How to order the RCMP check for the Thailand DTV

Time is the main risk in Canada. The RCMP says a check with no possible match takes 3 business days or less, but a possible match or manual processing can take up to 120 business days. Order early enough to absorb the long case, but not so early that the result ages out.

Facts at a glance

Why Canada can take 120 business days

The RCMP gives two time ranges. A check with no possible match takes 3 business days or less. A check with a possible match, or one that needs manual processing, can take up to 120 business days. That is about six months. The RCMP also says that incomplete information can delay a check.

You cannot know in advance whether your check will be quick. Two plans help:

• Order the check before you start the bank statement period, so that a slow case does not hold up the whole file.
• Use an accredited provider and fill in every field. Incomplete information is a cause of delay.

If the result arrives fast, you may need to wait for your other papers. That is fine as long as you submit before the certificate is too old.

How to order the RCMP check, step by step

1. Find an accredited fingerprinting provider. Use a police service or a company that the RCMP accredits.
2. Give your fingerprints. The provider sends them to the RCMP electronically.
3. State the purpose as a visa or travel document. The federal fee for this purpose is CAD 25.
4. Pay the federal fee and the provider's fee.
5. Wait for the result. 3 business days or less with no possible match. Up to 120 business days with a possible match or manual processing.
6. Receive the result by mail and check it. Your name and date of birth must match your passport.
7. Submit the DTV on thaievisa.go.th before the result becomes too old for Ottawa.

Timeline plan

Ottawa states no age limit on the pages we read. Use 3 months from the result date as your deadline. It is the strictest limit we found at any Thai post. See the age limits by embassy.

Costs to plan for

What the Ottawa embassy says

Ottawa's DTV page, posted in July 2024, has no document list in its text. Its fee notice of 5 January 2026 is an image. Ask the embassy for the maximum age and for whether it accepts any check other than the RCMP certified check.

The embassy's "Police Clearance Certificates" page is about Thai police certificates for people who lived in Thailand. It is a different document. Do not order it for your DTV.

Apostille

No Thai post page we read asks for an apostille on the RCMP result. Canada has been in the Apostille Convention since January 2024, and Global Affairs Canada authenticates documents for free. Thailand joins the Convention on 28 February 2027, so a Canadian apostille may not be enough for use in Thailand before that date. Do not order one unless the embassy asks. The general rules are on the police clearance hub.

Translation

The RCMP issues results in English or French. Ask Ottawa whether a French result needs an English translation.

Common mistakes

• Ordering a Thai police certificate from the Ottawa page instead of the RCMP check.
• Using a fingerprinting company that the RCMP does not accredit.
• Leaving fields blank on the request. Incomplete information can delay the check.
• Not planning for 120 business days if your fingerprints give a possible match.
• Ordering a name-based local check without asking Ottawa first.

Before you apply

1. The certificate is the RCMP certified criminal record check, based on fingerprints.
2. It is less than 3 months old on the day you submit, unless Ottawa states a different limit.
3. Your name and date of birth match your passport.
4. You asked Ottawa about a French result if yours is in French.
5. You checked the DTV fee in the e-Visa system.

Want a second look at the whole file? Use the DTV pre-check. The embassy makes the decision.