Apostilled RCMP Criminal Record Check, from Mexico
Canadians living in Mexico and people who used to live in Canada often need the RCMP certificate for a job, a school or another country’s visa. We coordinate the fingerprints in Mexico, the RCMP request and the federal apostille from Global Affairs Canada.
Which Mexican offices ask for this document
These are the most common procedures; the receiving office may ask for more:
Employment, International Schools and Visas for Other Countries
- A national, fingerprint-based record check: the FBI report (U.S.) or the RCMP certificate (Canada).
- Many institutions want it apostilled; some other countries’ consulates do not require an apostille. Check before you apply.
- The check usually has to be no more than 3 to 6 months old.
Temporary or Permanent Residency in Mexico
- When residency is based on a family tie, the foreign marriage or birth certificate must carry the apostille of the state or province that issued it.
- As a rule, the INM does not ask for an FBI or RCMP check for residency; the consulate or INM office may request additional documents in specific cases.
- Documents in English or French are usually filed with a Spanish translation.
Which version works and which does not
An apostille can only go on a public document with the right signature and seal:
- Original certificate issued by the RCMP
- Provincial or municipal police clearances
- Name-only searches without fingerprints
- Photocopies or printed scans
How to prepare this document
Follow this order so the authority apostilles it and the Mexican office accepts it:
New fingerprints taken in Mexico.
Prints sent to the RCMP; the certificate is usually issued within 1 to 2 weeks of processing.
Apostille on the original certificate from Global Affairs Canada.
Spanish translation by a perito traductor, if the Mexican authority asks for it.
Which authority apostilles your document?
The apostille comes from a specific office, depending on where the document was issued or signed. Pick your case:
Global Affairs Canada (Authentication Services Section, Ottawa)
Apostilled by Global Affairs Canada (Authentication Services Section, Ottawa) (Canadian federal jurisdiction (Global Affairs Canada)).
Already living in Mexico?
We explain how to have your prints taken in Mexico, send them to the RCMP and, once the certificate arrives, forward it to Ottawa for the apostille. Finally we courier it to your address in Mexico.
1. Online review
Send us a photo or scan of the document. We check the signature, seal and authority before you send anything.
2. Shipping originals
If the procedure needs the original, we tell you how to send it by tracked courier or collect it from your address.
3. Delivery to your door
We send the apostilled document and, if you asked for it, the translation by a perito anywhere in Mexico.
Translation by a perito traductor
Mexican offices usually ask for documents in English or French to be translated into Spanish by a perito traductor authorized by the state judiciary. The translation normally includes the apostille. Each office decides which peritos it accepts: some only take peritos from their own state.
Usual timelines
These are the authorities’ timelines; shipping and translation are on top:
Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them
Filing a local police clearance instead of the national RCMP certificate.
Trying to have the certificate apostilled by a province: as a federal document it goes to Global Affairs Canada.
Not counting the 20 to 25 business days of the federal apostille when working out the validity window the employer requires.
Apostille questions: RCMP Certified Criminal Record Check (fingerprint-based)
Will a clearance from my city police in Canada do?
Normally not. Whoever asks for a Canadian check for Mexico or another country usually requires the national, fingerprint-based RCMP certificate.
Can it be apostilled in Ontario if I lived there?
No. The RCMP certificate is federal, so the apostille comes from Global Affairs Canada regardless of the province where you lived.
Does the RCMP certificate need legalization at a Mexican consulate?
No. Canada has applied the Apostille Convention since 11 January 2024, and Mexico since 1995. With the Global Affairs Canada apostille, the certificate needs no consular legalization.
How long does the apostilled certificate take overall?
Allow for mailing the prints from Mexico, 1 to 2 weeks at the RCMP and 20 to 25 business days at Global Affairs Canada, plus the courier back. We give you an estimate for your case before starting.
We help you in Mexico
- Global Affairs Canada (Authentication Services Section): https://www.international.gc.ca/gac-amc/about-a-propos/services/authentication-authentification_documents.aspx
- Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH): https://www.hcch.net/es/instruments/conventions/specialised-sections/apostille
Pre-review: RCMP Certified Criminal Record Check (fingerprint-based)
Before any paper moves, we review your document: who issued it, whether the signature and seal can be apostilled and what the Mexican office needs. You get the timeline and a quote in writing.
Pre-review: RCMP Certified Criminal Record Check (fingerprint-based)
We check the authority, signature and seal, and send you a quote before you ship the original.