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Apostille for an RCMP criminal record check

A certified RCMP criminal record check is one of the most-requested documents for use abroad — required for work visas, residency, immigration and professional licensing in dozens of countries. Here is exactly how it gets apostilled, and how we handle the whole chain remotely.

Competent authorityGlobal Affairs Canada — Authentication Services (Ottawa)
Government feeNo government fee (free)
NotarizationNot required for the certified RCMP (fingerprint) check
Typical apostille time≈ 20 business days + mail (no rush option)
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 — Form C-216C. 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.

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.

Get the certified check

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

Apostille at Global Affairs Canada

We prepare and submit the apostille request to Global Affairs Canada. No notarization, no government fee — just the federal processing time of about 20 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 6–8 week process once you include fingerprinting, RCMP issuance, the apostille and mailing in both directions. Global Affairs Canada has no 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.

Hague member, or not?

An apostille only works for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention — over 125 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.
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?
Global Affairs Canada charges no fee for the apostille itself. You still pay for fingerprinting and the RCMP record check, plus our service fee from $59 (Direct-Ship Kit). Government and third-party fees are billed at cost — we don't mark them up.
Can the apostille be rushed?
No. Global Affairs Canada offers no expedited service for apostilles, so the federal step takes about 20 business days regardless of provider. We can move faster on everything around it, but not on the government's own processing.
I'm outside Canada — can you still help?
Yes. Fingerprints can be taken abroad on the correct form and processed through an accredited agency, and we return the apostilled original to you anywhere by tracked courier. Tell us your country at pre-check and we'll map the route.

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 one business day.

Free pre-check