RCMP Criminal Record Check vs Australian National Police Check: Which One Do You Need?

The main difference between an RCMP Criminal Record Check and an Australian National Police Check is the geographic jurisdiction and the identification method. A fingerprint-based RCMP Criminal Record Check verifies criminal history in Canada using biometric fingerprints. An Australian National Police Check searches Australian criminal record databases using an applicant's name and date of birth.

Comparison: RCMP Criminal Record Check vs. Australian Criminal Record Check

An Australian National Police Check generally uses your name and date of birth, while an RCMP Criminal Record Check uses fingerprints to verify identity.

The two checks are therefore not interchangeable. If an authority specifically requests an RCMP Criminal Record Check, an Australian National Police Check will not satisfy the Canadian fingerprint-based requirement.

Australian applicants can face confusion when an authority asks for a criminal record check, particularly if they have lived in both Australia and Canada:

If any organisation is asking you to prove your Canadian criminal record history, you need an RCMP Criminal Record Check, regardless of how long ago you left Canada.

You may need an RCMP certificate if you:

• Previously lived in Canada and are now residing in Australia.
• Worked or studied in Canada and needed to provide an RCMP Criminal Record Check.
• Are applying for Canadian immigration or another Canadian process that requires a criminal record check.
• Are asked by an Australian employer, licensing body, immigration authority, or another organisation to provide Canadian criminal record checks.

If you have lived in both Australia and Canada, an immigration authority, employer, licensing body, or other organisation may ask you to provide a criminal record check from both countries.

Note: The exact requirement depends on the requesting authority and the purpose of the clearance. Always confirm against the specific application instructions before applying.

Here are the challenges that you need to prepare for before beginning the application process:

1. Finding a Provider That Handles RCMP Fingerprinting

Not every Australian fingerprinting provider handles RCMP fingerprint-based applications. Confirm that the provider can take the required ten fingerprints in black ink and complete the appropriate RCMP fingerprint form.

2. Moving From a Digital Australian Process to Physical Fingerprints

Australian applicants may be used to applying for criminal record checks digitally. An RCMP fingerprint-based check is different because it begins with physical ink fingerprints on paper rather than a standard online name-based application.

3. Understanding Why a Name-Based Check Is Not Enough

Unclear impressions, incorrect forms, missing signatures, or incorrect personal details can delay an RCMP application. Since the original fingerprint form must be sent from Australia to Canada, identifying errors before the form is couriered can help avoid repeat appointments and additional shipping costs.

Getting the right fingerprinting provider is an important first step for Australian applicants. Globeia Australia provides:

• In-office RCMP fingerprinting in Sydney and Melbourne
• Mobile fingerprinting in Brisbane and other Australian regions, where available
• Support with the required RCMP fingerprint documentation
• Coordination with Globeia Incorporated, Globeia's RCMP-accredited office in Canada

Read detailed Guide on How to obtain an RCMP Criminal Record Check from Australia

Choosing between an RCMP certificate and an Australian National Police Check is often the easy part, the harder part is navigating a fingerprint-based process when you are used to Australia’s largely digital police check system. Globeia Australia helps remove this friction by:

• Confirming which check your specific situation actually requires before you book anything.
• Providing in-office fingerprinting in Sydney and Melbourne, and mobile fingerprinting across other Australian regions.
• Completing your fingerprints on the correct RCMP-required form, and checking quality before you leave the appointment.
• Coordinating directly with Globeia Incorporated, its RCMP-accredited office in Canada, for digitisation and electronic submission to CCRTIS.
• Managing the Australian fingerprinting and Canadian submission stages as one connected process, rather than two separate ones you have to coordinate yourself.
• You also get to track the application in real-time.

An Australian National Police Check is only useful when it matches the requirement behind the request. Before starting either process, check the country, purpose, and type of clearance stated in your application instructions. This can save you from obtaining a certificate that ultimately does not meet the authority’s requirement.

For applicants dealing with Canadian and Australian requirements at the same time, confirming these details upfront makes it easier to plan the right clearances without treating one as a substitute for the other.

Get professional ink fingerprinting collection and RCMP Criminal Record Check coordination services from Globeia Australia.