How to Get an RCMP Criminal Record Check in Philippines

An RCMP Criminal Record Check in the Philippines often becomes confusing at the exact moment it appears simple. You are asked to provide fingerprints, but the instructions may not clearly explain which card to use, who should collect the prints, or where the completed documents must go.

That uncertainty matters whether you apply from Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, or another city. Clear fingerprints can still fail when the wrong card or wrong submission route is used. So, what happens after collection, and why can the card not go straight to the RCMP?

This blog explains the documents, local fingerprinting options, Canadian submission route, processing time, costs, and decisions you should settle before sending anything.

RCMP Criminal Record Check refers to the certified, fingerprint-based criminal record check processed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It searches Canada’s National Repository of Criminal Records through Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services, commonly called CCRTIS. The RCMP explains the difference between name-based and fingerprint-based checks here.

Fingerprints provide the most reliable way to connect a criminal-record search to the correct person. They are especially useful when people share names, use different spellings, have changed names, or could otherwise be associated with another person’s record.

Applying from the Philippines involves two connected stages:

1. The Philippine stage covers document preparation, identity verification, and the collection of paper fingerprints.
2. The Canadian stage covers electronic conversion, submission to CCRTIS, the record search, and issuance of the result.

Important: Applicants outside Canada must have their paper fingerprints taken by an authorised agency and then submit the application through an accredited fingerprinting company in Canada. Do not mail foreign paper fingerprints directly to CCRTIS; the RCMP states that they will not be accepted. Review the official outside-Canada instructions before arranging collection.

The RCMP criminal record check result is based on a fingerprint search of Canada’s National Repository of Criminal Records. It does not include information from Philippine authorities or automatically function as a broader international screening report.

It is not the same as:

• An NBI Clearance
• A Philippine National Criminal Record Check
• A barangay clearance
• A general employment screening report
• A police certificate issued by another country
• A Canadian Vulnerable Sector Check

A Vulnerable Sector Check follows a different route and cannot be issued by an RCMP-accredited private fingerprinting company. When the requesting organisation uses broad wording such as “Canadian Criminal Record Check,” confirm the exact document before paying for fingerprinting or courier delivery.

The request usually relates to a past or present connection with Canada. Some of the reasons that results in asking you for the RCMP criminal record check in Philippines are:

For Canadian immigration applications, follow the current IRCC instructions for a Canadian police certificate. Do not order the document simply because an email says “Criminal Record Check.” Confirm whether the requesting organisation needs a certified fingerprint-based check, a name-based check, direct third-party delivery, an apostille, or a translation.

Do not begin with fingerprinting alone. First prepare the information that determines what should appear on the card, where the result should go, and whether another person is authorised to receive it.

1. Request Letter or Application Instructions

Bring the complete request email, portal instructions, or checklist. A cropped screenshot showing only “Canadian Criminal Record Check” may omit the purpose, recipient, delivery route, or authentication requirement.

• The purpose of the check
• An application, employee, or case reference
• The required recipient and delivery address
• Apostille or translation instructions

2. Identification Documents

The authorised collector and accredited Canadian company decide which identification they accept. A passport is commonly useful, and a second government-issued ID may be requested.

• Check that these details match the identification and request instructions:
• First, middle, and family names
• Previous, maiden, or legally changed names
• Date and place of birth
• Correct or explain inconsistencies before submission.

3. Consent and Third-Party Delivery Information

The application requires informed consent. If an employer, lawyer, consultant, or other representative will receive the result, written authorisation may be required.

4. The Correct Fingerprint Card

The fingerprint standard does not change between Makati, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, or a smaller municipality. What changes is access to a collector familiar with foreign cards.

Many Canadian accredited companies use a C-216C or accepted equivalent. Confirm the card with the company that will digitise and submit it.

Ask the Canadian company or coordinating provider:

• Will you supply the C-216C card?
• Will you accept a PNP fingerprint form or another foreign police form?
• Do you require an agency stamp in addition to the collector’s name and signature
• What address should be entered for the collecting agency?

What Must Appear on the Fingerprint Card?

Separate the RCMP-published minimum from the extra fields required by the card or Canadian company.

Confirm the company’s intake checklist before collection; clear prints can still be unusable when required fields are missing.

Where Can You Get RCMP Fingerprints Taken in the Philippines?

There are two practical routes: a government fingerprint service that agrees to complete the foreign card, or a qualifying private/mobile provider connected to the Canadian submission route.

Option 1: Philippine National Police Forensic Group

The PNP Forensic Group’s 2026 Citizen’s Charter lists fingerprinting for private individuals and companies. It identifies the applicant, two coloured 2×2 photographs, and an original card or form, and lists PHP 200 and 45 minutes.

Confirm current details before travelling.

The central service is at Camp BGen Rafael T. Crame in Quezon City. Before planning around EDSA traffic, confirm:

• Whether an appointment is required
• Whether the office will complete your C-216C or accepted equivalent
• Whether the collector will enter the agency details and sign the card

The PNP also publishes a Fingerprint Request Form. Confirm acceptance with the accredited Canadian company before using it.

Option 2: Qualifying Private or Mobile Fingerprinting Provider

A private provider can help with international cards, rolled and plain impressions, card completion, and courier coordination. A Philippine collector must not be described as RCMP-accredited.

The RCMP requires a qualifying foreign private company to be covered by an agreement with an accredited Canadian company, local police service, or government department. Confirm that connection before booking.

Before confirming an appointment, ask:

• Does the provider regularly collect fingerprints for Canadian RCMP Criminal Record Checks?
• Will the provider bring the correct card and black ink?
• Will weak impressions be retaken before the appointment ends?
• Will all collector and agency details be completed?
• Is mobile collection available at the applicant’s location?

Mobile collection can reduce travel across Quezon City, Makati, Pasay, Ortigas, and BGC. Confirm building access and appointment details before the collector travels.

NBI note: An ordinary NBI Clearance appointment is not an RCMP card appointment, and its stored digital fingerprints cannot be transferred. Confirm directly whether a relevant NBI unit can complete a foreign card before visiting.

The completed card does not go directly from the Philippines to an RCMP office. It must first go to an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting company in Canada. That company reviews the paper form, converts eligible impressions into an electronic transaction, and submits the application to CCRTIS.

Do not send foreign paper fingerprints directly to CCRTIS. Paper submissions from outside Canada are not accepted and will be returned.

What Should Be Included in the Package to Canada?

The accredited company’s checklist controls the final package. Depending on the route, it may include:

• The original completed fingerprint card or cards
• The company’s application or intake form
• Copies of accepted identification documents
• Third-party consent and recipient details
• Payment confirmation
• Return-delivery, apostille, or translation instructions

Use a rigid mailer, moisture protection, and tracked delivery. Keep a scan, and do not fold, laminate, staple, punch, or write over the fingerprint boxes.

Check the company’s current status on the RCMP list of accredited private fingerprinting companies. The list is updated regularly and may change, so accreditation should not be assumed from advertising language alone.

Before sending original documents, confirm that the company:

• Accepts paper fingerprints collected outside Canada
• Will digitise the selected card and submit it electronically to CCRTIS
• Accepts the card format and collector details already arranged
• Can deliver the result to the required applicant or third party

There are no private fingerprinting companies accredited by the RCMP outside Canada. Accreditation applies to the approved Canadian company and location, not to a person collecting paper fingerprints in the Philippines.

The visible part of the application ends when the courier delivers the package. The technical submission begins after the accredited Canadian company receives it.

The collector, courier, and accredited company do not decide what appears in the result. The RCMP independently conducts the search, controls processing, and issues the document.

Using the Wrong Canadian Document

An NBI Clearance or ordinary name-based search cannot replace a RCMP Criminal Record Check when fingerprint-based Canadian records are specifically requested.

Mailing Directly to the RCMP

Foreign paper fingerprints must pass through an accredited company in Canada for electronic submission.

Collecting Prints Before Confirming the Card

Clear impressions may still be unusable when the Canadian company does not accept the form or required fields are missing.

Leaving Out Collector Details

The RCMP requires the authorised agency’s name and address and the collector’s name and signature on the paper fingerprints.

Reusing Local Digital Biometrics

Fingerprints collected for NBI, visa, immigration, or identity-card processes cannot simply be retrieved and used for this paper-card route.

Treating the Fastest Timeline as a Promise

Three business days or less applies only to certain RCMP electronic submissions and does not include collection, shipping, delivery, or additional document services.

In general, the RCMP processing stage may take from three business days or less to approximately 120 business days, depending mainly on whether the electronic fingerprint transaction produces a possible criminal-record match or requires manual processing. These figures begin after CCRTIS receives the electronic submission, not when fingerprints are first taken in the Philippines.

The RCMP processing-times and fees page also states that results are mailed and extra delivery time must be allowed.

Factors That Can Delay Your RCMP Criminal Record Check From the Philippines

The RCMP service standard is only one part of the complete timeline. The most important additional delays are shown below.

Work backward from the day the employer, immigration authority, regulator, university, or court must physically receive the document. Do not make commitments based only on the fastest RCMP scenario.

Not automatically. The receiving organisation decides whether the plain RCMP-issued result is sufficient or whether the Canadian public document must carry an apostille.

Ask before submission because an apostille requirement may change the delivery address and keep the RCMP result in Canada for further processing.

Global Affairs Canada explains that an apostille or authentication is only sometimes required before a Canadian document is used abroad. Review the current Canadian apostille instructions and confirm the document’s issuing authority before choosing where to send it.

An apostille confirms the public official’s signature or seal; it does not change the record information or guarantee acceptance by the recipient.

The total may include local collection, card preparation, the Canadian company’s fee, courier delivery, the federal RCMP fee, and optional apostille or translation.

The RCMP lists a CAD 25 federal fee for many certified checks, with exemptions for some purposes, including Canadian immigration or citizenship. Provider charges remain separate.

The route links a Manila appointment, courier delivery, electronic conversion in Canada, CCRTIS submission, and optional document services. Globeia coordinates these stages through Globeia Incorporated’s accredited Canadian office.

Step 1: Start the Application Online

The applicant begins through Globeia’s Philippines RCMP Criminal Record Check service by entering personal details, the reason for the request, recipient information, and selected document services.

Globeia currently lists its application form, two photo IDs, two C-216C cards with black-ink impressions, a recent passport photograph, and third-party consent. Recheck the list when applying.

Document review checks the supplied instructions for fingerprinting, delivery, apostille, or translation needs. The requesting authority decides the required document.

Step 2: Arrange Fingerprinting in Manila

For applicants in Metro Manila, the Globeia Manila fingerprinting service can coordinate mobile collection at a home, office, hotel, or another agreed location, subject to coverage, access, and appointment availability.

A trained associate brings the materials, checks identification, and collects rolled and plain black-ink impressions. Applicants outside coverage may use a suitable local source.

Step 3: Review the Fingerprints Before the Appointment Ends

The associate reviews ridge clarity, ink density, smudging, missing areas, finger sequence, and collector details. A visibly weak impression can be retaken immediately.

This review cannot guarantee acceptance. Globeia Incorporated assesses whether the paper card appears suitable for electronic conversion, while the RCMP independently controls processing and the final result.

Step 4: Receive Globeia’s Letter of Identity Verification

Globeia provides a Letter of Identity Verification with a unique encrypted QR code documenting the identity-verification and collection process.

Disclaimer: The Letter of Identity Verification is issued by Globeia. It is not issued by, endorsed by, or affiliated with the RCMP or any Canadian or Philippine government authority.

Step 5: Send the Cards to Globeia Incorporated in Canada

The original cards go to Globeia Incorporated’s accredited Canadian office, which digitises eligible prints and submits the electronic transaction to CCRTIS.

The trained associate collecting fingerprints in the Philippines is not RCMP-accredited. RCMP accreditation applies to the approved Canadian company and location.

Step 6: Electronic Submission to CCRTIS

Globeia Incorporated reviews and converts eligible prints, then submits them to CCRTIS. The RCMP independently searches the fingerprints, handles any required review, controls the processing time, and issues the result.

SmartPortal shows Globeia-coordinated stages, not the RCMP’s internal systems, decisions, or processing controls.

Step 7: Delivery and Optional Document Services

The RCMP-issued result goes to the accepted applicant or recipient. Globeia may separately coordinate apostille submission, courier delivery, or certified translation.

Applicants comparing local options can also read Globeia’s guide to applying for an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Manila.

Note: Globeia coordinates fingerprint collection, document handling, electronic submission, delivery, and optional document services. The RCMP independently controls fingerprint processing, record searching, processing time, and result issuance.

An RCMP Criminal Record Check from the Philippines is a handoff between local paper collection, accredited electronic submission in Canada, and the RCMP’s independent search.

Prepare the instructions, confirm the card, use an authorised collector, and decide the delivery route before shipping. Clear fingerprints can still be delayed when the route is wrong.

The RCMP controls the search and result. Collectors and providers cannot guarantee acceptance, timing, or content.