A Complete Guide to Fingerprinting in Australia

Fingerprinting in Australia is used for police checks, occupational licensing, employment screening, visas, and overseas Criminal Record Checks. The process depends on who is requesting your fingerprints. Australian police services, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), private providers, and official visa biometric centres handle different types of fingerprinting.

Fingerprints in Australia are captured mainly by LiveScan or ink-and-roll methods. International authorities may require a specific card, form, or capture method. The correct option depends on who is requesting your fingerprints.

The main types of fingerprinting in Australia are:

• LiveScan digital fingerprinting: Electronic fingerprint capture used for some Australian police checks, licensing, employment and regulatory processes. Victoria Police, for example, offers LiveScan for fingerprint-based checks and licensing requirements.

• Ink-and-roll fingerprinting: Fingerprints are rolled onto a physical card. This is commonly used when an overseas authority requires a physical fingerprint submission, such as an FBI or RCMP application.
• Visa and immigration biometrics: Australian visa applicants who are instructed to provide biometrics must use the collection process specified by the Department of Home Affairs. This is different from obtaining a fingerprint card for an overseas Criminal Record Check.

The method is important. For example, a digital fingerprint appointment is not always suitable for an application that requires an ink fingerprint card.

You need fingerprints in Australia when the organisation requesting your background check, licence, visa, or other documentation specifically requires them. Many Australian police checks are name-based, , while some domestic and international applications require fingerprint-based identification or biometrics.

1. Australian Police Checks - If  it’s a standard National Police Check, you may not need fingerprints. But you may require them for specific applications.
2. Australian Visa and Immigration Biometrics - The Home Affairs biometrics are a separate digital process and are collected at designated centres when requested.
3. International Police and Background Checks:

You can get fingerprints through state or territory police services, private fingerprinting providers, or designated government biometric collection centres, depending on the purpose.

State and Territory Police

The availability of police fingerprinting services is unevenly distributed across Australian jurisdictions.

Victoria Police offers both ink fingerprinting and LiveScan services for specific purposes, including immigration, visas, passports, employment and fingerprint-based checks. 

Queensland Police Service (QPS) allows people to have fingerprints taken for certain foreign-government requirements. Applicants must bring the foreign agency's fingerprint form, relevant authority letter and photo identification.

Other states and territories have different rules. Do not assume that a police station offering fingerprinting for one purpose will also handle your FBI, RCMP, foreign passport or other international fingerprint form.

Private Fingerprinting Providers in Australia 

Private providers can be useful when you need international fingerprinting or a specific fingerprint card. They may offer:

• FD-258/FD-1164 fingerprint cards
• C-216C or equivalent fingerprinting forms
• foreign-government fingerprint forms
• ink-and-roll fingerprinting
• digital fingerprint capture
• fingerprint quality checks
• identity verification
• international submission assistance

Availability varies by provider. Confirm that the provider handles the exact agency and form required for your application before booking.

There is no single national fingerprinting fee. Published government fingerprinting fees can vary significantly by jurisdiction and purpose. For example:

Private international fingerprinting is priced separately and may include the card, identity verification, quality checking, certification, mobile travel, or submission coordination.

Factor Affecting Fingerprinting Cost in Australia

The price of fingerprinting in Australia depends on the following factors:

• the state or territory;
• police or private provider;
• ink or digital capture;
• number of fingerprint cards;
• identity verification;
• certification or witnessing;
• international courier requirements; and
• whether the provider also handles submission.

Police services may charge a government-set fee. Private international fingerprinting providers charge according to the complexity of the service.

What you need to bring depends on the organisation requesting your fingerprints, but most appointments will require:

• Valid photo ID: An Australian passport, Australian driver licence, proof-of-age card, or another identity document accepted by the fingerprinting provider. If you are an overseas national living in Australia, your foreign passport will usually be the most important document.
• The fingerprint card or form: Bring the exact form supplied by the FBI, RCMP, FINRA, foreign police authority, embassy, employer, or other requesting organisation. Do not assume the provider will have it.
• Letter or written request: If the overseas authority has given you a fingerprint request letter, authorisation letter, application instructions, or reference number, bring it with you.
• Application details: Have your application, case, file, or reference number available if the requesting authority has provided one.
• Additional documents requested by the provider: Some services may require additional identification or supporting documents before they can complete the fingerprint form.

For example, Queensland Police Service specifically asks applicants seeking fingerprints for a foreign government to bring the foreign agency's fingerprint forms, the relevant letter of authority or request, and photo ID. Queensland Police fingerprinting requirements

The safest approach is to check the fingerprinting provider's requirements before your appointment. For international applications, do not simply book a generic fingerprinting service. Tell the provider which country and authority requested your fingerprints and confirm that they can complete the required card or form.

Yes. Some private providers like Globeia offer mobile fingerprinting in Australia. A trained associate travels to your home, workplace, or another agreed location.

Mobile fingerprinting can be useful when:

• you live far from a suitable fingerprinting centre;
• your local police station does not handle your specific overseas fingerprint form;
• you need fingerprints for an FBI, RCMP, FINRA, or foreign-government application;
• several people need to be fingerprinted at the same location; or
• you need an appointment at your workplace or another convenient location.

The important point is that mobile fingerprinting is a delivery method, not a separate fingerprint standard. The provider still needs to use the card, capture method and certification process required by the receiving authority.

Before booking, tell the provider exactly what you need. For example, say “I need an FBI FD-258 for an Identity History Summary” rather than simply asking for “fingerprinting.”

Searching for “ international fingerprints near me” but can’t find a suitable provider nearby? Globeia offers mobile fingerprinting across Australia.

We support international fingerprinting requirements for applications involving the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and other countries.

Note: Globeia does not replace Australia's official visa biometric collection process. If Home Affairs instructs you to provide Australian visa biometrics, you must follow its designated collection process.

1. Book through SmartForm: Choose a convenient appointment at your home, office, university, or hotel anywhere in Australia. SmartForm helps validate your details before the appointment.
2. Complete Face ID verification: Secure Face ID verification is completed before fingerprint collection to confirm your identity.
3. Get the right fingerprint card: A trained Globeia associate arrives with the country-specific fingerprint card or form required for your application.
4. Get your fingerprints taken: The associate uses the required fingerprinting technique and professional materials for your application.
5. Check your prints on-site: Your fingerprint impressions are checked immediately for clarity and completeness. If a print is unclear, it can be recaptured during the appointment.
6. Receive your verification documentation: Every fingerprinting appointment with Globeia comes with a Letter of Identity Verification with an encrypted QR code.
7. Track your application: When submission coordination is included (for FBI and RCMP), you can follow the status through Globeia’s SmartPortal.
8. Add document services if required: Depending on your application, Globeia can also assist with apostille, embassy legalization, certified translation, and international courier services.

Globeia provides mobile fingerprinting across major metropolitan areas, including Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. 

Can’t find your location in the list? Reach out to check associate availability in your area. 

The practical lesson of this guide is simple: there is no single “fingerprinting in Australia” service. There are different pathways depending on who is requesting your fingerprints and what they need to receive. Once you know who needs your fingerprints, which form they require, and how those fingerprints must be captured, the process becomes much easier.

In the end, fingerprinting is not really about taking your fingerprints. It is about turning your identity into a format an institution can recognise and accept. So, the application can move forward instead of getting held up by a form, card, or fingerprint that was never right in the first place.