FAQs Archive

The pricing for the apostille of a criminal record check will vary depending on several factors. These variables include whether or not you require notarization, the services and speed of service you choose, and the processing times with the diplomatic mission (if legalization is required).

When you contact our friendly staff for your free consultation, we'll discuss your options and provide you a detailed quote, so you'll know exactly what is involved. For general information on our pricing visit our pricing page.

In some cases it may be possible to apostille a copy of your criminal record check instead of the original, but we don't always recommend it. With criminal record checks, we strongly recommend that you apostille your original document whenever possible.

To find out if a copy of your criminal record check will be acceptable, you will need to consult with the person or organization to whom you are sending your document. If you have confirmed that a copy of your criminal record check is acceptable, then the first step is to have a certified true copy made. If you have any questions about apostille of a copy of your criminal check, don't hesitate to contact our friendly specialists.

To use your Canadian criminal record check in a country other than Canada, you will often need to have it apostilled, or authenticated and legalized. To find out whether you need to have your criminal record check apostilled, you should ask the organization or person to whom you are sending this document.  They are the only ones who can accurately tell you whether they first require that your document be processed.

Note that you may be told that you need to apostille or attest your criminal record check.  In Canada, the terms “apostille” and “attestation” and "authentication and legalization" all refer to the same process. If you have any questions about what type of processing your criminal record check requires, contact our friendly staff. We are happy to answer your questions.

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 friendly specialists for information on the apostille of your criminal record check.

We apostille a lot of criminal record checks for our clients and have heard these documents called by different names. The official name is a Criminal Record Check or Certified Criminal Record Check. However, we also frequently hear Background Check, Police Check, RCMP Check, and Police Clearance Certificate.  In other countries, they may also be referred to as a Non-Criminal Record Check or Certificate of Good Conduct. If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact our friendly specialists who can help you clarify which particular type of document you are dealing with.

There are three steps to the apostille (or authentication and legalization) process:

Step 1) document preparation - make sure your criminal record check meets the criteria of the entire process.

Step 2) document apostille - your criminal record check is apostilled, or authenticated, at the appropriate government office.

Step 3) document legalization (if applicable) - if the destination country is not a signatory of the Hague Apostille Convention, your criminal record check is legalized by the embassy or consulate of the destination country.

Click on these terms for further information on each step. Feel free to contact our friendly specialists to discuss the requirements that apply to your specific situation.