Question
“My partner and I are starting the steps to get a Spain Non Lucrative Visa to move to Spain. We both live in Toronto at the moment.
We are wondering what is the process for the criminal background check? Is it exclusively through the RCMP, or can it be done through local police services? We are also inquiring about the Apostilles for documents, i.e., criminal background check. If anyone has insights on this, it would be of great help!”
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“I did my RCMP check at Ink Digital Fingerprinting on Spadina and Bloor in Toronto. Make an appointment first. The apostille you get is either through Global Affairs Canada (it takes up to 5 months) or a Canadian Embassy abroad (it takes about 2 weeks in Madrid, for example).
I got mine at the Canadian Embassy in Madrid. I sent my RCMP check to a friend in Madrid, and they sent it to the Embassy. The Embassy mailed it back to my friend, who then mailed it to me in Canada.”
“Where are you applying from? I think the consulate will accept it if it’s notarized and apostilled at Service Ontario’s official document centre. But if you are planning to apply in Spain, you need to get it done through the Canadian consulate in Madrid.”
“There are no RCMP apostilles through Service Ontario. The Spanish Consulate in Toronto only accepts apostilles from Global Affairs Canada, which takes 4 to 5 months.
You can also get the apostille at the Canadian Embassy in Madrid, even if you don’t live there. If you know someone in Spain, they can mail the RCMP check to the Embassy in Madrid for you, and you don’t need to authorize them to do it on your behalf.”
“Madrid is one option, but you could also try any other Canadian consulate in a country you are planning to visit.”
“RCMP only, and it needs to go to Global Affairs (4 months). The Spanish Consulate requires the RCMP criminal record check with fingerprints and photo, legalized with the Hague Apostille Certification issued by Global Affairs Canada only. It also needs to be translated into Spanish.”
“It took us about 2 weeks to get the check back, but the apostille is the hard part.”
“Oh boy… apparently, the Spanish consulate in Toronto only accepts federal apostilles now. It takes up to 4 months from Global Affairs. They won’t accept provincial apostilles, but you are there, so go in and ask yourself.”
Conclusion
When applying for a Spain non-lucrative visa from Toronto, your RCMP criminal background check must be processed through the RCMP, not local police services.
The apostille for this document is a crucial step and must be obtained either through Global Affairs Canada, which can take up to 5 months, or through the Canadian Embassy abroad, such as in Madrid, which offers a quicker 2-week turnaround.
The Spanish Consulate in Toronto only accepts federal apostilles from Global Affairs, so plan accordingly to ensure all your documents meet their requirements.
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