can reach Canada in a few days, they can simply post the completed C-216C directly to the RCMP. This may not meet the RCMP's submission requirements. The RCMP does not accept applications mailed to it directly from outside Canada. The form has to be submitted through an RCMP-accredited company based inside Canada first.

3. Assuming a Singapore-based agency as "RCMP-accredited"

This is the single most common misunderstanding among Singapore applicants. RCMP accreditation is only granted to companies operating in Canada. So no company inside Singapore can be RCMP-accredited. If you choose a Singapore fingerprinting service provider, you must confirm which Canadian company will receive and submit your form, then check that company against the RCMP's own published list of accredited providers before you pay a deposit.

4. Lack of quality check at the point of collection in Singapore

If the person taking your prints in Singapore does not inspect them on the spot for issues, like smudging, too-light rolls, or incomplete ridge detail, you won't find out there's a problem until the form has already been couriered to Canada and rejected there. At that point you may lose time and incur additional courier costs, as well as face delays during the RCMP's review process, often several weeks in total. So, ask your Singapore provider directly whether they review print quality before you leave, and whether they will redo a poor impression on the spot at no extra charge.

5. Sending a photocopy instead of the original ink card

The RCMP usually requires original ink fingerprint impressions on an accepted form, such as the C-216C or another form accepted for RCMP processing. A photocopy will be rejected regardless of how clean it looks.

6. Missing a signature or the agency's stamp

Clean fingerprint impressions alone are not sufficient if the required signatures and stamps are missing on the card. Therefore, during your fingerprinting appointment, make sure that your signature, the official’s signature and the stamp of the fingerprint collecting agency are all present on the fingerprint form.

7. Name mismatches between your NRIC/passport and the form

Given how differently names can appear across Singapore documents, this is another common issue that results in rejections of the application. Common issues include:

• A Chinese, Malay, or Tamil name recorded in a different order or spacing on your NRIC versus your passport
• Aliases or former names on an NRIC that don't appear on the passport used for the form
• Hyphenation or spacing of a Malay or Indian name (e.g., a "bin/binti" or "s/o, d/o" naming convention) written inconsistently
• The name on the C-216C must match your passport exactly - the document your Canadian application will actually reference.

8. Transcription errors on date of birth or passport number

Even a small mistake like wrong date format, can lead to unnecessary delays. Your fingerprinting or coordination service provider in Singapore must verify that your full name, passport number, date of birth, and other personal details have been recorded exactly as they are on your passport. You should also pay special attention to the DD/MM/YYYY data format used on Singapore passports and NRICs to avoid these small day-month errors.

9. Paying the CAD 25 fee incorrectly from Singapore

The federal processing fee is payable to the Receiver General for Canada, in Canadian dollars - not to the RCMP directly, and not necessarily in SGD. Common mistakes from Singapore include:

• Arranging a bank draft in SGD instead of CAD (Singapore banks like DBS, OCBC, and UOB can issue CAD drafts, but you have to specifically request the currency and the correct payee)
• Making payment out to "RCMP" or to the fingerprinting company rather than the Receiver General
• Assuming the Singapore provider's own invoice, once paid in SGD, automatically covers the federal fee. Some coordinators do submit this correctly, but you need to confirm it in writing rather than assuming it.

10. Using regular Singapore post instead of a trackable courier

Standard airmail through SingPost offers no tracking and no recovery if the envelope is lost between Singapore and Canada. A Canada-bound mail can be delayed further at customs with no real-time information about where it is. So use a trackable courier, such as DHL, or FedEx, with door-to-door tracking.

Also Read: Tips to Avoid RCMP Criminal Record Check Rejections

The RCMP Criminal Record application from Singapore includes several steps that can be confusing and cause mistakes that result in rejection or resubmissions. However, the good news is, you can avoid all these mistakes with the right guidance and coordination. Therefore, instead of handling all the steps - fingerprinting, documentation, courier arrangements, and submission on their own, many applicants in Singapore choose a professional background check coordinator, like Globeia Incorporated in Toronto who understands the RCMP requirements from start to finish.

Here's how Globeia simplifies the RCMP Criminal Record Check process with its professional coordination services, instead of managing the entire process on your own.

Here is how Globeia's coordination compares to managing it yourself:

Instead of managing fingerprints, courier arrangements, documentation, payment, and application submission on your own, choose Globeia to coordinate the entire process designed to simplify the entire application process from Singapore. This is how it works:

Step 1: Fill Globeia’s SmartForm 

You can begin your application simply by completing the SmartForm with your personal details, application purpose, and preferred fingerprinting location in Singapore. The SmartForm would automatically identify any common errors during the data-entry that helps us reduce mistakes that can cause delays in your application after submission.

Before your appointment is confirmed, you also complete a Face ID verification through SmartPortal to verify your identity. 

Step 2: Mobile Fingerprinting Anywhere in Singapore

Once the form is submitted and your appointment is confirmed, a trained Globeia associate visits your preferred location anywhere in Singapore. The associate arrives at your place with the official fingerprint form, including the official RCMP C-216C fingerprint card, and captures your fingerprints using the correct rolled ink techniques. They also double-check the fingerprint quality immediately and retake the prints to ensure the best possible quality.

Step 3: Letter of Identity Verification

After your fingerprinting appointment, Globeia issues its Letter of Identity Verification, confirming that your fingerprints were collected after Globeia completed its identity verification process.

Each letter includes a unique encrypted QR code that helps verify the authenticity of the document.

Note: The Letter of Identity Verification is issued by Globeia and is not issued by, endorsed by, or affiliated with the RCMP, or any government authority.

Step 4: Submission Through Globeia Incorporated in Canada

After collecting your fingerprints, the completed fingerprint card is safely mailed to Globeia Incorporated in Toronto.

Globeia Incorporated reviews the application, digitises your fingerprint card for electronic submission through the RCMP's accredited submission channel to the Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS) for processing.

Step 5: Track Your Application Through SmartPortal

Globeia also lets you track your application through SmartPortal. You can view application status updates. So, you do not have to wonder where your application is during the process. You can easily monitor it through Globeia’s SmartPortal. 

Step 6: Apostille and Certified Translation (If Required)

Some immigration authorities, universities, employers, or licensing bodies may ask you to submit an apostille or a certified translation along with your RCMP Criminal Record Check.

With Globeia, you don’t have to worry about that either as it is an RCMP-accredited company that also coordinates apostille and certified translation services after your RCMP certificate has been issued to help ensure your documents are prepared in the sequence required by the receiving authority.

Note: Please note that Globeia does not directly apostille official government documents and does not perform apostille services on behalf of any government authority. All apostille and authentication requests are submitted by our company to the designated competent government authority on your behalf.

Already Have Your Fingerprints? Continue the Process in with Globeia in Canada

If your fingerprints were recently collected on the official fingerprinting card of RCMP, Globeia can also begin the application from Canada stage, which includes digitisation, submission, tracking and any apostille or translation requirements. All you need to do is confirm your existing form details on the SmartForm and the team will verify whether it qualifies before anything is charged.

Globeia offers mobile fingerprinting appointments across all major residential, commercial, and business districts in Singapore, including:

A big part of your RCMP Criminal Record Check application success from Singapore depends on the right guidance, coordination, professionally taken fingerprints and careful submission of the application through an RCMP-accredited company based in Canada. One small mistake may require you to submit the application again, wasting all your time, efforts, and money. Things get worse with first-time applicants or those applying within a strict deadline. This is where a reliable coordinator can help manage the process and take responsibility for all the steps in the process so that you can submit the application with confidence.

Complete Globeia's SmartForm today to begin your RCMP Criminal Record Check application from Singapore with expert coordination from start to finish.