A criminal records check or police clearance letter are documents that are issued by various police detachments in Canada. These documents are issued after the name and date of birth of an individual is searched in the database of National Repository of Criminal Records. This national database is maintained by the RCMP. One might be asked to obtain a Criminal Records Check in the event that they are going abroad for work, schooling etc. Should a Criminal Records Check be required, this document will need to be authenticated by Global Affairs Canada and then legalized by the specific Embassy or Consulate of the Country. In addition to the criminal records check or police clearance letters one might be required to have fingerprints taken. The fingerprints can be taken by a police detachment or one can use an authorized third party fingerprint service.
Before certain police documents can be authenticated by Global Affair Canada (JALC) They may need to be notarized by a Canadian Notary. Once the documents have been authenticated they can. Then proceed with legalization at a particular diplomatic mission with the ultimate goal of being used abroad.
You may be told that you need to “apostille” or “attest” your criminal record check. This is because different terms are used globally to describe this process of signature verification on documents intended for us abroad. In Canada, the terms apostille and attestation both refer to the authentication and legalization process. So, if you have been told that you need to apostille your criminal record check, what you will actually be doing is authenticating and legalizing your document. Contact our friendly specialists for more information on the apostille and attestation process in Canada. Call us at our toll-free number 1-833-700-5342 or fill up the below form.
Our expert staff at DLC is very familiar with what is required in order to have a Criminal Records Check authenticated by the authentication section of Global Affairs Canada. Our office is also able to assist with the legalization of the documents at a particular Embassy or Consular Office. Should notarization be required for the Criminal Records Check. We can assist with that also.
If you are in Canada, you may obtain your criminal record check by either visiting a local police detachment or an agency that has been accredited by the RCMP. If you are outside of Canada, you must use a fingerprinting agency that has been accredited by the RCMP in order to obtain your criminal record check. They will digitize your ink fingerprints and submit the application on your behalf. You may have the criminal record check sent directly to our office to save time. We can then notify you that it has arrived and begin the authentication and legalization process. If you need assistance to determine what agencies you may use, you can review this list provided by the RCMP, or feel free to contact our expert specialist for advice.
If you want to process documents in the mail, the length of time it will take may depend on a few factors. For example, how you sent the documents and where you sent the documents will affect the length of processing time. When handling the document authentication and legalization process (also known as apostille or attestation) by mail, it can take 4-6 weeks. This is because Global Affairs Canada has a mail-in processing time of a minimum of 15 business days. Once Global Affairs Canada has authenticated your documents, then they can be forwarded to the embassy or consulate of the destination country for the legalization portion of the process. Embassies and Consulates each have their own standard processing times ranging from 1 day to 2 weeks. If you need to expedite the authentication and legalization process, or simply want someone else to navigate this confusing process for you, we can help! Contact our expert staff for a free detailed quote. We will happily discuss your situation and answer your questions. Call us at our toll-free number 1-833-700-5342 or fill up the below form.
Yes, in Canada there are two types of criminal record checks.
The first is a basic Criminal Record Check, where only your name and date of birth are used to identify you when the RCMP database is searched.
No fingerprints are involved in obtaining a basic Criminal Record Check.
The second type is called a Certified Criminal Record Check, which also uses your fingerprints as an identifier when searching the RCMP database.
Certified Criminal Record Checks are considered more reliable because they use fingerprints as an identifier and this is the type of criminal record check most commonly required.
Contact our expert specialists for information on the authentication and legalization of your criminal record check.
Document Type
Document Type
Automated page speed optimizations for fast site performance
