Police Certificates for Express Entry and Permanent Residence

Police certificates are an essential part of the immigration process to Canada. These documents help prove that applicants and their adult family members are admissible and do not pose a security or criminal risk. If you’re applying through Express Entry or another permanent residence program, understanding how, when, and why to provide police certificates is critical to avoid delays or rejection.

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Step-by-step guidance on obtaining a police certificate for Express Entry or PR applications.

Table of Contents

Who Needs Police Certificates?

You must provide a police certificate if you are:

  • Applying for permanent residence

  • Applying for citizenship (adults or those resuming citizenship)

  • Applying under International Experience Canada (IEC)

  • In some cases, applying under other immigration programs

A police certificate is required for:

  • You and any family members aged 18 or older

  • Every country where you or a family member has lived for 6 months or more in a row over the past 10 years

You do not need to provide police certificates for:

  • Time before you turned 18

  • Any time spent living in Canada

An IRCC officer may request additional police certificates covering any period since you turned 18, even if it’s outside the last 10 years.

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Examples of When Police Certificates Are Not Required

  • Juan is 24 and lived in the U.S. for 8 months at age 16 → No police certificate required

  • Feras stayed in Turkey for 7 months at age 25 — over 20 years ago → No certificate required

  • Lailah studied in Spain during three 4-month stays but never stayed 6 months continuously → No police certificate automatically required, but an officer may still request one

Tip: If you’re unsure, it’s often safer to include police certificates for countries you frequently visited or worked in, even if the system doesn’t demand it.

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Why IRCC Requires Police Certificates

The purpose of police certificates is to verify that applicants:

  • Do not have a serious criminal history

  • Are not a risk to Canada’s safety and security

Applicants with criminal records may be considered inadmissible, and their permanent residence application could be refused. Therefore, providing valid and accurate police certificates is a critical part of demonstrating your admissibility.

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How to Get a Police Certificate

Police certificates can take time to obtain, so it’s best to start collecting them as soon as your Express Entry profile is in the pool or when you begin preparing for any Canadian immigration application.

Step-by-Step Instructions

In most cases, you will need to:

  • Contact the local police or national government authority of the country or territory

  • Provide:

    • Photographs

    • Fingerprints (if required by that country)

    • A list of your addresses and dates of residence in that country

  • Pay a fee for processing

Find Country-Specific Instructions

To find out how and where to get a police certificate for a specific country, use IRCC’s official lookup tool:

 Get a Police Certificate by Country (IRCC Website)

You’ll need to:

  • Select your country or territory

  • Follow the instructions provided for that location

If your country is not listed, contact:

  • Contact the national police agency, or

  • Reach out to the embassy or consulate of your country in Canada

If You Can’t Get a Police Certificate

If you’re unable to get a police certificate despite trying, you must:

  1. Show proof that you requested the certificate from the correct authority (e.g., receipt, confirmation, correspondence)

  2. Write a letter explaining all the steps you took to obtain the certificate

Important: Even if you provide both the letter and proof of effort, IRCC may still refuse your application if they are not satisfied. There is no guarantee it will be accepted.

If You Need an IRCC Request Letter

Some countries will only issue a police certificate if you have an official request letter from IRCC. If that applies:

  1. Upload a placeholder document in your online application that says:

    “I am applying from a country that requires an official request letter from IRCC to get a police certificate.”

  2. IRCC will review your file. If everything else is complete, they will provide further instructions and issue the request letter.

Language & Translation Requirements

  • If your police certificate is in any language other than English or French, you must submit:

    • The original certificate, and

    • A certified translation of the full document

Fingerprinting vs Biometrics

  • If you’re asked to provide fingerprints for a police certificate, this is not the same as biometrics for your immigration file.

  • Police fingerprinting is done for background checks.

  • Biometrics (fingerprints + photo) are collected separately for IRCC applications.

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When Should Police Certificates Be Issued?

For your current country of residence:

  • Must be issued within 6 months before you submit your application

For other countries:

  • Must be issued after your last stay of 6 consecutive months or more

Even if a certificate has an expiry date, IRCC may accept it if:

  • It was issued after your last stay in that country

  • It’s not from the country where you currently reside

IRCC may request updated police certificates at any time during processing.

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Format of Police Certificates

IRCC only accepts:

  • Scanned colour copies of the original certificates

❌ IRCC does not accept:

  • Photocopies

  • Certified true copies

  • Black and white scans or low-quality scans

Failure to submit proper documents could result in application refusal for being incomplete.

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What If You Can’t Get a Police Certificate in Time?

You typically have 60 days to submit your permanent residence application after receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA). If you’re unable to get one or more police certificates by the deadline:

Submit:

  • A letter of explanation, and

  • Proof of your effort, such as:

    • Submission receipts

    • Payment confirmation

    • Tracking info

    • Communication from issuing authorities

An IRCC officer will review your explanation. If they believe you made a genuine effort, your application may still be processed. If not, it could be rejected for being incomplete.

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Final Notes on Police Certificates

Police certificates are a crucial part of proving your admissibility to Canada. They help ensure public safety and confirm that applicants have no serious criminal history. Make sure your police certificates are:

  • Requested early

  • Submitted in full colour

  • Translated if necessary

  • Up to date and correctly issued

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