How Do I Give my Fingerprints and Get an RCMP Criminal Record from Abroad?

Certified police checks in Canada use the applicant’s fingerprints to check for any past criminal history. The RCMP does not accept paper-based fingerprint submissions for criminal background checks. Electronically captured fingerprints from outside of Canada are also not accepted according to the RCMP’s list of requirements.

This narrows down your list of options as you have to use a professional Canadian fingerprinting company to give your fingerprints for the RCMP check. These companies have received accreditation from the RCMP to process fingerprints for background check applications. The list of these accredited companies is posted on the RCMP’s official website.

While you can simply visit one of these companies in Canada to get your fingerprints captured using professional scanners, the process becomes a bit complicated if you are outside Canada. This article provides an overview of the process that you need to follow to complete fingerprinting for an RCMP-certified criminal record check. We have written this guide to help you choose an accredited fingerprinting agency in Canada to accurately process your fingerprints.

The C216-C is the RCMP’s fingerprinting form for Canadian national police checks. You can download it from the RCMP’s website or have your chosen fingerprint agency send it to you. You can follow these detailed instructions to fill out the form.

• Fill in your full legal name, date of birth, and gender
• Write your current address and phone number.
• In the section below, select from the given list of reasons for requesting the check. Please make sure that you have your employer’s information if applying for employment purposes.
• There is a separately defined option for the Vulnerable Sector check. You can tick this box if it applies to your situation.
• The fingerprinting professional will help you add your impressions to the fingerprint fields above. They must also add their company/organization’s stamp at the end of the form.
• You can now sign the form and send it to an accredited fingerprinting agency’s address in Canada.

Please ensure that you include two C216-C forms as this will help digitize your fingerprints clearly even if one of the forms is not completed properly.

With the ink and roll fingerprinting out of the way, it is now time to get a digital version of your fingerprints in the RCMP’s accepted format. The process begins by contacting our RCMP fingerprinting department by filling out the form on our website. You can also directly open our RCMP check portal in your browser. Add your details and mail your documents to our Toronto address:

1185 Victoria Park Ave, 

Your application must also include two forms of identification which we will submit to the RCMP for your background check. Please refer to the list below to understand the types of acceptable IDs.

• CNIB Card
• Drivers License
• Hunting Certificate
• Permanent Resident Card
• Birth Certificate
• Firearms Acquisition Certificate
• Ontario Photo Card
• NEXUS Card

One of your provided forms of identification must have a photo on it for verification purposes. We digitize C216-C forms as soon as we receive them to ensure the fastest processing time in the industry. We will also check your request and inform you of any mistakes so that you can fix them before your application is sent to the RCMP.

You will also need to sign the third-party waiver form if you want us to receive the results from the RCMP on your behalf. We will submit this form along with your application and upload a scanned copy of your RCMP clearance as soon as it is ready. Clients who need to use a PDF version of the RCMP check in their destination country often choose this option while they wait for the certificate to arrive by mail.

We are dedicated to making the RCMP fingerprinting process smooth and stress-free for you, even when you are outside Canada. With years of experience processing fingerprints for RCMP checks, we will help you get your background clearance application submitted accurately and reliably.

Here are Globeia’s tips for a successful RCMP check application. Begin by double-checking all information on your C216-C form for accuracy and completeness. Even minor discrepancies can cause delays so it is a good idea to match your details with a government-issued ID. Also, ensure that you have chosen the correct reason for the check and paid the RCMP fee.

Some applicants mail their package directly to the RCMP which adds additional weeks to their application. This is because direct mail applications are not accepted by the RCMP, so they end up having to restart the process from the first step.

Always choose an accredited fingerprinting agency to digitize your fingerprints for the RCMP. Your CS16-C form should also be completed by an experienced fingerprinting specialist in your current country to avoid any errors.