Home / By document / RCMP criminal record check

Apostille for an RCMP criminal record check

An RCMP certified criminal record check, fingerprint-based and bearing the RCMP seal, is a federal document: only Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa can apostille it, never a province. The request is mail-in, the federal queue is currently about 25 business days plus mail, and there is no rush service except for genuine emergencies. A name-based check from a local police service is a different document, often not accepted abroad.

Required for work visas, residency, immigration and professional licensing in dozens of countries. Here is how it gets apostilled, and how we handle the whole chain remotely, in Canada or from abroad.

Outside Canada and still need the check itself? We run the whole chain for you: ink fingerprints on form C-216C where you live, submission through our RCMP-accredited partner, the apostille, and DHL Express to your door. See RCMP fingerprints from abroad.
Competent authorityGlobal Affairs Canada, Authentication Services (Ottawa)
Document acceptedOriginal certified RCMP check bearing the RCMP seal. Photocopies and PDFs cannot be apostilled
NotarizationNot required for the certified RCMP (fingerprint) check
Current apostille timeAbout 25 business days + mail, as posted by Global Affairs Canada on October 23, 2026. All current processing times
Rush serviceNone, except genuine emergencies assessed by Global Affairs Canada
SubmissionMail only

Which RCMP check do you actually need?

This is the single most common mistake, and getting it wrong means starting over. There are two different documents, and most countries will only accept one of them.

Usually required abroad

Certified check (fingerprint-based)

Issued by the RCMP in Ottawa from your fingerprints, taken electronically in Canada or in ink on the C-216C fingerprint form abroad. This is the federal document foreign authorities almost always ask for. It is apostilled directly by Global Affairs Canada with no notarization.

Often refused abroad

Name-based check (local police)

A name-and-date-of-birth search from a local police service, with no fingerprints. Many countries will not accept it, and it must be notarized before it can be apostilled. Confirm with your destination before choosing this route.

The routing rule. A certified fingerprint check is a federal document, so it goes to Global Affairs Canada, never to a province. Your own home address does not change this. Sending it to the wrong authority is the most common cause of lost weeks; our pre-check confirms the path before anything is mailed.

Fingerprinting: who takes the prints, and what comes back

The apostille is only as good as the document underneath it. Three things to get right before anything is mailed to Ottawa.

Who takes the fingerprints

In Canada, an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting company captures your prints digitally and submits them electronically to the RCMP in Ottawa. Abroad, a local police service or another accepted agency rolls them in ink on form C-216C, and the card is mailed to an accredited company in Canada, which submits it electronically. See RCMP fingerprints from abroad.

Where the certificate goes

The RCMP mails the certified check to the applicant, or to a third party named on the request: an employer, a lawyer, or Viapostille. Having it sent straight to us saves one mailing leg and a week or more on the overall timeline.

What can be apostilled

Only the original certificate with the RCMP seal. A photocopy, a scan or the PDF some agencies email you cannot be apostilled by Global Affairs Canada. If your original is already abroad, we explain how to get it to the right office without a second check.

How it works, step by step

Free pre-check

You upload a scan and tell us the destination country and your deadline. We confirm which check you need, that the format is acceptable, and whether your destination is a Hague member, then send a written plan and a fixed quote. Start here.

Get the certified check

You have fingerprints taken at an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting company. They submit electronically to the RCMP in Ottawa, which issues the certified record check and mails the original, usually 1 to 2 weeks once prints arrive.

Apostille at Global Affairs Canada

We prepare and submit the apostille request to Global Affairs Canada by mail, with the original certificate. No notarization, just the federal queue, currently about 25 business days.

Tracking & worldwide return

You get an email at every checkpoint. With Full Service we email a PDF scan the day the apostilled certificate returns, then forward the original anywhere in the world by tracked courier.

Be realistic about timing. End to end, this is typically a 6 to 8 week process once you include fingerprinting, RCMP issuance, the apostille and mailing in both directions. Global Affairs Canada has no paid expedited service, so anyone promising to "rush" the federal apostille cannot deliver it. If you have a visa deadline, start now and build in buffer. Current figures for every authority are on our processing times page.

Skip the trip back to Ottawa when you are already abroad

For some countries, the Canadian embassy in your destination can apostille an original RCMP certificate itself, so the original does not have to travel back to Ottawa.

Verified example

Embassy of Canada in Madrid, Spain

Apostilles original RCMP certified criminal record checks by mail, for people located in Spain or Andorra (not at the Barcelona consulate): you email a scan first and the embassy sends instructions. $50 CAD per document. For a Canadian already living in Spain, this avoids mailing the original back to Ottawa and waiting out the federal queue.

Verified example

Embassy of Canada in Tokyo, Japan

Apostilles documents that would qualify at Global Affairs Canada, which includes the RCMP certificate. A consular officer reviews an emailed scan first, and requests can also be made by mail. $50 CAD per document. The certificate must be the sealed original.

How we make it work. We prepare a ready-to-go kit (the original certificate, the embassy's request form filled in, its instructions and a checklist) and ship it by DHL Express to you or to a trusted contact in the destination country, who submits it to the embassy as instructed. Not every embassy offers this, and the rules change: ask us at pre-check whether your destination qualifies, and we will say plainly whether the embassy route or the Ottawa route is the right call for your file. More on handling the whole process from outside Canada on our apostille from abroad page.

What it costs

Our fee
$100 + tax per submission
Pre-check, forms, filing, tracking and the scan on return
Government fees
At cost
Itemized on your quote, receipt included
Shipping
$80 both ways in Canada
DHL Express abroad at our fixed rate by region, $65 to $180
Payment
50% to get started
50% once the apostille is issued and the scan is sent

Fingerprinting and the RCMP check itself are paid to the fingerprinting company. Outside Canada and still need the check? Our RCMP check from abroad service adds the certified check at cost ($200 per person) and comes with a free fingerprint kit. If your destination also needs a translation, it is quoted at pre-check: see apostille and translation.

Hague member, or not?

An apostille only works for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, 130 of them. For the rest, your record check needs a different path.

Apostille countries

Most of Europe, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan and many more. One apostille from Global Affairs Canada is all that's needed, no embassy step.

Non-Hague countries

For example the UAE, Qatar and China: the certificate is authenticated and then legalized at the destination country's embassy or consulate. We tell you which applies at pre-check, so you never pay for the wrong process.

One detail that saves files: the name on your record check must match your passport exactly. A mismatch is a frequent reason documents are rejected at the border or by the receiving authority, we flag it during the pre-check.
Common questions
Who apostilles an RCMP criminal record check?
Global Affairs Canada, Authentication Services in Ottawa. A certified RCMP check is a federal document, so it is apostilled federally rather than by a province.
How long does Global Affairs Canada take right now?
As of October 23, 2026, Global Affairs Canada reports it is processing requests received about 25 business days earlier, plus mail time each way. There is no paid rush service; priority processing is considered only for genuine emergencies outside the applicant's control. End to end, with fingerprinting and shipping, plan on 6 to 8 weeks. We update the figure on our processing times page.
Can a province apostille an RCMP check?
No. A certified RCMP criminal record check is a federal document, so only Global Affairs Canada can apostille it. Québec, Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan return it unprocessed. A notarized copy apostilled by a province is a different document and is often refused abroad.
Can the Canadian embassy abroad do it?
For some destinations, yes. The Embassy of Canada in Madrid apostilles original RCMP certificates by mail for people located in Spain or Andorra, and the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo apostilles documents that would qualify at Global Affairs Canada, which includes the RCMP certificate. Each embassy reviews a scan first and sets its own conditions. We prepare the kit and ship it by DHL Express to you or a trusted contact there. Ask at pre-check whether your destination qualifies; it is not a guarantee.
Is a name-based police check enough?
Usually not. A name-based check from a local police service is a different document from the RCMP certified check, must be notarized before any apostille, and is often refused by foreign authorities. Confirm with the authority that asked for the document; most want the fingerprint-based RCMP certificate.
Does the certificate expire?
The certificate carries no expiry date, but most receiving authorities set their own freshness window, often 3 to 6 months from issue. The authority that asked for it decides, so order the check with your filing date in mind and tell us your deadline.
Do I need a translation?
Yes for Spain, Italy and most of Latin America, where the receiving authority expects a certified or sworn translation of the certificate and its apostille. We quote it at pre-check and have it done after the apostille, so the apostille is translated too. Details on apostille and translation.
Does it need to be notarized first?
No, a certified fingerprint-based RCMP check apostilled by Global Affairs Canada does not require notarization. Only a name-based check from a local police service needs notarizing, and many countries won't accept that version anyway.
What does it cost?
Our fee is $100 plus tax per submission, government fees are billed at cost, and shipping is $80 both ways in Canada or DHL Express abroad at our fixed rate by region, $65 to $180. Fingerprinting and the RCMP check are paid to the fingerprinting company. 50% to get started, 50% once the apostille is issued and the scan sent.
I'm outside Canada, can you still help?
Yes. With our RCMP check from abroad service, your fingerprints are taken in ink where you live on form C-216C, we open your file with our RCMP-accredited partner, the certificate is mailed to our office, and we return the apostilled original to you anywhere by DHL Express. A free four-page kit explains every step, including a page for the officer taking your prints. Plan on 10 to 12 weeks from your fingerprint appointment to delivery. Tell us your country at pre-check or contact us and we will map the route.
5.0 on Google
“Amazing! Auguste the man on top of it, very competent, professional and speedy! No time to waste type company!”
Miguel Laliberte, Google review
“Id give more stars if I could. Auguste made this daunting process smooth and easy. Would recommend…”
Erin K, Google review
“I highly recommend this agency. They keep you informed every step of the way, providing accurate and reliable information and finding solutions to every issue that may arise. They are professional, responsive, and genuinely committed to making the entire process as smooth and stress-free as possible.”
David Alvarez-Carbonell, Google review

Need an RCMP check apostilled?

Upload a scan, we'll confirm which check you need, the exact routing, and send a fixed all-in quote within the hour.

Free pre-check