How to Get an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Australia

An RCMP Criminal Record Check is a Canadian criminal record check used to verify criminal record information in Canada. It is processed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) through its Canadian Criminal Real-Time Identification Services (CCRTIS). 

A fingerprint-based RCMP check uses your fingerprints to confirm your identity and search Canadian criminal records information. If you are in Australia, your fingerprints can be taken locally and the completed fingerprint form can then be sent to an RCMP-accredited company in Canada for submission to the RCMP.

If you need fingerprinting in Australia for an RCMP Criminal Record Check, Globeia provides fingerprinting and complete RCMP Criminal Record Check application coordination for applicants in Australia.

Book professional coordination services for an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Australia with Globeia

Anyone who previously lived, worked, or studied in Canada and now needs to prove their Canadian criminal record history for immigration, employment screening, professional licensing, or another official application in Australia or elsewhere. The organisation requesting the document decides whether an RCMP check specifically is required. 

If you are applying from Sydney or Melbourne, you can arrange your fingerprinting appointment through Globeia’s Australian services. 

• RCMP Fingerprinting in Sydney
• RCMP Fingerprinting in Melbourne 

An RCMP Criminal Record Check and an Australian National Police Check both provide criminal history information of a person. But they check the criminal records in different countries.

The key difference which country’s criminal history is being checked: an RCMP Criminal Record Check relates to your history in Canada, while an Australian National Police Check relates to your police history in Australia.

If an application specifically asks for your Canadian criminal record information, an Australian National Police Check does not replace the RCMP check.

Key Differences Between an RCMP Criminal Record Check and Australian National Police Check: 

Getting an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Australia involves two main stages - fingerprinting in Australia and electronic submission through an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting company in Canada. What happens to your fingerprints once taken in Australia for an RCMP application submission? Fingerprints are sent to an RCMP-accredited company in Canada that converts the paper fingerprints into digital format and submits them to the RCMP’s Canadian Criminal Real-Time Identification Services (CCRTIS).

Step 1: Get Your Fingerprints Taken in Australia for RCMP Submission

All ten fingerprints in black ink on paper, plus the fingerprinting agency's name, address and the official's name and signature. It is available through police services, notaries, government agencies, embassies, consulates, or eligible private providers. 

Step 2: Prepare Your RCMP Application

Complete the consent and application documents required for your particular purpose. The RCMP has different consent forms for purposes including employment, immigration and travel, vulnerable sector checks and other purposes.

Step 3: Send the Fingerprint Documents to an RCMP-Accredited Company in Canada

Your original fingerprinted card form must be sent to an RCMP-accredited company in Canada from Australia. The RCMP-accredited company converts the paper fingerprints into digital format and submits the application electronically to the RCMP's Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS). 

Step 4: RCMP Processing

Once the electronic submission reaches CCRTIS, the RCMP processes the fingerprint-based criminal record check. The processing time is separate from the time required to send your documents from Australia to Canada.

Step 5: Receive Your RCMP Criminal Record Check

After the RCMP completes the check, the result is issued according to the delivery arrangements for your application. If the document will be used in Australia or another country, check whether the receiving organisation also requires apostille, authentication or certified translation.

Submitting an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Australia can be challenging because fingerprinting takes place in Australia, while the application must be submitted through an RCMP-accredited company in Canada. Globeia Australia helps coordinate these stages, so applicants can manage their fingerprinting and Canadian submission through one provider. 

No. Applicants outside Canada must send fingerprint documents to an RCMP-accredited fingerprint company in Canada, which digitises and submits them to CCRTIS on your behalf. 

Verify your personal details, confirm it's the correct check type, follow the requesting authority's format instructions, check document recency requirements, and confirm whether apostille, authentication, or translation is needed before submitting it anywhere. 

If there is an error, do not submit the certificate. Contact the organisation handling your RCMP application to arrange a correction. 

Globeia brings the Australian fingerprinting and Canadian RCMP submission stages together through one process. You can start the application online, arrange fingerprinting in Australia, and have the original fingerprint documents coordinated with Globeia Incorporated in Toronto for electronic submission to the RCMP.

Step 1: Start Your Application Online

Complete Globeia’s SmartForm with your personal and application details. You can also request additional services such as apostille or certified translation if your final RCMP certificate requires them.

Step 2: Upload Your Documents and Complete Verification

Upload the required identification documents and complete Globeia’s online verification process. This allows your application details to be reviewed before the fingerprinting stage.

Step 3: Get Your Fingerprints Taken in Australia

You can arrange fingerprinting through Globeia in Australia or use another authorised local fingerprinting provider, depending on your location and requirements.

For applicants in Sydney, Globeia offers in-office fingerprinting at its 333 George Street, Sydney location, as well as mobile appointments across Greater Sydney.

For applicants in Melbourne, Globeia provides mobile fingerprinting across the metropolitan area, allowing an associate to visit your home, office or another suitable location. 

For an RCMP application, the fingerprints are captured on the required C-216C fingerprint form and checked for quality before the appointment is completed. 

Step 4: Send the Original Fingerprint Form to Canada

Once your fingerprints are completed, the original fingerprint form is sent to Globeia Incorporated in Toronto, the RCMP-accredited Globeia office responsible for the Canadian submission stage.

Step 5: Globeia Submits Your Fingerprints to the RCMP

After receiving the original fingerprint documents, Globeia Incorporated verifies and digitises the fingerprints and submits them electronically to the RCMP’s Canadian Criminal Real-Time Identification Services (CCRTIS).

Step 6: Track the Application and Receive Your Result

Globeia provides application updates through its digital portal while the application moves through the submission and processing stages. Once the RCMP completes the check, the result is delivered according to the delivery option selected for your application. RCMP processing times are determined by the RCMP and can range from 3 to 120 business days, with mailing time additional.

Optional Document Support

If the RCMP certificate will be used outside Canada, Globeia can also coordinate apostille, authentication and certified translation services where required.

Choosing the right fingerprinting and RCMP Criminal Record Check coordinator can make the process easier to manage, especially when you are applying:

There is no single fixed price for an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Australia. The total cost can include Australian fingerprinting, the RCMP processing fee, the Canadian RCMP-accredited company’s fee, international courier charges, and optional services such as apostille or certified translation.

The RCMP federal processing fee is C$25 for a certified, fingerprint-based criminal record check. This fee is separate from the charges of the fingerprinting provider or RCMP-accredited company. 

What Other Costs Should Australian Applicants Budget For While Applying for an RCMP Criminal Record Check?

Your total cost can include several separate charges: 

Can you immediately submit your RCMP Criminal Record Check right after receiving it? No.

What you need to do next depends on the authority that requested the certificate and how you are planning to use it.

Therefore, before sending it anywhere, take a few minutes to check the document and confirm that it meets the requirements of your application. 

Do not submit the certificate if you notice an error in important personal information.

Check details such as your name, date of birth and other identifying information against the documents you originally provided. If something does not match, contact the relevant organisation handling your RCMP application to understand how the correction needs to be made.

Not every RCMP Criminal Record Check needs an apostille or authentication. Whether you need either depends on the organisation asking you to provide the certificate and what the document will be used for.

If your Australian employer, licensing body, immigration authority or another organisation has simply asked for an RCMP Criminal Record Check, check its instructions before arranging any additional certification. The Government of Canada specifically advises applicants to confirm the requirement with the authority or organisation where the Canadian document will be used.