Police Clearance
Certificate

From Canada, you apply for the Sri Lanka PCC through the Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa. The High Commission forwards your application to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo, which processes the check and issues the certificate. We handle the full application — preparing your forms, guiding you through the High Commission appointment, and following up until the certificate arrives. Processing typically takes 4 to 8 weeks.

A local police check (e.g. from Toronto Police Service) searches only the local records of that police service. An RCMP fingerprint-based criminal record check searches the national RCMP database — it is comprehensive and covers your entire criminal history in Canada. For international immigration, employment abroad, or foreign professional licensing, the RCMP fingerprint-based check is almost always what is required. A local police check is generally only suitable for Canadian domestic purposes.

It depends on the submission method. Digital fingerprint submissions (taken at an accredited provider and sent electronically to the RCMP) typically take 3 to 10 days. Ink fingerprint submissions sent by mail can take anywhere from 4 weeks to 4 months, depending on the RCMP’s current workload. We always recommend digital fingerprinting unless the receiving authority specifically requires ink prints. We advise on the fastest route for your timeline during the consultation.

IRCC typically requires PCCs to be dated within the past 6 months at the time of submission of your immigration application. Some IRCC streams require the PCC to be issued after a specific date in your application timeline. Check the specific currency requirement for your application stream. If you apply for the PCC too early, it may expire before your application is ready to submit. We factor this into the timing advice we give during your consultation.

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs requires PCCs from each country of residence — and they generally accept certified copies rather than requiring apostilles for PCCs issued in English. However, requirements can change and vary by visa subclass. We check the current Australian requirements for your specific visa before you apply, so you don’t go through the apostille process unnecessarily or skip it when it’s actually needed.

Most immigration authorities require a PCC from every country where you lived for 6 months or more after the age of 18. If you lived in a third country (e.g. the UAE, UK, or Singapore) before coming to Canada, you may need a PCC from that country too — in addition to Sri Lanka and Canada. We help you identify every country for which a PCC is needed based on your residency history, and advise on how to obtain the ones we can assist with.

In most cases, an in-person visit to the Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa is required to submit a PCC application — because the application requires your physical presence for identity verification. However, the High Commission occasionally accepts mail-in applications in certain circumstances. We advise on the current process and whether a visit to Ottawa can be avoided for your specific situation. If Ottawa is inconvenient, we can also advise on whether submitting through an agent in Colombo directly is a viable option for your case.

The Sri Lanka PCC fee through the High Commission in Canada is approximately USD 30 to USD 50 — paid directly to the High Commission. The Canadian RCMP fee is CAD 25 — paid to the RCMP — plus the cost of fingerprinting at an accredited provider (typically CAD 50 to CAD 100 depending on the provider and method). If an apostille is also required, additional Ministry of Foreign Affairs fees apply for the Sri Lankan certificate, or Global Affairs Canada authentication fees for the Canadian one. All government fees are separate from our service fee, which is quoted clearly during the free consultation.