How Can I Get an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Colombia?

If you previously lived, studied, or worked in Canada and are now living in Colombia, you may be asked to provide an RCMP Criminal Record Check for an immigration application, visa, employment, professional registration, or another international requirement. The challenge is that getting this document from outside Canada involves a different process. You cannot simply visit an RCMP office in Colombia and request one.

Instead, your fingerprints must first be collected in Colombia, and the completed fingerprint documents must then be processed through an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting company in Canada. The RCMP's Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS) independently processes the electronic fingerprint submission and issues the Criminal Record Check.

Knowing who collects your fingerprints, where the application is submitted, what you need to pay, and how long the RCMP process can take can help you avoid submitting the wrong document or overlooking an important requirement. 

An RCMP Criminal Record Check is a Canadian criminal record verification conducted through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Much like an FBI identity history summary check in the United States, an official Canadian background check requires biometric confirmation to search national criminal databases.

Fingerprint-Based vs Name-Based Checks

When background checks are requested, authorities verify your criminal record using one of two methods: matching your personal text details or matching your physical biometrics.

• Name-Based Checks: Search databases using your full legal name, maiden names, aliases, and date of birth. While faster, two people can share identical names and birth dates, which leads to potential false positives. In such cases, applicants must submit fingerprints anyway to manually clear the record.
• Fingerprint-Based Checks: Eliminate ambiguity by matching your unique biometric prints against the National Repository of Criminal Records managed by CCRTIS. Top federal agencies like the RCMP and FBI treat fingerprint-based checks as the gold standard of identity verification.

Many applicants living abroad assume a local Criminal Record Check certificate issued by a Canadian city or provincial police force is sufficient. However, local checks are name-based. If an immigration authority or employer specifically requests a fingerprint-based Canadian Criminal Record Check, a local name-based check will not meet the requirement.

For someone living in Colombia, the fingerprint-based process involves two steps:

• Colombia: Ink fingerprints are collected and recorded on physical paper forms.
• Canada: The physical fingerprint form is digitized and submitted electronically to RCMP CCRTIS by an accredited Canadian fingerprinting company.

Yes. The RCMP provides instructions for people who need a fingerprint-based Criminal Record Check while they are outside Canada.

The first step is to obtain a paper copy of your fingerprints from an authorized agency in the country where you are located. The RCMP lists police services, foreign government departments, foreign embassies or consulates, notaries, and certain foreign private fingerprinting companies operating under an appropriate arrangement as examples of possible agencies.

The paper fingerprint record should contain:

• Prints from all ten fingers.
• Fingerprints taken in black ink.
• The name and address of the agency where the fingerprints were taken.
• The name and signature of the official who took the fingerprints.

After the fingerprints have been collected, you contact an accredited fingerprinting company in Canada to complete the application.

The RCMP explicitly states that applicants outside Canada should not mail their fingerprints or application directly to CCRTIS, because they will not be accepted that way. The RCMP accredited Canadian company converts the paper fingerprint form into digital format and submits the application electronically. The RCMP also confirms that there are no private fingerprinting companies accredited by the RCMP outside Canada.

You may be asked for an RCMP Criminal Record Check if you:

• Previously lived in Canada and are applying for Canadian immigration.
• Are applying for a visa or residence authorization in another country.
• Need to provide Canadian criminal record information for employment.
• Are completing a professional licensing or registration process.
• Are responding to a specific request from an immigration authority, government department, employer, lawyer, or other organization.
• Need evidence of your Canadian criminal record history because you previously studied, worked, or lived in Canada.

There is no blanket rule that every person who previously lived in Canada must obtain an RCMP Criminal Record Check. The organization handling your application determines which type of criminal record document it requires.  

If the instructions specifically request a fingerprint-based Criminal Record Check, a name-based search or a Colombian criminal record document may not meet the requirement.

Obtaining an RCMP Criminal Record Check while residing in Colombia involves a coordinated, multi-step process between local fingerprint collection and Canadian electronic processing. Because both Canada and Colombia are members of the Hague Apostille Convention, your issued record can also be streamlined for legal recognition in Colombia without requiring traditional embassy legalization.

Step 1: Confirm the Required Document and Prepare Your Documents

Before arranging fingerprints, review the instructions from the organization requesting your Canadian criminal record document.

• Confirm whether it requires:
• An RCMP Criminal Record Check.
• A fingerprint-based Criminal Record Check.
• A specific version or purpose of the check.
• Authentication or an apostille.
• A translation.
• Delivery to a particular address.

You should also be prepared with the documents and information required for the fingerprint collection and application. Applicants should generally have:

• Valid government-issued identification.
• Additional identification where requested.
• Relevant application or request information.
• Information about previous names, where applicable.
• Instructions from the organization requesting the Criminal Record Check.

If your current identification contains a different name from the one you used while living in Canada, make sure the relevant previous-name information is provided where required. The important point is consistency. Your identity information, fingerprint documentation, and application should accurately represent the same person.

Step 2: Arrange Ink Fingerprint Collection in Colombia

For an ink fingerprint collection in Colombia for RCMP, the fingerprint impressions need to be taken on the appropriate fingerprint documentation. The RCMP requires all ten fingerprints in black ink along with identifying information about the agency and official taking the prints.

The applicable fingerprint form may be the C-216C or equivalent official fingerprint form, depending on the submission arrangement.

The fingerprint record should include:

• Prints from all ten fingers.
• Fingerprints taken in black ink.
• The name and address of the agency where the fingerprints were taken.
• The name and signature of the official who took the fingerprints.

The quality of the impressions matters because the physical record will later need to be converted into a digital fingerprint submission in Canada. Applicants in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, and other Colombian locations should make sure the provider understands that the fingerprints are being collected for a Canadian fingerprint-based Criminal Record Check.

Step 3: Send the Original Fingerprint Documents to Canada

Once the fingerprint record has been completed, the original fingerprinting form needs to be sent to the accredited Canadian fingerprinting company handling the submission.

This is an important distinction from ordinary document scanning. A scanned copy uploaded to a portal does not replace the original paper fingerprint record required for the Canadian processing stage. The RCMP's outside-Canada instructions specifically direct applicants to have their paper fingerprints converted to digital format by an accredited Canadian fingerprint company.

Step 4: Electronic Submission to RCMP CCRTIS

The accredited Canadian company converts the physical fingerprint impressions into the digital format required for an electronic civil fingerprint transaction and submits the application to CCRTIS.

The RCMP maintains a public directory of accredited private fingerprinting companies. The directory is updated regularly and can change as companies are added or removed. Once CCRTIS receives the electronic submission, the RCMP independently processes the application and determines the result.

Step 5: Apostille, Legalization, or Translation (if required)

For your RCMP Criminal Record Check to be officially recognized by Colombian authorities, government agencies, or employers, it usually needs to be authenticated first.

• Hague Apostille Convention: Since both Canada and Colombia are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, an official Canadian Apostille issued on your original RCMP document is recognized directly in Colombia without requiring additional consular or embassy legalization.
• Translation Services: Because Spanish is the official language of Colombia, most Colombian authorities will require your apostilled RCMP criminal record check to be translated into Spanish by a certified professional translator before submission.

The total turnaround time is longer than the RCMP processing period alone because an applicant in Colombia has additional stages before and after the Canadian processing.

RCMP Check Process Workflow from Colombia

Official RCMP (CCRTIS) Processing Times

Important Note: The 3-business-day timeline applies only to the RCMP's internal processing window once CCRTIS receives the digitized fingerprints. Additional time must be factored in for international mailing from Colombia, Canadian digitizing agency turnaround, potential manual reviews, and final result delivery.

An RCMP Criminal Record Check involves two distinct categories of costs: official federal government fees and third-party/service charges.

RCMP Fee Breakdown & Exemptions

Additional Third-Party & Service Expenses

When applying from Colombia, applicants should budget for several mandatory third-party services separate from the government processing fee:

• International Shipping: Trackable courier charges (e.g., DHL, FedEx) to send physical fingerprint cards securely from Colombia to Canada.
• Canadian Submission Agency Fee: The fee charged by an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting agency in Canada to digitize paper prints and submit them electronically to the RCMP.
• Return Delivery: Courier charges for delivering the final certificate from Canada back to Colombia.
• Document Authentication (Apostille) & Translation: Optional costs if the destination authority outside Canada requires the certificate to be apostilled or translated into Spanish/another language.

Not every RCMP Criminal Record Check requires an apostille. Whether authentication is needed depends on the organization receiving the document and the purpose for which it will be used.

Canada's Apostille Convention framework has been in effect since January 11, 2024. An apostille is a form of authentication intended to facilitate the use of eligible Canadian public documents in countries that participate in the Hague Apostille Convention.

Colombia is also a party to the Apostille Convention. The Government of Canada's information for Colombia specifically notes that certain original Canadian documents, including RCMP criminal records issued in Ottawa, may be eligible for apostille services. It recommends confirming the document with the relevant Canadian office before arranging the service.

Global Affairs Canada also states that RCMP criminal record checks issued by RCMP headquarters in Ottawa do not need to be notarized when they meet the specified signature and official dry-seal requirements.

Applicants should therefore confirm the authentication requirement with the Colombian authority receiving the document before ordering an apostille. Current requirements and submission procedures are available through Global Affairs Canada's authentication and apostille information.

Globeia's role covers the fingerprint collection stage in Colombia and the Canadian submission coordination stage. The RCMP remains responsible for independently processing and issuing the Criminal Record Check.

1. Start the Application via Globeia SmartForm

Begin by completing the Globeia SmartForm with your personal details and providing the requested identity documents. This typically includes two eligible government-issued photo IDs and a photograph, depending on the service requirements.

Make sure your personal details are entered accurately, particularly your name, date of birth, and any previous names relevant to your Canadian records. 

2. Complete Payment

Provide the required billing information and select an available payment method. The service instructions will then explain the fingerprint collection requirements.

3. Complete the Fingerprint Collection

Globeia coordinates ink fingerprint collection in Colombia for RCMP Criminal Record Check applications through trained associates operating under MOU with Globeia Incorporated.

The fingerprints are taken on the applicable official fingerprint documentation, such as the C-216C or equivalent form. The impressions are reviewed before the documents are prepared for shipment.

4. Send the Original Fingerprint Documents

After the fingerprint collection and quality review, the original fingerprint documents are mailed or couriered to Globeia Incorporated in Toronto, Canada. Globeia Incorporated digitizes the physical fingerprints and electronically submits the application to RCMP CCRTIS.

5. Receive the Result

The RCMP independently processes and issues the Criminal Record Check. Depending on the selected delivery arrangement, the result can be sent by the applicable mail or courier method.

Where requested and available, additional coordination can include secure courier delivery, document authentication or apostille, and certified translation.

Note: If you have lived in several countries, remember that an RCMP Criminal Record Check only addresses your Canadian criminal record history. It does not replace criminal record documentation required from Colombia or another country where you previously lived.

Already Have Your Fingerprints Taken?

If you have already obtained your physical ink fingerprints in Colombia through a local police station, notary, or authorized local authority, you do not need to start the process from scratch.

Rather than repeating the fingerprint collection step, you can send your completed paper fingerprint form directly to Globeia Incorporated in Toronto, Canada. Globeia’s team will perform a thorough pre-submission quality check to verify that your prints meet clarity and formatting standards, digitize your physical fingerprint card into an electronic format, and submit the application directly to RCMP CCRTIS on your behalf.

Whether you require full ink fingerprint collection and submission coordination or just the Canadian digitization and electronic submission stage, Globeia ensures each stage of the process is coordinated smoothly, accurately, and in compliance with Canadian regulations.

Getting an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Colombia becomes much easier when you stop treating it as one local appointment. It is a connected process involving ink fingerprint collection in Colombia, physical delivery to Canada, digitization by an RCMP-accredited Canadian company, electronic submission to RCMP CCRTIS, official RCMP processing, and optional Canadian apostille or certified translation before final document delivery.

Whether you are applying from Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, or another part of Colombia, you do not need to return to Canada solely to obtain your background check. You need a properly prepared application and a valid Canadian submission route. Globeia can coordinate both for you, starting with a single booking through the Globeia SmartForm.