How to Get an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Tokyo

In order to get your RCMP Criminal Record Check from Tokyo, you need to get yourself fingerprinted locally. The challenge is to find a reliable private provider or a government authority in Tokyo to get your impressions fingerprinted on the official RCMP card.

Another crucial step of the process is to courier your completed RCMP card to Canada. You cannot directly send the card to the RCMP. You need to mail it to an RCMP-accredited company in Canada for further processing and submission. Managing all these steps from Tokyo within a strict deadline is challenging and leads to several wrong decisions and then delays. Therefore, in this guide we will discuss how you can complete the entire process without traveling anywhere from Tokyo and the mistakes you should not make to avoid resubmissions.

If you are living in Tokyo and applying for Canadian immigration, a visa, or employment, you will likely be asked for an RCMP Criminal Record Check. This is Canada’s official nationwide background check issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). You can think of it as the Canadian equivalent of Japan’s Police Clearance Certificate (Keisatsusho Shoumeisho / 警察証明書). However, both of them serve different purposes and cannot be used interchangeably.

Unlike Japan, where you can get your basic police background check using only your name and date of birth, an RCMP Criminal Record Check usually requires fingerprints for international visas. Your unique fingerprint impressions are used by the RCMP to confirm your identity and criminal record against their national database.

Option 1: Use a Private Fingerprinting Provider in Tokyo

Tokyo has private fingerprinting providers that specialize in international background checks and foreign fingerprint requirements. For an applicant seeking an RCMP Criminal Record Check, this can be useful because the provider may already be familiar with the Canadian C-216C fingerprint form and the documentation required for submission to Canada.

For example, Globeia offers fingerprinting support for applicants in Tokyo. It helps ensure that fingerprints are captured and the required RCMP documentation is completed correctly.

Option 2: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department or Other Japanese Police Authorities

Usually, the first consideration of the Tokyo residents is the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD). It is because the TMPD provides fingerprint-related services as part of Japan's police procedures.

However, both the certificates have different requirements and guidelines, and using the wrong local procedure can result in your Canadian application being rejected due to missing fields or unverified signatures.

Option 3: Mobile Fingerprinting in Tokyo

One of the most convenient options for Tokyo applicants is mobile fingerprinting services. You don’t have to travel anywhere to get fingerprinted, instead a professional visits you at the time and location of your preference, with all the required equipment. This option is even more suitable for the applicants working in areas such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Minato, Chiyoda, or Chuo, as they may prefer an appointment near their home or workplace rather than travelling across the city.

Before booking an RCMP fingerprinting appointment in Tokyo, check these points to make sure your fingerprints and paperwork are ready for the Canadian submission process.

• RCMP C-216C Experience: Confirm that the provider regularly handles RCMP C-216C fingerprint forms, rather than offering only generic fingerprinting services.
• Authorized Certification: Ask who will sign and complete the fingerprinting section of the RCMP form. Because Japanese police authorities usually do not sign foreign government documents. You must ensure your provider can legally meet the certification requirements for an RCMP submission.
• Fingerprint Quality: Confirm that the provider uses the appropriate ink-and-roll technique and has experience producing clear and complete fingerprint impressions suitable for electronic digitization.
• Card Review Before You Leave: Make sure the completed C-216C card is checked for missing information, incomplete impressions, smudging, or other obvious errors before you leave the appointment.
• International Applicant Experience: Choose a provider familiar with foreign nationals and international background checks because your identification documents or personal information involve both Japan and Canada.
• English-Language Support: If you prefer communicating in English, check whether the provider offers English-speaking staff or English instructions for the appointment and paperwork to avoid any critical misunderstandings.
• Original Card Handling: Confirm that you will receive the original physical fingerprint card and understand how it will be securely sent from Tokyo to Canada. Ask who is responsible for the international shipment and where it needs to go.
• Post-Fingerprinting Process: Before paying, understand what happens after fingerprinting. If your cards will be sent to a Canadian provider for digitization and RCMP submission, confirm who handles that stage and how you can track your application.

Check What is the Difference Between Ink and Digital Fingerprinting?

Once your fingerprints have been captured on the required RCMP fingerprint card, the next stage is to send the original card to Canada for digitization and electronic submission to the RCMP.

Step 1: Send the Original Fingerprint Card from Tokyo to Canada

Your original fingerprint card must reach the Canadian fingerprint company handling your RCMP submission.

Note: Remember to use a trackable international courier and keep the tracking details until your application is completed.

Important for Tokyo Applicants:

Having your fingerprints taken in Japan does not make the Japanese provider an RCMP-accredited company. The RCMP states that private fingerprinting companies outside Canada are not accredited by the RCMP.

Therefore, the RCMP submission stage must be handled through an RCMP-accredited fingerprint company in Canada, such as Globeia Incorporated.

Step 2: Canadian Provider Reviews Your Fingerprint Card

Once the original card arrives in Canada, the accredited fingerprint company should review the fingerprint impressions and accompanying information.

If any information is incomplete or the fingerprint impressions cannot be processed, the provider may need to contact you before submitting the fingerprints.

Step 3: Your Fingerprints Are Digitized in Canada

The paper fingerprint impressions from your Tokyo appointment are converted into a digital fingerprint transaction.

The RCMP-accredited Canadian fingerprint company you have chosen, prepares and submits the electronic civil fingerprint transactions to the RCMP's Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS).

This is the stage where your physical fingerprint card becomes an electronic submission for the Canadian criminal record check process.

Step 4: The Fingerprint Submission Is Sent to CCRTIS

Now, the accredited Canadian fingerprint company submits the electronic fingerprint transaction to CCRTIS for processing.

The Tokyo-to-Canada route overview:

Fingerprinting in Tokyo → Original fingerprint card → International shipment → Canadian review → Digital conversion → CCRTIS submission → RCMP processing

Step 5: CCRTIS Processes the Fingerprints

After receiving the electronic submission, CCRTIS processes the fingerprints against the RCMP's National Repository of Criminal Records.

Step 6: Receive Your RCMP Criminal Record Check

Once the RCMP completes the criminal record check, the result is issued according to the applicable delivery arrangements.

Estimated RCMP Timeline from Tokyo:

How Long Does the RCMP Stage Take?

The RCMP currently lists the following approximate processing times for electronic fingerprint submissions received by CCRTIS:

• No match to a criminal record: 3 business days or less
• Manual processing or possible match: up to 120 business days

The RCMP notes that additional time may be required in some cases, including when information is incomplete or further clarification is needed.

Importantly, the RCMP processing timeline starts when CCRTIS receives the electronic submission. It does not start when you have your fingerprints taken in Tokyo.

Delays can occur at several points, including:

• Fingerprint errors: Incomplete, unclear, or smudged impressions may require correction or new fingerprints.
• Incomplete paperwork: Missing information, signatures, or other required details can delay the submission.
• International shipping: Courier delays can also extend the time it takes for your original fingerprint card to reach Canada.
• Canadian processing: The provider may need additional time to review and prepare the fingerprint card for electronic submission.
• RCMP manual processing: A possible match or other circumstances may require additional review by CCRTIS.
• Final delivery: Delivery of the completed RCMP result adds another stage after the RCMP has finished processing.

This is why the 3-business-day RCMP processing estimate should not be treated as the total turnaround time.

If you have a fixed deadline, allow sufficient time for the entire Tokyo-to-RCMP process, rather than planning around the RCMP processing window alone.

The RCMP Criminal Record Check involves several steps across two countries. Globeia connects all these stages through one coordinated process to help Tokyo applicants reduce avoidable error and repeat appointments.

Fingerprinting and Application Preparation in Tokyo

Globeia coordinates the fingerprinting stage in Tokyo, including mobile fingerprinting at your location where available. The required RCMP fingerprint documentation is prepared as part of the appointment.

The SmartForm helps collect application details and supporting information before fingerprinting. Moreover, identity verification and document checks help keep the application details organized from the start.

Fingerprint Quality Check Before Shipment

The fingerprint impressions and completed documentation are reviewed by the professional during the appointment. Your fingerprints are retaken immediately if any issue is found.

This is important because discovering a fingerprint problem after the card has already travelled from Tokyo to Canada can mean arranging new fingerprints and repeating the international shipment.

Globeia can also provide a Letter of Identity Verification documenting the identity verification and fingerprint collection.

International Shipment to Canada

After the Tokyo appointment, the original RCMP C-216C fingerprint card needs to reach the Canadian processing office.

Globeia can coordinate international courier delivery so that the original documents can be transferred from Tokyo to its Canadian office.

Digitization and RCMP Submission in Canada

The Canadian stage is managed through Globeia Incorporated in Canada, an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting company.

Once the original fingerprint card is received, Globeia reviews the documents, digitizes your fingerprint impressions, and prepares the electronic transaction for submission to CCRTIS.

This creates a continuous process rather than leaving you to coordinate separate fingerprinting, international shipping, digitization, and RCMP submission providers.

SmartPortal Tracking and Case Support

After your application enters the workflow, SmartPortal provides visibility into key stages, including:

• Original package received
• RCMP submission completed
• RCMP processing completed
• Certificate dispatched

A dedicated case manager can also assist with application-related coordination and updates throughout the process.

Support After the RCMP Result

If the completed RCMP document needs additional preparation for use in Japan or another country, Globeia can coordinate services such as apostille, authentication, legalization, and certified translation, depending on the requirements of the receiving authority.

Nobody wants to restart the RCMP Criminal Record Check process from Tokyo. However, it usually happens with many Tokyo applicants due to an unprofessional fingerprint provider, incorrect impressions, or incomplete documents. This is why many applicants choose a coordinated submission service, such as Globeia.

Globeia not only captures your fingerprints in Tokyo, but also coordinates the entire process up to mailing the card to RCMP-accredited Globeia Incorporated in Canada, RCMP submission, and delivery, as well as translations and apostille.

Start the RCMP Criminal Record Check with Globeia from Tokyo