How Much Does Fingerprinting Cost in Australia?

Fingerprinting in Australia does not have one national price. The cost depends on where you are, why you need fingerprints, and whether you need simple fingerprint capture or additional services.

For example, Victoria Police charges $58.70 for one set of ink fingerprints for visa, passport or immigration purposes. ACT Policing charges $26 for taking and providing a set of fingerprints, while SAFE NT charges $71 for ink fingerprints for overseas visa, employment or passport purposes.

Private and mobile fingerprinting costs in Australia are more because they may include identity verification, specific fingerprint cards, quality checks, travel and international submission support. The table below gives you a starting point. The mentioned prices are in AUD.

These are indicative prices, not national averages. Police fees vary by state, purpose and the service provided.

Victoria

Victoria Police provides both ink and LiveScan fingerprinting.

Current fees include:

• $58.70 - one set of ink fingerprints for visa, passport or immigration purposes
• $82.90 - two sets
• $107.10 - three sets
• $157.20 - LiveScan for private security, firearms or armed guard licences
• $245.20 - LiveScan for a National Police and Fingerprint Records Check

Victoria Police notes that these fees are GST exempt.

ACT

ACT Policing lists:

• $26 - taking and providing a set of fingerprints
• $38 - searching a set of fingerprints and providing a report
• $78 - taking fingerprints, searching AFP records and providing a report

This shows why it is important to distinguish fingerprint capture from a fingerprint-based police check.

New South Wales

NSW Police lists $46 for taking fingerprints for an applicant's own use. This fee is separate from fingerprinting associated with specific licensing or criminal-record-check processes.

Northern Territory

SAFE NT currently charges $71 for ink fingerprints for overseas visa, employment and passport purposes. The fee schedule is effective from 1 July 2026.

South Australia

SAPOL lists:

• $169 (GST exempt) - fingerprints
• $247(GST exempt) - fingerprints and clearance certificate for individuals

These are separate from the standard National Police Certificate fees.\

Tasmania

Tasmania handles fingerprint-based police checks differently. Its current public information lists a National Police Record and Fingerprint Check, but directs applicants to Criminal History Services for the current fee.

For certain security licensing applications, Tasmania currently lists $75 for fingerprinting and $120 for a criminal history and fingerprinting check.

Queensland

Queensland Police allows applicants to have fingerprints taken on foreign-government fingerprint forms at a police station. Applicants must bring the foreign agency's form, relevant authority letter or request, and photo ID. QPS states that the current fee applies but does not publish the amount on its fingerprinting page.

Western Australia

WA Police does not publish one standard fingerprinting fee for all applicants. Charges depend on the purpose of the fingerprinting and the type of application. For example, fingerprinting required for licensing or regulatory purposes may have a different fee from fingerprints taken for an overseas application. 

The fingerprint capture itself may be only one part of the service. Your total cost can depend on:

• Ink or digital capture
• Number of fingerprint cards
• Identity verification
• Fingerprint quality checks
• Certification or witnessing
• Mobile appointment
• International courier
• Submission to an overseas authority
• Apostille or legalisation
• Translation
• Government processing fees

This is particularly important for international applications. A $50–$70 fingerprint appointment does not necessarily mean your complete FBI, RCMP or foreign background check cost will be $50–$70.

Based on published prices from private Australian fingerprinting providers, ink fingerprinting can be around $90–$120 plus GST, depending on the provider and service. Additional fingerprint or palm-print sets may cost extra. Mobile appointments can cost more depending on location and appointment requirements.

A private appointment may include more than simply taking your fingerprints. Depending on the provider, you may pay for the fingerprint card, identity verification, quality control, certification or other supporting services.

A cheaper appointment may not be cheaper overall if you later need to pay for another appointment because the wrong card or capture method was used.

Before comparing prices, check what you are actually paying for.

These are not equivalent services, even if both are advertised as “fingerprinting.”

Not necessarily. It depends on what you need.

A police fingerprinting fee may cover the capture and return of your fingerprints, while the remaining steps are your responsibility. You may still need to provide the correct card, arrange certification, check the print quality and send the completed documents to the requesting authority yourself.

A private fingerprinting appointment may cost more because it can include services beyond fingerprint capture. Depending on the provider and application, this may include:

The correct country-specific fingerprint card

• Identity verification
• Fingerprint quality checks
• Multiple fingerprint cards
• Certification or witnessing
• Mobile fingerprinting
• International submission support
• Courier services

This difference matters most for international applications. A $26 police appointment may be cheaper if you simply need a set of fingerprints. But if your FBI, RCMP or foreign police check requires a specific card, additional verification or overseas submission, a private provider may offer better value by handling those requirements together.

The cheapest fingerprint appointment is not always the cheapest way to complete the entire application.

For international applications, Globeia provides mobile fingerprinting across Australia.

A trained fingerprinting associate can visit your home, office, university or hotel and capture fingerprints on the form required by the receiving authority.

Depending on the application, the service can include:

• country-specific fingerprint cards;
• identity verification;
• fingerprint quality checks;
• Letter of Identity Verification;
• FBI submission coordination (through Globeia Inc. in the USA);
• RCMP submission coordination(through Globeia Incorporated in Canada);
• international courier;
• apostille and legalisation services.

The advantage is that you can arrange the fingerprint capture and related international requirements as one coordinated process rather than treating each step separately.

The cost of fingerprinting in Australia depends less on the fingerprints themselves and more on what happens around them.

A basic police fingerprint service may cost only a few dozen dollars. An international application can cost more once you add a specific card, identity verification, mobile collection, courier, or submission services.

The best way to compare prices is not to ask “How much is fingerprinting?” but “How much will it cost to complete my specific fingerprint requirement correctly?”

That distinction can save you from paying twice for the same fingerprints.