International Fingerprinting in Amritsar in 2026: Process, Cost and Where to Go

International fingerprinting in Amritsar involves recording your fingerprints in the format required by an international law enforcement agency or authority. You can enquire at a local police station or use a private fingerprinting service. People commonly need this process when applying for overseas immigration, work permits, citizenship, or other applications that require a fingerprint-based background check.

If you are arranging this for the first time, do not book an appointment based on location alone. First, confirm which country needs your records and whether it requires original ink fingerprints, a particular card, or additional documents. You should also check how the prints will reach the authority and whether you need to arrange any further paperwork after the background check is issued.

Keep reading to know where to get fingerprinting in Amritsar, what documents to carry, how to choose the right provider, and more!

An international background check asks one question: does this person have a criminal record in our country? When a country cannot answer that from a name alone, it asks for fingerprints.

A trained person records the prints of all ten of your fingers, on a paper card or a digital scanner. Each finger is rolled from one edge of the nail to the other, then pressed flat. The foreign police or records office matches those prints against its own database and issues a certificate or letter with the result.

Why fingerprints and not just a name? Names repeat, especially in Punjab. Many people share a name like Gurpreet Singh or Harjinder Kaur, spellings change between Gurmukhi and English, and surnames can change after marriage. Fingerprints belong to one person only, so the authority can be sure the result is about you.

Check Fingerprint Background Check vs Name-Based Check

You are usually asked for this when you have lived in a country for a longer period, usually six months or more, and now need a PR, citizenship, work visa, study permit, professional licence or adoption approval. If your checklist says “fingerprint-based police certificate”, this is it.

How It Differs From India’s Police Clearance Certificate

Both documents prove you have a clean record, but they cover different countries. India’s Police Clearance Certificate (Criminal Record Check) covers your record in India. An international criminal record check covers the records of that one country only.

A Criminal Record Check is applied for on the Passport Seva portal, followed by a visit to the Passport Seva Kendra (the one in Amritsar is on Mall Road) and a police verification. The Regional Passport Office in Amritsar issues it and serves seven districts, from Amritsar and Tarn Taran to Ferozepur and Fazilka.

An international check works differently. For example, Canada’s RCMP cannot tell an authority anything about your years in India, and your Criminal Record Check cannot say anything about your years in Canada. That is why many applicants need both, a Criminal Record Check for the time they lived in India, and a fingerprint check for each country where they lived abroad.

• India Criminal Record Check: covers India, applied for through Passport Seva, and issued after police verification.
• International Fingerprint Check: covers that country only, needs your prints on the card or scan the authority names, and is sent to that country’s authority.

Explore What Does a Fingerprint Background Check Show?

Never assume one replaces the other. Your checklist will say which ones you need.

What Happens to Your Fingerprints

Fingerprints are different from a password or a phone number. You cannot change them if they reach the wrong hands, so it is fair to ask where yours go.

In a normal case, your prints are taken once and placed in a sealed envelope or sent digitally to the authority named on your form. That authority runs the check and sends the result to you or to the agency handling your file. Each authority has its own rules for how long it keeps prints, and those rules are on its website.

The part you control is what happens before the authority sees them. Be careful with copies of your ID and signed blank cards, which are easy to lose track of with relatives, consultants and photocopy shops. Write “for fingerprinting only” and the date across any ID copy you hand over, and never leave a signed card with anyone unfilled.

Before you book with any provider, ask these questions:

• Who can see my prints and ID copies?
• How long do you keep copies, and how do you delete them?
• Do you share them with anyone besides the authority on my form?
• Can I get your privacy policy in writing?

India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 covers digital personal data, so a proper provider should have clear answers. 

For example, Globeia records and securely handles your fingerprint data for the required submission, shares it with the relevant authority as needed, and deletes or destroys the copies it retains once they are no longer required, in line with its data retention policy.

The following international checks are the most commonly requested from people in Amritsar. Your checklist will name the one you need, and it depends on where you lived and where you are applying.

United States: FBI Identity History Summary

An FBI Identity History Summary (or FBI Background Check) is the FBI’s record of your arrests and certain federal history, tied to your fingerprints. The FBI charges US$18 per person and accepts a fingerprint card, which people outside the US mail in.

Canada: RCMP Criminal Record Check

The RCMP criminal record check is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s certified check, used for people who lived in Canada. From India, you give original ink fingerprints, and an RCMP-accredited agency in Canada converts them to digital and submits them.

United Kingdom: ACRO Police Certificate

ACRO is the UK’s Criminal Records Office, and its police certificate is what visa authorities ask for after a stay in the UK. You apply to ACRO online. Fingerprints are only needed if ACRO or your destination asks for them.

Australia: AFP National Police Certificate

This is issued by the Australian Federal Police. With fingerprints, you must apply by post with the original prints and a paper form, pay in Australian dollars by bank cheque or money order, and you cannot hand it in at a police station.

Other Countries: How to Read Your Own Checklist

Countries such as the UAE, Bahrain, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines each have their own rules, and the same country can ask for different things depending on your visa. Your checklist is the final word, so read it slowly.

Words like “police certificate”, “certificate of good conduct”, “criminal record check” and “fingerprint-based” usually mean the same family of documents. If a line is unclear, email the authority and ask. Keep the reply, because it protects you if a different officer reads your file later.

Not Sure? A Four-Question Decision Guide

Answer these four questions, and you will know where to start.

1. Which country is asking, and which period did you live there?
2. Which check does the checklist name: FBI, RCMP, AFP, ACRO or another?
3. Does it want original ink fingerprints or a digital submission?
4. Are you inside or outside that country?

For an applicant in Amritsar, the usual outcomes look like this:

• United States: You are outside the US, so the card is mailed to the FBI.
• Canada: Ink prints go to an accredited agency.
• Australia: Original fingerprints are couriered with the paper form.
• United Kingdom: Online application, with fingerprints only if requested.
• Anything else: Ask the requesting authority which format it accepts before you pay anyone.

Also Learn Do Expunged Records Show Up On Fingerprinting?

Option 1: Police-Station Fingerprinting

Several authorities accept prints taken by a local police force. Some Indian police stations will take them if you bring your checklist, a card or form, and your ID. The officer fills in the signature and station stamp that the authority asks for.

Amritsar does not have a published public process for this, so call before you go. The city police have set up a fingerprint headquarters at Rambagh police station for criminal records, and Punjab’s central fingerprint bureau is in Phillaur.

Note: Fees, hours and the cards available differ from station to station, and the police do not send your prints abroad for you.

Option 2: Private and Authorised Providers

A private provider is a company that takes fingerprints for international checks as its main work. A trained technician rolls and checks your prints, fills in the card correctly for the country, and some will come to your home. Many also handle the next step, such as couriering to the authority, tracking, apostille and attestation.

A provider who works on international formats every day will usually know exactly which card and which instructions your authority wants.

Private Service Providers vs Local Police Stations vs Doing It Yourself

Six Questions to Ask Any Provider Before You Pay

1. Which authority and which card does my case need? A good provider asks to see your checklist before answering.
2. Who takes the prints, and what happens if one is unclear? Look for a quality check on every finger and a free retake.
3. What is the full cost in writing? This should include the authority’s fee, courier and anything extra.
4. What happens after the prints? Find out whether they submit for you or hand you the originals, and whether you get tracking.
5. Where do my prints and ID copies go, and for how long? The answer should be specific and in writing.
6. What can I see as proof? Ask for a receipt, proof of what they are authorised for, and a contact for any follow-up.

Living Outside the City? Tarn Taran, Ajnala, Majitha, Ferozepur and Fazilka

Travelling to Amritsar for fingerprinting takes up at least half a day, especially from Ferozepur or Fazilka. And it is harder for parents or older relatives. If you live outside the city, mobile fingerprinting is the best option.

A trained associate from a service like Globeia comes to your home or workplace with the right cards and forms for your country. Your ID is checked on the spot, the prints are taken and checked, and the card is completed in front of you. It also works well for families, since several members can be done in one visit.

Step 1: Read Your Checklist and Note the Exact Form and Format

Start with the checklist or request letter from the authority. Write down the check it names, the card or form it wants, and whether it needs ink or digital prints.

Then map your residence history, every country you lived in, with dates, and the years that the authority wants covered. Some countries need more than one check. If anything is unclear, ask the authority which card it accepts. You will need this information when you book with us.

Step 2: Book Your Online Appointment

Log into the Globeia SmartPortal, fill in your details and attach your ID documents. You will be asked to complete a face ID check, which is a security layer that protects against fraud.

Add the details of any family members who need fingerprinting, then choose your location and preferred time. Your appointment is booked once you confirm.

Step 3: Prepare the Right Documents

You need at least two government-issued IDs, and one of them must show your photo and signature. Acceptable IDs include:

• Passport
• Driving licence
• PAN card
• Aadhaar card
• Voter ID

You will also need proof of where you live, such as a recent electricity, water or gas bill. Keep your checklist or request letter handy, because the associate will need to see the card or form name.

Check What Documents Do I Need for Fingerprinting?

Step 4: What Happens on Fingerprinting Day

Your associate arrives at your location and checks your ID on site. They explain what will happen, then record your prints. Each finger is rolled from one edge of the nail to the other, then the fingers and thumbs of each hand are pressed flat on the card or scanner.

They check the quality of every print for accuracy and completeness, and retake any that are unclear. Then the card is completed with your details. You sign it, and the associate completes their part.

Step 5: Choose Extended Services or Send the Originals to the Authority Yourself

• Globeia also coordinates submission to international authorities such as the FBI and the RCMP. After your fingerprinting, you have two options.
• Choose Globeia’s complete service - Our team submits your prints abroad for you.

Take your signed and stamped original cards and submit them yourself - This means arranging an international courier, paying the authority in its currency, following up when something goes wrong, and keeping track of the parcel on your own.

Step 6: Track, Receive and Check the Result

With the complete service, you get access to our centralised tracking dashboard, so you can see at any time where your application stands.

Your cards are couriered from Amritsar to our processing offices or coordination teams abroad, who submit them to the right authority on your behalf.

You receive your background check without having to deal with the authority’s forms and portals yourself.

Tip: When the result arrives, check your name spelling and date of birth against your passport before you send it anywhere.

Immigration paperwork in Punjab attracts people who promise shortcuts. Police have raided firms in the region for licence compliance, and the US Embassy once got a case registered against Punjab agents over fake papers.

Fingerprinting is a small, specific service, so honest providers speak in specifics. Check here five things a good provider will never say.

• “We guarantee a clean certificate.” No one can promise a result, because the authority decides it. A guarantee means the person is selling something other than fingerprinting.
• “Pay extra and the FBI will process it faster.” The FBI states you cannot pay extra for faster service.
• “A scan or a photo of your prints is fine.” Many authorities, including the RCMP route and the AFP, need the original prints.
• “You do not need to be there.” The applicant must be present for fingerprinting. Anyone offering prints without you is offering something that will be rejected.
• “We can remove an old case from your record.” Records can only be corrected by the authority through its own process.

Also be wary of anyone who will not give a receipt, avoids naming the authority or card, or asks you to sign a blank form. If a firm also offers visa or immigration services, it needs a licence under the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act, 2012, so ask to see it. 

For passports, the Regional Passport Office in Amritsar states that travel agents are not recognised to submit applications at the Passport Seva Kendra.

Globeia is a dependable partner for your fingerprinting needs. With over 10 years of experience and thousands of clients served across the globe, we are expanding our services in Amritsar.

You do not need to spend days comparing providers when one team can handle your cross-border paperwork from start to finish. This is what you get with us:

• Mobile fingerprinting, done on site at the location and time you choose.
• Amritsar-wide coverage, across Ranjit Avenue, Lawrence Road, Mall Road, Green Avenue, Court Road and Putlighar, plus outskirts such as Ajnala, Majitha, Jandiala Guru, Attari and Raja Sansi.
• Highly trained associates who know international submission standards, for accurate prints the first time.
• Letter of Identity Verification with every appointment, which is a letter containing an encrypted, tamper-proof QR code that can be scanned to verify the letter's authenticity. It serves as supporting proof of your identity verification during the appointment.
• Background check support for many countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK, the UAE, Bahrain, the Philippines and more.
• Submission support to international authorities, through our own offices and teams abroad.
• Extra document support, including apostille, attestation and translation into over 50 official languages, including Hindi and English.
• Secure delivery of your ready-to-submit background check reports at your doorstep.

Your Next Step

If you are ready, take the next step with us. Choose what fits your situation.

Your fingerprinting appointment may last only a short time, but the work that follows can involve international courier arrangements, authority fees, application tracking, and additional document requirements. If you are handling everything yourself, make sure you know where the original card needs to go and what else must accompany it.

Globeia offers support beyond the appointment, including submission coordination for supported background checks and additional services such as apostille, attestation, and translation. You can choose the level of help you need instead of managing every step alone.