Short answer: if you are applying for permanent residence, Canadian citizenship, or International Experience Canada (IEC), you and every family member who is 18 or older generally need to provide a police certificate from each country (other than Canada) where you have spent 6 months in a row or longer in the last 10 years. A police certificate is an official document that states whether you have a criminal record, and if you do, what is on it. IRCC uses it to help confirm whether there is any reason you might be criminally inadmissible to Canada. These documents go by many names around the world, such as police clearance certificate, good conduct certificate, judicial record extract, or certificate of no criminal record. This guide explains, in plain language, who needs one for a Canadian application, which countries you need one from, how recent it must be, and how to obtain it. Requirements can vary by visa office and by your situation, so always confirm the details on canada.ca and follow the specific instructions in your application guide.
Who needs a police certificate?
You, and any family member who is 18 or older, may need to provide a police certificate, depending on the program you apply to. A police certificate is generally required when you apply for permanent residence (including through Express Entry), Canadian citizenship, or International Experience Canada. This applies to family members whether they are coming with you or not, as long as they are 18 or older. Children under 18 do not provide police certificates.
For most other programs, such as a study permit or a regular visitor visa, you do not provide a police certificate up front unless you are specifically asked for one. If you have a prior criminal record, or if the local visa office instructs it, you may be asked for a certificate for these and some temporary applications too. For work permits in particular, whether you need one depends on where you apply from, because visa offices abroad set their own instructions. Always check your program's document checklist and the requirements of the responsible visa office, because requirements can vary by office and situation.
What this means for you: budget time for this document early. Police certificates can take weeks or even months to obtain in some countries, and a missing one is a common reason an otherwise strong application is delayed or returned as incomplete.
Which countries do you need a certificate from?
As a general rule for permanent residence, you need a police certificate from each country or territory (other than Canada) where you spent 6 months in a row or longer during the last 10 years. The same test applies to each family member who is 18 or older. So it is not only your home country: if you studied, worked, or lived abroad for a continuous stretch of six months or more in the past decade, that country is usually on the list. For the country where you currently live, the certificate must be recent (see the next section).
You do not provide police certificates for any period before you turned 18, or for time you spent in Canada. Canadian criminal background checks are handled separately by IRCC, so you do not arrange a Canadian police certificate yourself for this purpose. After you apply, an officer can still ask for additional certificates covering any time since you turned 18, not just the last 10 years, if they believe it is needed to assess admissibility.
A worked example: imagine you are 32, currently living in the Philippines, and between ages 18 and 32 you also spent two years studying in Australia and one year working in the United Arab Emirates, both more than six months at a stretch and within the last 10 years. You would generally need certificates from the Philippines (current, recent), Australia, and the UAE. You would not need one for a three-month exchange in Japan, because that stay was under six months in a row.
How recent must your police certificate be?
For the country where you currently reside, the police certificate must be issued no more than 6 months before the date you submit your application. Plan the timing so it is still within that window when you actually apply, not when you first request it. Because processing times vary, IRCC may ask you for an updated certificate later if your file takes longer than expected.
For any other country, the certificate must be issued after the last time you stayed there for 6 months in a row or longer. In other words, once you have left a country for good, a certificate covering up to your departure stays valid for that country; you do not have to keep renewing it. If a country prints an expiry date on its certificates, IRCC will still accept an expired one, as long as it was issued after your last qualifying stay and it is not for the country where you currently live. The current-country certificate is the one that must always be fresh. IRCC can request updated documents at any point during processing.
How to get a police certificate
The process is different in every country, and there is no single global procedure. IRCC publishes country-by-country instructions that explain exactly which authority issues the certificate, where and how to apply (in person, by mail, or online), what identity documents and fingerprints you need to bring, and any fees. Start with those instructions for each country on your list, because following the wrong process is a frequent cause of delays.
Some countries will only issue a certificate if you provide an official request letter from IRCC. If your country works this way, you do not chase the letter blindly. Instead, you upload a note in the police certificate field of your document checklist stating that you are applying from a country that requires an official request letter from IRCC. If your application is otherwise complete, IRCC will then send you the information you need to obtain the certificate.
When you have the certificate, you must submit a scanned colour copy of the original. Certified true copies or unauthorized copies are not accepted and can cause your application to be rejected, so scan the genuine document in colour. If your certificate is not in English or French, send the original together with a translation from a certified translator, following IRCC's translation instructions. Keep the paper originals; an officer can ask to see them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a police certificate for every Canadian application?
No. A police certificate is required for permanent residence, citizenship, and International Experience Canada. For other programs, you generally need one only if you have a prior criminal record or if the visa office requests it. Check your document checklist.
Do my family members need police certificates too?
Possibly. You and any accompanying or non-accompanying family member who is 18 or older may need to provide a police certificate, depending on the program. Children under 18 do not.
How old can my police certificate be?
For the country where you currently live, it must be issued within 6 months before you submit your application. For any other country, it must be issued after the last time you lived there for 6 consecutive months or more since you turned 18.
Do I need a Canadian police certificate?
You do not provide police certificates for time spent in Canada. IRCC handles Canadian criminal background checks separately. You do need certificates for qualifying time spent in other countries.
What if my country needs a request letter from IRCC first?
Some countries only issue a certificate with an official IRCC request letter. Upload a note in the police certificate field of your checklist stating that you are applying from a country that requires an official request letter from IRCC. If your application is otherwise complete, IRCC will send instructions on how to obtain the certificate.
How far back do I need to count the countries I lived in?
For permanent residence, the general rule is the last 10 years: you need a certificate from each country (other than Canada) where you spent 6 months in a row or longer during that period, since turning 18. After you apply, an officer can still request certificates covering any time since you were 18 if they decide it is needed.
Do short trips or stays under six months count?
Generally no. The standard test is a continuous stay of 6 months or longer in one country. A two-week vacation or a three-month exchange usually does not trigger a police certificate for that country. Count time you actually lived or stayed there in a row, not the total of separate short visits.
What if I cannot get a police certificate from a country?
Some countries do not issue police certificates, or you may be genuinely unable to obtain one. IRCC has guidance for these situations and may accept an explanation along with other proof. Do not simply leave the document out. Follow the instructions on canada.ca for what to provide when a certificate is unavailable, and include a written explanation of your efforts.
Can I submit a photocopy or a certified true copy of my police certificate?
No. IRCC requires a scanned colour copy of the original certificate. Certified true copies and unauthorized copies are not accepted and can cause your application to be rejected. Keep the paper original in case an officer asks to see it. If the certificate is not in English or French, include a translation from a certified translator.
Guides
Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.