How to Get Your RCMP Criminal Record Check in Spain

If you’re a Canadian living in Spain, whether applying for a visa, residency, or new job, you might suddenly find yourself being asked for an RCMP Criminal Record Check. It’s a document that proves your clean background in Canada, and it’s often a key requirement for Spanish authorities, employers, and visa offices.

But here’s where most people get stuck: how do you get an official RCMP check when you’re thousands of kilometres away from Canada? In this blog, we’ll walk you through why it’s needed, how to get it from Spain, and how Globeia makes the entire process faster and stress-free with secure digital submissions and mobile fingerprinting right where you are.

An RCMP Criminal Record Check (also called a Canadian Police Clearance) is an official document issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Canada’s national law enforcement agency. It verifies whether an individual has a criminal record in Canada and is often required for immigration, employment, residency, or visa applications abroad, including in Spain.

Unlike name-based checks, the RCMP Criminal Record Check is fingerprint-based, which means your fingerprints must be submitted on the official C-216C form or on an equivalent form. This method ensures the results are accurate, tamper-proof, and internationally accepted by immigration and government authorities.

Since the RCMP only processes fingerprint submissions from accredited companies, Canadians living in Spain can’t apply directly through a police station. That’s where RCMP-accredited providers like Globeia come in, they securely capture your fingerprints in Spain, digitize them, and submit them directly to the RCMP in Canada for faster and fully compliant results.

If you’re living outside Canada, obtaining an RCMP Criminal Record Check is not as simple as it sounds. The RCMP only accepts fingerprint-based submissions through accredited providers, which makes their involvement essential for a successful application.

Direct Submission to RCMP Is Not Allowed

• Canadian authorities require that fingerprints come from officially accredited channels. Individuals cannot submit fingerprints directly to the RCMP from abroad. Without a certified authorized provider, your application could be delayed, rejected, or even considered invalid.

Ensures Accurate and Compliant Fingerprints

• RCMP checks must be completed on the official C-216C form or on an equivalent form, and fingerprints must meet strict quality standards. Errors like smudged prints, incomplete rolls, or wrong forms can lead to rejected applications. A trained certified provider ensures that every print is legally compliant and accepted by the RCMP, reducing stress and potential delays.

Navigating Complex Submission Requirements

• Submitting an RCMP check from abroad involves more than fingerprints - there are country-specific rules, mailing protocols, and document authentication requirements. An accredited provider is familiar with these processes and can coordinate submissions correctly, ensuring your check reaches the RCMP without issues.

Saves Time and Avoids Bureaucratic Hassles

• Trying to handle an RCMP check on your own while living overseas can take weeks or even months due to postal delays, incorrect forms, or rejected fingerprints. Using an authorized company streamlines the process, reduces the chance of errors, and often results in much faster processing times.

Essential for International Acceptance

• Many countries, including Spain, require the RCMP Criminal Record Check to be official, authenticated, and sometimes apostilled. Accredited providers are experienced in ensuring that the RCMP certificate is accepted internationally, making it usable for visas, employment, residency, or legal purposes.

Obtaining an RCMP Criminal Record Check from outside Canada involves a few important steps to ensure your application is accurate, compliant, and accepted by authorities.

Step 1: Prepare Required Documents

• Before you start, gather all necessary documents, including a valid government-issued ID (passport or driver’s license), proof of Canadian citizenship or residency, and any forms required for your RCMP application. Having everything ready reduces delays and ensures a smooth process.

Step 2: Get Fingerprinted on the Official Form

• The RCMP check is fingerprint-based, using the official C-216C form. Fingerprints must be clear, complete, and correctly captured, as any errors can lead to rejected applications. Since the RCMP only accepts submissions from accredited sources, you will need to go through a third-party accredited provider to have your fingerprints collected and forwarded securely.

Step 3: Submit Your Application to the RCMP

• Once your fingerprints are collected, the accredited provider sends them to the RCMP in Canada for processing. The RCMP verifies your identity, checks for any criminal records, and issues your official Canada Police Clearance Certificate.

Step 4: Optional Apostille or Translation

• If you need the RCMP certificate for use in Spain, it may require an apostille or sworn Spanish translation to be officially recognized by immigration authorities, employers, or other institutions. Accredited providers often offer these additional services to streamline the process.

Step 5: Receive Your RCMP Certificate

• After processing, the official RCMP certificate is delivered to you securely. Many providers also offer tracking services so you can monitor the progress of your application from start to finish.

Living abroad doesn’t mean you leave your Canadian legal requirements behind. Many expats, students, and professionals in Spain find themselves needing an RCMP Criminal Record Check for a variety of reasons:

• Residency and Visa Applications: Spanish immigration authorities often require a valid Canada Police Clearance when processing work permits, Digital Nomad Visas, or permanent residency applications.
• Employment Verification: Employers in Spain, especially for international roles or regulated professions, may request an official RCMP check to confirm your clean record.
• Academic Applications: Students applying to Spanish universities or scholarship programs might need an RCMP clearance as part of background verification for admissions or internships.
• Legal and Personal Matters: For adoptions, family reunification, or other legal procedures in Spain, an RCMP check ensures your Canadian criminal history is officially documented.

With the RCMP requiring fingerprint-based submissions, getting a police clearance from Spain can be tricky but with Globeia, the process is secure, fast, and fully compliant, saving time and avoiding delays.

• If you're in Spain applying for an RCMP Criminal Record Check, there are a number of documents you will usually have to provide to help ensure a smooth process. Generally speaking, all applicants will need a form of valid government-issued identification (for example, a passport or driver's license) as well as proof of Canadian citizenship or residency. Depending on your purpose for the RCMP check (it could be for a visa, work permit, or some legal purposes) additional or extra documents could also be submitted - such as application forms or consent letters or you could be required to provide specific fingerprints on the official C-216C form or on an equivalent form that follows the same layout and specifications. It is important that you have all the documentation completed accurately and appropriately to prevent any setbacks or delays in processing your application or worse yet, a rejection by the RCMP.

• Additionally, with RCMP Criminal Record Checks many applicants require other services that go along with the RCMP process to meet international or Spanish requirements. Document services might include: apostille certifying, sworn Spanish translations, and notarization of copies to present for employer, immigration, or legal matters. Companies such as Globeia offer bundled services to allow clients to complete the RCMP Criminal Record Check at the same time as requested translations, apostilles, or document legalizations so the client does not have to deal with or visit multiple offices to complete their request. Using bundled services can help take away additional stress and speed up particularly when there are deadlines, residency, employment, or visa matters.

When it comes to getting your RCMP Criminal Record Check from Spain, Globeia stands out as a trusted, accredited, and reliable provider. Here’s why:

1. RCMP-Accredited Submission

Globeia is fully accredited to submit fingerprint-based applications to the RCMP, ensuring your Canada Police Clearance is accepted without delays or rejections.

2. Mobile Fingerprinting Across Spain

Whether you’re in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, or anywhere else, Globeia brings certified technicians to your location, saving you time and avoiding long queues at embassies or consulates.

3. End-to-End Convenience

From fingerprint capture to digital submission, and even optional apostille or sworn translation, Globeia handles every step so your RCMP check is ready for Spanish authorities or international use.

4. Fast and Transparent Processing

With Globeia, your RCMP application is processed up to 4× faster than traditional methods, and you can track progress online at every stage.

5. Secure and Compliant

All personal data and fingerprints are handled with full GDPR compliance, ensuring your privacy and document security throughout the process.

• Receiving a certificate from the RCMP occurs in 2-4 weeks, once your fingerprints are sent to an approved 3rd party provider. This time includes receiving the application, the RCMP verifying the application, conducting identity checks, and preparing a certified Canada Police Clearance document. In most cases, the processing goes well and you will receive your certificate, via secure courier or email, based on the method that you requested during submission and the applicant's preference for the delivery method.

• At times, factors may cause the processing time to change. The time to process a record review will increase for record checks or criminal charges. It may take an additional 1-2 weeks to receive verification due to reviewing details on criminal charges. Delays can also be caused by issues related to incomplete or unclear fingerprints, missing documents, or postal or courier delays with your documents internationally. It is essential to anticipate delays especially if you need a police clearance from your finger print check for the Spanish Residency Process or other Visa or Employment Process. It is also advisable to plan ahead to the best of your ability and to ensure that your submission is complete and accurate, depending on when you will need the certificate. 

If you want a stress free RCMP Criminal Record Check from Spain, start organizing documents ahead of time. The basic documents needed will include an up to date passport or identity card issued by a government agency, and proof of Canadian citizenship or residency. Make sure your fingerprints are clear and captured correctly on the official C-216C form as smudged or incomplete fingerprints can affect processing time, cause delays, or even potential rejection. Check ahead of time if you need your RCMP certificate to receive an apostille, or sworn Spanish translation to be used in Spain. Planning and organizing ahead of time, along with an accredited third-party service provider, can save you time and effort and in particular, errors in working with the RCMP.

Getting an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Spain is really important for anyone who is going to be applying for a visa, work permit, residency, or any other legal matters. While it may feel overwhelming because of the requirement of fingerprints, and following RCMP policies for records to be sent internationally to Spain, applying for and obtaining an RCMP certificate is not hard when followed properly. If you can educate yourself on the process, give enough time in processing, and consider working with a professional authorized accredited company, then obtaining, and having the RCMP certificate suitable for international use, can be easily obtained, and whether or not going to Spain.